Transient Charged with Murder in South Bay Stabbing Death

TORRANCE, CA - A 23-year-old transient was charged Tuesday with murder for allegedly stabbing man who was attacked in Gardena while on his way to work.

Larry Lee Wainscott is accused of the Thursday killing of 49-year-old Robert Mello of Gardena. Mello was found about 5:30 a.m. in the 14900 block of Vermont Avenue by officers and firefighters who had responded to reports of a man down on a sidewalk, police said.

Mello was pronounced dead at the scene. Wainscott was arrested the next day.

Gardena police Lt. Steve Prendergast said Mello -- a married father of two children, ages 14 and 3 -- was walking to a bus stop on his way to work at a BMW dealership in North Hollywood when he was attacked. There was no immediate word on a motive for the attack.

Wainscott was being held at the Gardena police jail in lieu of $2 million bail and was due to appear in court in Torrance on Tuesday, according to sheriff's inmate records.

According to jail records, Wainscott was previously arrested three times this year, all for alleged misdemeanor offenses. The latest was on Sept. 21 for allegedly driving with a suspended license. He was released from custody three days later.

Wainscott was also arrested Aug. 19 for allegedly defacing property and on June 16 for an unspecified alleged offense and released the same day, according to the sheriff's department.

Wainscott faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted, according to the District Attorney's Office.

-- City News Service, photo via Shutterstock