Strip Club Shooting in Valley Takes Life of Thomas Valdez, 30: Club Employee Allegedly Flees With Murder Suspect

By Dennis Romero Mon., Jul. 18 2011 at 8:09 AM

VIP Showgirls.

A strip club patron was fatally shot over the weekend, police said.

It happened about 10 p.m. Friday ~~Saturday~~ inside VIP Showgirls Gentlemen's Club at 12147 Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood's struggling Valley Plaza shopping center, according to the LAPD.

It's not clear what set off an argument between two men at the club, but one of the club's female "employees" allegedly ended up fleeing with the suspected shooter, and both were found in a nearby park, cops say.

Police allege the man who pulled the trigger at the club after a fight broke out was 30-year-old Forte Ramonta of North Hollywood. His girlfriend was ID'd as 22-year-old Anna Baez.

The victim, 30-year-old Thomas Valdez of Santa Clarita, was declared dead at the scene, according to an LAPD statement. Cops said he was shot "multiple" times.

Ramonta was booked on suspicion of murder and jailed in lieu of $1 million. The employee was booked on suspicion of being an accessory to murder and was jailed with half a million bail over her head.

The club's website describes the venue as "a bit of Vegas in the heart of the San Fernando valley."

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Police are still looking for witnesses and want anyone who might have information about the shooting to call detectives at 818-623-4075.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

Tags:

LAPD, murder, North Hollywood, strip club, Valley Plaza

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John

And the problem is?

Cmd727

How the f**k would she be an accessory? Guilt by association because she ran after her boyfriend? That's a stretch. Guilty of having a relationship with a lunatic, yes. Just because she was there and it was her boyfriend that did the shooting doesn't make her an accessory.

Lightnapper

Only one of three 187's occurring in the North Hollywood areathis past week. A gang-related shooting at a party on Saturday nightleaves Mr. Francisco Martinez, 24, dead and another man injured. (7800 block of Lemp Ave.)A 17-year old youth-- Bryan Carmona-- is shot, killed, and found on Wednesday discarded in empty field only two major intersections fromthe "Titty Bar, approx. a mile or two.” (7200 block of Laurel Canyon Blvd.)Then this testosterone enraged idiot -- Romonta Forte, 20, of North Hollywood, capsoff multiple rounds striking his adversary-- Thomas Valdez-- and murders him. Then "Sancho" runs off with his "Sancha" and hides in Valley Plaza Park located just around the corner. Nice place for post-murder picnic, "Salchicha."Perhaps some overlyexcited fellow in a strip bar offends Machismo Dummy’s girlfriend-- stripper/hostess/barmaid/professional dancer-- I’m reading between the lines-- so he murders him as payback. Way to go genius. Now neither of you gets thehoney, and she gets "accessory after the fact."All this just a short time after (earlyJune) a van load of gangsters kills aguy riding a bicycle not a mile from killings (2) and ( 3). Who then incidentallymanage to evade a witnessing sheriff who chases them, andthe pursuing LAPD== who eventually sow up and find the empty van in Van Nuys. (6800 block of Laurel Canyon Blvd.) El Norte Hollywood-- just the place I want to visit. There and Ciudad Ju'arez.