January 2010 Archives

LA MIRADA -- A man was wounded Sunday in an apparently gang-related shooting in La Mirada, authorities said.
The shooting took place just after 6 p.m. at in the 13800 block of Ratliffe Street, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Art Marrujo said.
The victim, a Latino man in his 40s, suffered several gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital where he was expected to survive, sheriff's officials said.
No description of the shooter was available and the details of the shooting remained unclear late Sunday, Sgt. Robert Renteria said, however the shooting initially appeared to be gang-related.

ONTARIO -- A West Covina man was found shot to death in the parking lot of an Ontario apartment complex Friday morning.
Police officers responded to the 2500 block of East Riverside Drive about 8:10 a.m. after reports of shots fired in the area, said Ontario police Sgt. David McBride.
Vincent Mejia II, 33, of West Covina had several gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police did not release any suspect information for the killing.
Family members in West Covina declined to comment Sunday.

West Covina police kept busy overnight with these two unrelated incidents:

WEST COVINA -- Police arrested a man Saturday who allegedly fled the scene of an injury car crash while drunk.
Miguel Alcaraz, 40, of La Puente was booked on suspicion of drunken driving and felony hit-and-run in connection with the crash, which was witnessed by a police officer, West Covina police said in a written statement.
Alcaraz allegedly ran a red light on Lark Ellen Avenue at Puente Avenue before crashing into a Honda minivan that was westbound on Puente Avenue, police said. He then drove away without stopping.
A West Covina police officer who saw the crash stopped Alcaraz several blocks away and arrested him, officials said.
The driver of the minivan, a man in his 40s, suffered minor injuries in the crash, police said, possibly including a broken hand.
Alcaraz was was being held at the West Covina Police Department jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to sheriff's booking records. He was due for arraingment in West Covina Superior Court Tuesday.

 

WEST COVINA -- Three men and a woman robbed a woman of her cell phone early Sunday, police said.
The crime occurred about 1 a.m. at Ranchero Street and La Sena Avenue, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said in a written statement.
The 23-year-old woman was dropped off in the area by her friends and had just finished calling her father when she was approached by a 2-door compact car, the lieutenant said.
A woman with a knife got out of the passenger side of the car and demanded the woman's cell phone, which she handed over, Sevilla said.
The robber was a Latino woman, estimated to be 18 or 19, about 5 feet 1 inch tall and 140 to 160 pounds, police said. She had thin eyebrows.
The victim also saw three men with the appearance of gang members inside the car, police added.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Covina Police Department.

 

 

PASADENA -- Three men were behind bars Sunday on suspicion of raping a 38-year-old Glendale woman, police said.
Diego Celis, 21, of Pasadena, Fernando Ramirez, 31, of Pasadena and Jorge Farro, 43, of Arcadia were booked Saturday on suspicion of rape, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
The alleged crime took place Friday night, he said.
The woman met the men while drinking at a bar in the 600 block of East Colorado Boulevard, the lieutenant said.
"The next thing she recalls is waking up in a motel room (in the 1500 block of East Colorado Boulevard)," Russ said.
She immediately went to a hospital and reported she had been raped.
One of the suspects was arrested at a motel, while the other two were arrested at their jobs, Russ added.
Celis, Ramirez and Farro were being held at the Pasadena City Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail each, officials said. They were expected to be arrained Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court.

DIAMOND BAR -- Authorities Sunday released the name of a 57-year-old Covina man who died following a freeway car crash in Diamond Bar
Douglas Dailey died at a hospital shortly after Friday's 7 a.m. crash on a transition road between the Orange (57) Freeway and the Pomona (60) Freeway in Diamond Bar, California Highway Patrol Officer Krystal Carter said.
CHP officials said it initially appeared Dailey may have suffered a medical problem before crashing his pickup truck into the rear of another pickup truck and big rig. He died at Pomona Valley Medical Center within an hour of the collision.
It was not clear Sunday whether Dailey died as a result of the crash, or from a medical issue, Carter said.

WEST COVINA -- A gunman escaped with an unknown amount of cash Saturday after holding up a cell phone store, police said.
The robbery occurred about 6:20 p.m. at a cell phone store in the 1300 block of South Azusa Avenue, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said.
Police described the robber as a Latino man in his mid-20s, 5 feet 9 inches to 6 feet tall, of medium build, wearing a gray sweater, baggy blue jeans and a beanie covering his face. He carried a handgun in his pocket.
The robber was last seen running west from the area with an undisclosed amount of stolen cash, Sevilla said.

WEST COVINA -- Police arrested three teenagers Friday who allegedly tried to rob another teen, police said.
A 15-year-old boy was walked up to a group of three other teenagers just after 10 p.m. in the 200 block of South Glendora Avenue, West Covina police said in a written statement.
The alleged victim asked the three other boys for a cigarette and walked away, police said.
"The three male juveniles caught up with the victim and demanded his money and property," the statement said. One of the boys had what the apparent victim believed to be a knife.
The alleged victim ran off without giving the other boys anything, officials said.
Police found the three suspected robbers in the area, and a set of brass knuckles near them, police said. They were 15, 16 and 17 years old, and all from West Covina.
The young suspects were booked at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey on suspicion of attempted robbery.

EL MONTE -- The lead investigator in the slaying of a Southern California school board member in Mexico has been killed in an ambush, authorities said Saturday.
Mexican officials wouldn't say whether investigator Manuel Acosta's killing was related to the killing of Agustin Roberto "Bobby" Salcedo last month.
Acosta, 42, was ambushed near his office Jan. 15 by gunmen in a pickup truck. He was shot several times in the chest and torso, but survived in critical condition. He succumbed to his wounds Tuesday.
Authorities didn't immediately disclose the attack, saying they hoped to better protect Acosta by letting his assailants assume he was dead. Five others were killed in the attack.
His death was first reported in Mexico's Milenio newspaper and confirmed to an American newspaper Saturday by Martin Chavez, spokesman for the city of Gomez Palacio.
It's unclear what impact the death of Acosta will have on the case, in which little progress has been reported.
Rep. Judy Chu, D-El Monte, who expressed outrage after Salcedo's killing on Dec. 31, said she was "shocked and dismayed" to learn of the death of the lead investigator in the case.
"It shows the degree to which the drug cartels are out of control," Chu said. "It's unimaginable too that they would dare murder the investigator in such a high-profile case."
The congresswoman added that the recent development further demonstrates the need to have the investigation handled by federal authorities in Mexico, not just local police.
"This actually furthers my resolve to make this a federal case for law enforcement in Mexico," she said.
Based on a conversation with the U.S. ambassador to Mexico on Wednesday, Chu said she remains hopeful that may occur.
First, she said, "They need to find a legal means to do so."
Federal authorities in the U.S. have already offered assistance in the investigation, Chu said, primarily by examining forensic evidence.
Salcedo's family members could not be reached for comment Saturday.
El Monte <NO1>city <NO>Councilwoman Emily Ishigaki said she was "stunned" to learn of the investigator's death.
El Monte Chief of Police Tom Armstrong said it is always a sad occasion to learn of the death of a law enforcement officer.
"It's a tragedy wherever it happens," he said. "We pray for his family, and we pray that the perpetrators are arrested."
Armstrong said he knew Salcedo through city business.
"He was one of El Monte's current and future leaders," the chief said. "It was obvious not only by his involvement in his chosen profession, education, but being involved in public policy as it related to schools."
"It was a shock to everyone to learn of his passing in such an unnecessary and violent way," he added.
Salcedo, a 33-year-old assistant principal, was killed Dec. 31 while he and his wife were visiting relatives in Gomez Palacio. Salcedo and five other people were abducted from a restaurant and later found shot in the head, their bodies dumped in the outskirts of town.
Salcedo, a Southern California native, is believed to have been the first U.S. elected official killed in the 4-year-old Mexican drug war.
Gomez Palacio is ground zero of the drug war. Authorities suspect a drug cartel was involved in the killings, including Salcedo's.
A few days after his death, about 5,000 people gathered for a vigil in Salcedo's honor in El Monte, where he had been a teacher, coach and school administrator.

TEMPLE CITY -- An elderly Temple City man who was pulled from his burning house by good Samaritans and a sheriff's deputy Friday died at the hospital Friday night, officials said.
Wayne Weber, 86, died at the hospital about six hours after the 2:50 p.m. fire at his home in at 10165 Bogue Street in Temple City, coroner's and sheriff's officials said.
Deputy Reynaldo Lainez and the good Samaritans found Weber lying down in the flaming house with burns covering 80 percent of his body, Lainez said.
The deputy himself was hospitalized for smoke inhalation following the incident.

POMONA -- Authorities say a 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of killing two teenagers and wounding a third in a Pomona park.
Pomona police say witnesses called to report the shooting Friday afternoon at Ted Greene Park.
Responding officers found the two most seriously injured boys still at the park. Both died after they were transported to a hospital.
The third teen was treated for gunshot injuries and is expected to survive.
The suspect was found hiding behind a house near the park.
His name has not been released.

A man was shot and wounded Friday in an apparently gang-related shooting in an unincorporated county area between Monrovia and Duarte, authorities said.
The shooting was reported about 7:45 p.m. in the 2000 block of Broderick Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mark Glatt said.
The victim was initially described only as a black man, Sgt. Lynette O'Brien said. He was shot in the torso and expected to survive.
The attackers were two Latino men and a Latino woman in a gray compact car, she added.
A motive in the shooting remained under investigation, officials said, however sheriff's gang detectives were handling the investigation.
The incident was the third shooting reported in the area in two days.
A black man was shot and wounded shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday at Magnolia Avenue and Genoa Street in Monrovia, Monrovia police officials said.
The shooter in the apparently gang-related attack was only described as a Latino man, who fired at the victim from inside a passing dark-colored, 4-door sedan, police said.
Around the same time, someone fired shots at two houses in the 700 block of East Pamela Street, in an unincorporated county area between Monrovia and Duarte, sheriff's officials said.
Three people were inside the homes, but no one was injured, officials added. The shooter fled in a tan compact car.
In recent years, the Monrovia-Duarte area has been the battlefield in a war between a black and Latino gangs that call the area home.
Violence between the feuding Du Roc Crips street gang and the Monrovia Nuevo Varrio street gang is blamed four four deaths in late 2007 and early 2008.

TEMPLE CITY -- An elderly Temple City man was hospitalized with burns over 80 percent of his body Friday after a sheriff's deputy and a group of good Samaritans pulled him from his burning house, authorities said.
The 87-year-old resident, who suffered first-, second- and third-degree burns, was in critical condition, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.
The deputy was hospitalized for smoke inhalation and released several hours later, officials said. The three good Samaritans were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
Stowers said the actions of the deputy and good Samaritans likely saved the resident's life, Stowers said.
"I think if it hadn't have been for them going in we probably would have been dealing with a lot worse."
The blaze was reported at a single-story about 2:50 p.m. at 10165 Bogue Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mark Glatt said.
Sheriff's deputy Reynaldo Lainez was the first official to arrive at the scene and quickly learned there was an elderly man inside the burning home, the lieutenant said.
"After entering once and being forced out by the heat and smoke, Deputy Lainez entered a second time, located an 87-year-old male and sole occupant lying on the floor," sheriff's officials said in a written statement,
Lainez and a group of three good Samaritans entered the burning house to rescue the man, who was found lying on the floor, he said.
"Apparently, he may have fallen in either an effort to get out of the house, or as he got overcome with smoke," Stowers said.
Lainez and the good Samaritans pulled the injured man from the house, officials said.
Lainez said he was arriving at the scene of the fire when he was flagged down by a woman who told him there was someone inside the home.
Lainez went to the back of the home and entered through an open sliding glass door, he said, where he found the elderly man lying on the floor, and some good Samaritans already inside trying to get the man out.
"There were flames right next to him," Lainez said. "The smoke was really black and thick."
After being forced out of the home briefly by the smoke, the deputy and good Samaritans worked together to pull the 6-foot tall, 200 pound man from the house, Lainez said.
Lainez said he was glad the others were there to assist.
"It would have been very difficult to pull him out (myself)," he said.
Firefighters showed up about a minute after the man was pulled from the home, Lainez added.
The deputy said he was only doing his duty.
The fire appeared to have been contained mainly to the dining room of the home and a patio, Stowers said. The fire appeared to have caused about $75,000 worth of damage.
Stowers said firefighters were unable to find any smoke detectors in the home.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Friday.

This tidbit comes courtesy of the Associated Press:

GLENDALE -- An elusive fowl has dodged cars, coyotes and animal control officers from the Pasadena Humane Society in Glendale for two months, authorities said.
Officials say the bird has been darting into traffic outside Glendale Community College since it was first reported Nov. 20. The chicken has drawn a growing crowd of photographers and journalists as animal control officers struggle to catch it.
A spokeswoman for the Pasadena Humane Society, which handles animal control in Glendale, said the bird either runs onto the street or flies into a tree when officers approach. Hillary Gatlin says a humane trap has not worked because the chicken doesn't weigh enough to trigger it or she isn't interested in the feed used as bait.
Gatlin says the standoff could continue awhile.

PASADENA -- A driver was hospitalized with serious injuries Friday after his car collided with a commuter train in Pasadena, authorities said.
The crash occurred about 1:10 p.m. on the tracks near Arroyo Parkway and Glenarm Street, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, however it initially appeared that the railroad crossing arms and signals functioned properly.
"The car was traversing the intersection as the arms were either coming down or down," Russ said.
According to some witness accounts, Russ said, the car struck the crossing arm just before the crash.
Two of the 100 or so people in the train complained of injuries but declined hospitalization, Metropolitan Transportation Authority David Sotero said.
The majority of people on the northbound train were mentally disabled passengers travelling with a group, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The driver of the Mitsubishi sedan that was struck by the train, a man in his 40s, was hospitalized with serious injuries, Derderian added.
The train pushed the car 50 to 60 feet before the conductor was able to stop it, Russ said.
Looking at the scene of the crash, Russ said the man was fortunate not to have suffered more serious injuries.
"It could have been a lot worse," he said.
Train service between the Mission station in South Pasadena and the Fillmore station, just a few blocks north of the crash, was stopped for two hours as workers removed the overturned car from the railroad tracks and inspected the tracks for damage.
Passengers on the train were placed on a bus, which took them to the next station.
Sotero said the train sustained only minor damage in the crash, Sotero said.

West Covina police officers joined a multi-agency task force Friday to seize $1.75 million worth of marijuana and arrest two men, police said.
Enrique Lopez, 28, of Paramount and Paulino Rivera, 18, of Lynwood were arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sales and transporting marijuana, West Covina police said in a written statement. Rivera was also suspected of possessing a concealed handgun.
West Covina police joined the effort, which took place in Lynwood and Paramount, to provide extra manpower at the request of a multi-agency task force, West Covina police Lt. Dave Rozeboom said.
Six West Covina officers, working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and other agencies that make up the L.A. IMPACT task force, found 3,700 pounds of pot in a car in Lynwood and a Paramount home, West Covina police Lt. David Rozeboom said.
"It is one of the larger amounts that we've seized," he said.
The incident began about 8 p.m. as officials were watching a house at 10845 McNerney Avenue in Lynwood where drug activity was suspected, West Covina police said in a written statement.
Sheriff's deputies spotted Lopez leaving the home and pulled him over for a traffic violation, police said, when they discovered he did not have a valid driver's license and impounded the car.
"During an inventory search," the statement said, "600 pounds of marijuana was located."
"They gained information that led them to the (house)," Rozeboom added.
Police served a search warrant on a house at 6843 San Miguel Ave. in Paramount, police said, where another 3,100 pounds of marijuana was found.
Officials arrested Rivera near the home, who was allegedly was carrying a concealed handgun, Rozeboom said. Two vehicles were seized from the home.
According to sheriff's booking records, Lopez and Rivera were each being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the West Covina Police Department's jail. They were due for arraignment Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.
Friday was not the first time West Covina police have partnered with other agencies to seize large amounts of marijuana.
In June, West Covina police officers were asked to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs officials to seize 3,500 pounds of marijuana that was concealed in a truck in Montebello.
The shipment, which originated in Mexico, was placed into makeshift boxes that were designed to look like stacks of lumber.

*PHOTO couresy of the West Covina Police Department

DIAMOND BAR -- A 57-year-old Covina man died Friday after crashing his car into another car and a big rig, authorities said.
The dead man's name was not available pending notification of his family members, officials said. The death had not been reported to the coroner's office Friday afternoon.
The investigation remains ongoing, however it initially appeared the man may have suffered some sort of medical problem prior to the crash, California Highway Patrol Officer Randy Barge said.
He was driving his 2006 Chevy pickup truck behind a 2006 Toyota pickup truck and a slow-moving big rig just before the crash, CHP officials said in a written statement.
The driver of the Chevy lost control and struck the rear of the Toyota and the big rig, officials said.
The Chevy driver was unconscious when rescuers arrived, according to the CHP statement, and CHP officers and firefighters performed life-saving measures on the man as they took him to Pomona Valley Medical Center.
He died at the hospital at 7:48 a.m.
The damage to the Chevy did not appear consistent with a fatal crash, Barge said, and officials were looking into the possibility the man suffered a medical problem while behind the wheel.
The driver of the Toyota suffered a cut to his forehead but declined hospitalization, officials said, and the big rig driver was unhurt.
The crash is being investigated by the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP.

WEST COVINA -- Two men robbed and beat another man outside a West Covina apartment complex Thursday, authorities said.
The crime was reported about 8 p.m. in the 700 block of North Azusa Avenue, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said.
The victim was walking to his girlfriend's house when he was beaten up by two men who then stole his money, the lieutenant said. The victim declined to be hospitalized.
Both robbers were Latino men with the appearance of gang members, Sevilla said.
One was about 5 feet 10 inches tall, 180 pounds, with a shaved head and unknown tattoos on the side of his face, police said. He wore a white shirt and black and white checkered shorts, and was armed with a screwdriver.
The other robber was described only as about 6 feet tall and 200 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Covina Police Department.

MONROVIA -- A man was shot and wounded Thursday in a possibly gang-related attack in Monrovia, police said.
The shooting occurred about 9:15 p.m. at Magnolia Avenue and Genoa Street, Monrovia police Lt. Nels Ortlund said.
The victim, who was initially described only as a black man, was expected to survive, the lieutenant said.
The initial investigation indicated the shooter, described only as a Latino man, fired at the victim from inside a passing dark-colored, 4-door sedan, Ortlund.
The windows were heavily tinted and only partially rolled down, he added, so it was unclear if there was more than one person in the car.
"What appeared to be some gang-related threats" were shouted prior to the shooting, Ortlund said, though the specific gang-affiliation of the attacker was not available late Thursday.
The shooting occurred in the portion of Monrovia where a judge enacted a gang injunction last month against two feuding gangs, Monrovia Nuevo Varrio and the Du Roc Crips.

GLENDORA -- Detectives continued investigating and making arrests Thursday after a woman was bound, held at knifepoint and robbed in her home earlier this week, authorities said.
The home-invasion robbery occurred about 10:30 p.m. Monday at a home in the 1000 block of West Newhill Street, Glendora police Sgt. Scott Strong said.
Three Los Angeles residents in their 20s were behind bars in connection with the crime Thursday, the sergeant said, though police declined to release their names pending further investigation. Additional suspects remain at large.
A group of people forced their way into the home, where Strong said they bound a 58-year-old woman and held her at knifepoint as they stole a laptop, jewelry and other valuables from the home. Police declined to say Thursday how many robbers were believed to be involved, citing the ongoing investigation.

ARCADIA -- Police are investigating the possibility that three similar -- and sometimes violent -- purse robberies in the span of a week in the same Asian market parking lot are the work of the same robbers.
The crimes took place Tuesday, Jan. 22 and Jan. 20 in the parking lot of the 99 Ranch Market, 1300 South Golden West Avenue, Arcadia police Detective Steve Turner said.
In the most recent robbery, a woman was dragged by her purse about 30 feet as the robbers fled in a car, police said. In the first robbery in the series, a woman was pushed to the ground and kicked in the face.
"It looks like it could very well be the same (robbers)," Turner said.
In addition to the similar nature of the crimes and the fact that they occurred in the same place in a short period of time, Turner said, the getaway car in all three robberies was described as maroon or burgundy.
A store manager at the 99 Ranch Market deferred comment to the management company that owns the business. Officials at the management company declined to comment for this story.
In the most recent case, a woman in her 60s was loading groceries into the trunk of her car about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday when at least two robbers pulled up behind her in a burgundy car she thought may have been a 1980s or 1990s Buick Century, police said in a written statement.
The passenger in the car leaned out and grabbed her purse, police said.
"The suspects dragged the victim about 30 feet as they drove off before she was able to break free from the purse," the police statement said.
The woman suffered minor scrapes and was not hospitalized, Turner said. She was unable to provide a description of the people in the car.
A woman in her 50s was robbed in a similar manner in the same parking lot about 6:20 p.m. on Jan. 22.
She was walking through the parking lot when a burgundy, 4-door sedan pulled alongside her, police said. A male passenger in the car leaned out and grabbed her purse before the car fled.
The victim described the passenger as a Latino man in his 30s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, 165 pounds and wearing a black jacket, authorities said. She was unable to describe the driver.
Two days earlier, two men pushed a woman to the ground, kicked her in the face and stole her purse as she was bringing groceries to her car, police said. She suffered minor injuries in the assault.
She described one of the robbers as an Asian man in his 40s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall and clean-shaven, police said. He had short, dark hair and wore purple and black jacket with black pants.
The second robber in the Jan. 20 robbery was described only as male, police said.
The victim described the robbers' getaway car as an older, maroon, 4-door car, possibly a Nissan Sentra.
Turner advised shoppers to be aware of their surroundings, while inside and outside of the car, and to call the police if they see something suspicious.
"If you see somebody that doesn't look right, walk the other way," he said.
Anyone with information can reach Arcadia police detectives at (626) 574-5160.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca authored this editorial Wednesday regarding the California budget:

How the STATE OF CALIFORNIA budget affects Los Angeles County public safety

by Sheriff Lee Baca

Our economic problems and California's budget crisis has impacted every level of government: state, county, and city. Painful cuts have been and will continue to be made in all areas. Inevitably up and down the state, counties and local governments are looking at another year of reduced budgets and additional cuts. I write this to share with you what impacts these cuts will have on public safety and on our communities.

Legislators wrote and passed Senate Bill 18 (SBX3 18) which took effect Monday. This measure was written as a way for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to decrease its budget by cutting the amount of time sentenced inmates serve in prison by increasing sentencing credits for jail and prison inmates. It also removes certain prisoners who would normally be released on a "supervised parole", meaning the parolee would have a parole agent and a detailed program of re-entry and places them on unsupervised parole better known as "summary parole."

While a firm number of parolees in Los Angeles County eligible for the unsupervised parole is not yet known, CDCR is reviewing over 7,000 Los Angeles County parolees. When the release occurs, the offender will be unsupervised, released without a plan or program for proper and safe re-entry into our communities and with no accountability. Fortunately, for the residents of Los Angeles County, we are working together with the Board of Supervisors, various county public health and human services departments, and other local law enforcement agencies in attempting to reach out to these parolees and letting them know of the services that are out there to help them and give them the support they need. This is by no means an adequate replacement for supervised parole but it's better than providing no help at all.

Unfortunately, in the state's 2010-11 budget and a Federal Court Panel's mandate, there are plans for even more serious cuts to the CDCR budget that will have an immediate negative impact on the public safety of our communities. Under the budget proposal, at least 11 current crimes in which a person could be convicted of a felony and sent to state prison, including such crimes, as grand theft, receiving stolen property, possession of methamphetamine, and auto theft, would be changed to an "administrative felony" in which the person would still be convicted of a felony, but he or she would be sentenced to 366 days and placed in the county jail. Thus, the proposal shifts the responsibility of these inmates from the state onto the local county jail system.

While this will certainly create a savings for the state, it is irresponsible to shift the costs to counties.

Additionally, this will have a serious negative impact on public safety. The Los Angeles County Jail system is already a severely overcrowded system that has population controls placed on it by a federal court. If the Governor's proposal were in fact to become law, as of today, this would mean the Los Angeles County Jail would have to house approximately 1,900 additional inmates that would currently be sentenced to state prison. Since we are already at capacity, this would force me to comply with the federal court order and reduce the amount of time one spends in jail to a fraction of what they were sentenced to. Again, the state's proposal clearly shifts the state problem onto counties and local communities.

Over the last decade, I and other local law enforcement leaders have worked closely with the Governor and legislature to deal with various public safety issues and I fully expect to continue that stance this year. However, I am increasingly concerned about proposals related to parole, county jails and increased local responsibility at a time when we are struggling to fund and manage our current responsibilities and inmate populations. We urge careful scrutiny of these proposals and that the Governor and legislature weigh fiscal benefit against public safety impact before making further changes this year.

WEST COVINA -- A gunman robbed a West Covina beauty shop Wednesday, police said.
The crime occurred just before 1:10 p.m. at Sally's Beauty Supply in the 2500 block of East Workman Avenue, West Covina police officials said.
The robber was described as a black man, about 6 feet 2 inches tall and about 180 pounds, West Covina police Lt. Tommy Garcia said in a written statement.
He entered the store and asked an employee for a specific product, Garcia said.
Once the register was opened, "he brandished a small-caliber, semi-automatic pistol and demanded the money in the cash register," the lieutenant said.
The robber was last seen fleeing the area in a white SUV, police added.
Garcia said investigators were looking into the possibility the same robber may be responsible for other recent crimes in the area.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- A man used a handgun to rob a fast-food restaurant late Tuesday, authorities said.
The robbery was reported just before 10 p.m. at Del Taco, 2395 S. Hacienda Blvd., Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said in a written statement.
The robber, described as a black man between 25 and 30 years old, brandished a handgun and demanded money from an employee, Katz said.
He was last seen fleeing south on Hacienda Boulevard on foot, the lieutenant added.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Industry Station. Tips may remain anonymous.

From the Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman says the department has begun an internal affairs investigation into why a deputy acting as a bailiff detained and handcuffed a Superior Court spokeswoman inside a downtown Los Angeles courtroom.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore says deputy public information officer Vania Stuelp was handcuffed Tuesday after she refused to leave the area usually occupied by attorneys and would not follow the deputy's directions. He says Stuelp was not arrested.

Whitmore says Stuelp walked into the well area to inform a French television crew they could not film in a certain area of the court.

Court was not in session at the time.

Whitmore says a sheriff's sergeant arrived recognized her as the court spokesperson and directed that she be released.

EL MONTE -- Two men were shot and wounded Sunday in El Monte, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 6:45 p.m. at Cogswell Road and Elliot Avenue, El Monte police Lt. Ken Alva said.
One of the victims, a known gang member, was shot in the upper back and was believed to be the intended target of the attack, Alva said. The other man appeared to be a bystander with no gang ties and was struck in the leg by a stray bullet.
Both wounded men appeared to be in their 30s and were hospitalized in stable condition, he added.
The victims said no words were spoken prior to the unprovoked attack.
The men told police they did not see their attacker, but witnesses said a white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck fled the area after the shots were fired.
The investigation is being turned over to gang detectives, Alva said, though a motive in the shooting was not known Sunday.

INDUSTRY -- Sheriff's deputies arrested two teenage gang members on suspicion of stealing a car late Friday, authorities said.
The boys, ages 16 and 17, were booked on suspicion of auto theft, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said in a written statement. Their names were not released due to their age.
Deputies spotted a stolen car in the area of Nelson and Orange avenues about 10 p.m., the lieutenant said.
The deputies followed the car to the parking lot of a nearby liquor store, he said, where the teen suspects fled on foot.
They were found in the area a short time later, Katz said, and taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.
Officials added that the car had been reported stolen from Monrovia on Wednesday.

LA VERNE -- An allegedly intoxicated driver crashed his car into a tree while fleeing the scene of another minor crash early Saturday, killing his two passengers, authorities said.
Alan McConnell, 27, of Covina was booked on suspicion of murder, vehicular manslaughter, felony driving under the influence and hit-and-run, La Verne police Lt. Nick Paz said. He was unhurt in the crash.
Renee Hardy, 20, of Alta Loma and Telassie Dague, 22, of Alta Loma died in the crash, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jim Blacklock said.
They were passengers in the 2000 Pontiac Grand Am McConnell was driving, officials said.
McConnell was allegedly involved in a minor collision with another car shortly before 12:45 a.m. on Foothill Boulevard at Damien Avenue just prior to the fatal crash less than half a mile to the east at Foothill Boulevard and Wheeler Avenue, police said.
"He hit the curb when he was fleeing eastbound (on Foothill Boulevard), lost control, hit a center divider and a tree on the center divider, and came to rest on the north curb," Paz said.
The woman in the rear passenger seat died at the scene, Paz said, while the woman in the front passenger seat was rushed to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Initial tests indicated McConnell's blood-alcohol level appeared to be over the legal limit, and he failed a field sobriety test, officials said. Police were also looking into the possibility he was under the influence of drugs.
Official records indicate McConnell has had numerous run-ins with the law prior to Saturday's crash.
McConnell was charged with drunken driving and driving with a suspended license in December of last year in Pomona Superior Court, court records show. Information on the status of that case was not available Saturday.
He was also arrested on Tuesday and before that on Jan. 12 by deputies from the sheriff's San Dimas station, according to sheriff's booking records.
He was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of driving with a suspended license, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Alex Vargas said. It was not clear Saturday what the Jan. 12 arrest was for.
In September of 2008, he was convicted of driving with a suspended license in Pomona Superior Court, records show, and he was convicted of marijuana possession in December of 2001.
According to sheriff's booking records, McConnell was being held in lieu of more than $2.1 million. Information on his initial court appearance was not available.

EAST VALINDA -- A  man with suspected gang ties was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats and parole violations following a search Friday, authorities said.
Alejandro Melendrez, 27, underwent surgery and remained hospitalized Saturday after being bit by a police dog during his arrest, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Dwight Miley said. His city of residency was not available, but he was believed to have tied to an East Valinda street gang.
The incident began about 1:20 p.m. when deputies spotted Melendrez, a parolee who was wanted by sheriff's gang detectives on suspicion of making terrorist threats, inside a car in the 200 block of Sandalwood Street in East Valinda, Lt. Steven Katz said.
When deputies approached, Melendrez allegedly fled and hid in a nearby garage, Katz said.
When Melendrez refused to surrender, the lieutenant said, sheriff's went in with a police dog and arrested him.
He suffered a "significant" dog bite during the arrest, Miley added.
Melendrez was being held without bail, officials said. Information on his initial court date was not available.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- A man attacked a woman and robbed her of her purse Friday in South El Monte, authorities said.
The robbery was reported about 7:30 p.m. near Peck Road and Durfee Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Roberta Granek.
A robber, described as a Latino man in his 20s, struck the woman in the head with an unknown object and fled with her purse, the sergeant said.
The woman refused hospitalization, Granek added.

ARCADIA -- Two men kicked a woman in the face and robbed her in broad daylight Wednesday in the parking lot of a grocery store, police said.
The crime occurred about 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the 99 Ranch Market, 1300 South Golden West Avenue, Arcadia police said in a written statement.
The woman was walking through the parking lot bringing groceries to her car when she was grabbed from behind, police said.
"A male suspect kicked her in the face and grabbed her purse, running off with a second suspect," according to the police statement.
It was not clear Friday evening if the woman was hospitalized due to the attack.
The first robber was described as an Asian man in his 40s, about 5 feet 6 inches tall, clean-shaven, with short black hair, police said. He wore a purple and red jacket and black pants.
The second robber was described only as male.
Another unsuccessful robbery was reported in the same area late last month.
In that case, a 57-year-old man was pistol-whipped by a robber -- described as a white man wearing a dark-colored parka -- about 2 p.m. on Dec. 30 in an alley to the rear of the 1300 block of South Golden West Avenue, police said.
The man fought with the robber, officials said, who ultimately fled empty-handed. The victim did not wish to be hospitalized.
It was not clear Friday if Wednesday's robbery was believed to be connected to the one last month. 
Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police detectives at (626) 574-5160.

MONTEBELLO -- Authorities are asking the public's help in finding an autistic Montebello man who went missing more than a week ago.
David Allen Kelty, 44, was last seen by his caretaker on Jan. 13, Montebello police said in a written statement.
He suffers from autism, though he is able to care for himself, police said. He also requires daily medication for a blood-clotting condition.
"He frequents the Montebello Bus Lines and is known to travel throughout Southern California," according to the police statement.
Foul play is not suspected, police added.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Montebello Police Department.

PHOTO of David Kelty courtesy of the Montebello Police Department.

From Sandi Gibbons in the District Attorney's Office:

LOS ANGELES - An attorney investigated as part of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) probe of hardcore child pornography on the Internet pleaded no contest today to one felony count each of possessing child pornography and an assault rifle.

Deputy District Attorney Susan Schwartz of the Justice System Integrity Division said Walter Loustari, who remains free on bail, entered the plea before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William Ryan. Sentencing was scheduled for March 3.

Schwartz said the 58-year-old defendant entered an "open" plea, meaning it was not part of a negotiated settlement. His sentence could range anywhere from probation to three years and eight months in state prison.

Loustari, who had a law office in La Canada and lived in Glendale, was charged in October 2009 following an investigation by ICE and the Glendale Police Department.

Authorities said the investigation began in October 2006 as part of ICE's Operation Predator, in which the agency works closely with local agencies to investigate child pornography throughout the United States.

Two Latino gang members accused of shooting a black man and trying to run him over with a car in an alleged hate crime in Duarte last month appeared in court Friday, authorities said.

Ali Vasquez, 22, Mario Luevano, 18, and a 17-year-old boy whose name was not released due to his age are suspected of shouting racial slurs as they carried out the crime, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Carlos Lopez said in a written statement. All three are members of the Duarte Eastside street gang.

The adult suspects appeared in Los Angeles County Superior Court Friday to be arraigned on three counts of attempted murder Friday, court officials said, however the hearing was delayed until Feb. 19 and the suspects did not enter pleas.

The alleged attack took place about 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 31 at Highland and Central avenues, officials said.

"Suspects Vasquez, Luevano and a male juvenile shot a male black adult twice in the upper torso with a shotgun and handgun," according to the sheriff's statement. "The suspects then attempted to run the victim over with their vehicle, which was was later determined the suspects had stolen."

The wounded man is an Altadena resident in his late 40s who was visiting a friend in Duarte when he was shot, officials said. The suspects passed by him in an allegedly stolen car before getting out to confront him.

Deputies arrested Luevano Jan. 5 on an unrelated charge of possession of a controlled substance while armed with a loaded firearm, officials said.

The alleged victim cooperated with authorities duing the lenghty investigation, officials said.

Vasquez and the juvenile were arrested on Jan. 8 and 20, respectively, while deputies carried out search warrants at their homes.

Vasquez and the juvenile are Duarte residents, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mark Glatt said. Luevano's city of residency was not available Friday.

According to sheriff's booking records, Vasquez was being held without bail, while Luevano was being held in lieu of $2.18 million bail.

The shooting took place only weeks after a judge enacted a gang injunction in Monrovia against two waring gangs, the Du Roc Crips and Monrovia Nuevo Varrio.

Monrovia officials complained that Duarte did not join in the injunction, which may have allowed it to include Duarte Eastside.

Duarte officials have said they fear Monrovia's injunction against the Du Roc Crips and MNV could strengthen Duarte Eastside.

EL MONTE -- The fatal shooting of an El Monte man by his blind brother last week was not a murder, but rather a tragic accident, a homicide detective said Friday.
Erik Diaz, 19, was fatally shot about 1 a.m. on Jan. 16 in the apartment where he lived with his brother in the 4100 block of Rowland Avenue, sheriff's and police officials said.
His brother, Alex Diaz, 24, who is completely blind, was initially arrested following the shooting but was released Thursday, Detective Q. Rodriguez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
"We don't believe it was an intentional shooting," said the detective, who described the incident as a "very unfortunate accident."
The brothers had a good relationship, and there was no argument prior to the shooting, he said.
Alex Diaz was devastated when detectives told him his brother had died, Rodriguez said. "He took it extremely hard."
The gun belonged to Alex Diaz, Rodriguez said, who told investigators he had it for protection from local gang members. He was not believed to be involved in gangs himself.
Officials were still investigating where got the gun.
The shooting took placed as the brothers were in the living room of their apartment, Rodriguez said.
"The gun was pulled out," he said. The men were examining it when, "somehow it went off."
Alex Diaz was holding the weapon when it fired, the detective added. The handgun was found at the scene.
Erik Diaz was taken to a local hospital, where he died about about 19 hours after the shooting, El Monte police Lt, Michelle States said shortly after the incident.
An official cause of death had not been determined for Erik Diaz Friday, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said.
Though Alex Diaz is not expected to be charged with murder, Rodriguez said, the District Attorney's Office may later decide to file other charges related to the incident against him.

At a press conference held at Fire Camp 2 in La Canada Flintridge Thursday at 5:30 p.m., officials expressed relief that the foothill communities such as La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Altadena and Sierra Madre had not suffered any major damage as of yet due to rain.

Nonetheless, officials cautioned that the danger posed by the fire-denuded and now soaked hillsides north of foothill comunities has not passed.

Patchy thunderstorms were expected to continue overnight over hillsides that are already saturated with water.

Even after the storm subsides and the sun comes up, mudslides and debris flows will be on "ongoing concern," Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Director Gail Farber said. She declined to estimate how long the threat of mudslides would loom over the recent burn areas of the Station Fire.

Though mandatory evacuations were lifted Thursday throughout Sierra Madre, all other evacuations, including those in La Canada Flintridge and La Crescenta, remained in effect.

Those asked to evacuate there homes will have to wait at least one more night to find out when it's safe to return, Farber added.

"We want to bring people home just as quickly as possible," she said. "However, we are not prepared to make a decision this evening."

County Supervisor Michael Antonovich said he hoped officials would be able to give residence information Friday morning on when they may be able to return home.

MONTEBELLO - A young man was shot and dropped off at a local hospital Wednesday, police said.
The man was shot at about 7:38 p.m. in the 100 block of W. Madison Avenue and then dropped off at Beverly Hospital by an unknown person, Montebello police Sgt. Ismael Navarro said.
The man, who was in his late teens, was expected to survive, the sergeant said.
Further details of the shooting were not immediately available, and detectives continued interviewing witnesses Thursday, Ismael said.
A motive in the attack remained under investigation, he said, though it initially appeared related to gangs or tagging.

From the Gov's press office:

This from the DA's Office:

LOS ANGELES - The man who served as Vernon's mayor for more than a half-century and his wife were sentenced today to probation and ordered to pay more than $600,000 in fines and penalties following their conviction last month for voter fraud and other charges.

Leonis Malburg, 80, was barred from holding any elective office and placed on five years probation and by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Johnson. The judge found the couple guilty Dec. 4 following a court trial. Malburg's 83-year-old wife, Dominica, was placed on three years probation, said Deputy District Attorneys Max Huntsman and Jonlyn Callahan, who prosecuted the case.

Malburg was ordered to pay a total of $183,800 in fines and penalty assessments and more than $395,000 in restitution to the City of Vernon for salary, benefits and travel for the time he was elected in April 11, 2006. His wife was ordered to pay $36,000 in fines and penalties.

"We're pleased with the sentence," Huntsman said. "We hope politicians get the message" that they must live in the district where they've been elected to represent and where they are registered to vote.

This from Borderfire:

San Diego - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at ports of entry along the California/ Mexico border seized almost 2,900 pounds of narcotics valued at $2.2 million, captured 13 fugitives, and stopped the illegal entry of 417 persons over the busy holiday weekend.

From 6 a.m. on Friday through 6 a.m. on Tuesday, CBP officers at the six land ports of entry intercepted 16 smuggling attempts involving marijuana and methamphetamine. The drugs were hidden in various areas of the vehicles such as in the gas tank, in the bumpers and the spare tire.

The largest seizure occurred at the San Ysidro border station on Sunday at about 1:30 p.m. after a detector dog alerted to a the back wall of a motor-home pulled by a Ford F-350 pickup as it and the two female occupants waited in line to be inspected. The women and conveyance were escorted into the secondary area for a more intensive examination.

Officers subsequently discovered 78 wrapped packages of marijuana in the rear wall of the motor home weighing 1,764 pounds, valued at more than $1 million.

Both the driver, a 34-year-old U.S. citizen from Big Bear, Calif., and her passenger, a 46-year-old U.S. citizen from West Covina, Calif., were turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center. CBP seized the narcotics and conveyance.

Authorities captured a serial bank robbery suspect known as the "Bomb and Gun Bandit" in Pasadena Tuesday after he allegedly robbed an Alhambra bank.
Eric Parris, 45, will likely face federal charges in connection with a string of bank robberies, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
He is suspected in at least seven robberies in Alhambra, Pasadena, Burbank and Los Angeles, according to Alhambra police and FBI officials. He earned his nickname by allegedly carrying a briefcase during the robberies and claiming to have a bomb and gun inside.
Alhambra police responded to a report of a bank robbery about 1:15 p.m. at Citibank, 1 West Bay State Street, Sgt. Brandon Black said in a written statement.
Clutching his trademark briefcase, "(The robber) placed a demand note on the counter, which indicated that the suspect was robbing the bank and that he had a gun and bomb in the briefcase," Black said. He then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash.
Earlier Tuesday, San Marino police received a report of a suspicious person possibly casing a San Marino bank, the sergeant said. In that case, a bank employee was able to give police a license plate number.
San Marino police officers found and stopped the suspicious vehicle from their city at Fair Oaks and Del Mar avenues in Pasadena about 30 after the Alhambra robbery, Black said.
The driver was identified as a suspect in the Alhambra robbery and arrested, Black said. Officials then determined he was also wanted in connection with the other crimes.
Officials from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad checked out the suspect's briefcase and determined it contained neither a bomb nor a gun, Alhambra police Lt. Cliff Mar said.
According to an FBI bulletin, other crimes the "Bomb and Gun Bandit" is suspected in include robberies at a Pasadena Chase bank branch, 860 E. Colorado Blvd., on Jan. 12 of this year and May 15 of 2009, as well as two bank robberies in Burbank and two in Los Angeles last year.
According to sheriff's booking records, Parris was being held in federal custody and was scheduled to appear in Alhambra Superior Court on Thursday.

ABOVE: Surveillance photo of the "Bomb and Gun Bandit" comes courtesy of the FBI.

MONTBELLO -- Police released a composite sketch Wednesday of a woman involved in the kidnapping for ransom of a motel worker in Montebello last month.
The woman was one of four kidnappers who abducted a female motel employee on Dec. 30 from the Quality Inn, 7709 Telegraph Road, Montebello police Sgt. Luis Lopez said in a written statement.
A woman pretended to be interested in renting a room at the motel and convinced the victim to accompany her to the parking lot, police said.
"The victim was pushed into the suspect vehicle," Lopez said. "Once in the vehicle, the victim was bound and blindfolded."
The kidnappers then demanded a ransom, police said.
The victim called fellow employees, explained she had been kidnapped and asked them to retrieve her personal checkbook and cash a large personal check for her. The employees called police.
The worker was dropped off several hours in the city of Inglewood with minor minor injuries to her face, Lopez said. The kidnappers fled with only some cell phones that belonged to the woman.
The woman who lured the victim and is featured in the composite sketch was described as a Latino woman in her early 30s, about 5 feet tall, 130-135 pounds, with short brown curly hair and dark eyes, officials said. She wore a purple or violet winter jacket.
Another woman, described as Latino and in her 30s with long, dark hair and a skinny face, police said. She wore a knitted hat.
Another woman and a driver were also inside the van, Lopez said, though no further description of them was available.
The suspects' van was described as a metallic-green minivan.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to call Montebello police Detective J. Martinez at (323) 887-1250. After hours, Montebello police can be reached at (323) 887-1313.

Here's the story as told by Fox 11 back in 2008:

Here's the note from Tracy Ponce to friends and family:

Hi all,

Just wanted to share with you that I received an official subpoena from the District Attorney's office to report as a witness in my daughter's case on Feb. 11. So now it does look like, FINALLY, that the trial will soon begin. It will be two-years since we found my daughter Eileen on Feb. 15, 2008. Unfortunately, I'll be going to the same courthouse where I found my daughter's body, but either way, I'm thankful that the killer has been in custody and that we will be going to trial. I'm also going to court on Feb. 9 for the Readiness date (too see if both sides are actually ready to proceed) which now, I believe they both are since we received these subpoenas, and then on Feb. 11 is when they begin to select the jury, then afterwards the trial will start. I hear the trial may take up to 10-days.

Anyways, for those of you who have went to trial in your loved one case or who are still waiting, I wanted to share with you that after receiving the subpoena, it did something to me emotionally and I wasn't expecting to feel that way and just wanted to know from those who have went to trial already, is this normal, or is this our kind of normal???

See, like many of us Parents Of Murdered Children, I have prayed to get to trial so that part could be put behind us, but when the day actually comes, it seems sort of surreal and for some reason it put a fear in me, why? I don't know, because I pray everyday for Justice and I truly believe we will receive it, but I hate having that bit of doubt and confusion in my heart because it totally scared the hell out of me!!

Anyways, I presume the opening remarks will begin on that following Monday, Feb. 15 and if you have time available to support us in the courtroom, it will be greatly appreciated. The courthouse is located at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA. I'll let you know the exact room number as soon as I know it. And if you can't come, I understand, but if you believe in the power of prayer, I'm asking that you please pray for our family, the witnesses, the incoming jury and our DA during this time so that everything proceeds in an efficient manner and the killer is found GUILTY!!

Thank you!!

Tracy Ponce & Family

Satellite animation

This Afternoon: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 4pm, then scattered showers and thunderstorms after 4pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Temperature falling to around 55 by 5pm. South southeast wind around 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tonight: Scattered rain and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46. Calm wind becoming east northeast around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Wednesday: A chance of showers, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 10am. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 54. Breezy, with a southeast wind between 18 and 24 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Wednesday Night: Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 48. South wind between 10 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Thursday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. High near 52. South wind between 11 and 17 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

The portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on a podium outside West Covina City Hall on Monday should have told the story: This is a city that respects due process, equal protection and civil rights.

And yet, there are people out there who might have a different story to tell - at least when it came to dealing with the West Covina Police Department and a cop who was assigned to investigate rape cases.

Sometime last year the cop, identified as Tyler Kennedy, investigated a spousal rape case involving a woman with whom he had an intimate relationship. She told Kennedy her soon-to-be ex-husband had raped her.

Kennedy took that information and arrested the ex-husband. He had the man locked up and then appeared before a judge asking that the man be held without bail.

Fortunately Superior Court Judge Lesley Green didn't fully support Kennedy. But, the judge did increase the man's bail to $100,000, according to court documents.

All based on the testimony of Kennedy - who was having an affair with the accused's wife.

Sound fishy?

Eventually the husband was charged with three misdemeanors, but the case was thrown out in November when prosecutors learned of Kennedy's relationship with the alleged victim.

That should be enough evidence of something foul right?

It wasn't enough for many of those recalling Dr. King's legacy outside City Hall Monday.

Prosecutors in the West Covina courthouse didn't inform their superiors that there might be a bad cop on the streets - and his actions may have jeopardized other sex crimes investigations.

Is it likely he did this before?

Probably not, but each and every case where Kennedy was the lead detective should be re-examined by the Justice System Integrity Division of the District Attorney's Office - not low-level prosecutors looking to clear cases.

What if there is some innocent locked up in a hell hole of a state prison on a rape beef simply because he crossed Kennedy?

What if some slime bag gets set free because of Kennedy's alleged lies?

After all it was Kennedy's testimony about kiddie porn in the possession of convicted child molester Kenneth Conklin that resulted in that predator being sent to state prison for 75 years.

Citing the Police Officers' Bill of Rights, city officials claim they can't say much about Kennedy's situation.

Maybe that's the case. But, it sure seems as if someone wanted to sweep this one under the rug. Look at the facts.

Rather than take a bad cop off the streets, the West Covina Police Department simply demoted Kennedy and gave him some time off work. He was back in a patrol car within a month.

Based on advice from attorneys, members of the West Covina City Council didn't bother to check out the man's claims that his constitutional guarantees of equal protection, due process and basic civil rights were violated.

They simply denied a claim from his attorney.

Right now the handling of the case makes justice in West Covina and Los Angeles County appear decidedly more Third World than the righteous democracy Dr. King struggled to achieve in the United States.

But, as Dr. King once said, "The dawn will come. Disappointment, despair and sorrow are born at midnight, but morning follows."

COVINA -- Someone called in a bomb threat to a Walmart store Sunday, but officials found no evidence of an explosive.
The incident began about 6:20 p.m. at Walmart, 1275 N. Azusa Ave., Covina police Lt. Dave Povero said.
Someone called the store and and said there was a bomb at the business that would detonate in 25 minutes, the lieutenant said.
The store voluntarily evacuated customers and employees as police searched the store for about an hour, he said.
Povero said officials determined there was no suspicious device at the store, which reopened for business once police left.

BASSETT -- Deputies jailed a La Puente parolee early Sunday on suspicion of breaking into a car in Bassett, authorities said.
Freddie Rivera, 27, was booked on suspicion of vehicle burglary, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Carlos Herrera said.
A man called police about 3 a.m. and reported seeing someone break into his car at 7th Street and Valley Boulevard, the sergeant said.
Deputies found Rivera behind a nearby business about 10 minutes later, Herrera said.
According to court records, Rivera was being held without bail and is due for arraignment Thursday in El Monte Superior Court.

Here's another story with local ties from our friends at the San Bernardino Sun:

CALIMESA -- Authorities arrested a San Gabriel man Friday morning during a traffic stop in Calimesa on suspicion of selling methamphetamine, authorities said.
A Riverside County sheriff's deputy stopped a car being driven by Louie Rosales, 42, on suspicion of a traffic violation at 1:15 a.m. near Calimesa Boulevard and Sandalwood Avenue, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.
The deputy saw Rosales, of San Gabriel, attempting to hide something in the floorboard of his vehicle, sheriff's officials said. The deputy also saw a plastic bag protruding from one of Rosales' shoes.
Officials found 7.2 grams of suspected methamphetamine in Rosales' possession. He also had several small bags, packaged equally, that were consistent with illicit drug sales, said sheriff's officials.
Rosales was booked into Larry Smith Correction Center on suspicion of possession and transportation of methamphetamine for sales.

This information comes courtesy of our colleagues at the San Bernardino Sun:

A Hacienda Heights man died Friday night in a crash on Highway 395 in a rural area near Helendale.
Justin Chang, 23, was driving a 2007 Toyota Scion southbound on Highway 395 when he lost control at 8:15 p.m. at about mile marker 61, near Helendale, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner's Department.
Chang swerved off the highway and then into the northbound lane of Highway 395, where his car was broadsided by a 2005 Honda van, coroner's officials said.
Chang was removed from the vehicle, and a paramedic from the San Bernardino County Fire Department pronounced him dead at the scene at 9:04 p.m. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

EL MONTE -- A man allegedly shot and killed his younger brother in El Monte, authorities said Sunday.
Erik Diaz, 19, of El Monte was shot about 1 a.m. Saturday in the 4100 block of Rowland Avenue, El Monte police Lt. Michelle States said. He died at a hospital about 8 p.m.
His brother, 24-year-old Alex Diaz, was arrested within an hour of the alleged attack, according to police and sheriff's booking records.
Alex Diaz was initially booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon before his brother died at a local hospital, States said, but the charge was expected to be upgraded to murder.
Family members of the brothers gathered Sunday at the apartment where the shooting took place declined to comment.
Alex Diaz has no criminal record in Los Angeles County, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.
Detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau are helping El Monte police with the investigation, and police deferred all further inquiries to sheriff's homicide detectives.
Sheriff's officials released no further information about the shooting, and the detectives handling the investigation could not be reached for comment Sunday.
"The incident is still under investigation," Deputy Jeff Gordon of the Sheriff's Headquarter's Bureau said.
Saturday's shooting was El Monte's first reported homicide of 2010. The city saw four homicides in 2009, and 12 in 2009.

BALDWIN PARK -- A man who claimed to have a gun robbed a cellular phone store Saturday, police said.
The crime occurred about 7:15 p.m. at a business at Francisquito and Vineland avenues, Baldwin Park police Sgt. Ray Findley said.
The robber entered the store and demanded cash before fleeing on foot with an unknown amount of money, the sergeant said.
Though he threatened to have a gun, no weapons was seen during the robbery, Findley said.
No description of the robber was available Saturday evening.

MONTEBELLO -- A would-be robber fled empty-handed Saturday after trying to rob a man of a laptop computer, police said.
The crime occurred about 4 p.m. in the 3500 block of West Via Corona Street, Montebello police Lt. Brad Keller said.
The victim, a man in his 20s, was sitting on the sidewalk working on his laptop computer when another man approached on a bicycle, the lieutenant said.
The failed robber got off of the bike and tried to forcefully take the laptop, he said, but the victim held on during a brief struggle and the crook ultimately gave up and fled on his bicycle.
Police described the robber as a Latino man, about 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 150 pounds, with a shaved head. He wore a blue sweat shirt.
Keller added that the victim was not hurt during the confrontation.

Here's the full story, as well as a photo gallery.

ALTADENA - Colleagues - both human and canine - gathered to bid Pasadena police dog "Art" farewell as he retired from the Police Department.

Art racked up 593 narcotics finds and discovered $4,653,000 in cash during his career, Pasadena police Interim Police Chief Christopher Vicino said.

But after spending nine years serving Pasadena, an injury suffered in training 7 years ago forced Art to retire, said his handler, Pasadena police Officer Tom Brown.

"His heart's there, but his legs aren't," Brown said of his canine partner, a 10-year-old Czech shepherd.

Vicino credited both the dog and handler with the success in the field.

"This dog, just like everyone who puts on a uniform, put himself at risk," the chief said. "As much as this is Art's retirement, it's our `thank you' to (Brown)."

City officials and police officers from Pasadena and other communities attended the event Thursday evening at the Pasadena Police Department's heliport in Altadena.

"It's been a long road, a fun road," Brown said of his 9 years with his partner and "loyal friend." "It's been very rewarding working with (Art) over the years." ...continued

 

According to a story in the LA Times, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has settled a lawsuit with a sergeant to the tune of $1 million. The sergeant claimed the department retaliated against him after he criticized Sheriff Lee Baca while running against him in the sheriff's race of 2002.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- Deputies arrested two young men early Saturday after they allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint, officials said.
Javier Ramos, 19, of Whittier and a 17-year-old boy who was not identified due to his age were booked on suspicion of armed robbery, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
Authorities received a call reporting an armed robbery about 2:30 a.m. in the 3100 block of Cabo Blanco Drive in Hacienda Heights, Lt. Steve Katz said.
A 19-year-old man was robbed of his wallet by two young men who fled in a red SUV, officials said.
Deputies spotted a similar vehicle about 20 minutes later near Hacienda Boulevard and Colima Road and arrested the two suspects, Katz said.
It appeared the suspects ditched the gun prior to their arrest, Lt. Arthur Scott said.
The younger suspect was taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, and Ramos was being held at the sheriff's Industry Station in lieu of $100,000 bail, Katz said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Ramos is due for arraignment Thursday in West Covina Superior Court.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- A fire destroyed a South El Monte home Friday, but injured no one, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported at 6:17 p.m. at 3042 Potrero Avenue, just north of Garvey Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Ruben Torrez said.
The small house's only resident arrived home and opened the front door, "and to his amazement, the whole inside was on fire," the captain said.
The first fire engine arrived five minutes later and found the house involved in heavy smoke and fire, Dispatch Supervisor Bernard Peters said. The residents had already gotten themselves out of the home.
Firefighters extinguished the flames about 15 minutes after the fire was reported, Peters said.
The home was under construction and there were very few items inside, Torrez said. The value of the damage was estimated at $60,000.
The cause of the fire was under investigation, Torrez said, however it started in a bedroom and initially appeared to be electrical in nature.
The captain added that the displaced man told authorities he would stay with friends in the immediate future.

*UPDATE: A woman arrested on suspicion of a domestic violence incident in an unincorporated county area near Whittier has been released without charges, records show.
Debra Von Trapp, 58, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly cutting her husband with a knife Jan. 15 in the 12200 block of Tanfield Drive in an unincorporated county area near Whittier.
After six days in jail, Von Trapp was released without charges, court and sheriff's booking records show.
Suspects are generally required to be brought before a judge within two business days of arrest, however Von Trapp spend several additional days in jail due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday and a court furlough day.

Deputies arrested a woman on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon after she attacked her husband with a knife, causing minor injuries, in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, authorities said.
Debra Von Trapp, 58, was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Robert Renteria said.
The incident occurred about 1 p.m. at a home in the 12200 block of Tanfield Drive, the sergeant said.
The woman and her husband became involved in an argument before the woman pulled a knife and cut his arm, Renteria said. The injury appeared minor.
Friday's incident was not the first time deputies have responded to the home for domestic violence-related calls, he added.
According to sheriff's booking records, Von Trapp is due for arraignment in Whittier Superior Court on Thursday.

ROSEMEAD -- A sophomore at a private high school allegedly stabbed the school principal in his office Friday, authorities said.
Principal Gary Catalano of the Don Bosco Technical School was hospitalized in stable condition following the 12:15 p.m. incident at the all-male Catholic campus at 1151 San Gabriel Blvd., officials said.
The student went into the school's administration building and asked to see Principal Catalano, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Johnie Jones said.
Once in Catalano's office, Jones said, the student showed Catalano some documents prior to the "seemingly unprovoked" attack.
"With one hand, (the student) showed him the paperwork and with the other hand, the student stabbed the principal twice in the back," Jones said.
In a written statement, Don Bosco Technical School President Sharon Morano briefly recapped the event and said Catalano was in good condition.
"Our concern is for the Principal's well-being and our students' safety," she said.
The student, 16, fled the school after the stabbing but was arrested in the surrounding neighborhood, Jones said. He had with him a small pocket knife believed to have been used in the stabbing.
School Human Resources Manager Teresa Herrera said the incident posed no threat to other students, and the campus was not locked down. Students were released from school at the usual time.
She added that Catalano had been working at the school for two years.
The teenage suspect, whose name was not released due to his age, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, officials said.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said there was no history of problems between the student and principal.
"At this point, we don't know any reason why he did it," she said.
Nishida added that the incident was highly uncharacteristic of the "very prestigious school."
Don Bosco Technical School is an all male campus of about 700 students, Herrera said.
It teaches specialized subjects such as computer science, electronics and construction.
Luis Briseno, 19, of Hacienda Heights said he graduated in 2008 and was surprised to see the campus surrounded by deputies when he arrived to pick up some paperwork.
Briseno said in his experience, the school was always safe and peaceful.
"Nothing like this has ever happened," he said.

Detectives have released photographs of jewelry found near the skulls of a man and woman discovered last month in the Angeles National Forest in hopes that the items may help identify the remains.
The skulls were found Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 near Angeles Forest Highway mile markers 19 and 17, sheriff's and coroner's officials said.
"Detectives are requesting the public's assistance in identifying jewelry found at the scene, possibly belonging to one of the decedents," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Deputy Lillian Peck said in a written statement.
The first skull, determined to have belonged to a man, was found Dec. 24 by a hiker and had what initially looked like a bullet hole in it, according to Los Angeles County coroner's officials.
Officials returned to search the area more and found the second skull, determined to be that of a woman, about 2 miles to the south, authorities said.
</CL>In addition to their names, the causes of death remained under investigation Thursday, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
The items of jewelry pictured in the photographs include a gold-colored necklace and a set of three rings, each with five white stones set between red, green and black stones.
The portion of forest where the skulls were found was burned in the Station Fire, which ignited in August of last year.
Officials said the remains appeared to have been there prior to the blaze.
Anyone with information is asked to call detectives Philip Guzman or John Duncan at 323-890-5500.

 

*PHOTOS come courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

 

POMONA -- A judge ordered a Baldwin Park man to spend the rest of his life behind bars Thursday for a murderous rampage in 2008 in which he killed his mother, a woman next door and her 4-year-old daughter.
Roy Perez, 30, was sentenced in Pomona Superior Court to three consecutive life sentences, as well as another term of 139 years to life in prison, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Stefan Mrakich said.
The prosecutor said Perez had long suffered from mental illness, and that the attack occurred after he became enraged at his mother.
"Throughout his life," Mrakich said, "he had a great deal of irrational anger directed toward his parents -- both his mother and father."
Perez pleaded guilty last month to three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder in connection with the shooting spree, which took place Feb. 25 in the 14500 block of Rockenbach Street in Baldwin Park. He also admitted the special allegation that he personally fired a gun in the crimes.
Perez's mother, 47-year-old Alicia Perez, neighbor Dalmy Mata, 31, and her 4-year-old daughter Briana were killed. Perez wounded Mata's other two children, Kimberly and Edwin, who were 9 and 14 at the time.
Mrakich, who prosecuted the case along with Deputy District Attorney Samer Hathout, said Perez had a long history of mental illness and went on his rampage after a bizarre confrontation with his mother.
"He was claiming that his mother was not his mother," Mrakich said. Perez then retrieved a handgun and opened fire.
After shooting his mother about 16 times, Roy Perez went next door where he attacked the Mata family, Mrakich and sheriff's officials said. It was unclear why the neighbors were targeted.
When officials arrived at the scene, Perez was still clutching a 9mm handgun used in the shooting, Lt. Dan Rosenberg of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
Mrakich said Perez suffered from "severe paranoia," and his history of mental illness dated to his teenage years. He has been held by authorities on 72-hour psychiatric evaluation holds several times.
At Perez's sentencing, Mrakich said, he told the courtroom that he deserved the death penalty, saying that a "bad demon" had taken control of him. He also said that he missed his mother.
Perez pleaded guilty before his trial started, Mrakich said, so it was unclear if an insanity defense would have been attempted. Officials agreed to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the plea agreement. At the time, no official determination had been made on whether the death penalty would be sought against Perez.
"It's just a tragedy for everyone involved," Mrakich said. "For the Perez family and the Mata family, and I hope they all find some peace."

COVINA -- A man got away with about $500 in cash after robbing a local bank Wednesday afternoon.
A Latino man wearing all black and carrying a black briefcase entered the Bank of the West in the 700 block of South Citrus Avenue about 3:20 p.m. and demanded money, according to Covina police Officer Keith Sutherland.
"After the customers left, he approached one of the tellers, opened the briefcase and provided a demand note," Sutherland said.
Police said the man was wearing a black baseball cap with no mask and appeared to be about 40 years old. He did show a gun, Sutherland said.
The suspect had been in the bank earlier Wednesday to inquire about opening an account, Sutherland said.
A witness told police the suspect fled to a nearby office building in the 700 block of South Terrado Plaza. Police searched the building but did not find the suspect, Sutherland said.

*Surveillance photo of suspect courtesy of the FBI.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- Officials briefly locked down an elementary school Thursday as they investigated a report of a man with a gun near the campus.
The lockdown was lifted after 20-25 minutes when deputies found no evidence of a problem at the school, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Craton said.
The incident occurred about 12:20 p.m. at Miramonte Elementary School, 10620 Schmidt Road, when a woman called authorities and reported seeing a man pointing a gun toward the school yard, Craton said.
She described him only as an Asian man wearing a camouflage-colored shirt before hanging up, he said.
Deputies searched the area by ground and with a helicopter, Craton said, but found no signs of trouble.

For the third time in several weeks, a Pizza delivery man has been attacked and robbed in Baldwin Park. Police have no suspects.

From Brian Charles:

This from reporter Thomas Himes. 

Among the things I've read:

Emigdio Preciado,  whose picture has been on billboards, the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List and the television program America's Most Wanted, returned to the US Tuesday, according the the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

First Doc flipped, then the rest of the gang began pleading out -- 60 of 79 charged in the October 2008 Federal racketeering case have plead. Of those 10 took 20 years.

From Sandi Gibbons at the DA's Office:

POMONA - Two men were charged with murder by the District Attorney's office today in last week's shooting death of a 6-year-old boy who was killed while playing outside his home in Azusa.

Arraignment for both was scheduled for some time after 1:30 p.m. today in Department N. Pomona Superior Court.

Richard Paul Joseph Gomez, 21 (dob 10-17-1988), of Azusa, and Mathew Steven Loza, 20 (dob 11-3-1989), of West Covina, were charged in case No. KA 089283 with one count of murder. The boy, identified by authorities as Jessie Valencia, was shot to death outside his home in the 300 block of South Azusa Avenue on Jan. 8. The complaint alleged that Loza personally used a firearm, a 30-30 rifle, to commit the crime.

The complaint also charged Gomez, who authorities said lived across the street from the boy's home, with one count of being an accessory after the fact. Gomez additionally was charged with one count of unlawful firearm activity for having a 30-30 rifle in his possession. The complaint alleged that the defendant had been convicted of a misdemeanor count of spousal battery.

Bail for each defendant was recommended at $1 million. If convicted, both could face possible maximum state prison terms of life with the possibility of parole.

Deputy District Attorney Duke Chau was assigned to prosecute the case.

Looks like DA Steve Cooley wants to butt heads with Russian and Armenian gangsters, who are known for their prowess in fraud scams etc. Here's a release from Mike Antonovich's office detailing some large grants for Cooley's efforts:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY - The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved three grants from the California Department of Insurance in the amount of $17.2 million to automobile insurance and worker's compensation fraud, announced Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich.

Two grants totaling $12 million will focus on auto insurance fraud rings, syndicates, gangs and other organizations in the County. Perpetrators also include unscrupulous doctors, chiropractors, lawyers and others who profit from fraudulent automobile insurance claims.

A $5.3 million grant for the District Attorney's Worker's Compensation Fraud Program will combat fraudulent claims that cost taxpayers millions of dollars annually and have led to thousands of jobs being lost due to local business closures precipitated by escalating workers' compensation costs caused by fraud.

From Thomas Himes:

From the Associated Press:

Mark McGwire finally came clean Monday, admitting he used steroids when he broke baseball's home run record in 1998.

McGwire said in a statement sent to The Associated Press on Monday that he used steroids on and off for nearly a decade.

"I wish I had never touched steroids," McGwire said in a statement. "It was foolish and it was a mistake. I truly apologize. Looking back, I wish I had never played during the steroid era."

McGwire also used human growth hormone, a person close to McGwire said, speaking on condition of anonymity because McGwire didn't include that detail in his statement.

McGwire's decision to admit using steroids was prompted by his decision to become hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals, his final big league team. Tony La Russa, McGwire's manager in Oakland and St. Louis, has been among McGwire's biggest supporters and thinks returning to the field can restore the former slugger's reputation.

"I never knew when, but I always knew this day would come," McGwire said. "It's time for me to talk about the past and to confirm what people have suspected."

This from the OCR:

AZUSA -- A 74-year-old man who was trapped overnight after his SUV plunged 125 feet off of Highway 39 was rescued by helicopter Monday morning.

Family members reported the man missing Sunday night, officials said.

"He's in pretty good shape for a 74-year-old who was down there in the cold all night," Los Angeles County Fire Battalion Chief Jim Geandee said. Story and video by reporter Thomas Himes:

INDUSTRY -- Eight people, including an infant, suffered burns Sunday when the minivan they were riding burst into flames after a freeway crash, authorities said.
The crash occurred at 6:17 p.m. on the westbound Pomona (60) Freeway, just east of Azusa Avenue, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
The crash involved the minivan and a sedan, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.
"The minivan did erupt into flames," he said. "There were eight passengers in the minivan that suffered minor to moderate burns."
The infant girl was the most seriously injured, with second- and third-degree burns, the inspector said.
A 17-year-old boy and an adult in the minivan also suffered second and third degree burns, while five other adults suffered first- and second-degree burns, Stowers said.
None of the injuries appeared life-threatening, he said.
Everyone inside the burning minivan got themselves out before fire officials arrived, Stowers said, preventing a much worse scenario.
The driver of the sedan involved in the crash was treated at the scene and released, Stowers said.
Firefighters cut through a fence to run a hose from Gale Avenue to the freeway to extinguish the flames, he added.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP.

LA MIRADA -- A man was shot and wounded Sunday, but refused to give investigators any details of the attack, officials said.
The shooting was reported about 6:15 p.m. in the 14000 block of San Ardo Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mark Wilkins said.
The "absolutely uncooperative" victim, a man in his 20s, was found shot in the lower torso, the lieutenant said.
He refused to give deputies a description of the attacker, Wilkins said, or even say where the shooting took place.
The wounded man was expected to survive, he said.

This comes from the Associated Press:

RIVERSIDE -- A serial killer has received a fourth life sentence
for the murder of a woman whose body was found in the desert near Blythe in 1992.
Keith Hunter Jesperson, known as "The Happy Face Killer," was sentenced Friday in Riverside after pleading guilty to killing the woman he picked up in the Cajon Pass.
The 54-year-old Jesperson has also admitted to killings in Washington, Wyoming, Oregon and Northern California.
Jesperson is known as the "Happy Face Killer" for drawing happy faces in letters in which he boasted of his crimes to prosecutors and an Oregon newspaper.

IRWINDALE -- Nine people were injured, one of them critically, when an SUV overturned on the 210 Freeway in Irwindale Saturday, authorities said.
The crash occurred about 6:10 p.m. on the eastbound Foothill (210) Freeway, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
A man who was estimated to be 40 years old was thrown from the Toyota Sequoia and flown to the hospital with internal injuries, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Tom Sullivan said.
He was a front passenger and was not wearing a seat belt, CHP Sgt. Steve Licon said.
Two babies, two children and four other adults in the SUV were hospitalized with moderate injuries, he said.
The Toyota overturned on the freeway and then went about 30 feet down an embankment, the captain said.
The eastbound 210 Freeway was completely shut down briefly as rescuers landed a helicopter in traffic lanes, CHP and fire officials said. All lanes were reopened shortly before 7 p.m.
The driver of the SUV reported that someone made a sudden lane change in front of her, Licon said, however the cause of the crash remained under investigation.

WEST COVINA -- Police continued their search Saturday for three self-identified gang members who shot and wounded two teenage boys, officials said.
The shooting was reported shortly after 9 p.m. Friday in the area of Puente Avenue and Orange Street, West Covina police Lt. Tommy Garcia said.
A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy, both from West Covina, were walking when a silver Nissan Altima drove by with three Latino young men inside, the lieutenant said. They were not believed to have gang ties.
The young victims did not know why they were targeted, he added.
"All they know is suddenly these guys came by, yelled out a gang name and then fired," Garcia said.
Police declined to release the gang name that was yelled Saturday, citing an ongoing investigation.
The 16-year-old boy was shot in the head, and the older boy was shot in the shoulder, stomach and groin, police said. Both were hospitalized in stable condition Friday.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Investigators have determined that two human skulls found in the Angeles National Forest last month belonged to a man and woman, though little other information was known, coroner's officials said.
The man's skull was found by hikers on Dec. 24 near Angeles Forest Highway Mile Marker 19, and the woman's skull was found by investigators two days later about two miles to the south, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's and coroner's officials.
The male skull had what appeared to be a bullet hole in it when discovered, coroner's investigator Jerry McKibben said.
Both people remained listed with the coroner's office as John and Jane Doe, he added.
The remains were discovered in a portion of the forest that was scorched by the Station Fire, and coroner's officials have said they appear to have been there well before the fire broke out in August.

AZUSA -- Authorities Saturday identified a 6-year-old boy who was fatally shot as he played with toys in the driveway of his home, as well as two men suspected in the killing.
Jesse Valencia was killed in the shooting, which occurred about 3:50 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of South Azusa Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Denise Bertone said.
Richard Gomez, 21, of Azusa, Mathew Loza, 20, of West Covina and Noemi Poblano, 19, of Los Angeles were booked on suspicion of murder within half an hour of the shooting, Azusa police Lt. Mike Bertelsen said. Poblano was released Saturday due to insufficient evidence.
"We believe we have all the suspects involved in the shooting," the lieutenant said. "We've also recovered the weapon we believe was used in the shooting. It was a rife."
Valencia with his mother, playing with toys in the driveway of their home when a single shot rang out from inside the house across the street, Bertelsen said.
Police officers who heard the shot and went to investigate found the wounded boy in his mother's arms, officials said.
The mother initially reported she believed her son had been injured by an exploding toy.
Paramedics rushed the boy to a West Covina hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4:26 p.m., Bertone said.
Police declined to say Saturday what roles each suspect is believed to have played in the shooting, or if the shooting was believed to be accidental or deliberate.
"I can't go into details or specifics related to the shooting," Bertelsen said.
Many details about the shooting are of "evidentiary value," he added. "We want to make sure we don't jeopardize the case."
In addition to investigating the killing, Bertelsen said police are trying to reach out and offer help to the devastated family of the boy.
"We're also arranging to contact the family to see if there's anything we can due to assist them in this time of tragedy," he said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Gomez, Loza and Poblano are due for arraignment Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.
A bank account has been set up at the Covina Chase bank branch at 1453 N. Azusa Avenue, police said. Anyone interested in donating to the family can deposit money into account No. 000009230570848.

PHOTOS of Richard Gomez, above, and Mathew Loza, left, courtesy of the Azusa Police Department.

AZUSA -- A call that started with officers spotting a mother running down the street with a bleeding little boy in her arms ended in tragedy Friday after the 6-year-old died at a nearby hospital.
An officer heard what sounded like a gunshot shortly before 4 p.m. and found the boy's mother walking down the 400 block of South Azusa Avenue, Azusa police Lt. Mike Bertelsen said.
The mother reported that she thought a toy had exploded and injured her son, the lieutenant said.
When police looked into the matter, they ruled out that the boy was injured by an exploding toy, Bertelsen said.
"We determined the boy was shot," he said.
Police said the shooting apparently occurred outside a home near where the mother was found walking with the wounded boy.
Paramedics rushed the boy to a local hospital within 20 minutes of the initial call for help, but he was pronounced dead there a short time later, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.
Police arrested three people, but did not release their names or descriptions, citing an ongoing investigation.
No charges were expected against the mother, who Bertelsen said apparently did not witness the shooting.
Bertelsen declined to say where on his body the boy was shot, whether a gun was recovered or how police believe the shooting took place.
"All we can say is we have three in custody and we can't tell you their level of involvement," Bertelsen said.
Detectives continued interviewing witnesses and searching the scene for clues late Friday.

WEST COVINA -- Two teenage boys were wounded in a drive-by shooting Friday, police said.
The attack occurred about 9:10 p.m. in the area of Puente Avenue and Orange Street, West Covina police Lt. Tommy Garcia said.
A 16-year-old boy was shot in the head, and a 17-year-old boy was shot in the shoulder, stomach and groin, the lieutenant said.
Both teens were expected to survive, he added.
The shooter was inside a passing silver Nissan sedan, Garcia said. No description of the occupants of the car was available.
A motive in the shooting remained unclear late Friday.

NORWALK -- A woman was tied up during a home-invasion robbery Thursday, authorities said.
The crime occurred about 9 p.m. in the 12100 block of 164th Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Robert Renteria said.
A man armed with a handgun forced his way into the home and bound the woman before demanding money and ransacking the home, the sergeant said. It was unclear if anything was stolen.
The man told the woman not to call the police before running off, officials said. A description of the robber was not available.
Investigators said the frightened but unharmed woman managed to free herself and call for help.

PASADENA -- Officials suspect a West Covina woman was drunk when she crashed into a Caltrans truck on the 210 Freeway Thursday after leaving the BCS football game at the Rose Bowl, injuring herself and four passengers.
The allegedly drunken driver's name was not available Friday as she remained hospitalized with major injuries, California Highway Patrol Officer Ming Hsu said.
The crash occurred as a CHP officer was trying to pull the 1997 Nissan Sentra about 10:30 p.m. on the eastbound 210 Freeway, just east of Lincoln Avenue, Hsu said.
The Sentra swerved to the left and crashed into the center median, said the officer.
"The vehicle continued eastbound in the center median and it struck the rear of Caltrans truck that was stopped in the center median with a message board reading 'slow traffic ahead,'" Hsu said.
All four passengers in the Sentra were also hospitalized, according to CHP and fire officials.
A 28-year-old Walnut man, a 29-year-old Georgia man and a 29-year-old Tennessee woman suffered major injuries, Hsu said. A 27-year-old Walnut man suffered moderate injuries.
Firefighters had to cut the doors and roof off the car to free the two people sitting in the front of the sedan from the wreckage, Pasadena fire officials said in a written statement.
No one inside the Sentra was wearing a seat belt, Hsu said.
The Caltrans employee inside the truck, a Dodge Ram, suffered minor injuries but declined to be hospitalized, officials said.
All eastbound lanes of the freeway were shut down for 15 to 20 minutes, officials said, and firefighters remained at the scene for nearly two hours.
The suspected drunken driver was only one of dozens of arrests related to the BCS game, which police said attracted 94,906 attendees.
Pasadena police jailed 41 people, Lt. Chris Russ said. Twenty of the arrests were made inside the stadium, while 21 were made outside.
Fourteen people were jailed on suspicion of public drunkenness, 13 for scalping tickets, three for selling unauthorized merchandise and three for violating park rules, the lieutenant said.
One person was arrested for interfering with the game after running onto the field, Russ said, and another is suspected of breaking into a car in the parking lot.
The other six arrests were for alleged crimes such as being under the influence of drugs and petty theft, police said.

WEST COVINA -- A man allegedly struck a woman in the head with a baseball bat and ran her over with a motorhome Thursday, authorities said.

A 61-year-old transient was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, though he was still being booked late Thursday and his name was not available, West Covina police Lt. Tommy Garcia said. Police were also investigating the possibility a rape had occurred.

The incident was reported just before 10 p.m., when witnesses saw an injured woman get thrown out of a motorhome at Glendora and Garvey avenues, the lieutenant said. The motorhome then ran her over.

The woman reported she had been struck in the head with a baseball bat and possibly raped inside the motorhome, Garcia said.

Details were initially slow in coming because of the 49-year-old woman's medical condition.

"She was in and out of consciousness," Garcia said.

Officers stopped a motorhome near Citrus Street and Norma Avenue and found evidence of a possible struggle inside, he said. The man in the vehicle was arrested.

Garcia said the woman was hospitalized at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with injuries that did not appear to be life threatening.

Police continued to investigate late Thursday.

PASADENA -- Police and city officials are encouraging the public to be extra careful after an elderly woman had her home burglarized by a man claiming to work for the Pasadena Department of Water and Power.
The crime occurred about 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 30 at a home in the 500 block of Tamarac Drive, Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens said.
The burglar told the woman he was from PWP and needed to come inside to check her water pressure, police said in a written statement.
After the woman escorted the man to several places inside the home where he pretended to check the water pressure, she watched him get into a "pinkish beige" 4-door compact car with a waiting driver, police said. The car was last seen driving northbound.
The woman then discovered her bedroom had been ransacked, and cash and jewelry had been stolen, Pope-Givens said.
Officials advise the public to never let anyone inside their home unless they know who it is, and when in doubt, call the police.
Residents can also call PWP to verify that people claiming to be PWP employees are legitimate.
PWP employees wear visible photo ID with the city seal on it, police said, and they never use personal vehicles for business.
Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to call Pasadena police detective bureau at (626) 744-4522.

Police asked the public's help in finding a schizophrenic Pasadena man who went missing in Rosemead Monday.
Kenneth Lamar Donaldson, 27, was last seen about 5 p.m. in the 3900 block of Rosemead Boulevard in Rosemead, Pasadena police said in a written statement.
He became upset while at a doctor's office with his caretaker and ran off, heading north on Rosemead Boulevard toward Valley Boulevard, according to the police statement. The caretaker was unable to find him.
Donaldson is believed to have bus fare with him, but is unfamiliar with the area, police said.
He suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, officials added, which is usually controlled by medication.
Donaldson is described as black, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 218 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing blue jeans, a white t-shirt, a blue jacket with a yellow trim and black and white tennis shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pasadena Police Department.

ALHAMBRA -- Police released photos Thursday of a man who kidnapped a 61-year-old man from his Alhambra home last month and robbed him.
The robbery and kidnapping was reported about about 5:35 p.m. Dec. 22 in the 100 block of Waverly Drive, Alhambra police Sgt. Brandon Black said in a written statement.
The victim came home and found his house had been broken into, and there was a man inside, the sergeant said.
"The suspect tackled the victim to the ground," Alhambra police Detective Tai Seki said. The man suffered minor injuries.
After that, the burglary quickly turned into a robbery and kidnapping, Sgt. Brandon Black said.
"The suspect took the victim's wallet and ordered the victim at gunpoint to drive him to an ATM located at a nearby 7-Eleven store," he said.
Once they arrived at the convenience store at Freemont and Commonwealth avenues, the gunman demanded cash, Seki said.
"The suspect ordered the victim to withdraw money (from the ATM)," the detective said.
The gunman was described as a Latino man in his early 20s. He was unshaven, with dark hair and eyes, officials said.
He was between 5 feet, 7 inches and 6-feet tall, and weighed about 210 pounds. He wore a baseball cap, a dark-hooded sweat shirt with a zipper, a white T-shirt, khaki cargo shorts and white shoes.
Seki said police were eager to find the man responsible and bring him to justice.
"We feel this suspect is a danger to society," Seki said.
Anyone with information about the crime was asked to call Seki at 626-308-4847.

Location is reportedly the 7-Eleven at the corner of Azusa and Gladstone
Convenience Store Thief Interrupted by Cop - Watch more Funny Videos

PASADENA - Authorities have broken up what they're calling a "high-end," multi-million dollar prostitution ring that used expensive apartments in Pasadena and Irvine and employed numerous female prostitutes, officials announced Wednesday.

Pasadena police's Special Investigations Unit and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents worked for two years investigating the alleged ring, arresting six people and seizing cash, automobiles, jewelry and other property, officials said in a news release.

Police identified two of the main suspects as Li Chen, a 32-year-old female of Temple City, and Thanh Ly, a 35-year-old male from Temple City.

They were described as leaders of the ring. Both were booked on suspicion of pimping and pandering. Each was being held on $2 million bail.

An anonymous call left on a tip line led to the discovery of the ring.

"Prostitution is not a victimless crime, as some would argue," Interim Chief of Police Christopher Vicino said in a news release. "It negatively impacts the quality of life and the very fabric of the community. The neighborhoods and apartments where these crimes were committed will ultimately be safer for the families that live in them." 

From KABC: 

ROSEMEAD, Calif. (KABC) -- A man and a woman were found shot and killed in Rosemead on Wednesday. Police are not looking for a suspect.

Authorities responded to the 2600 block of Earle Avenue just after midnight and found a male and a female, both in their 20s, shot in the head. The female victim was declared dead at the scene. The male victim was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

According to authorities, the couple dated and broke up a few months ago, but they still kept the lines of communication open. The young woman came to the home on Tuesday to pick up the man to go out for the day, and when they returned, things seemed fine.

This from KPCC: 

On Thursday I began rethinking Mexico.

We learned that day that Bobby Salcedo, an assistant principal at El Monte High School and El Monte City School Board member was shot to death with five other men in the town of Gomez Palacio.

Mexican authorities tell us the men were casualties of the ongoing drug war. A war that in Gomez Palacio during 2009 claimed countless lives including that of the town's police chief.

If the U.S. State Department's warning issued in August against travel to Mexico clinically pointed out brutal drug violence has plagued that country, Salcedo's assassination brought it home in a way that none of us in the San Gabriel Valley will soon forget.

Salcedo, 33, was a rising star in a community that lacks credible role models. He worked his way through school, he mentored kids and volunteered to help the less fortunate in South El Monte's sister city - Gomez Palacio.

It was there he met his wife, Betzy. It was there Salcedo was abducted, shot to death and dumped in a ditch.

Why?

The answers aren't clear. Some say it was a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Whatever the answer, Salcedo is a casualty of a vendetta among rival gangs, local authorities and the federales, all fighting for control of something no one can control.

That is what Mexico has become. It is why so many Americans are afraid to travel there anymore. Forget about surfing at K19, having Ortega-style lobster at Puerto Nuevo, or sipping daiquiris at sunset at the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

It wasn't always that way.

I think back to spring break 1980.

Bill Morrow from Whittier and I concocted a simple plan. We would drive from UCSD to a small fishing village south of Ensenada and hang out for the week.

Of course we needed a car, so we enlisted Gene Helsel, who had a sky blue Ford Fiesta with a tape player. We popped in Pink Floyd's "Animals" and hit the road.

A late winter storm cleared in time for us to make the journey. Things were smooth until we hit Ensenada. From there we played a game counting the road signs that said "devastacion."

The mostly dirt road had been washed out in parts by untamed creeks. Mud was everywhere, but the skies were blue and wildflowers were just beginning to bloom.

At more than one point we stopped as a flock of chickens crossed the road. We hit San Quintin at nightfall and stayed in a motel that had a restaurant and bar.

Even though we were teenagers, we drank tequila and beer and watched a group of fishermen down flaming shots of 151.

A few days later we returned home after a stop at Hussongs on Lopez Mateos in Ensenada where we listened to mariachis, bought panchos and counterfeit Marlboros and ate bean cones from a street vendor.

We didn't even get sick.

Since then, I've enjoyed many trips south, I've viewed the sunset from a friend's trailer in the hills above Ensenada, and eaten borrego while drinking sweet port on a vineyard farther east.

I've been to the barrios of Mexicali, factories in Tijuana and colonias outside Rosarito.

That was when Mexico was safe. It isn't anymore.

When it exactly changed no one can say for sure. But after Bobby's death it will never be the same.

Devastacion.

This is planned for tomorrow's newspaper:

ARCADIA -- Police asked the public's help Sunday in finding an Arcadia man who went missing New Year's Eve.
Julius Tinsley, 81, was last seen Thursday evening outside his home in the 600 block of Fairview Avenue, Arcadia police said in a written statement.
His car has also gone missing, police said.
There's no indication there was foul play involved in the disappearance, however police are concerned and want to speak with Tinsley or someone who knows where he is.
Tinsley, also known as "Cotton," is described as white, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, of thin build, with gray hair and blue eyes, officials said. He was last seen wearing a beige checkered shirt, brown pants, brown shoes and eyeglasses.
His car is described as a silver 2007 Toyota Matrix with California license plate number 6ADN040.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Arcadia Police Department Detective Bureau at (626) 574-5160.

*PHOTO of Julius Tinsley courtesy of the Arcadia Police Department.

WEST VALINDA -- Official released the name Sunday of a 22-year-old La Puente man who was fatally stabbed at a party on New Year's Day.
Michael Espana died after being stabbed just before 1 a.m. at a house party in the 13600 block of Hutchcroft Street, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's officials said.
The killing was the first reported homicide in Los Angeles County in 2010.
Christopher Hernandez, a 25-year-old transient, is being sought as a suspect in the killing, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said.
He remained at large Sunday, officials said.
Deputies said they believe Hernandez tried to get into a the party but was not allowed.
He then allegedly pulled a knife and stabbed Espana several times, officials said.
Espana died at a hospital a short time later.

Authorities identified a man Sunday who apparently killed himself during a standoff with police after shooting his wife.
Stephen Coulter, 50, was pronounced dead inside a townhome in the 20800 block of Calora Street, just west of Sunflower Avenue in an unincorporated county area near Covina, coroner's officials said.
According to public records, Coulter lived at the home.
The name of his wife, 47, was not released.
She was hospitalized in stable condition following the 9:15 a.m. shooting, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Robert Boese said.
She was shot in the head and arm, fire officials said.
Officials said the wife initially told them her husband shot her during an argument after she threatened to divorce him.
SWAT deputies surrounded the home for four hours Saturday and tried to make contact with the man with no success, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Richard Ramirez said.
The ultimately threw tear gas grenades into the home and forced their way in, officials said, where they found Coulter dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Neighbors said they did not know the couple well but often heard them argue loudly.
Los Angeles County Superior Court records show Coulter was convicted of drunken driving in 2003 and 2006, as well as driving on a suspended license in 2004 and 2006. The records showed no indications of previous violent crimes.

EL MONTE -- A vigil has been scheduled for El Monte City School District board member Agustin Roberto "Bobby" Salcedo, who was fatally shot while vacationing in Mexico last week.
The vigil will be held at 6 p.m. Monday in the football stadium of Bobby Salcedo's Alma Mater, Mountain View High School, 2900 Parkway Drive, said his brother, Carlos Salcedo.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that people make donations to a memorial fund that is being set up in Bobby Salcedo's name, his brother said.
"That's what Bobby would want," Carlos Salcedo said.
Details of the memorial fund were expected to be available Monday, and donations will be accepted at the vigil.
Bobby Salcedo, 33, was found shot to death along with five other men Thursday in Gomez Palacio, Mexico.
He and his wife, Betzy Salcedo, were dining with friends at a restaurant when gunman abducted him and the others.
Betzy Salcedo, who is from Gomez Palacio, said they knew traveling south of the border came with risks.
Over the years she's watched as the northern city of Gomez Palacio became more violent.
Still, she told another newspaper, "you never think this kind of thing can happen... to innocent people."
Further details of the killings were not available.
Arrangements are being made to transport Salcedo's body to the states.
Bobby Salcedo, who was also an assistant principal at El Monte High School, was described by friends and family as a giving and caring man, a dedicated educator and an up-and-coming member of the El Monte community.
Carlos Salcedo said he was not speculating about what happened to his brother and is waiting on official word on the investigation.
Though an officials motive had not been released, local officials said they believe the slayings are indicative of unacceptable levels of violence in Mexico, primarily fueled by warring drug cartels.
City council members in El Monte, where Bobby Salcedo worked as an educator, and South El Monte, where he served as a past president of the South El Monte/Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico Sister City Organization, said they want officials at the local, state and national levels to take a second look at the bloodshed just south of the Mexican border.
Rep. Judy Chu, D-CA, has also demanded in a written statement that Mexican authorities use all available resources to solve the case, and make sure there is appropriate coordination with their American law-enforcement counterparts.
"We are all affected by the violence in Mexico," she said, "and that is why our federal government must do everything in it's power to assist the Mexican authorities in their struggle against these ruthless drug gangs."

Police arrested three people -- including a wanted parolee -- following a lengthy car chase early Saturday, authorities said.
Arnold Machado, 24, of El monte was booked on suspicion of evading police and parole violations, El Monte police Lt. Robert Roach said.
Nancy Lopez, 23, of El Monte was booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, the lieutenant said. She was a passenger in the SUV Machado was driving.
A third man, 18-year-old Derrick Santillan of El Monte, was booked on suspicion of assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon for allegedly throwing shopping carts and other items at police cars that were pursuing the SUV, officials said.
All are believed to have ties to a local street gang, police said.
The pursuit began when an officer tried to pull over a 2001 Ford Explorer being driven by Machado for a traffic violation on Klingerman Street near Haber Avenue, El Monte police Lt. Robert Roach said.
The car, which had three people inside, sped away from the officer and got onto the 60 Freeway westbound, Roach said.
The car then led police on a chase down the 710 Freeway -- in the wrong direction for a short time -- before getting onto the eastbound 10 Freeway back to the same El Monte neighborhood where the chase began, the lieutenant said.
After the rear passenger jumped out of the car and escaped on foot, he said, officers used a spike strip to flatten the tires of the SUV. Machado and Lopez were jailed without further incident.
Toward the end of the pursuit, a group of apparent gang members came out into the street and began throwing shopping carts, bottles and oranges at the pursuing police cars, Roach said.
Santillan was chased down and arrested after allegedly throwing a shopping cart at police.
Machado is also being investigated in connection to other El Monte crimes, said the lieutenant.
The pursuit lasted about 30 minutes, officials said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Machado was being held without bail, Santillan was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and Lopez was released after posting $5,000 bail.
Information on their initial court date was not available.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- Authorities released the name Saturday of a man who was killed in a drive-by shooting early New Year's Day.
Gerardo Corral Jr., 27, of El Monte died at a hospital shortly after the 1:45 a.m. shooting in the 10700 block of Klingerman Street, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben said.
The attackers were described only as male Latinos in a dark-colored vehicle, sheriff's officials said.
Officials said there was a brief exchange of words prior to the shooting, however a motive in the shooting was not released.

IRWINDALE -- Drunken driving is suspected in a solo-car crash that killed one man and badly injured two others Friday, police said.
Juan Antonio Rodriguez, 25, of El Monte, died in the crash, which occurred just after 3 a.m. on Ramona Boulevard near Earl Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Jerry McKibben said. Police said he was a passenger in the car.
The driver of the car, 20-year-old Jose Rodriguez of El Monte, is expected to be charged with drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter, Irwindale police Lt. Mario Camacho said. He himself was hospitalized in stable condition Saturday.
A third man, a passenger who appeared to be in his 20s but had no identification with him, was also hospitalized in critical condition following the wreck, Camacho said.
The relationship between the men in the car was not clear Saturday.
Witnesses reported the car was travelling westbound on Ramona Boulevard at up to 100 mph when it went out of control and struck a curb, a tree and several parked cars, the lieutenant said.
Juan Rodriguez was thrown from the car, he said, and the other passenger was partially ejected.
The force of the impact "totally destroyed" the car, Camacho added, and sent pieced of the vehicle flying 1,000 feet through the air.
Jose Rodriguez is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, Camacho said. Due to his medical condition, information on his initial court appearance was not available.

INDUSTRY -- A man pretended to have a weapon while robbing a Del Taco restaurant Thursday, authorities said.
The crime occurred about 6:30 a.m. at the restaurant in the 18200 block of Gale Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said in a written statement.
The robber was described as a Latino man between 5 feet 9 inches and 6 feet tall, about 170 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, the lieutenant said.
He entered the restaurant and demanded money from an employee, Katz said.
He then fled with an undisclosed amount of cash and was last spotted getting into a white or gray Nissan Altima, officials added.

A man who officials said shot his wife before barricading himself inside a house was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound after a 4-hour standoff.
The woman, 47, was shot several times and flown by helicopter to a hospital, where she was listed in stable condition, sheriff's and fire officials said.
The dead man's name was not available Saturday afternoon, coroner's officials said.
Neighbors and firefighters said the man and woman were husband and wife, though sheriff's officials said they did not know the relationship between the people Saturday afternoon.
Deputies responded about 9:15 a.m. to a report that a woman had been shot in the 20800 block of Calora Street, just west of Sunflower Avenue in an unincorporated county area near Covina, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Roxanne Hart said.
"She told deputies the man who shot her might still be inside the location," the lieutenant said.
A sheriff's SWAT team surrounded the house and tried to coax the suspect out.
After four hours without being able to establish communication with the man, SWAT deputies used tear gas to force their way inside.
They discovered the man inside the home, dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound, Sgt. Richard Ramirez said.
Neighbor Amna Jara, 34, said she called 9-1-1 after the wounded woman came to her for help. The woman was bleeding from her head and arm.
"She told me her husband shot her," Jara said, adding that she did now know the couple.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Joe Rivera said the woman was shot in the left side of her temple, as well as in the left arm.
"She was conscious and coherent," the captain said.
Several neighbors in the townhome complex said the man and woman had been living there for about a year.
Officials said the woman initially reported to rescuers that she had been arguing with her husband about his drinking and threatened to divorce him when he retrieved a gun and shot her.
Mark Lawler, 53, lives across the way from the home and was awakened by the woman's screams for help.
He said he did not know the couple, but often heard them arguing loudly.
"They argued an awful lot," he said. "And the arguments were really severe." He added he did not know the couple personally.
Officials at the sheriff's San Dimas station refused to say Saturday whether deputies have been called out to the home in the past.
Residents of nearby townhomes were evacuated during the incident and watched the standoff from the street.
Many covered their mouths and rubbed their eyes as traces of tear gas wafted toward the street.
Firefighters ventilated the home following the incident so that investigators could go inside.
Once it was determined the suspect was dead, the investigation was turned over to detectives from the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau.

AZUSA -- Police arrested a man Friday on suspicion of breaking into an Azusa mosque, authorities said.
Muzzamil Munir Niazi, 26, of Azusa was booked on suspicion of burglary and violating parole, Azusa police Lt. Mike Bertelsen said in a written statement.
Police responded to a burglary alarm about 10:45 a.m. at the Masjid Al-Fatiha Mosque, 210 N. Citrus Ave., he said.
Niazi, a former member of the mosque, "has admitted to committing other crimes at the location, and evidence supporting those admissions has been located," Bertelsen said.
The other specific crimes Niazi is suspected of were not available Saturday, police said. They were believed to include another burglary and a petty theft.
In December, a break-in at the mosque prompted the Council on American-Islamic Relations to issue a statement encouraging police to investigate the incident as a possible hate crime.

Rep. Judy Chu came out swinging Friday -- demanding answers from the Mexican government in  the death of Bobby Salcedo.