Monthly Archives: March 2010

Police carry out sweep in response to Montebello homicide

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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.

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Bank branch robbed in Rosemead

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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.

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Check cashing business robbed in San Dimas

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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.

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Who is Clark Rockefeller?

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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.

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Pedestrian fatally struck by car in Covina

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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.

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Fire damages medical marijuana dispensary in Pasadena

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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.

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Hiker rescued from Eaton Canyon

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38634-EATON CANYON RESCUE 3-14-10-thumb-300x375-38633.jpgPASADENA — 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

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FBI probe reveals problems reported in Burbank Police Department

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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.”

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Man killed on freeway in Baldwin Park identified

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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.

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Officials probe possible child abduction attempts near schools in Walnut, West Covina

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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.

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