Van Nuys Man Held in Assault, Slaying of Woman

A Van Nuys man was arrested on suspicion of murder about eight hours after screams early Saturday led police to the body of a woman who apparently had been sexually assaulted and strangled, Los Angeles police said.

Detective Mel Arnold said the suspect, Michael Brock, 27, was arrested about 10:30 a.m. at his apartment in the 6700 block of Woodley Avenue, about a block from where the body was found. He was being held without bail in Van Nuys jail.

Police who responded to a woman’s screams about 2:30 a.m. chased a man from a building under construction in the 6700 block of Valjean Avenue but failed to capture him, Arnold said.

When they returned to the building moments later, they discovered the partially clad body of Dorothy Jean Gilmore, 33, who lived in a nearby apartment complex, Arnold said.

Lt. Al Durrer said there was evidence that Gilmore struggled with her assailant before being strangled, and that she had been sexually assaulted. An autopsy was ordered to determine the cause of death.

Arnold declined to say what led investigators to suspect Brock, described by Arnold as an acquaintance of Gilmore.

A police task force investigating a series of prostitute killings was called to the scene, but police said they found no evidence linking Gilmore’s slaying to the serial murders, most of which occurred in South Los Angeles.