Baldwin Park man dies in hit-and-run crash

BALDWIN PARK – A Baldwin Park man died Sunday after crashing his motorcycle on the 10 Freeway and then being struck by an SUV that continued driving, authorities said.
 Eliseo Castaneda, 35, was taken to Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Baldwin Park in critical condition following the 4:45 p.m. crash on the westbound 10 Freeway, just west of Baldwin Park Boulevard, California Highway Patrol Sgt. John Escobedo said. He succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
 He had just driven his 2009 Honda motorcycle onto the freeway from the Baldwin Park Boulevard onramp when he rear-ended a Toyota Corolla being driven by a 24-year-old Pacoima woman, the sergeant said.
 “The rider was ejected from the motorcycle onto the roadway and was struck by a passing vehicle,” Escobedo said.
 That second vehicle, described only as a black SUV, continued driving without stopping, he said.
 CHP officers are asking the public’s help in finding the SUV and its driver.
 “There’s going to be significant damage to the right front side,” Escobedo said, adding that witnesses reported that one of the front headlights was hanging out of place.
 Anyone with information is asked to call the Baldwin Park office of the CHP at 626-338-1164.

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Woman stabbed in alleged road rage incident in Pasadena

PASADENA — Police jailed a man and woman on suspicion of attempted murder after they allegedly stabbed a La Puente woman during a road rage incident in Old Town Sunday, authorities said.
Elizabeth Cortez, 27, of El Monte, and Erik Mota, 26, of San Dimas, were being held in lieu of $1 million bail each at the Pasadena Police Department Jail, Pasadena police Lt. Keith Jones said.
Cortez is suspected of carrying out the stabbing, while Mota is suspected of driving her away from the scene afterward, police said. They are boyfriend and girlfriend.
The stabbing occurred shortly after 2 a.m. at a parking structure near Green Street and Arroyo Parkway, Jones said.
The alleged victim, a La Puente woman in her early 20s, was hospitalized in serious condition but was expected to survive, he said.
The woman and the two suspects got into an argument following a minor crash inside the parking structure, Jones said.
“(Cortez) got out of the passenger side of her vehicle and reached through the open window and stabbed the victim once in the chest and once in the left thigh,” the lieutenant said.
The wounded woman then sped away from the area and made it to Los Robles Avenue and Glenarm Street, Jones said, before she passed out and crashed into a parked car.
Using surveillance footage, detectives were able to track the suspects to a home in San Dimas where they were arrested later Sunday, he said.

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Parolee leads police on high-speed chase

A parolee led Montebello police on a high-speed chase in a stolen car late Saturday before crashing in Whittier, authorities said.
Louis Chavez, 30, of Downey was booked on suspicion of grand theft auto, felony evading and parole violations, Montebello police Lt. Rick Rojas said.
He was being held without bail, he added,
The chase began about 9:30 p.m. when an officer tried to pull over a car Chavez was driving at Beverly Boulevard and Garfield Avenue, Rojas said.
Chavez refused to pull over and drove recklessly and at high speeds as he tried to elude police, the lieutenant said.
The pursuit got onto the eastbound 60 Freeway, then onto the southbound 605 Freeway, Rojas said.
At several points during the chase, he said, officers on the ground lost sight of the fleeing car, but a police helicopter was able to keep track of it.
Media reports indicated the chase reached speeds in excess of 100 mph.
As the chase neared Whittier Boulevard, the car Chavez was driving collided with two other vehicles, police said. Those inside the vehicles, including Chavez, suffered only minor injuries.
Chavez continued fleeing on foot, Rojas said, and was found by police a short time later hiding in a tree in the 5900 block of Ben Alder Avenue in Whittier.
Information on Chavez initial court appearance was not available Sunday.

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Man’s body found beneath Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena

PASADENA — The body of a man who apparently committed suicide by jumping off the Colorado Street Bridge in Pasadena was found Saturday afternoon, police said.
The body was discovered by a passer-by about 6 p.m., Pasadena police Lt. Keith Jones said.
No description of the dead man was available late Saturday, he said.
It was not clear when the man may have jumped from the bridge, though it is believed to have occurred within several days, Jones said.
Foul play was not initially suspected, however coroner’s officials will conduct an autopsy on the body to determine an officials cause of death.

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Police arrest alleged graffiti vandal in Azusa

AZUSA — Police arrested a 16-year-old Azusa boy Friday on suspicion of scrawling graffiti on a bus stop, authorities said.
The teen, whose name was not released due to his age, was booked on suspicion of vandalism and possession of graffiti instruments and released to his parents with a written notice to appear in court, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said in a written statement.
A resident called police about 7:15 p.m. to report seeing a teenager writing graffiti on a bus stop, then get on a bus, the sergeant said.
Police pulled over the bus and found the teen on-board, he added. Several ink markers and “graffiti-style” artwork was found in the boy’s possession.
Madaloni said Azusa has a “zero tolerance” policy toward graffiti vandalism.
“The City of Azusa also seeks resitution from convicted graffiti vandals and/or their parents to pay for the cost of repairing the damage,” he said.

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DA won’t file charges against officer in fatal La Habra crash

LA HABRA — The Orange County District Attorney’s Office will not prosecute a La Habra police officer involved in a crash that killed a La Habra couple last year, despite the California Highway Patrol’s recommendation that vehicular manslaughter charges be filed.
Charles Antuna, 54, and his wife Susanne Marie Antuna, 55, died in the crash, which occurred April 5, 2009 at Euclid Street and La Habra Boulevard.
La Habra police officer Nancy Garcia was speeding with her emergency lights and sirens on to assist another officer who was chasing a fleeing parolee with a past history of shooting at police, La Habra police officials said in a written statement.
The DA’s decision not to file criminal charges does not put the matter to rest, La Habra Police Chief Alan Hostetter said.
“Now that the District Attorney has made his decision regarding the filing of charges, an internal La Habra Police Department investigation and administrative review of her actions will proceed,” he said.
In September, the CHP concluded that Garcia’s police car went through a red light at 62 mph when it collided with the Antunas’ car, fatally injuring the couple. The posted speed limit was 35 mph.
Garcia suffered non-life- threatening injuries in the crash.
Based on the investigation, the CHP recommended that vehicular manslaughter charges be filed against Garcia.
Officials from the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, as well as family members of Charles and Susanne Antuna, could not be reached for comment Saturday.
Hostetter said it was the fleeing parolee who was most responsible for the deaths of Charles and Susanne Marie Antuna.
“When people such as the felon attempting to elude police choose to break the law, they oftentimes, as in this case, set in motion dangerous chains of events with potentially deadly consequences,” Hostetter said. “While we are gratified that Officer Garcia will not be criminally prosecuted for understandable desire to rush to the aid of a fellow officer in danger, one cannot overstate what a terrible tragedy this was.”
The chief offered his condolences to the Antunas’ family, adding that the event has devastated Garcia.
“We realize this is a loss that can never be completely repaired,” he said.
Family members of Charles and Susanne Marie Antuna said last year that the couple is survived by three adult children and one elementary- school-age child.

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Man suspected of raping, robbing woman in Angeles National Forest

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST — A wanted parolee allegedly raped, robbed and pepper-sprayed a woman he met at a San Bernardino County casino early Saturday before abandoning her in the Angeles National Forest just south of Mount Baldy, authorities said.
Frederrick Bruno, 31, was booked on suspicion of rape, robbery, assault with a caustic chemical and parole violations, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Bruce Vallerand said. His permanent city of residency was not clear Friday, however he has been staying with a friend in Upland.
Bruno and the 25-year-old alleged victim, an Upland woman, met at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Highland and left together in a vehicle Bruno was driving shortly before 3 a.m., the sergeant said.
He drove the woman to Mount Baldy Road, about two miles south of Mount Baldy, where the alleged attack took place.
“He raped her and Maced her in the face,” Vallerand said. “He then took off with her purse and left her stranded in a roadside turnout.”
“She ended up walking down the mountain in the middle of the night until a good Samaritan picked her up,” he added. She was hospitalized for treatment of apparently minor injuries.
Officials from the sheriff’s San Dimas Station, which is investigating the incident, contacted San Bernardino County sheriff’s officials to check the casino surveillance tapes, Vallerand said.
The San Bernardino investigators were able to locate surveillance footage of Bruno and the woman leaving the casino together, complete with a license plate number.
Officials tracked the license plate to a home in the 1200 block of North Monte Verde Avenue in Upland, Upland police Lt. John Moore said.
Upland police assisted as Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies arrested Bruno about 11:30 a.m. at the home without further incident, officials said.
According to sheriff’s booking records, Bruno was being held without bail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Pomona Superior Court.

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Court date delayed in alleged La Habra hate crime slaying

From the Associated Press:

FULLERTON — Arraignment has been postponed for a reputed gang member charged in the shooting death of a college student at a Halloween party in Orange County in 2006.
The district attorney’s office says David Anthony Parga’s arraignment was postponed Friday until May 21 at the request of the defense.
Parga is charged with street terrorism, committing a hate crime for the benefit of a street gang and using a firearm. The 24-year-old is being held without bail.
California State University, Fullerton student Leland Washington was at a Halloween party in La Habra in 2006 when prosecutors say he was approached by Parga and shot in the chest several times.
Prosecutors say the crime was motivated by his gang’s hatred of African-Americans. Parga is Hispanic.

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Residential break-in reported in Altadena

ALTADENA — Jewelry was stolen from an Altadena home in a burglary Friday morning, officials said.
The crime was reported shortly before 9 a.m. in when a resident returned home to a burglarized home in the 200 block of West Terrace Street, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. David O’Sullivan said.
No description of the burglar or burglars was available, he added.
Sheriff’s officials have noted an increase in burglaries in Altadena late last year and early this year.
Officials have said they hoped the arrest of eight burglary suspects in March would help put an end to the trend.

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Blaze damages vacant apartment in Pasadena

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PASADENA — A fire damaged a unit in an abandoned apartment building Friday that was apparently being used by transients, authorities said.
The blaze was reported about 12:30 p.m. at an abandoned and boarded-up two-story apartment building on Hudson Avenue, just south of Walnut Street, Pasadena Fire Department Capt. A.C. Brown said.
“It remained isolated to the one unit,” he said.
Firefighters quickly cut through a chain-link fence surrounding the property to access the fire, he added.
The cause of the fire in the first-floor apartment remained under investigation, the captain said. It initially appeared it may have been sparked by transients living in the unit, possibly cooking or trying to keep warm.
Officials responded to the same building about a month ago after a small fire, presumably caused by transients, ignited inside the building, Brown said.
About 15 firefighters extinguished the flames within five minutes, Brown added. No injuries were reported.
After putting out the blaze, firefighters worked to clear debris from the scorched building.
Other than trash, there appeared to be no contents inside the apartment, he said. The blaze caused an estimated $10,000 worth of damage to the structure.
Officials said gas and other utilities to the building had already been shut off prior to the fire because it was unoccupied.

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