Pasadena man suspected of attacking, trying to kidnap ex-girlfriend

PASADENA — Police are searching for a 53-year-old man who allegedly beat and tried to kidnap his ex-girlfriend, authorities said Friday.
Jose Castillo of Pasadena is being sough in connection with the alleged attack, Pasadena police Lt. Keith Jones said.
At about 1:07 p.m. Thursday a 45-year-old female Hispanic, of Temple City, was waiting at a bus stop in the 200 block of South Lake Avenue when Castillo allegedly grabbed her by the hair and began striking her, Pasadena Police Lt. Chris Russ said.
The woman suffered minor bruising to her face and arms and also complained of back pain, he said.
After a struggle, the man dragged her through a nearby parking lot and attempted to force her into his 2000 Honda Odyssey, but he fled on foot after several passersby came to her assistance, Russ said.
Castillo and the woman apparently ended a relationship several years ago, Jones said.
Castillo is described as a 5-foot-6-inch male Hispanic weighing 186 pounds.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pasadena Police Department at 626- 744-4241.

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Shootout in El Monte leaves two police officers, bystander and suspect wounded

El MONTE – A man shot two El Monte Police motorcycle officers Friday during a shootout that also ended up with him and a bystander getting hit with bullets.
The two motorcycle officers pulled over a car on Valley Boulevard and Durfee Avenue about 4:30 p.m. when the man started shooting at them, said Lt. Dan Burlingham of the El Monte Police.
One officer was hit in the arm and another was grazed in the torso, Burlingham said.
The officers returned fire, hitting the man in the shoulder, according to Burlingham.
A bystander was shot in the leg, he said.
Burlingham also did not know who shot the bystander, he said.
The man drove off on Durfee toward Elliott Avenue where he crashed and got into a fist fight with a one of the motorists involved in the crash, according to Burlingham.
The man was arrested at the scene after a struggle, Burlingham said.
All four people were hospitalized and were in stable condition, Burlingham said.
He did not immediately know the name of the arrested man or the age or gender of the bystander, he said.

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Apparently drugged man holes up in stranger’s attic in Whittier

WHITTIER — Police arrested an apparently drug-crazed man Friday after he climbed into a stranger’s attic and refused to come down, officials said.
The name of the man, who was estimated to be in his early 20s, was not available late Friday as he was still being examined at the hospital, Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said. He was expected to be booked on suspicion of charges including being under he influence of methamphetamine and trespassing.
Residents called police about 5:30 p.m. to report seeing a man acting strange and running through yards near the 13600 block of Terrace Place, the lieutenant said. A short time later, a family called police to say the man had entered their garage.
Police told the family to evacuate the home, and officers found the intruder in the attic of the home, Dean said.
Officers tried to convince the man to come down for more than an hour before he fell through the ceiling in an apparent attempt to flee, he said. The suspect then jumped out a window into the waiting arms of police.

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Why gun control doesn’t matter

This comes from a local police blotter and basically shows that in the absence of guns and knives, there are plenty “green” weapons out there that can hurt, maim or kill:

“Upon the officers arrival it was discovered a male juvie has been assaulted with
a rock. Suspect description was M/H approx 14-15yrs med build 505/black hair,
victim sustained 1″ laceration to the left side of head and was taken to Queen
of the Valley hospital for further evaluation.”

Wikipedia: “The Daily” could refer to a number of publications and television shows.

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Antonovich: Proposed boycott of Arizona “stupid”

This from a press release put out by Antonovich’s press deputy Tony Bell Wednesday:

Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich called the proposal to divest and boycott Arizona over the state’s passage of SB 1070, making illegal federal immigration law a violation of state law stupid.

“As elected officials, we take an oath to uphold the federal and state constitutions. To boycott a state for enforcing our federal laws is in direct violation of that oath. The propaganda by both the media and others is intentionally misleading because Arizona’s law mirrors federal law. Rather than debating a boycott, this Board should hold our federal representatives accountable for their failure to act on immigration reform but also for their failure to reimburse costs incurred by local governments.

This knee jerk reaction to support law breakers at the expense of law-abiding legal immigrants and other residents is irresponsible.

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Suit claims West Covina cops routinely hooked up with sex crime victims

The suit, filed by Montebello attorney Arnoldo Casillas on behalf of a man who was arrested by suspended officer Tyler Kennedy makes the explosive claim.
The man says Kennedy arrested him and asked a judge to hold him without bail so that Kennedy could carry on an affair with his wife. Here’s the relevant portion of the suit:

“Officers of the West Covina Police Department were permitted to and regularily did pursue and maintain intimate relationships with the victims in the sexual abuse cases they were investigating,”


Casillas’ suit also claims that West Covina officers routinely discriminate against minorities using illegal searches and seizures — and that city officials covered up the criminal activities of rogue West Covina cops.


Kennedy and West Covina Police Chief Frank Wills deny the claims. West Covina Mayor Shelley Sanderson said she backs the police department.


Here’s the story.



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Charter Oak liquor store robbed

Two gunmen fled with an undisclosed amount of cash Wednesday after robbing a liquor store in Charter Oak, authorities said.
The crime was reported just after 9 p.m. at Sunrise Liquor, 20504 E. Arrow Highway in an unincorporated county area near Covina known as Charter Oak, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Vicki Gregory said.
Initial reports indicated the robbers were two Latino men, both armed with handguns.
One was described as about 5 feet 10 inches tall, 160 pounds and wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt. The other was about 5 feet 6 inches tall, about 170 pounds and wearing a white baseball cap.
No injuries were reported.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s San Dimas Station.

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Suspect shot by police in Monterey Park dies from injuries

MONTEREY PARK — A West Covina man who was shot and wounded by police last week has died, authorities said.
Alfred Pete Pouliot, 27, died at a hospital about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Lillian Peck said.
He was shot by three Covina police officers who were part of a multi-agency task force that had been seeking Pouliot on suspicion of home-invasion robberies in Pico Rivera and Culver City, a carjacking and attempted carjacking in Covina and burglary in La Palma, Covina police Sgt. David Foster said.
Authorities tracked Pouliot to the Best Western Markland Hotel, 434 Potrero Grande Drive in Monterey Park, May 20.
Police shot Pouliot after he allegedly rammed an unmarked police vehicle with his own car, Foster said, then pointed a gun at officers.
Pouliot’s Girlfriend, Jasmin Santana, 18, of Baldwin Park and mother, Teresa Ward, 58, of Baldwin Park were charged Monday with being accessories to Pouliot, officials said. Santana was also charged with possession of stolen property.
Santana was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, according to court records. Ward, who was on probation at the time of her arrest, was being held without bail.
Santana and Ward were both scheduled to appear back in Pomona Superior Court June 8.

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Pasadena man suspected of killing wife

This in the very exclusive neighborhood southwest of Suicide Bridge along the Arroyo Seco:

PASADENA – The husband of a woman found dead from a trauma wound to the head earlier this month pleaded not guilty to murder charges Wednesday, prosecutors said.

Police arrested Mark Roevekamp, 55, of Pasadena, on suspicion of murder Monday after coroner’s officials determined his wife, 53-year-old Cynthia Ford, died from a blunt force trauma wound to the skull.

Roevekamp called police on May 13 and reported that he found his wife dead at their home in the 500 block of Lakeview Road when he returned from work that day.

Pasadena police Cmdr. John Perez said Roevekamp admitted to hitting his wife the night before she died.

“The husband admitted to slapping her the night before,” Perez said. “They were involved in an argument and he said she was acting aggressively towards him and that caused the slap.”

Roevekamp was not immediately arrested because no sign of trauma to Ford’s body was visible when she was found dead, Perez said. The injury was discovered during an autopsy, he said.

Murder charges were filed against Roevekamp on Wednesday before he was arraigned at Pasadena Superior Court, according to Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons.

Roevekamp is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to sheriff’s booking records. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing setting on June 23, Gibbons said.

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