People v. Turner CA2/8

Filed 11/24/25 P. v. Turner CA2/8 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS

California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION EIGHT

THE PEOPLE, B338078

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. MA085593-01) v.

LAFONZO R. TURNER,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Deborah S. Brazil, Judge. Affirmed.

Stanley Dale Radtke, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

No appearance for Plaintiff and Respondent.

_________________________

This is an appeal pursuant to People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d 436. Finding no error, we affirm. On August 3, 2023, the People filed a complaint alleging Lafonzo R. Turner violated Penal Code section 4502, subdivision (a) (custodial possession of a weapon). On September 20, 2023, Turner entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. On October 3, 2023, the trial court declared a doubt as to Turner’s competency to stand trial and suspended criminal proceedings. On October 21, 2023, the trial court found Turner competent to stand trial. On December 11, 2023, the court held a preliminary hearing and later held Turner to answer to the charge. At that hearing, Jared Ongaro testified. Ongaro was on duty as a correctional officer at Lancaster State Prison on Tuesday, October 4, 2022. At about 6:00 a.m. he encountered the incarcerated Turner alone and asleep in his cell. Ongaro had received a tip that Turner had a weapon, so Ongaro entered the cell with his partner to search for weapons. Ongaro discovered a silver metal rod sharpened to a point in one of the frames of Turner’s wheelchair inside the cell. The rod was secreted inside a tubing of the wheelchair. Ongaro had to remove a plastic cap on the wheelchair to discover it. As Turner was being escorted out of his cell, Ongaro heard him say (not verbatim) that “if he would have done it, he would have been a bad guy, that he could have killed one of us.” On December 21, 2023, the People filed a one-count Information alleging a violation of Penal Code1 section 4502, subdivision (a), custodial possession of a weapon. The Information also alleges enhancements for two prior serious and/violent felonies as defined in section 667, subdivision (d) and