4 Arrested, Police Posted at Struck La Habra Facility

Four persons were arrested Friday during strike-related violence in front of an Alpha Beta warehouse in La Habra, prompting a round-the-clock police presence at the site, La Habra police said.

Police Sgt. Phillip Stufflebean said that two strikers and two warehouse employees were arrested for offenses ranging from being drunk in public to attacking a striker with a large wooden club.

After an employee allegedly struck a picket with a club for blocking the path of his car about 2:20 p.m., police made the decision to place a patrol officer on 24-hour duty at the entrance to the warehouse on Beach Boulevard, Stufflebean said.

The employee, David C. Alexander, 37, of Los Angeles, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, a police spokesman said.

Arrests began at 8:20 a.m., Stufflebean said, when Roger Scott Smith, 29, of La Habra, a warehouse employee, was taken into custody on suspicion of being drunk in public.

Dropping Nails Charged

Police returned to the warehouse and arrested John Gibilterra, 40 of La Habra, a picket, on suspicion of violating a court order when he allegedly dropped nails near the entrance in an attempt to puncture the tires of vehicles entering the facility.

Also, picket Papaloa Ili, 36, of Pomona was arrested about 1:20 p.m. on suspicion of throwing rocks at a moving truck, Stufflebean said.

Officials said that police have increased patrols in the area after three people were arrested Thursday for felony assaults.

The violence was the first reported at the La Habra warehouse since the supermarket strike and lockout began Nov. 5.