2 Northridge Teen-Agers Held in Pacoima Pastor’s Death

Two teen-agers have been arrested in the shooting death of a Pacoima pastor who was gunned down in his Chatsworth house during a dispute over a minor traffic accident, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

Dana L. Singer, 18, and Philip J. Dimenno, 19, both of Northridge, were arrested on suspicion of murder Tuesday, two days after the body of Carl White, 54, was found on the floor of his house in the 20100 block of Citronia Avenue.

White was pastor of the Apostolic Temple Church, a storefront church with a handful of members that is located on Van Nuys Boulevard. White was also a house painter and a driver for the handicapped.

Detective Michael Brandt said investigators found recent damage to the rear of White’s car, which was parked at his house, and learned from other undisclosed evidence that he had been in a minor traffic accident Friday night. Further investigation of the accident led to the suspects.

“It’s all based on a minor traffic accident,” Brandt said. “It’s the craziest thing. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to it.”

Brandt said White had been driving home about 11 p.m. Friday when he slowed his car at Winnetka Avenue and Superior Street, about a block from his house, because a fatal accident in the intersection had clogged traffic.

Behind White’s car, Dimenno and an unidentified friend were riding in the suspect’s Mustang, Brandt said. The friend, who was driving the Mustang, was distracted by the accident scene and rear-ended White’s car.

Because damage to both cars was minor, no police report was taken and the two car owners exchanged information from their driver’s licenses. But Dimenno’s car was uninsured, meaning that he could be charged with illegally operating the car and be sued by White’s insurance company if the pastor reported the accident, Lt. L.A. Durrer said.

About 6 a.m. Saturday, Dimenno and Singer--who had not been in the Mustang at the time of the accident--allegedly went to White’s home in an attempt to persuade him not to report the accident to his insurance company, Durrer said.

White’s wife, Margaret, was visiting relatives in Canada at the time and the only other person at home was an elderly relative who was bedridden and did not see or hear what took place when the two men visited.

“The two suspects just showed up at the house,” Brandt said. “We believe it started out as a talking situation. They didn’t want Pastor White to notify his insurance company about the accident. The situation deteriorated and Pastor White was shot and killed.”

The suspects fled after the shooting. White’s body was not discovered until the following night when members of the Apostolic Temple Church became concerned after he did not appear for Sunday services and went to his house. The bedridden relative was found unharmed in her room.

Brandt said it was unknown if the suspects had offered to pay for the damage to White’s car or simply demanded that White not notify the insurance company.

Police said Singer was allegedly the man who brought the gun with him and shot White. The gun was seized after the suspects were arrested when police watched them enter a store in the 6900 block of Reseda Boulevard. Police declined to say where the gun was found.

Police said both suspects lived with their parents but declined to reveal other details about them or whether they had previous criminal records. Both teen-agers were being held without bail and are expected to be arraigned on murder charges today in San Fernando Municipal Court.

Margaret White, who returned home from her trip Sunday night as police were investigating her husband’s death, said funeral services had not yet been scheduled.

The Whites, who were well-liked by neighbors, put their home of five years up for sale last month and had planned to move back to Kentucky, where White was born, said a real estate agent who was handling the listing.