March 2010 Archives

PASADENA -- A masked robber smashed a display case and ran off with several gold chains Wednesday, police said.
The crime occurred just before noon at Agua Pura Joyeria & Plus, 122 E. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena police Lt. Tom Pederson said.
A man entered the store and used a metal object to smash a glass display case, the lieutenant said.
He then helped himself to several gold chains and ran away, Pederson said. He was last seen running south on Summit Avenue.
The robber was a black man in his mid-20s, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, of thin build, Pederson said. He wore a black hooded sweat shirt, a black shirt, black gloves and a black bandana over his face.

A teenage boy apparently shot himself in the leg by accident Sunday in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, authorities said.
The incident was reported about 6:20 p.m. in the 13400 block of Beaty Avenue, sheriff's and fire officials said.
The shooting remained under investigation late Sunday, however it initially appeared that 17-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the leg, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mark Wilkins said.
A gun was found at the scene, though deputies were still working to find out who the weapon belonged to, the lieutenant said.
The boy was expected to survive the injury, he added.

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles homicide detectives are investigating whether the shooting death of a 38-year-old Hollywood woman is connected to the 2008 murders of two of her relatives.
Karine Hakobyan was found Friday behind the wheel of her Honda CRV with a gunshot wound to the back of her head.
Officer Sara Faden said Sunday that investigators want to know whether the killing is related to the deaths two years ago of Khachik Safaryan, a 43-year-old Armenian man, and his 8-year-old daughter Lusine. They were related to Hakobyan and their murders are unsolved.

LA PUENTE -- A sobriety checkpoint in La Puente over the weekend netted two arrests, along with dozens of tickets and vehicle impounds, authorities said Sunday.
The checkpoint was held from 8 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday on southbound Azusa Avenue at Renault Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Michael Lang said.
In addition to the two arrests for drug and alcohol-related charges, Lang said, deputies wrote 34 tickets and impounded 30 vehicles.

A sheriff's K-9 found a suspected burglar hiding in a dumpster in an unincorporated county area near Pasadena Saturday, authorities said.
The name of the suspect, a 32-year-old man, was not available late Saturday as he was still going through the booking process, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Jeff Walker said.
A family came home about 5:30 p.m. in the 3300 block of Thorndale Avenue and saw a man exit the side door of their home, the sergeant said.
One of the family members chased the suspect onto the campus of Wilson Middle School, 300 Madre Street, Walker said, but backed off when the suspect motioned as if he had a weapon.
Deputies and Pasadena police surrounded the school, and the suspect was found hiding in a dumpster on campus by a sheriff's K-9 about 8:30 p.m., he said.
The man did not have a weapon when arrested, Walker said. The home he is suspected of burglarizing had been ransacked.

WEST VALINDA -- Sheriff's officials sought witnesses Saturday in a shooting in a residential neighborhood.
No one was injured in the 5:30 p.m. shooting on Willow Avenue at Dillerdale Street, though a parked car and occupied house were struck by gunfire, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Pete Cacheiro said.
Neighbors reported hearing several gunshot and seeing a man running from the area, the lieutenant said.
No information regarding a shooter or intended victims was available, he added.
A motive was also unclear, Cacheiro said, and anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Industry Station.
Saturday's shooting was the second shooting in the area in two days.
Two men and a woman were arrested Friday afternoon after the men allegedly shot at, but missed, a young woman from a passing car in the 1500 block of Shipman Avenue in East Valinda, officials said. The female suspect was suspected of following the apparent victim home earlier in the day.
Authorities said Friday's attack appeared to be gang-related.

EL MONTE -- Police are planning a sobriety and driver's license checkpoint next week, authorities said.
The checkpoint will be held April 3 at an undisclosed time and place in El Monte, El Monte police Cpl. Glen Eugenio said in a written statement.
"All too often, members of our community are senselessly injured or killed on local roadways by impaired driver," the statement said.
The upcoming checkpoint, "is an effort to reduce those tragedies, as well as insuring drivers have a valid driver's license," police said.
Members of the public are encouraged to call 911 if they see an impaired driver, Eugenio added.
Funding for the checkpoint is being provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- Firefighters made quick work of an attic fire at a Hacienda Heights home Saturday, officials said.
The blaze was first reported about 3:40 p.m. on Allenton Avenue, just north of Colima Road, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Willie Sanchez said.
The residents of the home -- a man and woman estimated in their late 50s or early 60s -- were able to get themselves out of the house before help arrived, the captain said.
Firefighters doused the flames in under 15 minutes, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Art Marrujo said.
In initially appeared the fire caused about $50,000 worth of damage to the attic of the home, sheriff's officials said.
The home was undergoing a remodel, he added, and a faulty electrical line seemed to be to blame.
The couple told officials they would stay with family while the home is repaired, he said.

WEST COVINA -- A routine traffic stop for tinted windows turned into a major narcotics arrest Friday when West Covina police allegedly found five pounds of methamphetamine in a La Puente man's car.
Roberto Alvarez, 37, of La Puente, was booked on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sales, West Covina police officials said.
An officer pulled Alvarez over in the Honda Civic he was driving about 7:45 p.m. Friday at Azusa and Workman avenues, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said in a written statement.
Police discovered Alvarez's driver's license was suspended and began impounding his car, the lieutenant said.
While searching the vehicle, Sevilla said, officers found about five pounds of meth.
The street value of the meth is estimated to be between $70,000 and $75,000, West Covina police Lt. Dave Rozeboom said.
The car Alvarez was driving was not registered to him, he added.
According to sheriff's booking records, Alvarez was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and is due for arraignment Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.

EAST VALINDA -- Deputies arrested two men and a woman Friday after the men allegedly opened fire on a woman with a handgun, authorities said.
Michael Ramirez, 26, of East Valinda was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and preventing or dissuading a witness, Jorge Guerrero, 20, of Bloomington was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, and Jennifer Riutort, 21, of Diamond Bar was booked on suspicion of preventing or dissuading a witness, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Arthur Scott said.
The suspects were arrested after deputies found the car believed to have been used in the shooting parked about half a mile away, the lieutenant said.
No one was injured in the shooting, which took place about 3:45 p.m. in the 1500 block of Shipman Avenue, the lieutenant said.
The men who were jailed were suspected of carrying out the shooting, Scott said, while the female suspect is believed to have followed the intended victim home earlier in the day.
A 26-year-old woman was standing in front of a home when a Volkswagon car passed by, Scott said.
Ramirez, who was driving, screamed out gang-related remarks before firing twice at the woman, but missing, he said.
Deputies spotted the suspect vehicle in the 17400 block of Tadmore Street and arrested Ramirez and Guerrero as they were walking away from it, Scott said. The victim recognized them as her attackers.
The female suspect was arrested nearby, he added.
Scott said it was not clear if the apparent victim had gang ties.
According to sheriff's booking records, Ramirez and Riutort were being held in lieu of $100,000 bail each. Guerrero was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
All three are due in West Covina Superior Court Tuesday for arraignment.

COVINA -- A man was found dead inside his apartment under mysterious circumstances Thursday afternoon, authorities said.
Salvador Ramirez Sr., 46, was pronounced dead at 1:24 p.m. in the 200 block of East Navilla Street, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jerry McKibben said.
A roommate came home about 1 p.m. and found Ramirez lying on the floor unconscious, Covina police Sgt. Dave Foster said. Firefighters arrived and pronounced him dead.
"He had trauma to his head, although were not sure what caused that trauma," Foster said.
It was unclear if the death was a murder or accident, the sergeant said. That determination will be made by the coroner's office.
In the meantime, Foster said, "We're going to treat it as a worst-case scenario, as a homicide.
"Detectives are contacting possible witnesses and canvassing the neighborhood," he added.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Covina Police Department at (626) 384-5808 and ask for Detective Mike Robison.

WEST COVINA -- An 18-year-old man died Thursday when the van he was riding in struck a parked big-rig in West Covina, authorities said.
Anthony Ha of West Covina died in the crash, California Highway Patrol Officer Edmund Zorrilla said a written statement.
He was a passenger in the van being driven by a family member, a 41-year-old Jacinto Rodriguez of West Covina, officials said. The exact relationship between the two was not clear late Thursday.
The crash occurred about 2:25 p.m. on the westbound 10 Freeway, just east of Holt Avenue, Zorrilla said.
The Ford E-350 van was travelling down the freeway when it, for unknowns reasons, it drifted to the right and struck the rear of a big rig that was parked on the shoulder, he said.
Ha was pronounced dead at the scene, Zorrilla said, while Rodriguez was hospitalized for treatment of apparently minor injuries.
The driver of the big rig, a 32-year-old Canada man, was not injured, he added.
No arrests or citations were made late Thursday, authorities said. The crash remained under investigation.

ARCADIA -- Just before his trial was to begin, a Long Beach man admitted in court Wednesday he shot his estranged wife to death in front of her Arcadia home -- and was immediately sentenced to 29 years to life in prison.
Peter Chang, 60, pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and the special allegation that he used a gun to kill Liya "Sandy" Lu, 32, on Jan. 27, 2008, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Shiara Dávila-Morales said.
Lu died at a hospital shortly after the shooting, but not before she gave police a statement leading them to the killer. Her "dying declaration" was key in Chang's arrest, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said.
Le Veque said Lu and Chang had been separated for several months prior to the slaying. People close to Lu said Chang had become threatening, he said.
"She had become increasingly afraid of him over time," Le Veque said.
Lu was standing near her townhouse on Bonita Street, just east of Santa Anita Avenue, when Chang suddenly attacked her, an Arcadia police statement said.
She was talking to a man, who Le Veque said was a mutual friend of Lu and Chang, when Chang started beating her and knocked her to the ground.
Le Veque said the man ran away, and Lu sprinted for her front door but never made it.
"(Chang) chased after her up the stairway and that's where the shooting occurred," he said.
Before Lu died at the hospital, she gave detectives a statement that led them to Chang's home in Long Beach, police said. Chang was arrested after a brief standoff and struggle with Long Beach police.
Le Veque said the case officials were planning to present against Chang was a strong one.
"We did have the dying declaration of the victim," he said, as well as physical evidence at the scene.

Urgent advisory from the DA's Office:

Def, Steven Honma, LA 064672, will be arraigned today at Van Nuys Superior Court, Department 100, 14400 Erwin St. Mall.

From the Ventura County Star:

The suspect in the killing of a design college teacher at a Westlake Village party is expected to make his first court appearance today.

Steven Ronald Honma, 54, of Westlake Village, has been booked into Los Angeles County's Inmate Retention Center, and he is scheduled to appear this morning in Van Nuys Superior Court, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's web site.

Honma was charged Tuesday with murder and possessing a firearm with a prior conviction in connection with the shooting death of Norman Schureman at a Persian New Year's party Saturday night in the 31700 block of Kentfield Court.

Schureman, 50, of Altadena, was an instructor at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He was married and had two sons.

WEST VALINDA -- An 18-month-old boy was flown to the hospital by helicopter after being struck by a car Wednesday, authorities said.
The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. in the 900 block of North Stichman Avenue, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
The young boy was struck by a small SUV as a woman in her 60s backed the vehicle up, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Willie Sanchez said.
He suffered an injury to his shoulder, the captain said. Though the injury appeared minor and was flown to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles as a precaution.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the Baldwin Park office of CHP.

POMONA -- No one was hurt Wednesday when a small airplane made an emergency landing on the 57 Freeway with the help of a good Samaritan on the ground, authorities said.
The plane touched down about 7 p.m. on the northbound 57 Freeway, just north of Temple Avenue, Los Angeles County fire Dispatch Supervisor Melanie Flores said. No one was injured, and the plane did not strike any vehicles on the freeway.
The pilot of the single-engine, Citabria airplane, a man in his 50s, got some assistance from a good Samaritan motorist driving on the freeway, Los Angeles County fire Capt. Ed Lozano said. He was the only person in the aircraft.
The pilot identified himself as John Findley of Upland.
"Apparently someone in traffic saw that he was going to come in," Lozano said.
The motorist began zig-zagging across freeway lanes to stop traffic and make room for the airplane, Lozano said.
"The pilot mentioned he saw someone swerving to try and stop traffic for him, and he was able to land the plane," he said. "That's what really stopped an accident."
California Highway Patrol Officer Matt Lentz said the airplane took off from Long Beach.
It was headed to Cable Airport in Upland when the pilot reported engine trouble to air traffic controllers at Brackett Field in La Verne, Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said.
Based on the aircraft's tail number, FAA records indicated it was registered to John Findley of Upland and was built in 1969.
When rescuers arrived, Lozano said, the pilot had brought the plane to a stop on the right-hand side of the freeway. The incident caused traffic to back up significantly on the northbound 57 Freeway.
CHP Sgt. Alex Gonzalez said officials rolled the plane up the 57 Freeway to the 10 Freeway eastbound, then pulled it off at the Fairplex Drive offramp about 9 p.m. From there, Pomona police escorted the plane to Brackett Field.

ARCADIA -- Police jailed an Altadena man last week on suspicion of biting and head-butting an officer following a solo-car crash, authorities said Tuesday.
Terry Riley, 29, was booked on suspicion of felony battery on a police officer, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said.
The incident began about 3:45 a.m. Friday when officers responded to a report of a car crashing into a pole about on Tyler Avenue at Live Oak Avenue, Arcadia police said in a written statement.
Riley, "was acting aggressively toward firefighters on scene, telling them that he wanted to die," according to the police statement.
Riley began struggling with police officers, police said, and allegedly head-butted the officer, opening a cut, and bit the officer on the forearm hard enough to break the skin, Le Veque said.
Officers used a Taser to subdue Riley and take him into custody, officials said.
Officials also suspect Riley may have been drinking and taking prescription pills at the time of the crash, Le Veque said, and police are also investigating the man on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Riley was held for a psychological evaluation, Le Veque said. He was booked at the Arcadia Police Department's jail Sunday after being released from the psychological evaluation.
The injured officer was given several days off-duty due to the incident, the sergeant said, but was expected to make a full recovery.
According to sheriff's booking records, Riley was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

PASADENA -- A man in a wheelchair suffered minor injures when he was struck by a vehicle Wednesday, authorities said.
The incident was reported shortly after 12:30 p.m. at the southbound Long Beach (710) Freeway at California Boulevard, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
The man in the wheelchair, who was estimated to be in his mid-40s, suffered minor injuries but declined to be hospitalized by ambulance, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
He told officials he would get his own transportation to be checked out by a doctor, she added.
The circumstances of the crash, which were being investigated by the Altadena office of the California Highway Patrol were not available Wednesday afternoon.

DUARTE -- Two young men avoided serious injury Wednesday after a rollover SUV crash on the 210 Freeway, authorities said.
The crash occurred just before 1:40 p.m. on the westbound Foothill (210) Freeway, just west of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Carl Gafford said.
The driver of a 1992 Ford Explorer, a 22-year-old Azusa Pacific University student, told CHP officers he was driving westbound when a white Chrysler 300 that was entering the westbound 210 Freeway from the northbound 605 Freeway swerved toward him an nearly ran him off the road, Gafford said.
To avoid a collision, Gafford said, the driver reported that he slammed on his brakes and jerked the steering wheel, the sergeant said. The SUV to roll over onto it's roof and came to a stop in the fast lane and carpool lane.
The driver and his passenger, another young man, were able to climb out of the wrecked vehicle themselves, Gafford said. They suffered minor cuts and bruises and declined to be hospitalized.
Based on the account of the driver and passenger, CHP officials are investigating the crash as a possible "non-contact hit-and-run," Gafford added.
No further description of the Chrysler was available.

This comes from the City News Service:

A Westlake Village man was charged today with murder in the weekend party shooting death of a longtime instructor at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design.

Arraignment is scheduled this afternoon at the Van Nuys courthouse for Steven Ronald Honma, who also faces one count of illegal possession of a firearm, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Honma, 50, is charged in the slaying of Norman Schureman, 50, of Altadena, who was with his wife at a Persian new year's party at his mother-in-law's Westlake Village home when he was shot Saturday night. He died early Sunday morning at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

BASSETT -- Authorities Sunday released the name of a 63-year-old Commerce man who died while behind the wheel of a car in Bassett Saturday.
Glen Oloane was pronounced dead after he was found inside his car, which had crashed into a cinder block wall on Workman Mill Road, just south of Bark Drive, Los Angeles County fire and coroner's officials said.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Marcos Espiritu said the crash itself appeared minor, and that Oloane appeared to have suffered a heart attack before his car struck the wall.

EL MONTE -- A young woman was shot and wounded in mysterious and an apparently unprovoked attack while riding in a car early Saturday, authorities said.
The wounded woman, 19, was shot in the shoulder and hospitalized in stable condition, El Monte police Lt. Bob Roach said.
The shooting occurred about 1:30 a.m. at Cogswell Road and Klingerman Street, he said, though police ultimately found the victims in the 12000 block of Elliot Avenue.
Roach said no one reported seeing the shooter or where the shots came from.
"It's absolutely unknown why this occurred," he said. "There appears to be no motive."
The woman was riding as a passenger in a car with a 22-year-old woman and a 22-year-old man when two or three shots rang out, the lieutenant said.
The other two people inside the car were not shot but suffered minor injuries from flying glass fragments, he added.
There was no indication anyone in the car was involved with gangs, Roach said.

COVINA -- Police jailed a woman Saturday on suspicion of selling counterfeit DVDs and CDs from a baby stroller, police said.
Maricela Sanchez, 19, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of selling counterfeit goods, Covina police Lt. David Povero said.
Someone called police about 3:40 p.m. to report a woman selling DVDs and CDs in a residential neighborhood in the 1100 block of Wanamaker Drive, the lieutenant said.
"She was pushing a baby stroller with no baby," Povero said. "It contained boxes of CDs DVDs."
Police determined the items were counterfeit and arrested Sanchez, he said. The stroller contained 238 DVDs and 49 CDs.
The titles being sold included ones not yet available on DVD, Povero added, such as "Up," "Dear John," and "Alice in Wonderland."
According to sheriff's booking records, Sanchez was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail and is due in West Covina Superior Court Tuesday for arraignment.

BASSETT -- A 64-year-old man apparently suffered a heart attack and died Saturday while driving in Bassett, fire officials said.
The incident was reported about 4 p.m. on Workman Mill Road at Bark Drive, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
Firefighters responded to a report that a van had struck a block wall when they found the driver dead from an apparent heart attack, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Marcos Espiritu.
The collision with the wall didn't appear to be major, and caused no damage to the wall, he added.
Espiritu added that the driver was the only person inside the van.

SAN MARINO -- Officials released the name Saturday of a San Marino man who allegedly stabbed a police dog and set his house on fire during a standoff with authorities.
David Pohung Liu, 45, lived at the home where the standoff occurred Friday in the 500 block of Los Arboles Lane, San Marino police said in a written statement.
Police responded to a burglar alarm shortly before 5 p.m. at the home when they encountered Liu in the doorway, San Marino police Lt. Steve Johnson said.
"(Liu) was in possession of a large knife and a gun," the police statement said. "He told the officers to shoot him."
Liu then went into his house where he remained for about five hours, police said.
SWAT officers from the Foothill Special Enforcement Team, which is made up of officers from police agencies throughout the area, surrounded the home while a crisis negotiator tried to talk to Liu via telephone, Johnson said. Liu refused repeated orders to surrender.
When police sent an Irwindale Police Department dog into the house, Liu allegedly slashed it across the head and muzzle, Irwindale police Sgt. Richard Breceda said. Officers were able to call the injured dog back out of the home.
A short time later, Liu set fire to his home, the San Marino police statement said.
"(Officers) used pepper ball guns and foam projectiles against Liu, who finally surrendered to the officers," according to the statement.
Liu remained hospitalized Saturday for treatment of burns to his face and hands and smoke inhalation, police added.
A motive for Liu's alleged behavior was not released.
The dog, a Belgian Malinois named "Rik," was expected to be okay Saturday after receiving medical treatment, Breceda said.
"There's apparently no permanent injuries," he said, and the dog was resting at home with his handler.
Rik has been the Irwindale Police Department's K-9 for about four years, Breceda added.
Johnson said Liu is expected to be booked on suspicion of charges including assaulting a police dog, obstructing police and brandishing weapons.

PICO RIVERA -- A teenage boy was shot and wounded Friday in Pico Rivera, officials said.
The shooting occurred about 6:50 p.m. on Passons Boulevard near Telegraph Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. John Adams said.
The wounded teen, estimated to be 16 or 17, was shot in the leg and is expected to survive, the sergeant said.
He was walking with his girlfriend when a white, 4-door vehicle -- possible a Chevrolet Impala -- passed by, Adams said.
The car turned around and came back before the two men inside got out and approached the victim, he said. One of them was armed with a handgun.
Some gang-related remarks were shouted before the gunman opened fire at the teen as he was running away, Adams said. The attackers then fled.
A woman was driving the wounded teen to the hospital when she spotted a sheriff's deputy and flagged him down for help, he said.
Officials described the attackers only as Latino men in their early 20s.

PHOTO GALLERY

INDUSTRY -- A Union Pacific employee died Saturday when his pickup truck was struck by a Metrolink commuter train, authorities said.
The crash occurred about 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Temple Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Pete Cacheiro said.
The Union Pacific employee was initially described only as a 56-year-old man pending notification of his family, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jim Blacklock said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene despite rescuers' efforts to perform CPR, officials said. Three passengers on the commuter train suffered minor injuries.
The investigation was in its early stages Saturday afternoon, but the lieutenant said it appeared that the crossing signals and arms were working properly.
"It seems like he was trying to get around the train crossing," Cacheiro said.
"The train pushed the truck approximately 300 yards before it came to a stop," he added.
The force of the impact was extreme, and the truck driver apparently died on impact, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Marcos Espiritu said.
"The truck was literally totalled," he said.
Espiritu said two people from the commuter train were hospitalized after complaining of neck and back pain, and a third was hospitalized after reporting feeling ill.
Union Pacific spokesman Aaron Hunt said officials were still working to determine what the pickup truck was doing on the tracks when it was struck. He did not know if the employee was stopped and working on the tracks or merely passing through.
"We don't know a lot about the circumstances," he said. "We're all just really saddened by it. We're investigating exactly what happened."
A set of Union Pacific tracks runs parallel to the Metrolink tracks, Hunt added.
Train 354, which departed Los Angeles at 9 a.m. en route to San Bernardino, had 138 passengers, two engineers and two sheriff's deputies on board, Metrolink spokeswoman Angie Starr said. The engineers were subcontracted through the company Connex Railroad.
The passengers were delayed for several hours until a Metrolink bus picked them up and took them to their final destination.
Starr added that the train did not derail in the crash.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Union Pacific, Metrolink and the Federal Railroad Administration are all looking into the crash, Starr said.

Two unrelated incidents kept El Monte police busy Thursday:

EL MONTE -- Police and sheriff's officials are investigating the discovery of a woman's body in El Monte late Thursday, officials said.
Few details were initially released about the investigation.
The body was found about 5:30 p.m. in the 3700 block of Peck Road, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Ed Hernandez said.
No information was available on how the woman may have died.
Detectives from the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau are assisting the El Monte Police Department in the investigation.

EL MONTE -- Three men were stabbed Thursday during a fight at Zamora Park, police said.
Officers responded about 9:15 p.m. to a call of about 10 people fighting at the park, 3820 Penn Mar Avenue, El Monte police Sgt. Richard Luna said.
They found three men suffering from stab wounds at the park, he said.
All three men were hospitalized with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, the sergeant said.
Details were slow in coming because the wounded men appeared to have been drinking and were not fully cooperating with investigators, he added.
No suspect information was available.

From the Associated Press:

RIVERSIDE -- Authorities are investigating whether a motorcycle gang rigged a Southern California police building with booby traps after becoming angry when police monitored the funeral of a member.
Hemet police spokesman Lt. Duane Wisehart said Thursday it was one of several possible motives being considered regarding the attacks.
"They are definitely one of the suspects," Wisehart said. "It's coincidental at minimum."
California Attorney General Jerry Brown and other officials announced a $200,000 reward for help finding whoever set the booby traps.
"Somebody out there is trying to kill one of our police officers," Hemet Police Chief Richard Dana said. "The only reason they haven't killed an officer yet is because we've been observant enough to see devices."
Authorities said about 30 members of the Vagos, California's largest motorcycle gang, were arrested Wednesday as part of a crackdown in Riverside and Shasta counties in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah.
About 100 members of the Vagos gang attended the Dec. 29 funeral at a church across the street from the anti-gang unit's headquarters in Hemet, authorities said.
Officers monitored the memorial but did not attend the service. Some of the Vagos members were questioned or followed as they left town.
"They were there, we were there," said Riverside County sheriff's Capt. Walter Meyer, who oversees the regional gang task force. "Is there information that could indicate it was possibly them? Absolutely."
Meyer, however, said members of other gangs had not been ruled out as suspects.
"Obviously we have angered somebody," he said.
Two days after the Vagos funeral, someone drilled a hole in the roof of the police building and diverted a natural gas line from a heater, filling the space with flammable gas. The trap was discovered before anyone was hurt.
Last month, a contraption rigged to a security gate at the building sent a bullet whizzing past an officer's head. Nobody was hurt in that attack or another incident when an unspecified, dangerous device was found near an officer's car.
Dana said several other booby trap attacks were being investigated, but he declined to discuss details.
Meyer said there are about 200 Vagos members in Riverside County.
The gang specializes in methamphetamine sales, identity theft and violence, he said.
Hemet is located in Riverside County's San Jacinto Valley and has a population of about 75,000 people.

The same man is suspected of robbing two Valley Boulevard Bank of America branches in Rosemead and Alhambra in the past two months, FBI officials said Thursday.
The bank robberies tied to the bandit occurred Wendesday in Rosemead and Jan. 23 in Alhambra, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
The robber is a white man of large build with grey hair and a grey mustache who appears to be in his 50s or 60s, Eimiller said.
"They're calling him the "Golden Years Bandit," she said.
"In both cases, he used a type-written note that was handed to the teller," she added.
The notes demanded large bills and threatened violence if the teller did not comply, Eimiller said, though no weapons have been seen during the heists.
The most recent robbery occurred at a Bank of America branch in Rosemead, 8856 East Valley Boulevard, according to sheriff's and FBI officials.
After using a note to rob a teller, the bandit was last seen fleeing south on Ivar Avenue in a older-model, beige van, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Tom McNeal said.
Witnesses said there may have been another person in the van, though they could five no description.
Eimiller said the note in Wednesday robbery in Rosemead threatened that if anyone followed the robber, the robber's partner would shoot him.
It was unclear Thursday whether or not the man was working with an accomplice, she said.
Just under two months earlier, the same man is suspected in a similar robbery at the Alhambra Bank of America branch at 444. E Valley Boulevard, Eimiller said.
In that crime, no getaway vehicle was seen, Alhambra police Detective Tai Seki said.
In both cases, the robber passed his demand note and received the cash through bullet-proof glass partitions separating customers from bank employees known as "bandit barriers," bank surveillance photos provided by the FBI show.
In both robberies, officials declined to release the amount of money stolen. No injuries were reported in either incident.

MONTBELLO -- In response to the shooting death of a 19-year-old man at a Montebello park last week, Montebello police searched 19 locations and arrested three people in a sweep Wednesday, police said.
Officials served arrest and search warrants, conducted probation and parole compliance checks and carried out code enforcement investigations during the operation, Montebello police Sgt. Luis Lopez said in a written statement.
Three young men, whose names were not released due to an ongoing investigation, were booked on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sale and outstanding warrants, Lopez said. None of the three jailed Wednesday were suspected of being directly involved in the recent homicide.
Raymond Camberos died as paramedics rushed him to the hospital after he was shot March 11 at Reggie Rodriguez Park, authorities said.
Police and family members of Camberos said he was playing basketball at the park when he was attacked by three unidentified young men.
Camberos is survived by a 1-year-old son.
Wednesday's sweep, "was conducted in response to the homicide," Lopez said.
"The Montebello Police Department will continue to follow every lead and use all available resources to apprehend the persons involved in the killing of Raymond Anthony Camberos," he said.
In addition to Montebello officials, Lopez said, county probation and state parole officials participated in the sweep.

ROSEMEAD -- A man escaped Wednesday after robbing a Rosemead bank branch, authorities said.
The robbery was reported just after 6 p.m. at Bank of America, 8856 Valley Boulevard, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Tom McNeal said.
The robber entered the bank, presented a note to a teller demanding money and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash, the lieutenant said. No weapon was seen.
He was last seen getting into a beige, older-model van that may have had another person inside, McNeal said. The was was last seen driving south on Ivar Avenue.
Deputies stopped a van that matched the description in the area of Santa Anita and Garvey avenues but determined the people inside were not the robbers, he said.
Officials described the robber as a white man in his 50s, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, bearded, wearing a black jacket and a baseball cap.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Temple Station.

SAN DIMAS -- An armed robber fled with an undisclosed amount of cash Wednesday after holding up a check cashing business, authorities said.
The crime was reported about 1 p.m. at Check Into Cash, 865 W. Arrow Highway, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Craig Boyett said.
The robber was described only as a white man with a goatee, armed with a handgun, the lieutenant said.
After robbing the business, the robber was last spotted fleeing the area on foot, he said.
No injuries were reported.

Lifetime unveiled their heavily advertised made-for-TV movie this week. In case you missed it, here's my review: (Snippet below)

Every now and again we in the newspaper business get packages containing DVDs of upcoming television programs.

It's never anything good like "The Sopranos" or "Man v. Food." So usually the DVDs end up in the round file with the all the other junk that entertainment publicists send here.

Needless to say that basket has been filled up with its share of Artemis Pyle CDs and "Dora the Explorer" lunchboxes.

About two weeks ago I got a DVD from Lifetime Network as part of a package touting an upcoming movie titled "Who is Clark Rockefeller?"

Honestly I had no desire to watch it.

Besides re-runs of "The Simpsons," my box set of "The Wire," "Poorman's Bikini Beach" "Kelly's Heroes" "Dirty Harry" or just about any Jackie Chan movie, my boob tube diet is limited - and it doesn't include Lifetime.

But instead of tossing it, I stuffed it in a box in my garage and forgot about it.

I understand why they sent it my way.

COVINA -- A Covina woman died Sunday after she was struck by a car while walking across the street, police said.
Annie Tomassacci, 56, died at the scene of the crash, Covina police said in a written statement.
The crash occurred just before 2 p.m. as Tomassacci was crossing east across Grandview Avenue at Badillo Street in a crosswalk, police said.
She was struck by a Hyundai Sonata being driven south on Grandview Avenue by a 22-year-old Covina woman, the statement said.
Traffic on Grandview Avenue at Badillo Street is regulated by a stop sign, Covina police Lt. David Povero said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation Sunday, officials said, however the driver was not arrested or cited at the scene.
Badillo Street between Barranca and Grand avenues was closed for about three hours during the investigation, Povero said.
No further details were available.

PASADENA -- Firefighters used their breathing apparatus to protect them from marijuana smoke as they battled a blaze inside a medical cannabis dispensary early Sunday, officials said.
The fire was reported about 4:45 a.m. at 50 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
The fire caused about $12,000 in damage to the building and its contents, Derderian said. Some marijuana burned in the fire, though it was not clear how much.
"All companies were notified of the product involved and to remain in full breathing apparatus during the operations," Pasadena fire officials said in a written statement.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation late Sunday, Derderian said.

PASADENA -- Officials used a helicopter to hoist a woman from Eaton Canyon Sunday after she fell ill while hiking, authorities said.
The incident was reported about 12:30 p.m. in the southern portion of Eaton Canyon, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
A 26-year-old woman was hiking with friends when she became sick with what appeared to be diabetic symptoms, Derderian said.
Officials initially hiked in to check on the woman, then determined a helicopter rescue was in order, she said.
The woman was taken to an area hospital where she was expected to be okay, Derderian said.
Sunday's incident was the third time officials have had to rescue hikers from Eaton Canyon this week, she added.
As the weather gets warmer, Derderian advised nature-lovers to be cautious while exploring wild areas.
"We can't emphasize enough the need to be prepared," she said.

PHOTO courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department

From the Associated Press:

BURBANK -- An FBI probe into allegations of excessive force at the Burbank Police Department reveals an agency beset by problems including accusations of racial discrimination and the suicide of a sergeant, according to a newspaper report Sunday.
The 166-officer force is so divided that newly appointed interim Chief Scott LaChasse has hired psychologists to help him come up with a corrective plan, a newspaper reported. Officers have accused colleagues of taking part in beatings and acting out of deeply entrenched racial bias.
The City Council has set aside more than $1 million to pay for policing experts to assess the department.
Federal prosecutors are scrutinizing several cases involving use of force against suspects, and have subpoenaed the department's files relating to two cases.
One of those cases involved Neil Thomas Gunn Sr., a 22-year veteran of the force, who turned a 12-gauge shotgun on himself in October in a quiet hillside Burbank neighborhood. He left a note that said, "This is absolutely work related."
Gunn was a sergeant in charge of the department's Special Enforcement Detail, an elite unit responsible for making high-risk arrests -- and one of several Burbank officers who are subjects of an FBI investigation into allegations of excessive force, the newspaper reported.
Gunn and another sergeant helped conduct searches of locations linked to suspects in a Dec. 28, 2007, restaurant robbery.
At the time, there were anonymous complaints of excessive force, but an internal probe found no substantiation for them. The case was reopened last spring when a detective told authorities that he had watched an officer grab a suspect by the throat and put a gun to his head while the suspect was sitting in a hallway in the police station waiting to be interviewed.
Meanwhile, lawsuits brought by members of the force allege minority officers in the department were taunted by white officers, passed over for promotions, denied backup and, in one case, threatened by a fellow officer at gunpoint.
City attorneys have denied the allegations.
Gunn's wife, Tina, said her husband felt humiliated and betrayed by having his actions in the field second-guessed. Gunn believed he was being railroaded for having spoken out against the police leadership at police union meetings, his wife said.
He "felt like the fix was in," she said, "that it didn't matter what he said."

BALDWIN PARK -- Coroner's officials released the name Saturday of a man who died after being struck by four vehicles while crossing the 10 Freeway on foot.
Jose Gonzalez, 27, of Rosemead died at the scene of the incident on the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway, near the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jim Blacklock said.
Gonzalez was trying to run across the freeway when he was struck by a big-rig and three other vehicles, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
No disabled vehicle was found in the immediate area, officials said, and it was unclear why the man was on the freeway.

Authorities are looking into whether an incident of man trying to beckon a school girl into her car in Walnut last week may be related to a failed child kidnapping attempt in West Covina days earlier.
No concrete links have been made between the cases, but the descriptions given of the suspects and cars involved bare some similarities, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Perez said.
"We always have to look into that, especially when there's some similarities," the sergeant said.
The most recent incident was reported about 2:30 p.m. Monday at Citadel Drive and Falling Springs Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Perez said.
A 13-year-old girl was walking home from school when a man pulled up in a car and told her to get inside, the sergeant said.
The girl ignored him and sought help, Perez said, and the suspect drove off.
The man was described as a white man in his 30s with brown hair, of medium build and clean-shaven, he said. His car was described as a blue or silver, 4-door, 90's model Toyota or Honda.
The previous week in West Covina, a man grabbed a 16-year-old girl as she was walking home from school about 4:45 p.m. March 3 at Cortez Street and Prospero Drive and tried to pull her into his car, West Covina police said in a written statement.
The girl struggled and the man slapped her, police said, but she was able to escape after kicking the man in the groin.
In the West Covina incident, the suspect was described as a Latino man between 30 and 35, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and of medium build, police said. He had brown eyes and brown, wavy hair and thick eyebrows. He wore a black, zippered hooded sweat shirt and baggy blue pants.
His car was described as a blue, late-model Toyota Camry.
In the West Covina case, police released a composite drawing of the suspect.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Walnut-Diamond Bar Station or the West Covina Police Department.

TEMPLE CITY -- A 20-year-old Temple City man died in a motorcycle crash Friday, authorities said.
The motorcyclist's name was not available Friday afternoon pending positive identification and notification of family members, coroner's officials said.
The crash was reported about 1 p.m. on Rosemead Boulevard at Emperor Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Tom McNeal said.
The motorcyclist was northbound on Rosemead Boulevard when he collided with a Toyota Matrix being driven by a 21-year-old man, the lieutenant said.
The driver of the Matrix was making a left turn from southbound Rosemead onto Emperor Avenue when the car and motorcycle collided in the intersection during a yellow light, McNeal said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, he said, and officials had not determined whether the motorcyclist or driver was at fault. Drugs or alcohol did not appear to be a factor.
"There was another car that was there that may have obstructed the view of the (Matrix driver)," McNeal said.
The driver of the Matrix was "traumatized," but uninjured," he added.

PASADENA --- Jury deliberations continued Friday in the murder trial of Dwayne Rice, court officials said.
Prosecutors allege the 27-year-old Pasadena gang member fatally shot 31-year-old David Crosby inside the crowded Atlantis restaurant and night club on May 29 of last year because Crosby belonged to a rival street gang.
Attorneys on both sides completed their closing arguments in Pasadena Superior Court Thursday, and the jury was given the case for deliberation.
The prosecution argued that the killing was witnessed by several people who knew Rice well, and the defense maintained that Rice was not present at the time of the shooting.
Rice is charged with murder and the special allegations that the murder was a gang crime and that he used a firearm in the killing.

MONTEREY PARK -- A young woman was killed and a young man was badly injured late Thursday in a single car crash on Atlantic Boulevard, police said.
Jasmine Alexi Garcia, 19, of Los Angeles died in the crash, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.
The crash occurred just before midnight in the 700 block of Atlantic Boulevard, Monterey Park police officials said in a written statement.
Garcia was a passenger in the car, officials said, and the driver, a 19-year-old man, was hospitalized in an intensive care unit.
The investigation was ongoing, however officials said it initially appeared the 2007 Scion was southbound at high speed just prior to the crash.
"The driver lost control of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to traverse all the lanes of traffic in an eastbound direction," according to the police statement. "The vehicle then collided with a tree."
Monterey Park firefighters used the "Jaws of Life" to free Garcia and the driver from the wreckage, police said.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said, and the driver was taken to Los Angeles County--USC Medical Center for treatment.
The traffic investigators handling the investigation could not be reached for comment Friday.

PASADENA -- The jury saw the final day of witness testimony Wednesday in the murder trial of a gang member accused of shooting a Lancaster man to death last year inside a Pasadena restaurant.
Dwayne Rice, 27, is charged with murder in the May 29 shooting death of 32-year-old David Crosby of Lancaster at the Atlantis night club and restaurant.
Crosby's Mother, Dorothea Cook, said she was eager to see the trail come to and end.
"I hope it will be wrapped up soon," she said. "I just pray day and night for justice. I'm not mad at anybody. I just want justice."
Closing arguments will be heard in Pasadena Superior Court Thursday, before the jury gets the case for deliberation.
Under questioning from prosecutor Paul Kim, Pasadena police Detective Keith Gomez testified Wednesday that several witnesses reported seeing Rice shoot Crosby.
"Three people that night identified (Rice) as the shooter," he said.
Charles Wetstone, a former co-defendant in the murder case, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault with a deadly weapon last month and agreed to testify against Rice. Wetstone is expected to be sentenced to nine years in prison later this month.
Wetstone's Myspace.com Web page was riddled with gang references, Gomez said, and appeared to be "idolizing" or "honoring" Rice. Based on documented encounters with police, Gomez testified that Rice had been hanging out with documented, active Bloods gang members for years.
Wetstone testified last week that he and Rice acted on orders from gang leaders to tell Crosby and another man to leave the restaurant because they belonged to a rival Bloods gang, the Squiggly Lane Gangsters.
Defense Attorney Christopher Chaney tried to cast doubt on the prosecution's case. He has said he doesn't think Wetstone is a credible witness, and that
Defense witness Princess Patterson testified that she lived in Pasadena at the time of the Atlantis shooting, and that Rice was at her house shortly after the incident.
Patterson testified that people began calling her about 7:30 p.m. on May 29 to tell her about the 6:40 p.m. shooting, and that Rice was already there with her.
"He had been sitting there for quite a while," she said. "Maybe an hour."
Patterson added that Rice was not acting unusual when he was with her at her home.
Chaney pointed out that one witness said she was able to pick out Wetstone's photograph as a suspect in the incident, but could not identify Rice as the shooter.
Crosby was killed as he gathered with dozens of friends and family members at the restaurant following a funeral for his cousin, Darryl Stephens, who police said died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an Upland apartment on May 17 of last year.
Rice's brother testified last year that Rice and Stephens did not get along and had been arguing over a woman before Stephens died.
Crosby's mother said she remains shocked by the slaying of her son, and his family, including his two children, are struggling with the loss daily.
"He was a good man," she said. "He had a passion for people. He didn't deserve to die this way."
"You kill another man while he's mourning for his cousin -- that's cold-blooded," she added.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- Four armed and masked men carried out a takeover-style robbery at a Rowland Heights bank branch Wednesday, authorities said.
Three employees were hospitalized with apparently minor injuries after being struck in the head during the robbery, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Angie Wilkinson said.
The crime was reported about 9:20 a.m. at the Cathay Bank, 17432 Colima Road, the sergeant said.
The robbers were described only as four black men with handguns, wearing hooded sweat shirts and masks, she said.
They fled the scene in a white Toyota sedan which deputies found abandoned a few blocks away from the bank, Wilkinson said. The car had been reported stolen.
The FBI, which investigated bank robberies, is assisting the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department in the investigation.

ROSEMEAD -- Three men and a woman have been jailed on suspicion of a takeover-style bank robber in Rosemead last week, authorities said Wednesday.
Terrion Collins, 23, Donnieyell Ferguson, 23, Dwayne Taylor, 22, and Teela Manuel, 21, all of Los Angeles, were booked on suspicion of armed robbery after being stopped by Los Angeles police hours after the Friday robbery in Rosemead, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Tom McNeal said.
They were detained by Los Angeles police for an unrelated reason when officials determined they suspects in the bank robbery, which was reported about 12:30 p.m. at the East West Bank, 8632 Valley Blvd, McNeal said.
Two of the men allegedly jumped the bank counters and stole cash, while a third stood by the door and watched the security guard, spokeswoman Lourdes Arocho of the FBI said.
The female suspect, Manuel, was seen inside the bank just before the robbery and was suspected of being an accomplice in the robbery, McNeal said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Manuel is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, Collins is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail, Taylor is being held without bail and Ferguson was released early Wednesday after posting bond.
Collins and Manuel were scheduled to be arraigned in El Monte Superior Court Tuesday, however an update on their case was not available Wednesday evening, records show.
Ferguson and Taylor are due in El Monte Superior Court March 25 for arraignment.
It was unclear Wednesday if the four robbery suspects may be connected to other area bank robberies.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- A young man died after being struck by a car Sunday, authorities said.
The pedestrian, initially described only as a 19-year-old man pending notification of his family, died at the Citrus Valley Medical Center -- Queen of the Valley Campus, just after the crash, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said.
The incident was reported about 7:30 p.m. on Gale Avenue at Angelcrest Drive, the lieutenant said.
A sedan being driven east on Gale Avenue by a man in his early 20s struck the pedestrian, who initially appeared to have been jaywalking, Yokoyama said.
Though deputies from the sheriff's Industry Station were the first to arrive at the scene, the crash is being investigated by the Santa Fe Springs Office of the CHP.
No further details were available late Sunday.

PASADENA -- A 17-year-old Pasadena boy was shot and killed Sunday, authorities said.
Abraham Rodriguez died at Huntington Memorial Hospital shortly after the shooting, coroner's officials said.
He was found shot just before 10 a.m. on Tremont Street, just east of Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
Few details were initially known about the shooting, which apparently stemmed from "some sort of altercation," Russ said.
Officers were patrolling in the area when they spotted the wounded teenager, Russ said.
"Officers observed the victim running in the area of Fair Oaks and Tremont," he said.
When they approached him, they realized he'd been shot.
No arrests had been made in the case, Russ said, though the investigation was ongoing. A motive was also unclear.
Police scoured the neighborhood in search of witnesses but found no one who reported seeing what happened. One person reported hearing an apparent gunshot.
Another witness reported seeing two people described only as "black males" in the area just prior to the shooting, but it was unclear if they were involved, Russ added.
Police used a bloodhound to try and track the shooter with no luck, Pasadena police Lt. Keith Jones said.
The street where the shooting took place has retirement homes standing on both sides.
Forensic investigators took measurements and examined the scene Sunday afternoon.
Several yellow, numbered evidence tags remained strewn across Tremont Street and Fair Oaks Avenue, though most of the evidence had already been collected to protect it from rain Sunday morning, Russ said. Police declined to say what evidence they collected.
At the scene on Sunday afternoon, one officer collected what appeared to be a lottery scratcher ticket and placed it in an evidence envelope.
Police also cordoned off a bus stop on Fair Oaks Avenue at Tremont Street, where Russ said possible evidence was found.
Sunday's slaying was Pasadena's first reported homicide in 2010, Jones said.
The city saw five criminal homicides in 2009.
They included two stabbings, one shooting, a strangling and the death of a toddler through suspected child abuse.

EL MONTE -- A jury has found in favor of El Monte and its police department after an officer claimed he was passed over for promotions because he reported alleged misconduct.
El Monte Police Officer George Fierro claimed in a lawsuit filed in May of 2008 that he was denied promotions and job assignments because he spoke up about other officers' unethical behavior.
A year later, as television news choppers videotaped, the department veteran of more than 15 years kicked El Monte Flores gang member Richard Rodriguez in the head as he lay on the ground following a car chase.
On Feb. 26, a Pomona Superior Court jury disagreed with Fierro's retaliation claims, and Superior Court Judge Dan Thomas Oki ratified the verdict on Monday, according to officials and court documents.
El Monte Police Chief Tom Armstrong said he was pleased at the verdict.
"We as a city and as a police department always felt that we had not retaliated against (Fierro) in any way, shape or form," Armstrong said. "There was sound reasoning for the decisions we made. Unfortunately, (Fierro) felt otherwise."
Fierro's attorney, Michael A. McGill, could not be reached for comment Saturday. An official at the El Monte Police Department said Fierro was not working on Saturday.
Fierro has 60 days, as of March 1, to appeal the decision.
El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero declined to comment in detail about the lawsuit.
"I think the verdict speaks for itself," he said. "In this regard, the jury found for the city."
Fierro reported in 1999 that an El Monte police officer discharged her gun outside a pub in Diamond Bar, according to the lawsuit. The officer was sentenced to probation and was no longer allowed to carry a gun.
Fierro applied for eight positions during the next three years, but did not get any of them, according to the complaint.
Then in 2003, Fierro reported that a detective conducted an improper search, according to the lawsuit. He then applied for several more promotions, but he did not get any of them.
Fierro sought more than $250,000 in damages, Armstrong said.
The chief said he has no animosity toward Fierro, who continues to be employed as a patrol officer in El Monte.
"He followed his rights," Armstrong said. "I'm just disappointed he so misinterpreted the facts that he thought (a lawsuit) was necessary."
Fierro came under investigation after a news helicopter recorded him kicking Rodriguez in the head on May 13, as he lay prone in a Pico Rivera back yard following the police chase.
Rodriguez was sentenced to two years in prison for the pursuit, as well as two more years for previous charges.
He has filed a claim against the city for $5 million in damages related to the incident.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office determined late last year that charges would not be sought against Fierro for what officials called a "distraction blow" to allow them to safely take Rodriguez into custody.
An internal El Monte Police Department investigation into whether the incident was within department policy remains ongoing, and the FBI is also looking into the matter.
Following the pursuit incident, it was learned that Fierro owned a business called "Torcido Clothing," which sells gang-related apparel.

WEST COVINA -- Two apparent gang members suspected of carjacking a man in West Covina were arrested in Los Angeles early Saturday, likely just before they carried out a shooting, police said.
Frank Uribe, 34, of Los Angeles and Daniel Valadez, 28, of Chino, were booked on suspicion of carjacking, West Covina police said in a written statement.
"It was suspected that Uribe and Valadez were in another gang area to do a drive-by shooting in the carjacked vehicle," the statement said.
The carjacking was reported about 10:30 p.m. Friday in the 1300 block of West Garvey Avenue North, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said.
A 33-year-old Pomona man was having trouble with his 1993 Honda Accord and stopped to check it out, police said in a written statement.
Two men then approached him an asked him what gang he was from, Sevilla said. When the man said he was not in a gang, the men began punching him.
The motorist fled and was chased by two other men, police said, but managed get away, police said.
He then saw all four of his attackers drive away in his car, Sevilla said.
LAPS officers from the Hollenbeck area spotted Uribe and Valadez driving in the stolen car about 1:50 a.m. Saturday, Sevilla said. They were driving in a rival gang neighborhood, had bandanas over their faces and a 9mm handgun with them.
Uribe was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, and Valadez was being held without bail, sheriff's booking records indicated. The men are due in West Covina Superior Court Tuesday for arraignment.

WEST VALINDA -- A man was shot and wounded early Saturday as he rode his bicycle in West Valinda, authorities said.
The crime occurred about 1:20 p.m. in the 13600 block of Judith Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
The victim, a 39-year-old man, was riding his bike when he heard a car approaching behind him, followed by gunshots, officials said.
"After feeling a burning sensation to his left arm, he realized he had been shot," the statement said.
A friend took the wounded man to a local hospital, where he was expected to survive.
A motive or suspect description in the attack was not known.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Industry Station.

ALHAMBRA -- Firefighters battled a large blaze at a commercial building Friday, authorities said.
The fire was first reported shortly after 8 p.m. at 2620 Concord Avenue.
The first firefighters to arrive on the scene called for backup to help douse a large fire in the attic of the structure, Alhambra Fire Department dispatcher Steve Pierson said.
Firefighters remained on-scene late Friday, officials said.
No injuries were reported, and no further details were available.

INDUSTRY -- A robber fled empty-handed after trying to rob a hamburger stand late Friday, officials said.
The incident occurred about 8:15 p.m. at Hamburger Express, 2060 Workman Mill Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said.
The would-be robber pointed a gun at employees at the restaurant and demanded money, Katz said.
The employees did not comply, possibly because of a language barrier, the lieutenant said.
Katz said the failed robber then went around the counter and began trying to open the cash register when he apparently realized he was being recorded on a surveillance camera and fled without taking anything.
Officials described the robber as a Latino man in his early- to mid-30s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a black hooded sweat shirt, black sunglasses and blue jeans. Witnesses described the handgun he carried as "large."
He may have fled in a grey, 4-door compact car, Katz said.
Deputies were planning to review the surveillance tape to see if it revealed a clear image of the suspect, he said.
No injuries were reported.

ROSEMEAD -- Three men escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash Friday after a takeover robbery inside a Rosemead bank branch, authorities said.
Two of the robbers jumped over the counter and emptied cash registers while a third stood by the door and guarded the security guard, said spokeswoman Lourdes Arocho of the FBI.
The crime occurred about 12:30 p.m. at the East West Bank, formerly known as the United Commercial Bank, 8632 Valley Blvd., Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lt. Tom McNeal said.
The robbers told the bank employees, "Do not move. Put your hands up. Give me the money," Arocho said.
Though no gun was seen, one of the robbers gestured as if he had a gun in his pocket, she added.
The robbers were last seen running from the bank with the stolen cash, McNeal said. No getaway car was seen.
They were described as three black men in their mid-20s, with masks covering the bottom portion of their faces, Arocho said. All were of medium build and between 5-feet, 8 inches and 6-feet tall, and all carried plastic grocery bags.
One of the robbers wore a grey hooded sweat shirt and blue jeans, according to the FBI.
The second robber wore a checkered flannel shirt, dark-colored pants and a baseball cap. The third wore a black hooded sweat shirt.
No one was injured.
Deputies interviewed bank customers and employees inside the bank for several hours following the heist. A crisis counselor was summoned to talk to the victims.
Customers of the bank declined to comment.
Arocho said officials were looking into the possibility Friday's robbery may have been the work of serial bandits, though it was too early to know for sure.
A group of counter-hopping bank robbers with a similar description known by the FBI as the "20 Questions Bandits" are currently being sought for seven bank robberies in El Monte, Thousand Oaks, Ventura, Oxnard, Westminster and San Clemente.

ARCADIA -- Police hosted a community meeting Thursday to teach residents about how to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
About three dozen people attended the event, titled "Don't Be A Victim," held at the Arcadia Public Library. Arcadia Police Chief Robert Sanderson and Sgt. Brian Ortiz addressed residents and responded to questions.
The chief encouraged residents to be the department's eyes and ears, and to report suspicious activity to police.
"Do not hesitate to call us," Sanderson said. "We really emphasize, call, call, call."
Ortiz agreed, saying, "Don't ignore your instincts. If you see something that looks suspicious, it probably is."
Ortiz offered other tips to help avoid becoming a crime victim, such as keeping valuables out of plain view, keeping hedges trimmed away from front windows.
"Criminals look for easy targets," he said. "Make it more difficult for them."
The sergeant also advised residents to walk with their keys in hand as they approach their cars.
Not only will it allow them to get into cars more quickly should trouble arise, he said, "If you are assaulted by someone, keys make a pretty good weapon."
Ortiz also cited ways in which the Arcadia Police Department has been incorporating technology into police work.
License plate reading cameras, composite drawing software and audio recording enhancement equipment are just a few examples Ortiz gave.
The department has also recently set up a new public information blog, arcadiapolice.blogspot.com, and uses Nixle.com to send out alerts to interested residents, officials said. The department is also looking into putting all of it's crime data online on a "crime map."
In addition to giving out safety tips, Sanderson warned residents that a state plan to release tens of thousand of convicted felons from prison over the next several years could have a major impact on local crime trends as the county sees "more criminals on the streets."
Though a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ordering the release of more than 40,000 state prisoners over the next two years is on hold pending review by the California Supreme Court, both the county jail and state prisons are planning to release thousands of inmates early this year due to budget problems, Sanderson said.
The chief said he estimated the number of prisoners released into Los Angeles County would more than double this year, from about 7,000 to about 14,500.
"We can extrapolate and expect that crime is going to go up in the next few years," he said.
Arcadia City Councilman Peter Amundson attended the meeting.
"I think it was a great presentation," he said. "I just wish more people would have come.
"(Arcadia) is a safe city," Amundson added, "but we always need to be prepared, so I appreciate what they're doing."

WEST COVINA - A teenage girl escaped a would-be kidnapper Wednesday after kicking him in the groin, police said.
The incident occurred about 4:45 p.m. as the 16-year-old girl was walking home from school on Cortez Street near Prospero Drive when she was approached by a dark blue, late-model Toyota Camry, West Covina police Officer Eddie Flores said in a written statement.
A man inside the car asked the victim if she needed a ride, the officer said. When she replied that she didn't, the man walked up to her, grabbed her by the arm and began pulling her toward his car.
The victim tried to push the man away and he slapped her in the face, Flores said. The girl then kicked the man in the groin and ran away.
The failed kidnapper got back into his car and drove west on Cortez Street, he added.
The suspect is described as a Latino man between 30 and 35, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and of medium build, police said. He had brown eyes and brown, wavy hair and thick eyebrows. He wore a black, zippered hooded sweat shirt and baggy blue pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call West Covina police at 626-939-8557, or the anonymous tip line at 626-939-8688. Tips can also be sent via text message to 847411.

*Composite drawing of suspect comes courtesy of the West Covina Police Department

WEST COVINA -- Two women were held captive in their West Covina home during a home invasion robbery, police said Thursday.
The crime was reported about 2 p.m. Wednesday at a home in the 2700 block of E. Miranda Street, West Covina police said in a written statement.
An 82-year-old woman who suffers from dementia and vision problems answered a knock at the door and found two men, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said. One of them was armed with a handgun, and the other carried a collapsible, police-style baton.
The men ordered to elderly woman to sit down and tied up a 52-year-old woman who was also inside the home, the lieutenant said.
One robber ransacked the home while the other held the women captive, he added.
Once the robbers left, the younger woman was able to untie herself, according the the police statement. Neither woman was injured in the incident.
Police described the robbers as two Latino man in their mid- to late-20s, wearing beanie caps, dark sunglasses, button-down flannel shirts and tan pants.
No description of a getaway car was available late Thursday, though Sevilla said police were scouring area surveillance cameras in hopes of finding an image of the robbers.

ARCADIA -- Police are seeking three men who attacked, robbed and carjacked a mother and son in front of their home late Wednesday.
The victims, a man in his 30s and a woman in her 60s, had been collecting rent from rental properties they own in El Monte and South El Monte prior to the crime, and they may have been followed home by the carjackers, Arcadia police Lt. Paul Foley said.
The crime occurred just before 9:30 p.m. as man and his mother had just pulled into their driveway in the 200 block of West Lemon Avenue when they were confronted by a man with a crowbar, police said in a written statement.
"The suspect smashed the left front window of the victim's car and ordered the victim out of the vehicle," the statement said.
Two other carjackers opened the passenger door and attacked the woman, authorities said.
"Those suspects grabbed the female's purse and punched her in the head multiple times, pulling her from the vehicle," according to the police statement.
All three men then fled in the victims' SUV, a blue, 2006 Lexus RX 330 with a California license plate number of 5SNA020, police said. They escaped with the SUV, the woman's purse, cash and personal checks.
Foley declined to say how much money was stolen in the crime, but called it, "a substantial amount."
The SUV was last seen driving west on Lemon Avenue, Foley said, and remained missing Thursday afternoon. Anyone who sees it is asked not to approach it and to call police immediately.
A white van seen fleeing the area along with the stolen SUV may have been involved, Foley said.
Detective suspect the crooks may have targeted the mother and son because they knew they were collecting rent money, he added. Neither was seriously injured in the incident.
All three carjackers were described as men in their 20s wearing dark clothing, police said. One was described as a Latino man with a mustache.
Foley said Wednesday crime does not appear connected to any other Arcadia crimes, including other violent robberies carried out in the city in recent months.
A father, mother and son were bound inside their home during a home-invasion robbery carried out by three men on Nov. 29 in the 100 block of West Forest Avenue.
Four days earlier, two robbers described as teenagers attacked, robbed and tried to tie up a couple in front of their home in the 300 block of West Duarte Road.
In late January, three women were robbed by violent muggers in the parking lot of the 99 Ranch Market, 1300 South Golden West Avenue.
"(Thursday's crime) doesn't seem to be related," Foley said.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Arcadia Police Department.

Pasadena PD announced last week it was going with competitor Crimemapping.com to display calls for service. San Gabriel PD has had an arrangement in place with crimemapping.com for several months.

It's probably only a matter of time before registered sex offender Steven Michael Conklin asks to appeal his 75-to-life sentence for possession of child pornography. That's because West Covina sex investigator Tyler Kennedy played a role in putting Conklin back in prison.