Suspect in Pier Hostage-Taking, Shootout Swaggers Into Court

Oswaldo Amezcua, the man who reportedly shot three officers and held 15 hostages in a July Fourth standoff at the Santa Monica Pier, strode into court with a swagger Thursday to face the first in a series of felony charges to be filed against him.

In Santa Monica Superior Court, Amezcua, whose gang name is “Wizard,” responded loudly to the judge’s questions and smiled at his co-defendant, Joseph Conrad Flores, 30, whose early morning arrest Tuesday sparked the holiday shootout.

Authorities have depicted the two men as cold-blooded killers and members of a decades-old Baldwin Park gang who shoot rival gang members execution-style and brazenly fire on police.

But Amezcua’s sister, Christina Lopez, wept for her brother during the court hearing and said he was sorry for the trouble he had caused.

“He’s not the way they pictured him,” she said to reporters afterward.

In the complaint Deputy Dist. Atty. Larry Morrison filed Thursday, Amezcua faces five counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon.

Flores faces one count of possession of a firearm by a felon and parole violation. Both men are being held in Santa Monica Jail, Flores on $1-million bail and Amezcua on $8.48-million bail.

“Based on the charges here, neither of them will ever be released from custody,” Morrison said.

On Thursday, Santa Monica Superior Court Judge John H. Reid postponed both men’s arraignment for one week to give Morrison time to add charges to the complaint in connection with the 15 hostages, who were held inside the Playland Arcade for nearly five hours.

In one police report, witnesses said Amezcua grabbed a hostage, aimed his gun at an officer and opened fire at close range.

“Mr. Amezcua is accused of shooting three officers at fairly close range,” Morrison said. “Everyone is very fortunate that no one died.”

Around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Amezcua ran into the arcade after he saw Flores’ arrest. He reportedly opened fire, injuring three police officers.

A 17-year-old boy and two women also were injured, but it is unclear who fired the shots that hit them.

Then Amezcua barricaded himself and 15 others inside the arcade. He surrendered at about 6:40 a.m. Tuesday.

The five charges of attempted murder stem from the wounding of three Santa Monica police officers and from shots fired at two others, Morrison said. On Thursday, only one of the three wounded officers remained in the hospital. Sgt. Jim Hirt was released Thursday afternoon and Officer Steven Wong was released late Wednesday after both were treated for leg wounds.

Officer Chris Coria, who suffered a serious injury to her arm, was in stable condition and doctors were considering a third surgery.

Amezcua strode confidently into court on Thursday, wearing a dark blue jail uniform and handcuffs.

During the proceedings, he stared intently at his sister, his girlfriend and other relatives who sat in the back of the courtroom. When the judge asked Amezcua if he understood the charges filed against him, he responded loudly, “Yes, sir!” As he left the courtroom, Amezcua blew a kiss to his girlfriend.

Lopez said her brother had cried about the incident during her visit with him in jail. “We’re all very sorry for everything that happened,” she said, crying. “We’re very sorry for the families. . . . He is very remorseful.”

Flores, a slightly built man known as “Jojo” and “Noodles,” wore a white dress shirt to court. He had a black eye and several facial cuts, the result of a struggle with Santa Monica police when they arrested him.

Both men are suspects in the June slayings of three men and the attempted murder of a San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputy. Both have felony records.

At the time of his arrest, Flores was on parole for a 1995 robbery in Pomona. Amezcua was convicted of a 1993 robbery in Pomona and of being a felon in possession of a firearm.