Two unrelated housefired in Montebello and West Covina were reported Thursday evening. The Montebello fire gutted a home and sent a firefighter and a resident to the hospital, while the West Covina blaze caused much less damage and resulted in no injuries. Despite the fact that these fires occurred on July 2, officials did not believe fireworks were to blame in either blaze. Here's the stories:

MONTBELLO -- A fire gutted a home and sent two people, including a firefighter, to the hospital Thursday, authorities said.
The blaze was reported about 6 p.m. at a house in the 1700 block of Colegrove Avenue, Montebello Fire Department Battalion Chief Kevin Collinge said.
A firefighter was hospitalized with minor burns, and an elderly resident of the home was hospitalized for smoke inhalation, he said. Another resident of the home was treated at the scene for an unknown medical condition.
Four adults and two children who lived at the home were displaced, he said. They were home when the fire ignited.
Firefighters found the home "well-involved" with fire when they arrived and extinguished the flames in about 30 minutes, Collinge said.
A dollar-value estimate of the damage was not available late Thursday, however the battalion chief said the 1,800-square-foot home appeared "thoroughly gutted."
A cause of the blaze remained under investigation, he added, however it did not initially appear that fireworks were involved.

WEST COVINA -- A fire caused about $20,000 in damage to a house Thursday, officials said.
The blaze was reported about 6:20 p.m. in the 300 block of North Orange Avenue, West Covina Fire Department Capt. Esteban Rodriguez said.
About 18 firefighters doused the fire in about 15 minutes, he added.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, he said, but it preliminarily appeared the fire was electrical in nature, the captain said.
The fire was largely confined to the living room portion of the home, he added.
No one was injured in the fire, Rodriguez said, though seven residents, including children, were displaced.
They residents went to stay with family members, he said.

Watch the video:

CANTON, Ohio -- The police chief of a northeast Ohio township has retired after a video became public showing him and a female office kissing and caressing in the front of a police cruiser while a prisoner was in the back seat.

Timothy Escola retired Tuesday night after four years with the Perry Township police department about 50 miles south of Cleveland. Law Director Charles Hall says Escola's retirement closes an internal investigation.

Hall says no charges are being considered against part-time officer Janine England, who was with Escola in the cruiser June 2.

Escola and England drove to the Cincinnati area to pick up a burglary suspect.

The LASD sent along some photos after raids on Mongols in the San Gabriel Valley Friday.

Here's a jacket taken in the raid. Other items taken can be viewed here.

A recent ruling in federal court allowed police agencies to prevent Mongols members from showing off their trademarked colors.

 

No evacuations underway, but this might be the season's first wildfire, from Valley News:

TEMECULA- A wildland fire that began at approximately 2:34 p.m. west of Temecula in the De Luz area of Riverside County is now reported to have encompasses between 75 and 100 acres.

With winds of 10 to 15 miles per hour, officials say the blaze is moving toward Winchester Road.

Rancho California Road has now been closed in both direction at Business Center Drive.

Firefighters on the scene say the fire is burning in steep, dense terrain in heavy fuel (brush-filled) areas.

Fire officials have not indicated any evacuations are underway at this time.

SAN GABRIEL -- Police seized Mongols motorcycle-gang paraphernalia Thursday during a Parole Probation Compliance Check of 40 locations in Rosemead and South San Gabriel, officials said.

The items bearing the Mongols insignia included shirts, jackets, a clock and beanies.

They where found in the home of Mauricio Montano, on the 8100 block of Blewett Street in San Gabriel, according Sgt. Mark Flores of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Temple Station.

Montano is believed to be part of a Pico Rivera chapter of the outlaw Motorcycle gang, officials said. He was taken into custody but not arrested.

"We will write up a report and start an investigation," Flores said. "We will hand it over to the Federal Government."

A federal judge in October barred the Mongols gang from wearing or distributing its logo. The order came one day after a nationwide federal sweep, which landed 61 Southern California Mongols members in jail.

During Thursday's operation, police made six arrests. The charges included marijuana cultivation, possession of methamphetamine, procession of narcotics and narcotic paraphernalia and felons in possession of ammunition.

The operation included about 50 officers from the Detection Unit, Asian Gang Task Force and Special Projects Team.

The action follows a similar raid in Azusa.

The legend of John Dillinger still burns brightly throughout the Midwest. A stick-up man with a penchant for violence, Dillinger was shot to death outside the Biograph Movie Theater in Chicago by FBI agents hellbent on stopping an unparalleled crime wave.

On Sunday, July 22, Special Agent Samuel Cowley ordered all Agents of the Chicago office to stand by for urgent duty. Anna Sage called that evening to confirm the plans, but she still did not know which theater they would attend. Therefore, Agents and policemen were sent to both theaters. At 8:30 p.m., Anna Sage, John Dillinger, and Polly Hamilton strolled into the Biograph Theater to see Clark Gable in "Manhattan Melodrama." Special Agent Melvin Purvis phoned Cowley, who shifted the other men from the Marbro to the Biograph.

Cowley also phoned Hoover for instructions. Hoover cautioned them to wait outside rather than risk a shooting match inside the crowded theater. Each man was instructed not to unnecessarily endanger himself and was told that if Dillinger offered any resistance, it would be each man for himself.

At 10:30 p.m., Dillinger, with his two female companions on either side, walked out of the theater and turned to his left. As they walked past the doorway in which Purvis was standing, Purvis lit a cigar as a signal for the other men to close in. Dillinger quickly realized what was happening and acted by instinct. He grabbed a pistol from his right trouser pocket as he ran toward the alley. Five shots were fired from the guns of three FBI Agents. Three of the shots hit Dillinger and he fell face down on the pavement. At 10:50 p.m. on July 22, 1934, John Dillinger was pronounced dead in a little room in the Alexian Brothers Hospital.

Some Dillinger links of note:

When gangsters flourished in the Middle America during the Great Depression, none was more cold-blooded than Alvin "Creepy" Karpis. Public Enemy No. 1, Karpis is briefly profiled in the movie of the same name, starring Johnny Depp, as John Dillinger.*

This from the "Aging Rebel" blog, which adds some context to several of the stories we've reported about the triple homicide in Pico Rivera Saturday night:

Last week the Azusa, California Police Department issued a "tactical alert" that the Mongols were planning a party at a restaurant on Foothill Boulevard, old Route 66, in Azusa. When the partiers arrived they were greeted by a command center and officers from the Montebello, Azusa, Glendora, Arcadia and Monrovia Police departments. The Mongols and friends were also surveilled by a Los Angeles County Sherriff's Department helicopter.

A source has alleged that ATF Case Agent John Ciccone and another well known "outlaw motorcycle gang investigator" named Chris Cervantes both attended the event with their special spy cameras. Cervantes works for the Montebello police and his hobbies include the Mongols.

Garret Dandini, a Naval veteran and recruiter has been identified by family members as among the dead at the Falcone's Pizza parlor shooting in Pico Rivera Saturday night. Here's a link to his myspace and at left is a photo of Garret.

Police officials said they were on alert Saturday for outlaw motorcycle gang activity in Azusa, but were taken by surprise when three people were killed and seven people were injured at a fundraiser held in Pico Rivera by the Old School Riders motorcycle club.

Here's a poster advertising Old School Bike Night. Members of the motorcycle club were apparently targeted in a mass shooting Saturday night that left three dead and seven wounded. 

PICO RIVERA -- Detectives tried to make sense Sunday of a pizza parlor shooting that left three men dead and seven people wounded during a charity fund-raiser.
The names of those killed were not released Sunday evening pending notification of family members, coroner's officials said. Two of the dead men were cousins.
The attack occurred about 6:45 p.m. on Saturday in front of Falcone's Pizza, at 9247 Slauson Ave.
Officials believe the Old School Riders motorcycle club was holding a charity event in the eatery's parking lot when a male Hispanic adult opened fire.
"(He was) firing wildly into the crowd," said Detective Joe Sheehy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau, which is investigating the shooting.
The gunman was last seen getting into the passenger side of a dark-colored vehicle with a waiting driver, Sheehy said. The car sped away west on Slauson Avenue.
No further description of the gunman was available Sunday.
The three deceased victims were pronounced dead at the scene. Additionally, four men and three women were hospitalized, but all were expected to survive their injuries, Sheehy said.
About a dozen children were present when the shooting occurred, Sheehy said. "It was very lucky no kids were hit."
It was unclear Sunday what motivated the attack, which appeared to be unprovoked, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Byron Ward said in a written statement.
Sheehy declined to say if additional gunmen may have been involved.
"That's something we're going to have to hold back for right now," he said.
Officials said detectives were sifting through footage on surveillance tapes from nearby businesses. About 40 witnesses inside the pizza parlor had been interviewed Saturday night.
Sheehy said the Old School Riders has no gang affiliation, and Falcone's Pizza is not a gang hangout.
While some witnesses said the shooting may have involved members of the Mongols motorcycle gang, Sheehy said he did not believe anyone attending the party Saturday was a Mongol.
"If this was (an attack) against Mongols, it was definitely a case of mistaken identity," Sheehy said.
"Friends, family members, that's who was attending this," he added. "That's about all it is."
Falcone's Pizza was open for business Sunday, but an on-duty manager declined to comment. A memorial of flowers and candles stood in the parking lot.
A stray bullet Saturday had pierced the window in front of the playground area of a nearby McDonald's restaurant, but no one was injured. By Sunday, the window had been replaced and the business was also open.
Rey Castillo, 52, of Highland Park said his daughter's boyfriend, Garret Dandini, and Dandini's cousin, Tony Dandini, were among the dead.
He said the two were members of the Old School Riders club -- which he described as a group of motorcyclists who enjoy riding together and raising money for charity.
"The club's just family and friends," Castillo said. "All they want to do is ride together and have fun."
Attempts to reach the Old School Riders were unsuccessful Sunday.
The group's Web site, www.oldschoolriders.com, described its members as "ordinary people who enjoy the freedom of riding."
"No one represents any club," a statement on the site read. "We are just friends and family who gather together and ride."
A flyer on the Web site advertised Saturday's event as "Bike Night," and indicated there would be awards for best motorcycles, a raffle and security.
Sheehy said detectives needed witnesses to step forward and identify suspects.
"We'd like to ask for the public's assistance in helping solve this one," he said.

PHOTO: A memorial of candles and flowers stood in the parking lot of Falcone's Pizza, 9247 Slauson Ave., in Pico Rivera Sunday, June 28, 2009. Three people were killed and seven others wounded at the pizza parlor the previous evening.

PASADENA -- Three local men and a teenage boy were arrested on suspicion of burglary Saturday with the help of an observant neighbor, police said.
Marquise Montgomery, 18, Antonio Dismuke, 18, Lance Black, 20, and a 17-year-old boy were booked on suspicion of burglary, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
The incident began about 1:50 p.m. when someone called police from the 2000 of Dudley Street to report three suspicious looking men going into a neighbors backyard, the lieutenant said.
The men had already left the neighborhood in a blue Oldsmobile Cutlass when officers arrived, but the witness gave a description of the car and police stopped on Villa Street near Martelo Avenue, Ibarra said.
The men and boy were allegedly found with property stolen from a home on Dudley Street and arrested, she added.
Police are investigating the possibility the men may be responsible for more crimes, as Pasadena has recently seen an increase in daytime burglaries, Ibarra said.
The lieutenant advised residents to report suspicious people or solicitors in their neighborhoods to police.
According to court records, the adult suspects are being held in lieu of $50,000 bail each. Initial court dates for the men were not available Sunday.

UPDATE: Sheriff's officials confirmed Sunday that this shooting is apparently an extension of the ongoing violence between the Bassett Grande and Puente 13 street gangs. The suspect in the shooting, a juvenile, is believed to be a member of Puente 13, authorities said, while the wounded man, estimated to be in his 20s, is believed to be a member of Bassett Grande.

LA PUENTE -- A teenage girl who allegedly drove a car with her young daughter in the back as a teenage boy passenger carried out a drive-by shooting was in jail Saturday, authorities said.
The mother was initially detained as officials examined her involvement in the shooting and was ultimately booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon along with the male suspect, sheriff's officials said.
The girl was taken into protective custody, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said. She appeared to be a toddler.
The shooting occurred about 7 p.m. Friday in the 13800 block of Amar Road.
A Latino man estimated to be in his 20s was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, sheriff's and fire officials said.
Though officials initially reported the shooting was not a drive-by, Katz said Saturday that "Shots were fired from a (passing) vehicle at pedestrians."
Several other people who may have been with the wounded man when he was shot had not been located Saturday, he added.
Due to their age, the suspects' names were not released, Katz said, and a their ages and cities of residency were unavailable Saturday. The relationship between the male and female suspects was also unclear.
The incident was believed to be gang-related, Katz said, and may have been related to ongoing violence between the Bassett Grande and Puente 13 street gangs. The gang affiliations of those involved in the shooting were not available Saturday.
The female suspect crashed the car into a curb and pole just after the shooting, but no one was seriously injured in the crash, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Gerard Velona said.
The alleged shooter fled on foot but was quickly captured, he addded. A gun was located in a nearby yard.
The attack was the 26th La Puente-area shooting reported this year, and the 6th reported this month.
About a dozen of this year's shootings are believed to be connected to the Bassett Grande street gang, which officials said is trying to exploit perceived weakening of the Puente 13 street gang and expand its territory.

See original posting for more information.

PHOTO: Los Angeles County sheriff's officials investigate the scene of Friday's shooting in the 13800 block of Amar Road.