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Oceanside police hope Internet records lead to 'other suspects'
By: SCOTT MARSHALL - Staff Writer | ∞
OCEANSIDE -- Detectives investigating the shooting death of Oceanside police Officer Dan Bessant have obtained records from the social networking Web site MySpace.com that they believe could help locate "other suspects and co-conspirators" in the case, a court document stated.
In an affidavit filed with the Superior Court to obtain a search warrant, Detective Gordon Govier wrote that he believes a Web page on MySpace.com belongs to Meki Walker Gaono Jr., 17, who has been charged as an adult with murder in connection with Bessant's death.
The Web page states that it is "private" and that the site user must add a visitor as a friend before that person is able to see more information. Govier wrote in the affidavit that much of the communication that occurs on MySpace.com is done privately between friends and is not accessible without a search warrant.
Judge Timothy Casserly authorized the search warrant Dec. 22 and Govier obtained subscriber information records from MySpace.com on Dec. 23, according to a search warrant inventory filed with the court Friday.
Bessant, 25, was shot and killed about 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at the intersection of Arthur Avenue and Gold Drive while helping another officer with a traffic stop. The shooting occurred "within the turf" claimed by a predominately Samoan criminal street gang with which Gaono is affiliated, Govier wrote in the affidavit.
Deputy District Attorney Tom Manning said last week that Gaono told investigators he is a gang member.
Police have said the deadly shot was fired from about a half-block away, and that the occupants of the car that was stopped were not involved in the shooting.
Gaono has pleaded not guilty. He is scheduled to return to court Tuesday, and a preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Feb. 6. A 16-year-old boy was taken into custody on suspicion of violating his probation in another case but has not been charged in connection with the Bessant shooting.
Govier wrote that witnesses saw suspects fleeing into nearby homes after the shooting. One witness saw a suspect with what looked like a rifle go into an Arthur Avenue residence where Gaono, who matched the description the witness gave, was located, Govier wrote.
In a police interview, Gaono "made several statements that indicated his involvement in the homicide," Govier wrote.
After being advised of his rights, Gaono "confessed to participating in the shooting and later led officers to two weapons at his residence, which he claimed to have used to shoot at Officer Bessant," Govier wrote.
The day after the shooting occurred, Govier searched MySpace.com for "Meki" and located the Web page he believes belongs to Gaono. The page states it belongs to a 17-year-old male in Oceanside, contains a cartoon and title that appear to be gang affiliated, and has a "profile headline" on the page that refers to Rusty Seau, a gang member shot and killed in 2005 by a rival gang, Govier wrote in the affidavit.
"By obtaining the MySpace.com customer's records, I expect to develop investigative leads that will assist in identifying the physical location the computer was logged onto the Internet from and therefore providing us with possible location(s) for other suspects and co-conspirators," Govier wrote. "By obtaining communications between these subjects, it is likely we would locate documentation on what happened before, during and after the shooting."
Sgt. Leonard Mata, an Oceanside police spokesman, said seeking information from MySpace.com has become more common for police as the Web site has gained in popularity.
"It depends on the crime," Mata said. "If a person posts a profile and a blog and information about their life, it's going to be of interest to investigators."
People in gangs or other groups communicate with one another on MySpace.com, Mata said.
"Whatever's accessible, if we think it will benefit the investigation, we'll take a look at it," Mata said.
Launched in 2004, MySpace.com is visited by almost 60 million people in the United States each month, according to the company.
MySpace.com "has created streamlined procedures" for law enforcement officials to get information they need in investigations and runs a hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week to respond to law enforcement officials in emergency and nonemergency situations, according to the company.
Manning, the prosecutor assigned to Gaono's case, could not be reached Wednesday for comment. Mata said he did not have any updated information to release Wednesday about the ongoing investigation.
-- Contact staff writer Scott Marshall at (760) 631-6623 or smarshall@nctimes.com.
Previous articles:
Suspects in officer shooting case face hearings
Long procession draws signs of support, respect
Neighborhood where shooting occurred is quiet
Teen accused in officer's fatal shooting moved to jail housing adults
About 2,000 attend service for slain Oceanside police officer
Hundreds honor slain Oceanside policeman Dan Bessant
Prosecutor: Teen admitted using rifle with scope when shooting policeman
Police seeking witnesses to fatal shooting of officer
It may be Christmas but church still remembers fallen officer
People donate to slain Oceanside officer's family
Oceanside police arrest second suspect in fatal shooting of officer
Oceanside neighborhood nervous after fatal shooting
Friends, co-workers mourn Oceanside officer
Services set for slain Oceanside police officer
17-year-old arrested in fatal shooting of well-known Oceanside policeman
Teen arrested, officer identified in Oceanside shooting death
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Fellow myspacer wrote on Jan 4, 2007 10:44 AM:I am on myspace everyday, and I too have looked around at some of the samoan gang references, I agree that myspace will be a key tool in prosecuting this kid. Some of the stuff they have posted is unreal not to mention disturbing. Its seems really crazy to me that people actually act this way, are they nuts or just stupid? Its time for Oceanside to rid ourselves of this gang crap, get some OPD!!
Good idea, bad article wrote on Jan 4, 2007 1:53 PM:This is a great idea, but a bad article. If thugs and ganag members have enough 'brains' to use MySpace, then it stands to reason they can read. If they can read, then they can read this article. Thanks, NCT! Thanks for letting the lowlife's know in what manner hey are being pursued. It is akin to calling out your intention to stop a robbery the day before it actually occurs. Do you rhink the robbers will pick that bank? And do you think they will continue to boast on MySpace now that they know they are being probed? (no pun intendend)
Same Problem in penasquitos wrote on Jan 4, 2007 4:32 PM:It just seems that there is always a problem with myspace. Every week we hear on the news of criminal activity linked to the site. Murders, himicides and Sexual predators picking up on minors. It would be a good idea to shut the site down completely and get rid of it entirely.. this will eliminate all problems.
Tribalism is the problem wrote on Jan 4, 2007 4:43 PM:This is why we need to manage immigration. Cultural assimilation takes time, and requires that the new arrivals have a need to assimilate to the culture. In other parts of the world (most of it) loyalty to tribe/clan is the way to survive and thrive. Samoa is such a place. If you have enough people who arrive at once that you have a ghetto, you don't have assimilation, and you get what, in our country is crime, in theirs is defending your family. Requiring that people become American when they come here is not racism, it is what is required for our way of life, which is the reason they come here.
Whack A Mole wrote on Jan 4, 2007 4:47 PM:There's nothing unique about Myspace. In fact, it's a pretty awfully designed site that make use of so-last-year technology. If you shut down myspace, other social networking sites will thrive. Imagine "Gangspace" using encryption and hosted offshore. It's perfectly feasible. You don't solve crime by outlawing the means, all of which have perfectly legitimate uses, you solve it by locking up criminals. Leave myspace alone, just patrol it the same way we patrol any other place people assemble.
To Tribalism: wrote on Jan 4, 2007 4:50 PM:Uh....Samoans are Americans...hence the name, American-Samoa....their "country" is our "country"....Get a clue...
UH =huh wrote on Oct 18, 2007 5:24 PM:So your saying if you have RUSTY SEAU on your myspace you are a GANG MEMBER. Wow you people are so stupid you don't even know what your talking about.Here's a clue OPD really dose not know who shot that officer NO ONE does. Have any of you ever been taken in for questioning? The police can get you to admitt to anything even things you couldn't possibly do.Oh wow a witness pointed him out right? Hmmm i wonder if a witness had pointed out an old lady and her dog would it get this much attention?
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