GUILTY CA - Alex Reyes, 26, shot to death, Lake Forest, 28 Jan 2006

LAKE FOREST, Calif. Police say a man picking up his son for a supervised court visit was shot twice at point-blank range by the boy's 81-year-old great-grandmother.

A spokesman for the Orange County, California, sheriff's department says the man appeared to be having a casual conversation yesterday with his ex-wife and her grandmother, when witnesses say the grandmother allegedly pulled out a gun and began firing.



http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=4425657

Whoa, I wonder what grandma was so worked up about? How strange. She did it in front of the kid too?

His parents were waiting for him in the car.Here is a little bit more,not much though;

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-grandma29jan29,1,4662291.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

I'm betting Granny had good reason to believe her grandson would be better off if his father was dead. Granny might have decided, because of her age, that she didn't have much to lose if she did the killing. I wonder if her daughter knew of Granny's plans?

Marie said:

I'm betting Granny had good reason to believe her grandson would be better off if his father was dead. Granny might have decided, because of her age, that she didn't have much to lose if she did the killing. I wonder if her daughter knew of Granny's plans?

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That's exactly what I was thinking, too. Maybe something was amiss with the guy, and that's why there was a court-appointed observer? Hmmmm....time will tell.

Marie said:

I'm betting Granny had good reason to believe her grandson would be better off if his father was dead. Granny might have decided, because of her age, that she didn't have much to lose if she did the killing. I wonder if her daughter knew of Granny's plans?

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I bet Grandma also knew & never wanted the little fella to have to deal with his Dad. Must of been real bad for Granny to do that. She probably did it totally on her own accord.

This was less than five minutes from my house! Very sad....

Right around the corner from me too Washoe. Very strange as quiet as things are around here.

It sounds strange considering it was out of nowhere in the middle of a casual conversation right out in the open. Considering her age I wonder if she had some senility/dementia going on. Not everyone carries a gun around in their pocket like that. I am wondering too why his visits had to be supervised.

Usually, in the middle of heated custody/placement disputes, there is a court appointed attorney looking into both parent's backgrounds. At least there is here, because when we petitioned the Court for custody of my stepson, 7 years ago, or so- we had what was called a Guardian Ad Lightem who did background checks on all parties, and moderated disputes, checked my stepsons school records, talked to teachers, etc... I think it's pretty standard. I wonder who was doing the supervising of the visit?

I would bet that he abused her granddaughter when they were married and maybe wasn't that great with the little boy. The article doesn't say how old the little boy is....could be a baby.

I agree that Granny had a reason to want that man out of the lives of her granddaughter and the little boy. Most Grannys don't walk around carrying a gun nor do they shoot people. She probably did believe that she had the least to lose by killing him. Can't say that I blame her one bit if that was the case. I will do the same thing if anyone ever beats on one of my grandaughters.

The ex-husband might have been abusive during and after the marriage but he was being nice because Granny was there and if he was only allowed supervised visitation then he was already in trouble with the courts. Granny must have figured that he wasn't going to treat her granddaughter like that anymore. I'd love to know the whole story.

It wouldn't suprise me if my mother didn't do something like that at any time with my oldest daughter's abusive husband.

Sorry if this has been posted. Here are two links to this strange story.

#1:

http://www.local6.com/news/6577326/detail.html

KE FOREST, Calif. -- A man picking up his young son for a supervised court visit was shot twice at point-blank range by the boy's 81-year-old great-grandmother and died of his injuries, police said.

Witnesses reported that Alex Reyes appeared to be having a casual conversation with his ex-wife and her grandmother, Jeane Ellen Allen, on the front porch of their home, when Allen allegedly pulled out a gun and fired.

Alex Reyes, 26, was shot Saturday while picking up his 18-month-old son, said Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Department.

and #2:

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_974513.php

NEWPORT BEACH – A handcuffed Lake Forest great-grandmother charged with murdering the father of her great-grandson appeared briefly in court today as a judge delayed her arraignment to Feb. 6.

Seven news cameras recorded Jeane Ellen Allen, 81, as the frail, 5-foot-tall woman was led into the Harbor Justice Center courtroom.

Prosecutors have charged Allen with murder by lying in wait for the death of Alex Reyes, 26, of Brea on Saturday. She also is charged with discharging a firearm during the incident.

She is accused of shooting Reyes twice – once in the head and once in the leg – when he arrived to visit his 18-month-old son at Allen's Lake Forest home. Reyes was putting together a stroller when Allen shot him at point-blank range, authorities said. The day before, she also asked a neighbor to clean the revolver, they added.

Reyes and the boy's mother, Leslie Jane Bieg, were in a custody battle over the child. A custody hearing was scheduled for March 21.

Allen has accused Reyes of molesting the baby, and claimed in an affidavit in Reyes' divorce file that she caught Reyes touching the boy in July 2004.

txsvicki said:

It wouldn't suprise me if my mother didn't do something like that at any time with my oldest daughter's abusive husband.

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When my daughter's killer was sentenced I told him "if I could turn back time I would be sitting where you are....Shelley would be standing where I'm standing...and you would be in the ground...where she is. I meant every word. My kids and I decided after that happened in our family that it would never happen again. We won't ever tolerate abuse again. Believe me, any male the grandaughter's become involved with are told this right off the bat. They all know what happened to my daughter and so far we have been taken seriously.

I would have the least to lose as I have lived a good part of my life already. I would be the one to put an end to any abuse in this family.

taxvicki, you must worry constantly about your daughter. I hope and pray that she finds the courage to remove herself from the relationship. It is the scariest thing in the world when you fear for your daughter's life because of abuse and there is basically nothing that you can do to stop it.

Here are some very interesting updates on this story -

Grandmother Denied Bail Accused Of Killing Granddaughter's Ex

LAKE FOREST, Calif. -- An 81-year-old woman accused of murdering her granddaughter's ex-husband, who she believed to be a pedophile, was denied bail Tuesday as a judge postponed her arraignment until next month.


A Brea man died Sunday from gunshots police say were fired by his son's 81-year-old great-grandmother.

By AMY TAXIN and ERIC CARPENTER
The Orange County Register
The motives are under investigation, Boyne said.

"She said she felt threatened," Boyne said.

"Alex was of the highest character," said neighbor Gene Gallaugher, 70, a friend of the family.

"He - his whole family - just salt-of-the-earth, great people."

Gallaugher said Reyes talked lovingly and with great pride about his son. He said he expressed frustration about going through divorce proceedings.

"But he always stayed optimistic, focused on his love for his son. He told me he thought they would be able to settle everything in court," Gallaugher said.

"He was the kind of guy that was always out mowing the lawn, washing the cars and offering help. He'd come over and say hello, extend his hand and introduce himself first," Gallaugher said. "I can't believe he's gone."



Great Grandmother Suspected In Murder Speaks Out

Allen told The Times that Reyes helped adjust a strap on a stroller she had just bought for the toddler. She said things were fine until he brought up accusations that she had made against him and that were contained in divorce proceedings. He asked her for a letter of apology, she said.

"I'm sorry, but at that point, that makes me look like a liar, and I just had it," Allen told The Times, adding that she went to a drawer, grabbed the gun, shot him, and then called 911.

Allen said she told the 911 dispatcher, "I just shot a pedophile."

Being a Grandmother if I seriously thought my Grandchild was in any kind of danger from a pedaphile I can honestly say I might loose my mind too.....she is 81 & sounds not in the best of health.......its very sad.She feels she saved the baby from a life of hell / LE tries protecting the kids / the court system insists they have a relationship with unfit parents & puts them in dangerous positions.

Yes some people feel pedophiles are sweet / nice / charismatic /charming etc...they use that to lure others into the web of deceit! :twocents:

Lake Forest Woman, 81, To Be Arraigned For Murder


CBS) NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. An 81-year-old woman accused of fatally shooting her granddaughter's ex-husband, whom she claimed was a pedophile, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

Deputy District Attorney Michael Murray told reporters outside the courtroom last week that the Jan. 28 shooting of 26-year-old Brea resident Alex Reyes was a "cold-blooded, calculated and methodical approach to murder."

Allen told the Los Angeles Times in a jailhouse interview that although she regretted killing Reyes, she did not feel she had done anything wrong.

"In God's eyes, I don't feel guilty, because it was the only thing I could do to save his (her great-grandson's) life," she told the newspaper.

This was 4 years ago, seems she's still alive b/c there is info on her in orange co, ca public records. I think that would be removed if she had died.


A white-haired 81-year-old great-grandmother who was rolled into a Newport Beach courtroom with her wrists handcuffed to a wheelchair Thursday became possibly the oldest person in Orange County history to plead guilty to first-degree murder.

Jean Ellen Allen was immediately sentenced to 25 years to life for the Jan. 28 shooting death of Alex Leo Reyes, 26, her former grandson-in-law whom she accused of being a molester.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/reyes-43021-allen-son.html

buffetoflies said:

This was 4 years ago, seems she's still alive b/c there is info on her in orange co, ca public records. I think that would be removed if she had died.


A white-haired 81-year-old great-grandmother who was rolled into a Newport Beach courtroom with her wrists handcuffed to a wheelchair Thursday became possibly the oldest person in Orange County history to plead guilty to first-degree murder.

Jean Ellen Allen was immediately sentenced to 25 years to life for the Jan. 28 shooting death of Alex Leo Reyes, 26, her former grandson-in-law whom she accused of being a molester.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/reyes-43021-allen-son.html

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What a bizarre story. Great Granny says she WITNESSED him abuse the child. I wonder what she saw? My guess, it had nothing to do with his being Hispanic and more to do with protecting her great grandson at any cost.

Wow, sad all the way around.