Fatal stabbing a reminder of gussied-up Tinseltown's darker past

Written By kolimtiga on Sabtu, 22 Juni 2013 | 23.50

The corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue offers a picture postcard view of the new, revitalized Tinseltown.

The boulevard is jammed with tourists, the streets lined with tour buses. Street performers dressed in colorful costumes entertain and panhandle on the sidewalk in front of chain stores such as Forever 21, Sephora, the Hard Rock Cafe and Express. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel films his late-night show across the street.

But this week, Hollywood got a stark reminder that for all the upscale development and trendy venues, the district hasn't fully shaken off its darker past. On Tuesday, in front of the American Eagle clothing store, a 23-year-old woman collapsed after being fatally stabbed. Police arrested a transient who had allegedly demanded $1 from her after she took his photo.

The death of Christine Calderon left the Hollywood tourist district stunned and on Friday prompted Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and Mayor-elect Eric Garcetti to call for increased patrols, including by horse-mounted units.

We "don't want to lose any of the ground that's been gained in Hollywood," Beck said. "What we don't want is for this tragedy to go unrecognized."

Hollywood's transformation over the last decade or so has been dramatic. The once-glamorous district had been in steep decline for decades, bottoming out in the 1990s when crime reached new highs and many of the old theaters that once dominated the boulevard closed down.

The Hollywood & Highland complex where Calderon was found stabbed — an imposing shopping center that includes the theater where the Oscars take place each year — was the first of several mega-developments that transformed the area. The most recent is the luxury W Hotel development at the iconic corner of Hollywood and Vine.

These days, tourists dominate during the day. After the sun sets, Hollywood's nightclub scene kicks into high gear.

Few argue with how much Hollywood has changed. But those who live and work in the area said there are gritty remnants, with a sizable homeless population and plenty of opportunities for petty crime.

Despite its makeover, crime remains a daily occurrence in Hollywood, according to a Times analysis. Recent weeks show no unusual increases, but thefts are common in high-traffic areas and more than 300 major violent crimes were reported in the neighborhood over the last six months.

Adjusted for population, its violent crime rate ranked 30th and its property crime rate 33rd among more than 200 neighborhoods policed by the LAPD or the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

"You get some of everything here," said Dylan Watson, assistant manager of the American Eagle store at Hollywood & Highland. "Nothing is really surprising."

It's not uncommon, he said, for someone to approach him during a smoke break outside of the store and ask for cigarettes. If he refuses, he said, the response is often aggression.

"They always seem like they want to fight," he said. "Some of them are clearly crazy."

Officials in Hollywood said that they were discussing the need for a crackdown — especially on aggressive panhandlers — long before Calderon's death.

Garcetti, who represents part of Hollywood on the City Council, said some of the panhandling is more like extortion. In some cases, people hand out CDs and then demand money. Performers pose with tourists and do the same.

"I'll be damned if we're going to go back to where we were a decade and a half ago in Hollywood," he said in an interview Friday. "I want to have regular prosecutions that will send a clear signal."

Kerry Morrison, the head of the business improvement district in Hollywood, said one of the biggest concerns is aggressive panhandlers and some of the costumed characters. In the past, some of the actors have gotten into physical altercations with passersby.

Authorities said Calderon was strolling down the Walk of Fame with a co-worker at 8 p.m. Tuesday. She pulled out her cellphone to snap a picture of three transients displaying signs asking for money with four-letter insults and a smiley face.

Moments later, according to a law enforcement source, one of the men demanded she pay a dollar for the picture. When she refused, police say, two of the men allegedly pinned Calderon's co-worker against a wall. The third man, Dustin James Kinnear, 26, allegedly jumped on Calderon and fatally stabbed her.


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