Father Held in Escape to N.Y. of 16-Year-Old Slaying Suspect

The father of a Long Beach teen-ager was arrested Monday on suspicion of aiding the escape to Upstate New York of his son, wanted for murder in the shooting of two deaf brothers, authorities said.

Joseph Paul Bellinger Sr., 40, was taken into custody about 3 p.m. at his Long Beach home and booked for investigation of aiding and abetting a felon, said Sgt. Ted Demaegt of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Devonshire Division. Held in lieu of $5,000 bail, Bellinger was scheduled to be arraigned this morning in Long Beach Municipal Court.

His son, Joey Paul Bellinger, 16, is to appear in Oneida County Court this morning and is expected to waive extradition to Los Angeles, authorities in Utica, N.Y., said.

Charged with the Jan. 28 shootings in Granada Hills, the youth had been in hiding until Friday, when he was arrested at the home of a friend in Utica, where his family once lived. He is charged with murder in the death of Cesar Vieira, 30, and attempted murder in the wounding of his brother, Edward, 25, both of Palmdale.

The arrest of the elder Bellinger came hours after police announced they would investigate the parents’ role in Joey Bellinger’s flight to New York.

“We are conducting an investigation relative to any involvement the parents may have had relative to the subject leaving the state . . . ,” LAPD Lt. L. A. Durrer said early Monday. He declined to discuss details.

Phyllis Bellinger, the youth’s mother, remained free Monday night. Demaegt said he did not know whether she would be arrested.

None of the Bellingers could be reached Monday. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County public defender’s office, which is representing the younger Bellinger, declined to comment.

The senior said last month that he was in contact with his son, but would not turn him in unless authorities promised not to prosecute him as an adult.

Authorities would make no such promise and Deputy Dist. Atty. Michelle Rosenblatt said Monday that her office will seek to try the suspect as an adult.

After Joey Bellinger’s arrest Friday, it was reported that his mother had asked a high school friend in Cassville, N.Y., to temporarily board her son without telling her that he was a fugitive.

The woman, Susan Alguire, was quoted in the Utica Observer-Dispatch as saying that Phyllis Bellinger phoned her Jan. 30 to ask the favor. She said she had no idea young Bellinger was wanted and was led to believe he was staying with her because his family was moving back to the area.

“She didn’t say ‘I want you to hide my son,’ ” Alguire said.

Oneida County Public Defender Frank J. Nebush Jr. said Joey Bellinger was to appear in court today to verify his identity and be advised of his rights. Nebush said the boy indicated he would waive his right to an extradition hearing and agree to return to California in the custody of Los Angeles police.

“It’s my understanding they are ready to take him on Wednesday,” Nebush said.

According to police, the Vieira brothers--who communicated in sign language and had limited speaking skills--were on a motorcycle at Devonshire Street and Balboa Boulevard when they became involved in an altercation with Bellinger, who was riding in a car with four friends. The dispute moved to a nearby parking lot and a fight broke out, during which the brothers were shot, officers said.