Picnic Over, Suspect in Robberies Surrenders

A Los Angeles parolee who attended a police picnic last month while other officers sought him as a suspect in more than 20 violent robberies turned himself into authorities Friday.

During his alleged robbery spree, Donald (Short Dog) Harris, 28, was also treated twice at County-USC Medical Center for gunshot wounds to his hands apparently inflicted by a police officer. But hospital staff members, who are required by law to report gunshot wounds to police, failed to report these, Los Angles Police Detective Lee Kingsford said.

Kingsford said errors allowed Harris to “slip through the cracks.”

Turned Himself In

Harris, an ex-convict nicknamed for his 5-foot, 9-inch, 200-pound frame, turned himself in at Parker Center.

Kingsford said Harris, who was paroled in May, was responsible for brutal robberies this summer in West Los Angeles, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Van Nuys, Hollywood and the West San Fernando Valley.

In many of the holdups, the assailant tied up victims and kicked them in the face and head, the detective said.

Harris apparently lived at the Nickerson Gardens housing project where he was familiar to officers working the area, Police Lt. Don Irvine said.

Harris attended a neighborhood picnic July 18 organized by Southeast Division police but was not detained by officers, Irvine said.

“All of my officers are familiar with him, but they didn’t know he was wanted,” Irvine said.

County-USC staff failed to report treating Harris in July for the gunshot wounds to his hands, which Kingsford said were inflicted by a motorcycle officer. Kingsford said the officer shot Harris as he fled from a robbery in Westwood.

Used 2 Aliases

Using two aliases, Harris told hospital staff he received the injuries after playing in a rough crap game, the detective said.

Toby Staheli, a spokeswoman for the county Department of Health Services, acknowledged that it appears that the emergency room staff did not notify authorities. She said the incident is under investigation.

“On neither occasion was a report made to police,” Kingsford said. “We would have arrested him if they would have done their jobs.”

Police allege that Harris’ latest robbery occurred Wednesday at a gift shop on Ventura Boulevard in the West San Fernando Valley. The first incident linked to Harris was in June, Kingsford said.

Harris was paroled from Soledad Prison, where he served an 18-month sentence for receiving stolen property.