Reward’s Dividend : Police Are Led to Suspect in Van Nuys Park Slaying

Within three hours of a news conference last week publicizing a $15,000 reward for help in solving a Van Nuys park slaying, an informant called police with key information--the gang moniker of the man now charged with the murder, city officials said Wednesday.

The informant, who has not been identified, had earlier been interviewed by detectives but gave no information about the slaying of 51-year-old Julian Contreras, who was shot to death Aug. 7 while playing cards at the Van Nuys Recreation Center, police said.

Detectives said they do not know if the informant, who was not a witness to the killing, heard about who may have committed the murder before or after the police interview or whether the informant sought information to collect the reward.

In any case, when the informant heard a radio report about the Los Angeles City Council-authorized reward, he immediately called police “because he wanted the money,” said Councilman Joel Wachs, who sponsored the reward offer before the council.

Charged with the murder is 25-year-old Lanell Craig Harris of Van Nuys.

Police said Harris is a former San Fernando High School sports star who in recent years has been active in a local gang.

The reward will be given to the informant only if Harris is convicted, Wachs said.

Police said that shortly after dark on the day of the killing, Harris and another man robbed Contreras and two other card players with pistols.

Contreras, a Van Nuys resident, rose from his chair to question the men, police said, and Harris shot him three times, twice while the victim was lying face down on the ground.

Harris also tried to fire his pistol at another player, but the gun failed to go off, police said.

Harris, who is charged with murder, attempted murder and three counts of robbery, is to be arraigned today in Van Nuys Municipal Court.

He could face the death penalty because the killing occurred during a robbery, Deputy Dist. Atty. Shellie Samuels said.

Detective John Bagnall said that after the informant called police on Oct. 2, the survivors of the card game picked Harris’ photograph from several shown to them.

Harris already was in custody on charges of auto theft and assault with a deadly weapon, police said.

The second robber is still being sought, Bagnall said, but the reward applies only to the person who did the shooting.

At a press conference Wednesday to announce Harris’ arrest, Wachs and Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Mark Kroeker said they could not recall a reward offer working as quickly as this one did.

But Wachs expressed doubt that the council, which posts two or three rewards each year, now will do so more often, because “if you do it too often, then the press doesn’t publicize the case and you get no response.”