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ensued and
Benitez ignored the officers' orders to stop and barricaded himself inside the restaurant bathroom with his son. Benitez told police during negotiations that he was going to shoot police and harm his seven-year-old son whom he held hostage for two hours. One employee of a nearby Mexican
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Benitez had no major acting work since 1988 when he met
Stephanie Spears in 1996. The two moved in together and had one child, Benjamin Everett. Benitez never told Spears or anyone else about his former days as a child actor. According to the FBI, Benitez sold drugs to supplement the money he made
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His girlfriend eventually decided to end their relationship. On the night of June 20, 2004, Benitez tried to leave with their son while Spears was asleep. After she woke up and tried to stop him, an argument ensued. Benitez allegedly beat her numerous times with a
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followed the real El Cordobés and
Benitez's mother, Alina Elizabeth Velasco throughout the world as they partied through the 1970s. Their relationship ended in a bitter five-year court dispute, with Velasco moving to Los Angeles to hire lawyer
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On May 11, 2005, a state warrant was issued by the
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, for Benitez's arrest after he was charged with murder. Benitez was charged federally with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and an
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On
December 23, 2008, police received a call about a suspicious man with a child. A police officer and witnesses noticed a man taking a boy off the sidewalk and then go into a restaurant in
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Police closed nearby streets, and shoppers were evacuated from neighboring stores as dozens of police officers and other emergency crews surrounded the restaurant. Police threw a
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Benitez was arrested on drug charges in 2000 and convicted for possession of a concealed and illegal loaded firearm in his son's stroller in 2003 and was sentenced to
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Benitez and his son
Benjamin were believed to be traveling with his mother, Alina Elizabeth Velasco, who disappeared after Spears' murder. They were sighted in the
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of his girlfriend in 2004. On
December 23, 2008, he was shot and killed by police officers responding to a hostage situation in El Monte, California.
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The FBI was offering a reward of up to $ 20,000 for information leading to the arrest of
Benitez. He was featured on
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Benitez was nine years old when he began his acting career. His early roles in
Hollywood were guided by child agent,
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restaurant said
Benitez had the boy in a headlock and held a gun to his head as he sought a place to hold him.
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interview with John Walsh, aired October 1, 2004 – 21:00 ET, includes discussion of the Manuel Benitez case.
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Manuel Benitez was the illegitimate son of the internationally famous bullfighter Manuel Benitez, known as "
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was issued by the United States District Court, Central District of California, on March 21, 2006.
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Hispanic and Latino American people shot dead by law enforcement officers in the United States
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inside and exchanged gunfire with Benitez, killing him. Benitez was declared dead at a
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in an El Monte strip mall. His son was shot in the thigh but survived.
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This article is about the actor. For his father the bullfighter, see
125:(September 28, 1969 – December 23, 2008), who went by the
378:"Man Killed in L.A. Hostage Standoff Was 2004 Murder Suspect"
484:"Child Star Turned Fugitive Killed During Standoff"
413:"Manuel Benitez Wanted for Murder, Child Abduction"
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443:"SoCal man killed by cops was 2004 murder suspect"
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337:"Former Child Star Now Man Wanted For Murder"
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179:Be Somebody... or Be Somebody's Fool!
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490:. December 23, 2008. Archived from
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607:20th-century American male actors
602:Actors from Coral Gables, Florida
526:Transcript of CNN Larry King Live
587:Deaths by firearm in California
572:American male television actors
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152:Early life and acting career
108:Stephanie Spears (1996–2004)
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552:American male child actors
230:Murder of Stephanie Spears
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582:Criminals from California
577:American drug traffickers
567:American male film actors
136:in Hollywood films and a
592:Male actors from Florida
214:Life after acting career
195:He also appeared in the
250:area in December 2004.
185:Pee-wee's Big Adventure
488:America's Most Wanted
342:America's Most Wanted
300:semi-automatic pistol
279:. Soon after that, a
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241:Hawthorne, California
50:Coral Gables, Florida
349:on December 28, 2008
277:El Monte, California
71:El Monte, California
562:American kidnappers
455:on January 13, 2009
386:. December 24, 2008
557:American murderers
494:on January 5, 2009
293:Chinese restaurant
289:flash-bang grenade
132:, was an American
46:September 28, 1969
207:Highway to Heaven
191:Stand and Deliver
167:Marvin Mitchelson
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63:December 23, 2008
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65:(2008-12-23)
547:2008 deaths
542:1969 births
448:Yahoo! News
174:Iris Burton
158:El Cordobés
134:child actor
21:El Cordobés
536:Categories
310:References
127:stage name
89:Occupation
42:1969-09-28
224:probation
162:paparazzi
100:1980–1988
417:Fox News
383:Fox News
304:revolver
237:dumbbell
197:TV shows
144:for the
138:fugitive
113:Children
105:Partner
302:and a
146:murder
92:Actor
521:IMDb
500:2008
461:2008
425:2008
392:2008
355:2008
204:and
188:and
60:Died
36:Born
519:at
142:FBI
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