Man Receives 13-Year Term for Burglary

VAN NUYS — One of two burglars who had been accused of breaking into the home of a 60-year-old woman in Canoga Park and literally scaring her to death was sentenced to 13 years in state prison under a plea bargain that reduced the murder charge against him to voluntary manslaughter.

Alfonso Jerome Blackmon, 27, whose aliases include the street moniker “Jackpot,” could have faced a life sentence under the state’s three strikes law. But, when Blackmon agreed to testify against accomplice Anthony Thompson, prosecutors asked San Fernando Superior Court Judge Charles Peven to eliminate one of his prior strikes under the plea bargain, reached in April.

According to police, Janet Doering was awakened by a noise in the hallway, saw the beam of a flashlight from beneath her closed bedroom door and dialed 911 about 10:45 p.m. on Nov. 11, 1994.

When police arrived, they found that $54 was missing from her purse and that the intruders had pried the screen off a bathroom window.

Doering, who had a history of heart disease, was visibly shaken and nervous, police said. She collapsed and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 12:01 a.m.

Partial fingerprints matching Blackmon’s were found on the frame of the screen, according to testimony at a preliminary hearing.

A probation report in the case indicated that Blackmon has a lengthy record of burglary and robbery. He spent most of his youth in the custody of juvenile authorities and has served two state prison terms.

“He has no respect for the rights and property of others,” wrote Deputy Probation Officer J. Gary McMillen in his report. “While it would appear unintentional, his attitude and actions have resulted in the death of one of his victims. He is a serious menace to society.”