Local News in Brief : Woman Has Gun in Court
A woman was arrested Wednesday after she carried a loaded handgun and a knife into a Municipal Court in Van Nuys where three suspected gang members were scheduled to appear, officials said.
The arrest came after 10 people were escorted from Judge Michael J. Farrell’s courtroom and searched after a bailiff’s warning that he suspected trouble.
Carmelita Kingsberry, 29, of Pacoima, was booked on suspicion of carrying a concealed weapon in court after a deputy county marshal reportedly found a .25-caliber handgun--with a bullet in the chamber--and a five-inch knife in her purse.
Kingsberry, who was released on $5,000 bail, is the sister of one of the robbery victims, Ken Kingsberry. He and his wife, Yvette, allege that they were beaten Jan. 10 after three men, armed with shotguns and wearing ski masks, broke into their Van Nuys home, authorities said.
Wednesday’s incident occurred despite beefed-up security after a March 9 shooting in another Van Nuys courtroom in which the gunman was killed and a deputy marshal was wounded.
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