Late night trespassers
Police found an elderly man sleeping on city property at 1315 Valley Drive Nov. 15 at 3 a.m. The man walked away from a Gardena retirement home, police said.
A man entered a residence through an open window in the 1200 block of 17th Street Nov. 17 just after 2 a.m., police said. The man, who was arrested for burglary, was intoxicated and told police he thought he was entering his own home, police said.
Man found dead in hot tub identified
Police have identified the man found dead in a hot tub at the Quality Inn Hotel on Aviation Boulevard Nov. 14.
Sean Francis Smith, 43, was found unresponsive at 7:45 a.m. in the hot tub area of the hotel at 901 Aviation Boulevard, and HBFD paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. There were no signs of foul play and several empty alcohol containers were found at the scene. Police, who had numerous contacts with Smith over the years as he struggled with addiction problems, said his death was accidental.
Consensual sex charges
Chad Van Hulzen, 37, of Hermosa Beach, has been charged with 15 counts of having consensual sex with a minor. Van Hulzen, who is being held on $1.25 million bail, was arrested by Torrance police and charged Nov. 14 and pled not guilty in court on Nov. 16.
Torrance Sgt. Robert Watt said Van Hulzen befriended a 14-year-old Carson girl at a party in June in Torrance, which led to a consensual sexual relationship. “They got together sporadically during a five-month span into October,” Watt said. When the girl’s father discovered the alleged relationship, he contacted the Torrance police, Watt said. Van Hulzen’s next court appearance is Dec. 6.
