Death penalty sought in rape case Prosecutors...

Death penalty sought in rape case

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Victor

Miranda-Guerrero, convicted of the 1999 rape and murder of a

Huntington Beach woman and assaults on four other victims.

Bridgette Ballas, a 29-year-old account executive, was walking

home from Downtown Huntington Beach after a night with her friends in

November 1999 when she was beaten, raped and left unconscious on the

curb.

She died two days after she was discovered in the 900 block of

Huntington Street.

Miranda-Guerrero was convicted April 3 of kidnapping to commit

rape, first- degree murder, the special circumstance of murder while

engaged in rape, attempted carjacking, assault with intent commit

rape and receiving stolen property.

He was not suspected for Ballas’ murder until May 2000, when he

was arrested for attacking five other women in Downtown Huntington

Beach.

The jury began deliberations on Tuesday on whether to sentence

21-year-old Miranda-Guerrero to life in prison without the

possibility of parole or the death penalty.

Trachman gets three years for molesting

A former Huntington Beach police officer was sentenced Friday to

three years in state prison for molesting a 14-year-old girl while on

duty.

Mark Trachman, 37, of Riverside, was convicted on February 20 of

four counts of lewd conduct on a child and one count of soliciting a

lewd act.

Trachman was arrested in May 2001 for fondling the girl at her

home during a police interview in which she was reporting an incident

of sexual abuse to him.

Two other women came forward and said that Trachman had pulled

them over and asked them to expose themselves during separate traffic

stops.

Trachman was fired from the Huntington Beach Police Department in

August 2001 after two years of service.

DUI checkpoint will be set up Saturday

The Huntington Beach Police Department Traffic Bureau will set up

a checkpoint to test for drunk driving from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday

at Pacific Coast Highway and Huntington Street.

Funding for staff overtime will be provided by a grant from the

California Office of Traffic Safety. For questions, call (714)

536-5663.