In the city of Los Angeles,
the people are represented
by two separate, yet equally important groups:
The police who investigate crime
and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
The cow manure is in the garage.
- Livan says it'll burn the pansies.
- Livan?
Livan doesn't have an MFA in landscape design from Otis.
- Oh, I forgot to tell you,
the alcazars are having a party.
- Oh, nice of them to invite us.
- It's not that kind of pay.
It's for their daughter, some kind of family thing.
[People screaming and crying]
- Family named alcazar was having a birthday party
for their 15-year-old daughter.
- Quinceañera? - Yeah.
Two s.U.V. S pulled into the front.
Shooters came into the backyard.
- How many? - Four-Latino males,
young guys, bandanas over their faces.
- Any plate numbers on the vehicles?
- No. There was a dark-colored s. U.V. and a light one-
white or gray.
- Check out the ordnance-
7.62, 5.56, assault rifles.
There's got to be over 100 rounds.
- That's Mr. alcazar.
His wife and daughter are okay.
Nine dead in all...
Including three kids.
- Easy pickings.
- Yeah, let's get to work.
Adriano_CSI www.addic7ed.com
My husband. Dead... For no reason.
- [Speaking spanish]
But if you can just tell us how it happened?
- They came down the driveway with machine guns:
Four of them.
They shot everybody, and they walked back to their cars.
- What kind of cars? - A black 4runner
and a-a white cherokee with a roof rack.
I didn't see the license plates.
- Mr. alcazar- what'd he do for work?
- He was a developer. He built houses.
He was a good man.
- Señora alcazar,
did you notice anything unusual in the last few days?
- He looked worried,
and he said that there was some trouble at work.
- What kind of trouble?
- He didn't say.
I thought that it was the money for the party,
because hernando- he wanted liana
to have the most beautiful quinceañera.
- [Sobbing] Mommy, why?
Why did I have this stupid party?
Why?
- Four masked gunmen rained automatic-weapons fire
into the family's quinceañera party
and fled in two sports utility vehicles.
The police have no suspects and no motives...
- The D.A. Will have papers on alcazar's bank and accountant
first thing in the morning.
I hear you, partner.
I'd hit 'em tonight if we could.
All right.
- Hey.
I'll tuck the kids in.
- I put them to bed about two hours ago.
From the news, it sounds like a bad one.
- Yeah, it's pretty bad.
I promise I won't wake 'em.
- Hernando and I worked on a tear-down in Los feliz
a few years ago, decided to share space.
He was a good guy. That's his desk.
- His wife said he was worried, nervous.
Any idea why?
- I think he had a big project fall through.
He found the perfect spot for a new development.
He was so excited, he was waving around photos of the place.
- What happened? - Nothing.
I asked him about it last week.
He said, "forget it. It didn't pan out."
- Are these the pictures?
- Yeah, that's them-
some old housing tract up in the canyon somewhere.
- Looks like they were taken with a cell phone
about a week and a half before the shooting, on a Friday.
- And right around the time his wife said
he started acting nervous.
GPS lost him right around here.
Went off the grid for 35 minutes.
- No cell reception here either.
- Looks like alcazar's pictures.
- Do you smell that?
- Yeah. Smell like someone cooking?
- Think I see something blue
in the brush past the houses over there.
Looks like a tent.
Hey.
Hello? Police.
- There's food and water...
Spanish comic books.
- Ammo for a 38 special.
Winters...
Over here.
Must be 100 acres of pot almost ready for harvest.
Guy's guarding the crop.
- Alcazar must have seen this, had a run-in with him.
- Now, whoever this belongs to probably had alcazar killed.
We find the guard, we're halfway home.
- Won't be able to track him in these canyons on our own.
Come on.
[Gun cocks]
Gun! Gun! Gun!
Police.
Police- drop your weapon.
[Speaking spanish]
- Call it, partner.
- [Speaking spanish]
Okay.
- [Speaking spanish]
- All right, calm down.
Calm down.
- [Crying]
I got what you ordered.
[Speaking spanish]
- From the looks of him
and the symbols he drew on the rocks,
I'd say he was either a yaqui Indian or opata,
probably from sonora.
- Muchas gracias.
- Opata o yaqui?
- Yaqui.
- Los Angeles.
Si.
- Three months, he didn't know where he was?
- Fernando...
- Fire?
- No talk. No talk.
- If he won't tell you his family name
or even what town he's from,
there's not much our consulate can do to help you.
- I'm sure his parents filed a missing persons report.
We can give you photos, fingerprints.
- Maybe he'd be more forthcoming
if he were returned to Mexico
and placed in our social service system.
- We're not releasing him.
He was arrested guarding a marijuana field with a gun,
and he's a material witness in the murder of nine people.
- You can't be serious. He's a child.
You can't put him in prison.
- He's being held in the eastlake juvenile facility
under a pseudonym for his own protection.
- Very well.
We'll be in touch with our embassy in Washington,
and they'll be in touch with your state department.
Good day.
- Good day.
- Tell me I didn't overhype it.
This boy is our only link to the murderers.
- Alcazar saw the pot field.
If Fernando made him,
he would have told his boss, this snake foot.
Next thing you know, four guys show up
to make sure alcazar keeps his mouth shut.
- Look, while we wait for Fernando
to make up his mind to cooperate,
find out who owns the land under the dope farm.
- The development burned down before we could finish it.
And then after the county closed the road
and condemned the entire area as a fire risk,
well, that sealed it.
- But you still own the land?
- It's still on our books... As a loss.
- Then you care to explain why you paid the county
to turn the water back on five months ago?
- An individual leased the land to grow avocados.
- Oh.
- Does that look like Avocados to you?
'Cause that is 100 acres of pure California sinsemilla.
Now what's the name of this individual?
- Uh, Cesar.
What's my company's liability here?
- A lawyer can answer that. - Then I need to call him.
Excuse me.
- This Cesar must have scouted the land up in Zuma
and found ralston the same way we did.
- A title search.
That would leave a paper trail.
- We're a title company.
We do title searches all the time.
It's nothing unusual.
- If it wasn't unusual, we wouldn't be here.
Who hired you to do the search?
- It was my cousin ray- ray mota.
He asked me to search the titles for five properties.
They're all undeveloped land.
He said he had an idea for a business opportunity.
He was doing something wrong, wasn't he?
- Now, what makes you say that?
- He was in trouble before...
With a gang.
I thought maybe he was turning his life around.
- Now, did ray ever mention anyone named Cesar
in connection with these properties?
- He drove up to my place two weeks ago.
I think he had a friend named Cesar in the car.
- What kind of car does your cousin drive?
- A cherokee.
- Describe it.
- It's white with a roof rack.
[Spanish hip-hop music]
Afternoon.
Hey.
I'm looking for ray mota. - Yeah, I'm ray mota.
What's this about?
- We don't want to spoil your party.
Want to step inside? - Oh, but he's the cook.
You know, you got to watch the corn.
- And where's your cherokee? We didn't see it out front.
- Yeah, it got stolen last week.
- You have the police report number?
- Nah, didn't report it.
You guys never find nothing anyway.
[Laughter]
- Is one of you Cesar?
- Yo, I didn't take his truck.
- What's your last name, Cesar?
- Torres. - You got some I.D.?
- You got some warrant?
He's a guest in my backyard.
He ain't got to show you dick.
- Corn's burning.
Have a nice day.
[Girl laughs]
You...
You're Cesar.
- Oh, I think you're confused.
- Yeah? I think you're a liar.
Your boots, they snakeskin?
- Yes, they're python.
- Snake's feet.
What's your problem, Cesar?
You have your friends take the heat for you?
Ah, it's okay.
We know who you are.
Now get on the wall.
- Ahora si.
- Cesar vargas- sonora, Mexico.
You here on a tourist visa, Cesar?
- Visiting my cousins.
- Cesar...
Smile.
[Camera shutter clicking]
Hasta luego, Cesar.
- We need yocerveza for our can drive.
- No se. No se.
- You're wrong, Fernando, all right?
You're stronger than him. I see it.
- [Speaking spanish]
- Do you understand?
- Well, you can't blame the kid.
Cesar knows where his family lives.
Did you get Cesar's prints off the can?
- He's got nothing local.
We sent them to our friends South of the border.
We're waiting to hear back.
- Assuming Fernando told Cesar about Mr. alcazar,
Cesar would have had to get alcazar's address.
- Right, off alcazar's license plate.
- So first thing tomorrow, check with the dmv
about any unauthorized searches on the database.
- Good idea.
- Lily, honey, would you please sit down
and finish the rest of your broccoli.
No broccoli, no pie.
- Daddy didn't eat his.
- [Chuckles] Touche.
- Oh, yeah?
Mmm. - [Giggles]
- So good.
Get down!
[Gunfire]
[Tires squeal]
- Baby? Lily!
- Mommy, daddy's hurt. - What, honey?
- Daddy's hurt! - It's okay, sweetheart.
Look, daddy's right here. - [Crying]
- Honey...Where- are you okay?
Oh, God!
- Daddy. - No, no, no. Shh.
It's okay, sweetheart.
Mommy's gonna call for help, all right?
It's gonna be fine. Daddy's gonna be fine.
I'm right here. Mommy's right here.
Shh, honey.
Yes, please. My husband has been shot.
Please send a rescue ambulance to 3318 vicksburg road.
- Mommy!
- Yes, it was a drive-by shooting with automatic weapons.
Please hurry. My-my husband is a police officer.
Oh, God, no.
No.
- [Crying] Daddy!
- Breathe, honey.
Breathe. It's gonna be okay, sweetheart.
Please, honey.
[Telephone rings] Baby.
- Hi, you've reached the winters family.
Leave a message. We'll call you back.
- [Lily's voice] Bye! [Beep]
- Now you know who I am, chota.
- No! No! No!
Oh, Casey.
I'm so sorry.
- Mrs. winters, we're very sorry.
- He called the house...
The suspect that Rex told me about-Cesar.
He-he called right after to...
To let Rex know that it was him.
- Whatever it takes, Casey...
We'll get him.
- I know.
- By now, vargas is probably making his way to the border.
- [Voice breaking] We've already notified homeland security.
They'll be waiting for him.
- Ray mota's house- we can start there.
- I'll get a warrant. - There's no time for that.
Do what you have to do.
- I don't know where Cesar is.
He split after the barbecue. Maybe you guys spooked him.
How about you? Where were you five hours ago?
- I was tappin' my chica all night long, homes.
- You're lying. You were at my partner's house.
- Uh-uh. Not me, man.
- I don't care.
My partner's dead.
You give me Cesar,
or you're taking the whole weight.
- In your dreams, homes.
Get me a lawyer.
- I want you to look at and see
what ray is responsible for. - I don't believe it.
Ray had nothing to do with that.
- Believe what you want,
but the d.A. Is going after ray and his friends.
And that includes whoever he's sleeping with.
- I could go to jail?
- Yolanda, you're in big trouble.
And if you want our help,
you have to start talking to us about ray and Cesar vargas.
- You're just trying to scare me.
- You recognize this? This is Ray's cell phone.
I was seeing if Cesar sent him a text.
Check out what I found.
This is from a- it's an orange county number?
- Mm-hmm. - "You are so damn fine.
Hook up tomorrow. Tell me where."
That didn't come from you, did it?
Your boyfriend's a real player. This is from a 646 number.
"See you this weekend. Bring your tongue, chico."
- What?
- This guy's been running around on you.
- You want to go to jail for him?
Come on, yolanda, you're smarter than that!
- Okay.
Last night ray got a call around 2:00.
I don't know if it was Cesar, but it did sound real serious.
- What'd you hear?
- Something about a change in plans
'cause the border was hot.
And then ray asked about el chamaco de rancho.
- The farm boy. - Yeah.
Ray said if the farm boy was still at eastlake,
maybe they could go find somebody to visit him.
- Fernando, the farm boy-
sounds like they want to put a hit on him.
- Even worse, they know we have him stashed at Eastlake.
He's there under a pseudonym.
- I assure you, I spoke to no one about the boy.
- Strange that half the gangbangers in Los Angeles
seem to know where he is.
- What are you saying, Mr. morales...
That we Mexicans are all corrupt?
- Not all Mexicans,
just certain people in this building.
- I find that offensive. - You find that offensive?
Wait till I slap a murder-conspiracy charge
against you. - Conspiracy?
- You traded information with the suspect
in the hancock park murders- with Cesar vargas.
- I've had no such dealings with señor vargas.
- "Señor vargas"- so you know who he is.
What's the nature of your relationship with Mr. vargas?
- I don't have to answer your questions.
- You know, my mind is going to a very dark place right now,
señor Ortega.
Mr. vargas is responsible for the killing
of a police officer last night.
You might want to remember that
when you're driving home tonight,
and you see a police car in your rearview mirror.
Now... about Mr. vargas?
- My relationship with Mr. vargas
is as a consular officer.
He presented himself here this morning,
seeking refuge and asking to be repatriated.
- He's here, in this building?
- He has been given sanctuary as a Mexican national.
- How much did he pay for this sanctuary?
- This building is sovereign territory.
[Device beeps] I demand you leave immediately.
- It breaks my heart when I think
what the drug cartels have done
to the country of my grandfathers.
And it makes my blood boil that it was done
with the happy cooperation of corrupt cerdos like you.
- Hey, have you lost your marbles?
I've gotten a dozen phone calls this morning
from the state department, Attorney General's office!
Since when is it up to you to declare war
on the Mexican government?
- Their consulate is harboring a cop killer.
Our government should send in federal agents to arrest him.
- That is never going to happen.
I've been reminded a dozen times this morning
that Mexico is our ally in the war on drugs.
- Well, somebody forgot to inform their consulate.
We have a valid arrest warrant.
If vargas was in Mexico,
our extradition treaty would kick in-
- wait till he's back in Mexico.
I'll file a formal extradition demand.
- Oh, fat lot of good that'll do.
He's ten blocks away now.
What are our chances gonna be when he's back over the border?
If vargas slips through our fingers,
there'll be hell to pay, and you know that.
- There's a Mexican prosecutor
I met a couple years ago at a conference.
She's now a big deal
in the department of justice there.
- We are not surrendering Cesar vargas.
- Never mind what he did in Los Angeles.
Do you want this animal loose in your own country?
- He's presumed innocent under your legal system.
Mr. morales lost sight of this principle.
He owes my deputy an apology.
Lo siento.
I tend to behave badly when someone lies to my face.
- These three women are Mexican citizens.
They're currently incarcerated in California.
Your Attorney General has requested
that I recommend repatriation
so they can finish their sentences in Mexico,
closer to their families.
- I know these cases.
You've always refused.
- Now I'm offering you a trade-
three for one.
- Now I am the one who is refusing.
- Did you hear that, maricela?
- [Over speaker] Yes, I did, Jerry.
I think someone's not using their head.
- This is my old friend maricela Diaz-
recently been appointed
deputy assistant attorney general of Mexico.
- Pick up the phone, señor contreras.
- Hola, licenciada Diaz.
Si. Si. Si, si, si.
No, pero-si.
Si. Si, licenciada.
Okay. Muchas gracias.
[Clears throat]
Gracias, maricela.
Huh? Hasta la proxima.
[Shouting in spanish]
- Out!
You're under arrest for ten counts of murder.
Now you know who we are.
You're the one who should be going to jail.
- You kidnapped me. - You tried that at arraignment, Mr. vargas.
- It's getting old. - My client understands
that he has to stay in Los Angeles
to face your charges.
I'm asking that you consent to some bail,
or at the very least, release him from 24-hour lockdown.
- How about a candlelight dinner with j.Lo?
- You can be as glib as you want, Mr. morales.
Your lab can't match my client's voice
to the detective's answering machine.
And Mr. vargas here has alibis for the times of the shooting.
- He pulled the strings, not the triggers.
- Do you have witnesses to that effect?
Or is that little boy you have locked up cooperating?
I didn't see his statement in your arraignment papers.
Miss... did you misplace it?
- We didn't come here to give you a preview of our case.
You'll get to see it in ten days at the prelim.
They know Fernando isn't talking.
No.
- [Laughs]
- You promised him what?
- That we'd get his family up here from Mexico immediately,
set them up.
If we do that, Fernando said he'd testify.
- The only way to resettle a Mexican family here
is by granting them political asylum.
And you had no authority from the state department
to make that offer.
- Mr. washburn, without Fernando's testimony,
vargas walks.
Once he's out, Fernando and his family's lives
aren't worth a nickel.
- You realize, by granting them asylum,
the U.S. government would be, in effect, saying
Mexico can't protect its own citizens.
- I have relatives in Mexico who would agree with that.
- Personal anecdotes aside, we understand
this puts the state department in a difficult situation.
- I really don't care about the geopolitical message here.
- We do.
We're not in the business of antagonizing our allies.
Your request is denied.
- I thought it was worth a try.
Thank you for coming in, bo.
- Oh, one more thing.
See you in federal court tomorrow.
This is an emergency petition to compel the state department
to grant political asylum to three citizens of Mexico-
flora, Jorge, and graciela Ramirez.
- The government realizes Mr. morales has his hands full,
but the state department doesn't consider Mexico
a repressive regime.
By definition, there can be no grant of asylum.
- Mexico is in a state of war with the drug cartels.
Corruption is rampant.
The innocent have no place to hide.
- The cartels are out of control,
but we can't open the floodgates and give asylum
to every frightened Mexican national.
I have amicus briefs from senators and governors
who oppose granting asylum to Mexican citizens.
- There's no time for that, your honor.
The defendant in this criminal case
will be freed unless we can place our key witness
on the stand on Tuesday.
- Mr. morales, I'm concerned
about setting a dangerous precedent here.
- The danger here, your honor, is refusing this request.
An 11-year-old Mexican boy is ready to stand up
to a brutal narco-trafficker in open court
and do this community a service.
He's willing to testify
despite the clear and imminent threat,
both to himself and his family.
And if we're too timid
to match this young boy's courage,
the Mexican drug lords will know
that we are a nation of straw men,
and here is a land of opportunity
waiting for them.
- Ma...Ma.
- Gracias.
Gracias.
Thank you for finding our son.
- Now he'll have to testify in court.
- There will be danger for him.
- We'll find you a new home...
Far away from Los Angeles, give you new names.
- Ay, dios.
Esta bien, señor.
We will stand with our son.
- Thank you.
- Gracias.
[Door closes]
- I'm gonna check on our witness.
[Buzzer sounds]
- Hola, señor morales.
- Hola, Fernando.
Hasta luego.
- Hasta luego.
[Buzzer sounds]
- I'm the interpreter assigned to the witness.
I just need to prepare with him.
- All rise.
Be seated.
- On the date in question,
gunmen working for Cesar vargas opened fire on a party
in the backyard of hernando and Maria alcazar.
Nine people were killed, and seven were wounded.
The people will present sufficient evidence
to hold Mr. vargas to answer these capital charges
in a trial by jury.
- Call your first witness, Mr. morales.
- The people call Fernando Ramirez.
[Telephone buzzing]
- Yes?
- I came back to get the kid out, and...
- Who was back here?
- Just the interpreter. She- - where is she?
- She must have left through the judge's corridor.
- Lock down the building. Start a search.
- Our witness was murdered in the holding cell
by a woman posing as a court interpreter.
There's a statewide manhunt in progress.
- Under the circumstances, I can't imagine
you're prepared to go forward.
- We're asking for a continuance.
- Your honor, with all due respect,
this is the tenth day.
If Mr. morales doesn't have a case to present,
my client must be set free.
- Fernando Ramirez was murdered
on orders from this defendant.
On behalf of the people of the state of California,
I implore this court, do not release this man.
- The law stipulates that- - don't you dare...
Lecture me about the law!
This piece of dirt
has the blood of four children on his hands!
- Mr. morales.
Mr. morales, I have to follow the law.
The complaint is dismissed.
The defendant is released. We're adjourned.
- [Shouting in spanish]
You killed my son!
[Shouting in spanish]
- The feds? What are you talking about?
- I can't refile murder charges against vargas.
All we have left is a federal civil rights violation case.
You make a request to the u. S. Attorney.
The f.B.I. And the d. E.A. Get involved.
- Five minutes ago, you told me
there were no witnesses and no forensics.
- The feds have resources we don't.
Once they file charges, they can squeeze the Mexicans
to extradite vargas.
- Yeah, and the U.S. cavalry comes in and saves our bacon!
Is that what you want- to humiliate this office?
- I want justice done.
- I reached out to Mexico city,
to the state department.
I called in a lot of chits on your behalf.
- On my behalf?
I thought we spoke for the victims.
I quit the police department 12 years ago
because I thought here, in this office,
I might make a real difference.
But if it's all politics and posturing...
- Don't kid yourself! You love the politics.
- Yes, I did, until I saw where it led.
You want humiliation, Jerry?
How about a prosecutor quitting his office
and rejoining the police force...
Because his boss is too vain to ask for help
in bringing a cop killer to justice?
- That's your spin?
Okay, here's mine.
Deputy district attorney Ricardo morales resigns...
After being replaced as riding prosecutor
in the Cesar vargas case.
I will tell them the case needed a fresh pair of eyes.
I will tell them that if it takes us ten years,
we will bring vargas to justice.
It's your move.