Norwalk man suspected of shooting at deputies

NORWALK — Authorities arrested a Norwalk man early Saturday after he allegedly shot at sheriff’s deputies in a gang-related attack, officials said.
Walter Morales, 18, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer and was being held without bail, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Bill Evans said.
The incident began about 2:40 a.m. at Mapledale Street and Cabrillo Avenue when two deputies pulled over a car for a traffic stop, Evans said.
“The vehicle abruptly stopped in the middle of the street,” Evans said.
Morales got out of the car and fired a handgun at deputies, he said.
“The vehicle fled the scene, leaving the shooting suspect behind,” Evans said.
Morales fled into a residential neighborhood where he was found a short time later with the help of a police dog, the lieutenant said.
A gun was found near the spot where Morales was hiding, he added.
He was hospitalized for treatment of minor dog bite injuries before being booked, he said.
The car that fled the scene was not found, Evans said, and the investigation was ongoing.

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South El Monte sandwich shop robbed

SOUTH EL MONTE — An armed robber escaped with an unknown amount of cash after robbing a Subway sandwich shop in South El Monte Friday, authorities said.
The crime occurred just after 5 p.m. at the restaurant at 11335 Thienes Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Kerry Carter said.
The robber was described as a white man wearing black and white shorts and carrying a black handgun, the lieutenant said.
After entering the store and taking money from a cashier, he was last seen fleeing the area on foot, he said. No injuries were reported.

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Man shot by police in Monterey Park suspected in crime spree

41090-ALFRED POULIOT-thumb-300x349-41089.jpgA man who police shot and critically wounded at a Monterey Park hotel Thursday was wanted on suspicion of a one-man crime spree spanning Los Angeles County, authorities said.
Alfred Pete Pouliot, 27, of West Covina was wanted on suspicion of home-invasion robberies in Pico Rivera and Culver City, a carjacking and an attempted carjacking in Covina and a burglary in La Palma, Covina police Sgt. David Foster said in a written statement.
Three Covina police officers who were working with a multi-agency task force shot and wounded Pouliot on Thursday after he allegedly rammed his car into a police vehicle and pointed a gun at officers at a Monterey Park hotel.
“This guy has been victimizing people in Southern California for several months,” Covina Police Chief Kim Raney said. “He won’t be able to victimize anyone else.”
Authorities had been investigating Pouliot since a Dec. 29, 2009 home invasion robbery in Culver City, in which he allegedly beat an elderly man, Foster said in a written statement.
Culver City officials found him at a West Covina home Feb. 11, but he allegedly left the home with his girlfriend, Jasmine Santana, 18, of Baldwin Park and led Culver City police on a car chase before eluding them, Foster said.
Pouliot allegedly rammed two undercover police cars during the chase before abandoning his car near San Bernardino Road and Vincent Avenue, Foster said.
He then tried to carjack a man, but failed, before successfully carjacking a woman, the sergeant said.
He was not seen again until police confronted him Thursday in Monterey Park, Foster said.
“(Pouliot) had made statements to family members that he will not go back to prison and will initiate a violent encounter with the police if it facilitates his ability to escape,” Foster said.
A break in the case came Wednesday, when authorities arrested Pouliot’s girlfriend, Santana, his mother, 58-year-old Teresa Ward of Baldwin Park, and parolee Jose Gutierrez, 39, of La Puente at a Buena Park hotel, police said.
They found guns, ammunition and stolen property inside the motel room.
Ward, Santana and Gutierrez were jailed on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property, and being an accessory to Pouliot. Gutierrez was also charged with a parole violation, and Ward was charged with violating her probation.
The stolen property found in the Buena Park motel room was linked to a Pico Rivera home-invasion robbery and a La Palma burglary, which both occurred Wednesday, police said.
Pouliot and Gutierrez have been identified as suspects in the Pico Rivera home-invasion.
They allegedly tied up a mother and daughter in the 8000 block of Masoncrest Drive and ransacked their home for valuables, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Jay Moss said the day of the crime.
Following the arrest of Santana, Ward and Gutierrez, authorities carried out search warrants that led them to Pouliot on Thursday at the Best Western Markland Hotel, 434 Potrero Grande Drive in Monterey Park, Covina police said.
Officials spotted Pouliot in a BMW sedan, and he allegedly rammed an unmarked police vehicle as officers converged on him, Lt. David Coleman of the Los Angles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.
Pouliot is then accused of drawing a gun and pointing it at police, at which time three Covina police officers shot him, Coleman said. He was hospitalized in critical condition.
Raney said he believed his officers acted appropriately.
“The officers did an outstanding job in a dangerous situation,” he said.
One officer suffered minor injuries when Pouliot allegedly rammed their car Friday, but the officer was expected to be fine, Raney said.
He declined to name the involved officers Friday. Two of the involved officers work undercover, he said.
In keeping with department policy, the involved officers will be given three days of administrative leave and were given psychological counseling, the chief said.
As is common practice when dealing with officer-involved shootings done by Los Angeles County police agencies, the sheriff’s department and the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office are investigating the shooting.
According to sheriff’s booking records, Pouliot was being held in lieu of $1.46 million dollars at the jail ward at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He was scheduled to appear in Alhambra Superior Court on Monday.
He was booked on suspicion of the Covina carjacking and the Culver City home-invasion robbery, Foster said, though more charges will likely be added.
According to court records, his previous criminal convictions include burglary in 2001 and weapons charges in 2004 and 2009.

*PHOTO of Alfred Pouliot couresy of the Covina Police Department.

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Arcadia 7-Eleven robberies may be linked

ARCADIA — Police believe the same man may have robbed two 7–Eleven stores this month.
The most recent robbery took place just after 2 a.m. Thursday at the convenience store at Live Oak and Tyler avenues, Arcadia police wrote in a statement.
The previous crime occurred just before 3 a.m. May 10 at the 7–Eleven store at 1003 S. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said.
The sergeant said investigators could not be certain if the same person is responsible for both heists, but similar suspect descriptions and behavior seem to indicate it, he said.
“Based on the description and what we’re looking at in the (surveillance) video, it appears to be.”
In both cases, the robber was described as a thin man between 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, Le Veque said. Both robbers also wore dark clothing, including a hooded sweatshirt and a bandana as a mask, and black tennis shoes with white trim.
“The guy was so covered up and concealed that neither of the victims could determine his race,” Le Veque said.
Surveillance camera footage was collected from the store, he added, but yielded few clues because of the robber’s dress. Detectives continue examining the tapes.
Both crimes were reported early in the morning, police said, and in both cases, the robber lifted his sweat shirt to show a handgun in his waistband.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Arcadia Police Department at 626-574-5150.

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San Dimas laywer pleads guilty to embezzlement

LOS ANGELES — A San Dimas attorney pleaded guilty Friday to embezzling more than $500,000 from his clients, officials said.
Oscar Parra, 67, was ordered to pay $441,000 in restitution and is expected to face five years in prison when he returns to Los Angeles Superior Court for sentencing June 15, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said in a written statement.
Parra worked as a probate lawyer and represented family members or administrators of estates, Robison said.
“Beginning in December 2000, he embezzled from the estates and used the money for himself,” she said. “At the same time, he filed false court papers that misrepresented the amount of money remaining in accounts.”
Parra ultimately admitted to stealing from five clients, including one count that was not prosecuted, Robison said.
Parra was suspended from practicing law by the State Bar Feb. 21, officials said, and has agreed to resign from the organization.

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Baldwin Park police plan open house

BALDWIN PARK — The Baldwin Park Police Department is holding it annual open house and crime prevention fair Saturday.
The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the City Hall, 14403 E. Pacific Ave., Baldwin Park police officials said in a written statement.
Free bicycle helmets and child identification kits will be given to all children in attendance, while supplies last, police said.
The event is being held to raise awareness about child safety, educate the community about crime prevention, provide information such as police statistics to the public, officials said.
A host of community organizations are sponsoring the event, and free entertainment will be provided by the Sierra Vista High School Jazz Ensemble and 102.7 KIIS FM.
For more information, call the Baldwin Park Police Department at 626–960-1955.

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West Covina man suspected in $3.6 million Ponzi scheme

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES — A West Covina man has been indicted on charges of operating a Ponzi scheme by advertising that his investments are connected to the federal economic stimulus program.
The FBI said in a statement Friday that 34-year-old Ruben Juan-Gonzalez is accused of defrauding about 160 investors out of $3.6 million.
In a federal grand jury indictment Thursday, Gonzalez is charged with conspiracy and multiple counts of mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering.
It says Gonzalez claimed in magazine advertisements that a program connected to the 2009 economic stimulus would invest money with returns of 60 percent or more.
But the indictment alleges very little of the money was invested, and Gonzalez used much of it on personal expenses including the lease of a luxury Mercedes-Benz.

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Boy nearly drowns in San Dimas motel hot tub

SAN DIMAS — A 4-year-old boy was expected to survive after nearly drowning in a motel hot tub Wednesday, authorities said.
Deputies and firefighters responded to a report of a possible drowning at the Red Roof Inn, 204 Village Court, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt Vicki Gregory said.
The boy had apparently briefly fallen into a hot tub, she said.
The child was conscious and breathing when rescuers arrived, Gregory said, however paramedics determined he required immediate medical attention. The boy was rushed to a hospital via a deputy’s patrol car with emergency lights and sirens activated.
The boy’s exact condition was unavailable Thursday.
The boy was being supervised by his parents when he tumbled into the hot tub, Gregory said, and nothing criminal was suspected.

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Pasadena police officer shoots at dog

PASADENA – A police officer fired a shot at a pit bull Wednesday but did not hit the animal, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 9 p.m. as police investigated a report of a disturbance in the 2400 block of Oswego Street, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
Officers walked up a driveway when a pit bull charged at them, Delgado said.
An officer fired a single shot, which did not strike the dog, the lieutenant said. The dog ran off, and police and animal control officials searched for it late Wednesday.
Later Wednesday, the dog returned home, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Pederson said.
No arrests resulted from the initial disturbance call, he added.
Unlike officer-involved shooting involving a human being, there is no period of adminisrative leave for officers who shoot or shoot at animals, Pederson said.
As occurs any time an officer fires a gun, however, police administrators will review the incident to make sure the shooting was within department policy, Pederson said.

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West Covina video game store robbed

WEST COVINA — A tattooed man and woman escaped with cash and merchandise after robbing a video game store Wednesday, police said.
The crime occurred about 2:30 p.m. at Gamestop, 2648 E. Workman Ave., West Covina police Lt. Ron Mitchell said.
The man and woman entered the store and brandished a semi-automatic handgun at two employees, the lieutenant said.
They stole about $400 in cash, video games and handheld video game systems, he added. They were last seen running south through the store’s parking lot.
Police searched the area with the help of a helicopter but could not find the robbers, Mitchell said.
The man was described as Latino, about 30 years old, with tattoos on his neck, forehead and arms, Mitchell said. He wore a black shirt and blue jeans.
The female robber also had tattoos on her neck and back, he added. She had long brown hair with highlights worn in a pony tail and a piercing on her left eyebrow.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Covina Police Department.

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