Prosecutors Press for Gang Link in Trial of Four Conejo Teens

Hoping to bolster their case against four Conejo Valley teenagers accused of killing a 16-year-old Agoura Hills boy during a scuffle over a bag of marijuana, prosecutors tried Monday to persuade a judge to allow evidence linking the defendants to a suburban gang.

The prosecution brought in an 18-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department as its expert witness on the Gumbys, a gang police believe began innocently as a 12-member North Hollywood dance club and later evolved into a larger group of hard-core criminals.

Although he said he does not know any of the four defendants accused of killing Jimmy Farris, Det. Rollie Landtiser testified to several possible links between the defendants and the Gumbys.

The most telling piece of evidence, according to Landtiser’s testimony Monday in a Malibu courthouse, was the boys’ alleged use of the Gumbys’ moniker during the fight that preceded Farris’ stabbing. The prosecution’s key witness, Mike McLoren, whose backyard clubhouse was the scene of the scuffle, told police that defendants “claimed” affiliation with Gumbys during the fight.

But there were other factors that indicated the teens, who ranged in age from 15 to 18 at the time of the slaying last May, were gang members, Landtiser said.

He said the name and Oak Park address of one of the defendants, Brandon Hein, now 19, had been found in the address book of a known member of the Gumbys who is charged in an unrelated Santa Barbara slaying. Next to Hein’s name was the nickname “Scarface.”

Landtiser also said the clothing worn by Hein and another defendant, Micah Holland, now 16, of Thousand Oaks, on the night of the murder was customary gang wear.

“This is typical gangster, yes,” Landtiser said, holding up a photo of Hein wearing pants slung so low on his hips that several inches of his boxer shorts were revealed. “I’ve seen this many times.”

Landtiser also pointed out a tattoo shown in a photograph of Micah Holland’s back. An elaborate M is scrolled on his left shoulder, an H on his right shoulder.

“That alone doesn’t make him a gang member,” Landtiser said. “However, when you start putting things together.”

Landtiser’s testimony remained unfinished Monday afternoon, and the evidence hearing was continued to this morning, delaying opening statements until Thursday. Defense attorneys had not had a chance to cross-examine him, but were dismissive of his testimony.

“It’s not proper expert testimony,” said Ira Salzman, who is representing Micah Holland’s older brother, Jason, now 19.

He said none of Landtiser’s testimony should be admitted.

“Someone should be tried on the basis of what they’ve done, not on the basis of a label,” Salzman said. “My position is that my client is not a gang member.”

Hein’s attorney, Jill Lansing, declined to comment on Landtiser’s testimony, although she protested to Judge Lawrence Mira that the information was “brand-new” to her and should have been disclosed earlier.

James Sussman, representing the younger Holland boy, also declined to comment.

The four youths, some of them minors at the time of the stabbing, are being tried as adults because of the seriousness of the charges. In addition to Hein and the Holland brothers, Tony Miliotti, now 18, of Westlake Village stands accused of murder in Jimmy Farris’ slaying. A fifth suspect, Chris Velardo, of Oak Park, who was 17 at the time of the killing, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter last fall.

Farris’ mother, Judie, and his father, Jim, a Los Angeles police officer, both attended Monday’s hearing. Judie Farris said she hopes the gang evidence will be admitted in the trial.

“It’s obvious that there are gang problems,” she said. “I don’t see how they couldn’t admit it. It’s the scariest roller coaster ride, to think that these jerks might get off.”

Much of Monday’s hearing was occupied by debate over whether Landtiser should even be allowed to testify at the admissibility hearing. All four defense attorneys said they had not been informed that he might be a witness.

But Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Jeffrey Semow said he only learned of Landtiser’s expertise late last week.

The detective told the court he believed the Gumbys began as a group of boys who went dancing together, then moved on to petty crimes. At some point a tagging crew called the Gremlins began to merge with the Gumbys, he said. Eventually, the brother gangs were committing more serious crimes, such as carjackings, armed robbery and even murder, he said. Police have linked a 1992 murder at Taft High School in Tarzana to the Gumbys, as well as the murder in Santa Barbara last year.

“The Gumbys had turned the corner,” Landtiser said. “It came from wanting to take on that power, that overall desire to be the biggest, baddest, toughest ones in town.”