PUBLIC SAFETY AND COURTS Man wanted in...

PUBLIC SAFETY AND COURTS

Man wanted in connection with 2001 murder arrested

A 19-year-old Costa Mesa man, wanted in connection with a killing

in Fairview Park two years ago, was taken into custody in Mexico City

on Oct. 16, officials announced on Tuesday.

Victor Garcia was 17 when he fled from his Costa Mesa home after

he learned police were looking for him. Police not only issued a

no-bail warrant for his arrest days after the incident which took

place the night of Sept. 21, 2001, but also announced a $5,000 reward

for information leading to Garcia’s arrest and conviction.

After being featured twice on Fox’s “America’s Most Wanted,” one

as recently on Sept. 27 -- a week after the second anniversary of

16-year-old Ceceline Godsoe’s death -- Garcia was finally busted in

Mexico City on a domestic violence charge.

Garcia’s outstanding warrant for unlawful flight to avoid

prosecution was issued by the FBI at Costa Mesa police’s request.

That warrant was entered into the Mexican records system and showed

up when Garcia got arrested for the unrelated incident.

Officials have tarted Garcia’s extradition process but are unsure

when he will be brought back to the United States.

* Attorneys for an Inland Valley teen accused of raping an

unconscious girl at his father’s Corona del Mar home have filed

several motions, including one to dismiss the case against their

client because of “outrageous prosecutorial misconduct.”

Joseph Cavallo, the lead attorney of Greg Haidl’s defense team,

has filed six motions since April and is preparing to file two more

motions by next week asking that the judge remove the district

attorney’s office from the case.

Haidl, the son of Orange County Assistant Sheriff Don Haidl; Keith

Spann; and Kyle Nachreiner, who were all 17 at the time of the

incident, face 24 counts. Spann and Nachreiner face enhancements for

allegedly inflicting great bodily injury to the victim and using a

deadly weapon -- in this case a pool cue -- to penetrate her.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.

COSTA MESA

TeWinkle trees saved

by City Council vote

The trees that ring the softball fields at TeWinkle Park will

remain there after the City Council decided to only expand one of the

park’s three fields. The decision honors the adamant feelings of the

Mesa del Mar neighborhood, which wanted to preserve the trees.

* Skateboarders rejoiced Monday night after the council approved a

skate park at TeWinkle Park -- the first in the city. The decision

was also a victory for Councilman Mike Scheafer, who resigned his

seat on the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2000 over his advocacy

of a skate park. Public services staff, working with the recreation

department, will now start designing and developing a proposal, with

restrooms.

* Some downtown business owners and members of city transportation

committee are speaking out against the city’s tentative plans to

widen Newport Boulevard. They are afraid widening he street will

bring more traffic into the area. The city will host an open house

Tuesday to invite feedback from the public on transportation-related

improvements in the downtown and east Costa Mesa areas.

* DEIRDRE NEWMAN covers Costa Mesa and may be reached at (949)

574-4221 or by e-mail at deirdre.newman @latimes.com.

EDUCATION

Standardized test scores vary

across District boundaries

Data presented to the Newport-Mesa Unified School district last

week showed that students on the predominantly Latino Westside scored

consistently lower on standardized performance tests than students in

the more affluent areas of Newport Beach and Corona del Mar.

Local educators attributed the disparity to the number of students

who have to take the tests in a language they don’t yet know. Because

it takes three to seven years to become proficient in English, they

said, it’s no surprise that schools with a predominantly

English-learner population would score lower than their

native-speaking counterparts

Newport-Mesa Academic Performance Index scores for 2002 also

showed that Latino and socio-economically disadvantaged students, who

may not have access to books at home or outside help with schoolwork,

scored lower than white students and the school’s overall average.

* Academic Performance Index growth scores for 2002-2003 will be

delayed six weeks for Newport-Mesa Unified Schools.

Revisions of the district’s demographic data stalled the data,

which set performance goals for schools. The growth scores should

come out in early December and 2003 base API scores are due out early

next year.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.