Local News in Brief : 7th Person Charged in Drug-Related Killings

The owner of a Lake View Terrace house where four people were shot to death Aug. 28 was charged Thursday with being an accessory to the murders, authorities said.

Nash Newbil, 52, is the seventh person charged in connection with the drug-related killings of Andre Louis Armstrong, 31, and James Brown, 43, both of Pacoima; Lorretha Anderson English, 24, of Seaside and her 28-month-old daughter, Chemise.

Newbil and four others were arrested Sept. 28 in police searches of 26 locations in the northeast San Fernando Valley conducted during investigation of the killings. But the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office declined to file charges against him and he was freed.

Detective Al Ferrand said further investigative work led to Newbil’s rearrest Thursday. Ferrand said he would not elaborate on what additional evidence was found or on Newbil’s alleged role.

Two other suspects were arrested last week. Los Angeles police also have arrest warrants for four other people who are still at large, bringing to 11 the number of people thought to be involved.

Police said that the house where the murders took place was used by a drug ring as a “cash house,” where money and drugs were kept. The victims were killed when one of them, Armstrong, attempted to meet with members of the ring and extort money from them, authorities said.