News 24/7

Bloomington High School evacuated following bomb threat

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:24:23 -0800

Students and staff evacuated from Bloomington High School this afternoon after authorities received a call from someone saying there was a bomb at the school.

The California Highway Patrol received a 9-1-1 call at 12:55 p.m. from someone who immediately hung up, said San Bernardino County sheriff's spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire.

"On a call back, a male answered and said 'There's a bomb at Bloomington High School. Come quick,' and then hung up again," Wiltshire said.

Students and teachers were evacuated onto the football field at 1:15 p.m. while the sheriff's arson and bomb squad searched the school, with the help of a sheriff's dog.

San Bernardino County firefighters were also at the scene as a precaution.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Rialto man accused of smacking other man upside head with gun

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:20:53 -0800

A 20-year-old Rialto man hit another man over the head with the butt of a gun Friday morning during a disagreement in a Bloomington parking lot, authorities said.

Michael Vincente Lira was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and armed robbery. San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies said they found marijuana and gang paraphernalia inside Lira's apartment when they served a search warrant for his arrest.

Lira and the victim met in a parking lot at 17755 San Bernardino Ave. about 11:15 a.m. Friday and Lira whipped out a handgun during an argument and hit the victim on the left side of his head, causing a four-inch laceration, deputies said.

He then demanded the victim's money before fleeing.

stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com

Big rig hits man in Bloomington, killing him

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:55:32 -0800

A 46-year-old Hemet man was killed walking to work in Bloomington when a big rig hit him Thursday morning.

At 5:48 p.m., Gregory Willis was using the crosswalk to walk to the trucking company he worked for in the 18000 block of Slover Avenue, according to a coroner's news release.
The big-rig driver started the truck, made a right turn and hit Willis.

Willis was pronounced dead at 6:49 a.m. at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton.

The California Highway Patrol and Cal OSHA are investigating.

Semi truck runs over man in Bloomington truck terminal

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 13:30:26 -0800

A man was killed this morning in a Bloomington truck terminal when someone in a big rig ran over him.

The incident was reported at 546 a.m. at 18298 Slover Ave., the California Highway Patrol said.

More details, including the cause of the crash, were not immediately available.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

San Dimas water company seeks to increase rates

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 12:53:44 -0800

Golden State Water Co. in San Dimas is looking to hike water rates in several local cities to fund more than $100 million in infrastructure improvements.

The increases, which are subject to approval from the California Public Utilities Commission, would boost water rates in the agency's Region III area by $30.03 million, or 32.67 percent, in 2010; $1.7 million, or 1.39 percent in 2011; and $3.6 million, or 2.92 percent, in 2012.

Region III serves about 98,300 customers in Arcadia, El Monte, Monrovia, Irwindale, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel, Temple City and San Dimas, as well as other areas of San Bernardino, Imperial and Orange counties.

A public hearing for Golden State's proposed rate hikes will be held at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday at the Alexander Hughes Community Center, at 1700 Danbury Road in Claremont.

matthew.wrye@inlandnewspapers.com

Man arrested in death of Rialto resident

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:19:04 -0800

An 18-year-old Bloomington man was behind bars today on suspicion of killing a Rialto man and leaving his body in a field earlier this month.

Edgar Garcia was booked into Central Detention Center in San Bernardino on suspicion of the homicide of Deric Bryant, 21.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies received a call at 12:11 p.m. Jan. 10 about a body found in a field near the corner of Eleventh Street and Cedar Avenue.

Deputies received information that the body may have been in the field as early as a day before. A person later called detectives, saying a description of the victim matched a co-worker. Deputies positively identified the victim through fingerprints.

Investigators discovered the last person known to be with Bryant was Garcia. Garcia agreed to an interview with homicide detectives Friday. He was arrested at the end of the interview.

Anyone with information may call Sgt. Frank Bell or Detective Scott Landen, (909) 387-3589. Anonymous callers may contact WeTip, (800) 78-CRIME.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Rialto high school custodian arrested in connection with stolen equipment

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:03:39 -0800

A Rialto High School custodian was arrested Tuesday in connection with equipment that went missing from the school before Christmas break.

San Bernardino police served a search warrant at the Bloomington home of 35-year-old Andrew Gonzalez and found the stolen electronic equipment, they said.

Gonzalez was booked at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of burglary and embezzlement.

stacia.glenn@inlandnewspapers.com

Body found in Bloomington field identified

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:45:25 -0800

A man found dead in a field Sunday was identified today as 20-year-old Deric D. Bryant of Fontana.

San Bernardino County coroner's officials had been seeking the identity of the man since his body was found near the corner of Eleventh Street and Cedar Avenue.

Someone called sheriff's dispatchers at 12:11 p.m. Sunday after discovering the body. Coroner's officials said the body could have been in the field as early as Saturday.

Anyone with information on the case may call San Bernardino County sheriff's Sgt. Frank Bell or Det. Scott Landen, (909) 387-3589. Anonymous callers may contact WeTip (800) 78-CRIME.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Body of man found in Bloomington field

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 06:49:51 -0800

Coroner's officials are seeking the identity of a man whose body was found in a Bloomington field Sunday.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies received a call about the body at 12:11 p.m. near the corner of Eleventh Street and Cedar Avenue.

The man had the name "Bryant" tattooed on his left forearm, along with a heart with the date "8-14-06." He also had a cross tattooed on his right forearm, San Bernardino County coroner's officials said.

The man had two piercings on his lower lip and pierced ears. He was in his 20s and believed to be Latino.

Anyone with information may call sheriff's Sgt. Frank Bell or Detective Scott Landen, (909) 387-3589. Anonymous callers may contact WeTip, (800) 78-CRIME.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Big rig crash forces partial closure of I-10 in Bloomington

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 09:46:42 -0800

A crash involving several semi trucks blocked at two lanes and caused a 100-gallon fuel spill on the westbound 10 Freeway in Bloomington this morning.

The California Highway Patrol received a report of the crash west of Cedar Avenue at 8:56 a.m. Witnesses said four to five tractor trailers were involved in the collision.

At 9:15 a.m., the CHP said the lanes would remain blocked up to two hours.

melissa.pinion-whitt@inlandnewspapers.com

Bloomington band creates contest to find amateur video director

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 20:39:53 -0800

Since the day in 1964 when Eric Davenport first heard a Beatles song on a friend's transistor radio, he has been a huge fan of the British band.

So much so that the Bloomington resident went on to play the band's music with different musicians over the years and most recently released a mostly solo CD, "Carbon McCartney."

Now he is holding a contest along with members of his Inland Empire rock band, Legal Tender, to find amateur music-video directors who could bring one of the cuts on "Carbon McCartney" to YouTube screens all over the world.

Firefighter receives minor injuries at Bloomington house fire

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 12:48:15 -0800

A firefighter received minor burns to his left foot while battling a Bloomington house fire this morning. The firefighter is expected to make a full recovery, said a county fire dispatch supervisor.

The fire, at 9929 Alameda Ave., was reported at 9:40 a.m. and contained at 10:34 a.m.
The extent of damage was not known, but when firefighters arrived, two rooms were fully involved with flames coming out of the windows.

There were no other injuries. The cause is not yet known.

Rep. Baca rides in three Christmas parades on Saturday

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:52:22 -0800

Rep. Joe Baca, (D-Rialto), will be spreading holiday cheer on Saturday when he rides in three separate Christmas parades.

First on tap is Colton's "Christmas in the Park" celebration at 10 a.m. The parade starts outside Woodrow Wilson Elementary School and ends at Fleming Park.

Baca will then dash to San Bernardino at 11 a.m. for the San Bernardino Family YMCA Children's Christmas Parade, which is expected to draw more than 3,000 children. The parade starts at Sixth and E streets and runs for a mile south on E Street to Rialto Avenue.

The Congressman will then end his parade day at noon in Bloomington's "A Military Christmas" parade, which begins at the corner of Vine Street and Bloomington Ave., proceeds south on Bloomington, south on Cedar Ave., and west on Valley Blvd. to Ayala Park.

Rancho Cucamonga pursuit ends in Bloomington

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:50:31 -0800

Two men - a wanted parolee and a drunk passenger - led deputies through three cities Thursday night after refusing to pull over.

One minute after 11 p.m., San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies from the Rancho Cucamonga station did a license check on a vehicle at 4th Street and Etiwanda Avenue. The vehicle turned out to be a stolen Mazda SUV, according to a sheriff's news release.

Deputies tried to stop the vehicle but the driver, Shawn Stillman, 39, of Fontana allegedly refused and lead deputies on a pursuit through Fontana and into Bloomington.

Stillman, who was wanted on a parole violation, pulled into a driveway near Larch and San Bernardino avenues and fled on foot. He was found by deputies and a Fontana police canine then taken into custody, according to the news release.

The passenger, Steven Martinez, 32, of Upland was intoxicated, according to the news release. He was arrested when he ignored officer's orders to leave the SUV.

Stillman was treated at a local hospital for dog bites. Both Stillman and Martinez were booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga, according to the news release.

lori.consalvo@inlandnewspapers.com

Crestmore crash sends at least one to hospital

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:36:08 -0800

Two people were injured in a head-on traffic collision at 11th Street and Cedar Avenue in the Crestmore area around 7:30 p.m.

One person had life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital, said a county Fire Department dispatch supervisor.

He did not know the condition of the other patient.