Man shot and wounded near Monrovia

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.

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Elderly man pulled from burning house in Temple City

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.

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Fugitive chicken eludes capture

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.

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Man injured after train vs. car crash in Pasadena

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.

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West Covina police assist in major pot bust

36990-SV28-WCPOTBUST-thumb-300x200-36989.jpgWest 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

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Covina man dies after freeway crash in Diamond Bar

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.

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Man beaten during West Covina robbery

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.

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Apparently gang-related shooting reported in Monrovia

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.

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Home-invasion robbery reported in Glendora

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.

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Three women robbed in Arcadia parking lot in one week

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.

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