July 2010 Archives

GLENDORA -- Firefighters had all but extinguished a brush fire in the forest north of Glendora late Saturday after a car went off the road and ignited heavy brush, authorities said.
The 15-acre fire was first reported about 11:45 a.m. off of Glendora Mountain Road, about two miles north of Big Dalton Canyon Road, California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.
It ignited after a sedan with a young man driving went 250 to 300 over the side of Glendora Mountain Road, CHP Sgt. Steve Licon said.
The driver climbed out of the car and was hospitalized with minor injuries, Licon said, but officials were unable to reach the car before it was consumed by the flames.
"There's nothing left of it," the sergeant said.
No structures were threatened Saturday afternoon as about 115 firefighters battled the blaze, Fire Inspector Don Kunitomi said.
Authorities evacuated hikers and bicyclists from the area, according to CHP logs.
The fire had grown to about 15 acres and was 80 percent contained Saturday night, Kunitomi said. The bulk of the fire had "laid down," but continued smoldering as firefighters stood watch.
Officials will remove the scorched car from the forest at a later date, Licon said. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Glendora Mountain Road was expected to be closed between Big Dalton Canyon Road and Glendora Ridge Road for through Sunday due to the fire, according to the CHP.
Any witnesses to the crash are asked to call the Baldwin Park Office of the CHP.

ARCADIA -- About 20 vehicle owners awoke Saturday morning to find their car windows had been smashed in an unincorporated county area near Arcadia, police said.
The vandalism took place in the 5300 block of Tyler Avenue, the 5300 block of Garypark Avenue, the 11000 block of Freer Street and the 2800 block of Halsey Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Jim Dexter said.
No one witnessed the windows getting broken, he said, however based on the damage, "It was probably a BB gun or pellet gun."

PASADENA -- Two young men were wounded Saturday when a fist fight turned into a shooting, police said.
The shooting was reported about 12:30 p.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 1800 block of Lundy Ave., Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remained unclear Saturday, however the shooting was believed to have been preceded by a fist fight, the lieutenant said.
A 19-year-old man was shot in the hand and torso and an 18 year old man was shot in the shoulder in the incident, he said. Both were expected to survive.
One of the wounded men was taken to the hospital by ambulance, Hettema added, while the other was dropped off at the hospital by a private vehicle.
A description of the shooter and a motive in the attack were not available Saturday, he said.
"They're working on leads," he added.

From the Associated Press:

PHOENIX -- Helicopters and police dogs are searching for three convicted murderers who escaped from a northwest Arizona prison, kidnapped two semi-truck drivers at gunpoint and used the big rig to flee.
A Department of Corrections spokesman says the men escaped Friday evening by cutting a hole through a perimeter fence at the Arizona State Prison in Golden Valley.
Police say the truck drivers were kidnapped Saturday morning but they were later released unharmed.
The three escapees are 42-year-old Tracy Province, 36-year-old Daniel Renwick, and 45-year-old John McCluskey. They were last seen wearing orange prison jumpsuits.
Flagstaff police Sgt. James Jackson says a 44-year-old woman identified as Casslyn Mae Welch met the men and helped in their escape.

AZUSA -- Azusa police jailed a Foothill Transit contractor Friday on suspicion of falsely imprisoning and sexually assaulting a woman in a company vehicle, authorities said.
Dwight Penkey, 55, of Harbor city was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at the Azusa Police Department's jail, according to sheriff's booking records.
The alleged crime occurred July 17 as a woman was waiting for a bus at Foothill Boulevard and Alameda Avenue, Azusa police Sgt. Bruce Badoni said in a written statement.
Penkey, an employee of M.V. Transit who was contracted to drive for Foothill Transit, allegedly arrived in a Foothill Transit sedan.
"The victim entered Penkey's vehicle, and a short time later, Penkey began touching the victim in an inappropriate manner," Badoni said.
The woman was able to get out of the car at Huntington Drive and Los Lomas Street in Duarte, he added,
After recently identifying Penkey as the driver of the sedan, Badoni said, police arrested him early Friday morning.
Penkey was due for arraignment Monday in West Covina Superior Court, according to sheriff's records.
"Investigators are concerned that there may be additional victims," Badoni said.
Anyone with information about this incident or any similar incidents is asked to call Azusa police.

From the Associated Press:

SANTA FE, N.M. -- The showdown between Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid has fascinated the American public for nearly 130 years with its classic, Old West storyline of the frontier lawman hunting down the notorious gunslinger.
As it turns out, the feud isn't completely over.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is considering granting a posthumous pardon to Billy the Kid, angering descendants of Garrett who call it an insult to recognize such a violent outlaw.
Three of the late lawman's grandchildren sent a letter to Richardson this week that asked him not to pardon the outlaw, saying such an act would represent an "inexcusable defamation" of Garrett.
"If Billy the Kid was living amongst us now, would you issue a pardon for someone who made his living as a thief and, more egregiously, who killed four law enforcement officers and numerous others?" the Garrett family wrote.
The issue has resurfaced because Richardson asked a New Mexico columnist earlier this year to check with historians to measure their support for issuing a pardon. The governor plans to meet with Garrett family members next week to discuss the issue.
Garrett shot Billy the Kid down on July 14, 1881. Garrett tracked him after the outlaw escaped from the Lincoln County jail in a famous gunbattle that left two deputies dead.
The Kid's status as an Old West folk hero grew as countless books, films and songs were written about the gunslinger and his exploits. According to legend, he killed 21 people, one for each year of his life, but the New Mexico Tourism Department puts the total closer to nine.
The pardon dispute is the latest in a long-running fight over whether Garrett shot the real Kid or someone else and then lied about it. Some history buffs claim Billy the Kid didn't die in the shootout with Garrett and landed in Texas, where he went by "Brushy Bill" Roberts and died of a heart attack at age 90 in 1950.
Richardson joined the tussle in 2003 by supporting a plan by then-Lincoln County Sheriff Tom Sullivan to reinvestigate the century-old case.
The governor said he was willing to consider a pardon for the Kid -- something the outlaw hoped for but never received from New Mexico territorial Gov. Lew Wallace.
"Governor Richardson has always said that he would consider making good on Governor Wallace's promise to Billy the Kid for a pardon," Richardson spokeswoman Alarie Ray-Garcia said Thursday. "He is aware of the Garrett family's concerns and will be meeting with them next week."
Susan Floyd Garrett of Santa Fe is one of the grandchildren who signed the letter to Richardson. She said the family decided to speak out because a pardon represents a "defamation of character" to their grandfather. She described the Kid as a "gangster."
"Everybody wants to mythologize Billy the Kid," she said.
Garrett and her brother, Jarvis Patrick Garrett, met Thursday with descendants of another key figure in the Kid's story -- John Henry Tunstall, a rancher whose murder in 1878 triggered a bloody feud known as the Lincoln County War. Billy the Kid, also known as William Bonney, worked as a ranch hand for Tunstall.
Hilary Tunstall-Behrens of London, a great-nephew of Tunstall, said he's not backing a modern-day pardon for the Kid.
"I wouldn't join the cause," said Tunstall-Behrens, 83. "There is so much strong feelings."
Gale Cooper, an amateur historian who lives near Albuquerque, said a pardon by Richardson would be the "culmination of the hoax that contended Pat Garrett was a nefarious killer and Billy was not buried in his grave."
Cooper has written a book, "MegaHoax," to debunk claims that Garrett killed someone other than the Kid.
After serving as Lincoln County sheriff, Garrett's career soured. He ran unsuccessfully for higher political office, served as a customs collector, but ran into financial problems as a rancher.

UPDATE: This incident is no longer believed to be a hit-and-run crash. Sheriff's officials report that after the crash, the driver of the involved truck drove to his business nearby, then called authorities to report hitting the horse.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- A horse died in the roadway late Thursday after a hit-and-run crash in South El Monte, authorities said.
The incident was reported about 8:30 p.m. on Peck Road, just south of the 60 Freeway, California Highway Patrol officials said.
Authorities found a saddled horse lying dead in the roadway, CHP Officer Jessi Sanchez said. They searched the area for a rider, but had not located one late Thursday.
Based on the impact suffered by the horse and debris left at the scene, he said, investigators suspected an Isuzu box truck or big rig struck the animal and continued driving.
The area where the horse's body was found is lined with both commercial and private equestrian properties, sheriff's officials said.

Police arrested a Pasadena parole agent on suspicion of stealing nearly $3,000 from a Monrovia parolee's bank account, authorities said Thursday.
Robert Earl Wilson, 52, of Chino Hills was booked Wednesday afternoon on suspicion of grand theft, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.
The alleged victim, Elaine Balles, 59, of Monrovia, was on parole at the time of the theft, Ibarra said
"He removed funds from a bank account without authorization of the victim," the lieutenant said. The alleged thefts took place between February and May.
Balles was not being supervised by Wilson, Ibarra said.
Police said Balles had come to trust Wilson through their interactions at the Pasadena parole office, 333. E. Walnut Street. She provided him with her bank account information so that he could access her account if she became incarcerated, Ibarra said.
Balles was arrested in March by Monrovia police officers on a parole violation following a 2004 burglary conviction, according to court documents. A judge sentenced her to 180 days in jail and she was released on May 18, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
"She had trust that he would be a responsible individual," the lieutenant added. "Unfortunately, he then utilized that info to get funds for himself."
Police arrested Wilson about 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Pasadena parole office.
Balles could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Maria Franco, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections, said Wilson had been with the the agency for more than 20 years.
"There's no comment because it's an ongoing investigation," Franco said. "That would impede an investigation."
Once Pasadena police complete their criminal investigation, the state will conduct its own administrative probe, Franco said.
"Anything involving a peace officer we take very seriously," she said.
Wilson was placed on administrative leave during the investigation, Franco said.
The parole agent was released Wednesday after posting $20,000 bail, according to sheriff's booking records.
Police said he was due in Pasadena Superior Court for arraignment on Aug. 27.
Balles has an extensive criminal record that dates back to the mid-1980s. She has been convicted of drug possession, petty theft, forgery, child endangerment, burglary and elder abuse.
There were no indications Thursday that anyone else had been victimized by Wilson, Ibarra said.
"We do not have any additional victims, nor any prior allegations of similar conduct," she said.

PASADENA -- Police responded to a report of a shooting Thursday but found no victims, authorities said.
Officers responded to a report of "shots fired" about 2:15 p.m. in the 900 block of North Hudson Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Rodney Wallace said.
Bullet casings were found at the scene, he said, though police did not find anyone or anything that had been struck by gunfire.
No description of the shooter was known, he added.

PASADENA -- Police arrested a parole agent from the Pasadena parole office Wednesday on suspicion of grand theft, authorities said.
R.E. Wilson, 52, was released later in the day after posting $20,000 bail, according to sheriff's booking records.
Citing an ongoing police investigation, as well as a possible internal investigation by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, police declined to release details of what Wilson is suspected of stealing.
"He was arrested for grand theft," Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said. "I can't comment more. The investigation is ongoing."
According to state law, "grand theft" involved stealing money, labor or property valued at greater than $400.
After contacting the the Pasadena parole office where Wilson worked, police arrested the agent about 1 p.m., Ibarra said.
Information on Wilson's initial court appearance was not available Wednesday.

PASADENA -- A man shot and wounded his neighbor's dog Wednesday after mistakenly believing it was attacking a child, police said.
The incident took place about 6:45 p.m. in the 700 block of North Garfield Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
A woman had two dogs -- a pit bull and a mixed-breed animal -- in her front yard then they began to fight, the lieutenant said.
"A neighbor saw what he thought was a a dog biting a child," Delgado said.
The neighbor than retrieved a handgun and shot the pit bull, he said.
The neighbor told police he asked the woman if she wanted him to shoot the dog before opening fire and she agreed, Delgado said.
The owner of the wounded dog and her animals had not been seen since the incident Wednesday evening, Delgado said, so the woman's account was unavailable.
Police took a report and plan to send it to the City Attorney's Office to seek a misdemeanor charge of discharging a firearm within city limits, he said.

COVINA -- A man with a handgun robbed a party supply store Wednesday, authorities said.
The crime took place about 11:35 a.m. at Alin's Party Depot, 543 N. Azusa Avenue, Covina police officials said.
The robber entered the store and forced an employee to open a cash register, Lt. David Povero said. The armed man helped himself to about $150 before fleeing on foot.
Witnesses reported last seeing the robber running south from the store, Sgt. John Zumwalt said.
Police described the robber as a black man in his 20s, about 6-feet tall and 220 pounds, Zumwalt said. He wore a baseball cap and black clothes.
Police searched the area but were unable to find the robber, officials said.

From the Associated Press:

CHINO HILLS -- Two Southern California brothers -- a 12-year-old who loved skateboarding and a 10-year-old about to start fifth grade -- were shot to death with their father's handgun in what could be a double suicide or a murder-suicide, authorities said Wednesday.
The bodies of Bryan Gonzalez and younger brother Christian Gonzalez were found Tuesday by a family member in a dry creekbed behind their Chino Hills mobile home in rural San Bernardino County. The father's gun was found with the bodies.
The boys were each shot once, but other information about their wounds was being withheld because of the ongoing investigation, said Sgt. Frank Bell of the sheriff's homicide unit. Autopsies were underway Wednesday.
Bell said only the boys were involved in the shootings, though investigators were not sure whether they each killed themselves or one killed the other before committing suicide.
There were no suicide notes, and interviews with dozens of people didn't turn up any abuse or other trauma, Bell said.
"We haven't come up with a reason or at least anything that makes sense," Bell said. "They were normal boys as far as anything we've learned, decent family."
Neighbors heard gunshots and deputies were called to the home, nestled in brushy hills about a mile up a poorly paved road about a mile from the boys' elementary school. The bodies were
about 60 feet from the family mobile home.
Bell said the gun was kept in a case that wasn't locked.
Sheriff's officials said the results of the investigation will likely be forwarded to the
district attorney's office for review to see if there was any criminal conduct because the handgun wasn't secured.
Neighbor Rasiel Santiago, 21, said he heard two gunshots around 10 a.m. Tuesday, separated by about 10 seconds. When he arrived at the school playground a short while later, he saw a swarm of sheriff's squad cars and paramedics at the end of the road leading to the family home.
Parents and classmates of the boys were devastated. Flowers, candles and a poster that had a photo of Bryan during his class trip this year to Disneyland were left near the home.
"It's just tragic. We're all just trying to make sense of it right now," said Robert Gavela, who stood at the end of the boys' street with his 13-year-old daughter Madison.
"It's crazy. It doesn't seem real," Madison said.
Bryan was going into seventh grade this fall. Friends said he dreamed of being a professional football player.

COVINA -- It's alive.
A snake that slithered into a parked car Sunday and was thought to have disappeared turned up Wednesday morning in the driveway of the man who drove it home from a shopping trip.
"You know what I just got home from school right now and all of a sudden I hear 'Dave Dave Dave'" said Dave Morelli, 25, of Covina. "There it was on a telephone pole above the wall and I grabbed it."
Morelli and his family first encountered the snake about 3:30 p.m. Sunday when it wedged itself in the engine compartment of their PT Cruiser during a shopping trip, Morelli said.
Other shoppers at DD's Discounts, 404 N. Azusa Ave, saw the reptile slithering across the pavement before slipping up into Morelli's car.
"Somebody in the parking lot saw what they described as a 7- to 8-foot long snake with a diameter the size of a beer can traveling along the asphalt in the parking lot," Covina police Lt. Tim Doonan said.
After a four-hour search for the beast, Morelli, police and a dozen other shoppers who searched in vain for the animal gave up the hunt.
Still believing the snake might by wedged somewhere in his engine compartement, Morelli packed his girlfriend and two children into the car and drove home with police following behind to watch for the snake.
Police referred the matter to animal control after officers determined, "it was outside their area of expertise," Doonan said.
Animal control officials were unable do do anything since they couldn't see the snake, Morelli said, and advised the car owner to call again if the serpent was spotted.
All the excitement surrounding the discovery had pretty much died down -- until Wednesday morning.
"We thought he was gone and he's still here," Morelli said.
Morelli's girlfriend Ariane Govea said she hadn't seen the snake since its capture -- and wasn't about to sneek a peak.
"I haven't gone out to see it," she said. "I'm not sure I will."
Upon capturing the reptile Wednesday morning, Morelli placed it in a box and debated whether or not to keep it. Originally described as a boa constrictor, Morellis said the 5-foot long animal was likely a Burmese Python.
"It's pretty (ticked) off," he said. "As for keeping it or giving it away. No one's claimed it. I want to keep it, but we have to talk about where we go from here."

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- A man who fatally stabbed a Monrovia couple in their 70s should be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, a downtown Los Angeles jury recommended Wednesday.
Alfredo Valenzuela, 38, was convicted July 14 of the July 2003 killings of 78-year-old Clark Shaum and his 70-year-old wife, Bernice. Valenzuela told police the couple were "like family" to him.
Valenzuela will be sentenced Sept. 14 by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lance Ito.
Valenzuela was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, along with one count each of first-degree residential robbery, first-degree burglary and unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle.
Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a burglary and robbery, as well as the allegation that a knife was used in the crimes.
Clark Shaum was stabbed 113 times and his wife was stabbed more than 40 times and beaten to death after Valenzuela cut a screen on a bedroom window to get into the couple's home and landed on Bernice Shaum.

Breaking News from the Associated Press: 

COVINA -- A Covina family found themselves in an unusual predicament Sunday when a large boa constrictor wedged itself in the engine compartment of their car while they were shopping, police and the car's owner said.
The incident began about 3:30 p.m. in the parking lot of DD's Discounts, 404 N. Azusa Ave., according to Covina police and the owner of the PT Cruiser, 25-year-old David Morelli.
"Somebody in the parking lot saw what they described as a 7- to 8-foot long snake with a diameter the size of a beer can travelling along the asphalt in the parking lot," Covina police Lt. Tim Doonan said.
Witnesses then watched as the snake disappeared under Morelli's car, he said.
Morelli said he was shopping with his wife, 6-year-old daughter and 18-month-old son when an announcement came over the intercom asking the owner of a PT Cruiser to come outside.
"I look in the engine, and lo and behold, there's a 7-foot boa constrictor in the engine of my car," he said.
"I touched him," Morelli said. The snake then slithered it's way deep into the engine compartment.
Dozens of people gathered around the car to search for the reptile, he said.
"He's a beautiful snake," Morelli said. "He's gorgeous, he just wouldn't come out."
When officers arrived, they were unable to see the snake, he added, but witnesses reported it had not yet climbed out of the car.
Morelli started his car in an attempt to scare the snake out of the engine compartment to no avail, Doonan said.
Morelli said officers followed him to his Covina home where he waited for animal control officials.
Animal control officials were unable to find the snake, Morelli said, though no one ever saw the snake come out of the car.
"I honestly can't say if it's there, but I think it is," he said. "I really think the snake is still in my car."
Morelli said animal control officials advised him to call back if he spots the animal, so in the meantime, he's just waiting.
"I hope it's gone," he said. "I hope it's okay. I hope we didn't hurt it."

As published on the Arcadia Police Department's News and Information Blog, Arcadia police are mourning the loss of a long-time reserve officer and crime analysit Mike Daleo, who passed away from cancer on July 24, 2010.

ALTADENA -- Sheriff's deputies and Pasadena police arrested two young men and a 17-year-old boy early Sunday after they allegedly tried to break into a woman's home, authorities said.
Nicolas Noles, 18, Harold Brown, 19, and an unidentified 17-year-old were booked on suspicion of burglary, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Angela Shepherd said. Their cities of residency were not available.
A woman called for help about 3:30 a.m. to report someone trying to break into her house in the 1900 block of North Mar Vista Ave., the lieutenant said.
Sheriff's deputies and Pasadena police officers set up a search perimeter and found the three suspects, she said.
The juvenile suspect was released to his parents with a written promise to appear in court, Shepherd said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Noles and Brown were being held in lieu of $50,000 bail each and were due for arraignment Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court.

MONTEBELLO - A man died late Saturday following what police suspect was a gang-related shooting in front of a Montebello apartment complex, authorities said.
The dead man was initially described only as a 29-year-old Montebello resident pending notification of family members, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Daniel Machian said.
Police responded to reports of a shooting just before 11 p.m. in the 400 block of Lohart Avenue, Montebello police Lt. Rich Meadows said in a written statement.
"A male adult was located to the the front of the apartment complex and (had) sustained gunshot wounds," the lieutenant said.
The wounded man was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he died from his injuries a short time later, Meadows said.
"The homicide appears to be gang-related," he added.
The handling detective, Sgt. Michael Flores, declined to release any additional information Sunday, including any suspect information or information regarding the circumstances of the shooting, saying to do so would harm the investigation.
"There's nothing more to release at this point for the integrity of the investigation," he said.
Saturday's shooting was the fourth homicide reported in Montebello this year, including the officer-involved shooting death of a robbery suspect who allegedly approached police with a knife in hand.
Montebello saw one reported homicide last year.

From staff and wire reports:

MONTEBELLO -- County mental health and child abuse investigators looking into an 11-year-old Montebello boy's suicide threat said they didn't learn key information about an abusive stepfather who answered the door at his house until after the boy is believed to have hanged himself, according to a report published Sunday.
The Department of Children and Family Services workers lacked key information on the boy because of communication difficulties at the agency, a newspaper reported.
On June 8, the workers visited the boy's home in Montebello after he told a school counselor he wanted to kill himself.
The workers did not learn until after the suicide that the stepfather who answered the door had a history of drug abuse and domestic violence and that a court had barred him from living in the home. That information could have prompted officials to remove the boy from the home.
County workers had noted disheveled conditions, drugs, neglect and violence in the houses the boy had lived in since he was a baby. But the social worker who visited him with police officers did not have all of that information.
"This was a very difficult case, and we're still trying to determine what happened," Supervisor Gloria Molina said.
The death is among several recent incidents that underscore communication problems that have plagued the department due to lack of funding, unused technology and legal limitations.
The department in 2007 bought 2,400 tablet computers that would have made the information available to the workers by giving them access to the department's entire database, but only 400 wireless cards to make the devices work.
Most of the tablets gather dust desks while workers use only their cell phones to connect with the office.
The county has worked to expand a database where different agencies can share information like the boy's complete history, but efforts have stalled as state
legislators attempt to ease restrictions on what information can be shared.
On the day he hanged himself, the fifth-grader had spent the morning at school crying, telling the school counselor life was "unbearable." He said classmates bullied him and his mother hit him while his stepfather held him down, county records showed.
The boy said he wanted to kill himself "because I'm tired of people hitting me all the time," the records said.
The school counselor called the county Department of Mental Health and filed a child abuse report with the Department of Children and Family Services. He warned that the boy had threatened to shoot himself, and in the past had threatened to hang himself with a rope. The social worker who visited the home later that day was told of the gun warning and looked for one, but did not look for a rope.
When the social worker asked about the last time his mother struck him, the boy shrugged his shoulders, and said "no" when asked if he feared her. Records showed that the mother seemed concerned for the boy's welfare that day, and authorities thought it was safe to leave the boy in the home.
The social worker also did not know that the stepfather had been limited to visits to the house, and did not look into whether he was living there.
The mother and other family members reportedly declined to comment on the death.
As his family gathered to watch the Lakers play in the NBA finals, the boy slipped into his mother's bedroom and closed the door, county records showed.
When his mother went to call the boy for dinner, the stepfather heard a scream, and he walked into the room and found her holding the boy's limp body in her arms.
Montebello police received a report of an attempted suicide about 9 p.m. in the 100 block of South 3rd Street, police and coroner's officials said.
"An 11 year-old-male was found by family members unresponsive at their home in Montebello," Montebello police Lt. Michael Bergman said shortly after the incident.
"It appears the 11-year-old attempted to take his own life by hanging himself," he said.
The boy was taken to Long Beach Memorial Hospital where he died at 1 p.m. on June 10, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Daniel Machian said.
His official cause of death remained under investigation Sunday, Machian added. "The doctor ordered further toxicological studies."
The coroner's investigation would likely be completed in early August, he said.

PASADENA -- Three men used a handgun to rob a gardener of a leaf blower Saturday, police said.
The crime occurred about 6:15 p.m. in the 400 block of Tamarac Drive, Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said.
A gardener -- a 24-year-old La Puente man -- was working in a back yard when he heard a noise coming from his truck parked out front, the lieutenant said.
He found a man stealing an Echo-brand leaf blower from his truck and gave chase, he said.
The fleeing thief and gardener reached a light gray Jeep Cherokee with a waiting driver when a third suspect standing near the Jeep pointed a handgun at the gardener, Hettema said. The gunman and the man with the leaf blower then jumped into the Jeep and fled.
The robber who snatched the leaf blower was described as a Latino man, about 27 years old, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 260 pounds, with shoulder-length black hair, Hettema said. He wore a white T-shirt and Levis jeans.
The gunman was a Latino man between 25 and 30, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 200 pounds, with a shaved head, mustache and goatee, police said.
No description of the driver was available.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- Deputies sought a man Saturday who attacked and apparently sexually assaulted a woman in the parking lot of a Rowland Heights apartment complex.
The crime took place about 4 a.m. in the 1900 block of Batson Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Steve Perez said.
The woman called a friend to say she thought she was being followed just prior to the attack in the gated parking lot, the sergeant said.
She was approached by an attacker described only as a Latino man of about 5 feet 4 inches tall and 130 pounds, he said.
The woman was believed to have been assaulted both physically and sexually, Perez said. She was hospitalized in "guarded" condition.
A good Samaritan interrupted the crime and scared away the attacker, Perez said.
It was not clear if the woman had been raped Saturday pending the results of medical tests, officials said.
No further details were available.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Authorities uprooted about $35 million worth of marijuana plants from dozens of sites in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa Friday, sheriff's officials said.
A multi-agency task force took the plants from pre-identified marijuana grows, Capt. Ralph Ornelas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Narcotics Bureau said in a written statement.
"The team simultaneously entered three mountainous canyons," the captain said.
"The team eradicated a total of 17,493 illicit marijuana plants from public lands," he added. "The sites included extensive irrigation systems and campsites," the captain said.
No arrested were made during the operation, sheriff's officials said.
In addition to the pot, about 950 pounds of refuse was removed from the marijuana gardens, Ornelas said. It included hazardous chemical fertilizers, pesticides, spraying equipment, propane tanks, food and live ammunition, authorities said.
One extensive grow site was found near Rincon Road, "and abutted a popular local fishing and hiking recreation area where a number of families were currently swimming and camping," Ornelas said.
Sheriff's officials warned the public to be wary of illicit marijuana grows on public lands.
"Suspects often use firearms and even bobby traps to guard their plants from law enforcement and competing criminal elements," Ornelas said. "Additionally, many of the fertilizers and pesticides encountered in illicit farming operations are highly toxic to people and may contaminate nearby water sources."
Officials repaired damage to three streams, which had been artificially dammed, and pulled out extensive irrigation systems that were depriving water from native plants and animals to supply the marijuana plants.
Friday's operation involved the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration.
Since May, authorities have removed more than 126,000 marijuana plants from public lands in Los Angeles County, officials said, valued at more than $253 million.

PASADENA -- An ice cream vendor was knocked unconscious and robbed of his cell phone Friday afternoon, police said.
The crime was reported about 3:40 p.m. at Maple Street and Chester Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said.
The vendor, a 47-year-old Los Angeles man, was walking with his ice cream cart when he was struck in the head from behind, the lieutenant said. He awoke to find his cell phone missing and did not get a look at his attacker.
It wasn't clear if a weapon was used in the attack, Hettema said, however the vendor was hospitalized for treatment of cuts to his head.
Though the vendor had cash in his pocket, police said, only his cell phone was taken.

From Nathan McIntire and Frank Girardot, Staff Writers

SOUTH PASADENA - A man involved in a high speed car chase was arrested after his car hit a curb, flew into the air and crashed onto the roof of a home near Orange Grove Avenue and Columbia Street.
Estaban Pelacos was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department after he was chased to South Pasadena from Panorama City. The chase ensued after Pelacos failed to pull over during a traffic stop, South Pasadena Police Sgt. Craig Cooper said.
Pelacos sustained a spinal fracture when his car hit a curb, careened through brush and landed on the roof of a home, Cooper said.
"He was doing speeds in excess of 70 on Orange Grove," Cooper said. "He lost control of the vehicle, he impacted a curb on a side street, and then he was airborne and landed on the roof and in some brush of a resident."
Pelacos was taken to Huntington Memorial Hospital, Cooper said. No one was home when the car hit the roof of the house, Cooper said.
Cooper said police had trouble arresting Pelacos because of where his vehicle ended up.
"Because of the level of the car being off the ground and hanging off the roof, it was a little challenging getting in there," Cooper said.
Los Angeles police tried to pull Pelacos' vehicle over just before midnight Thursday because it was registered to another man who is a suspect in a homicide, LAPD officer Gregory Baek said.
"They were serving a search warrant for a possible homicide suspect and the suspect fled from the location in a vehicle," Baek said. "Officers followed that suspect and then the suspect kept fleeing."
Police discovered Pelacos was not the man they were looking for but he was arrested anyway because he had a felony warrant out for his arrest and was carrying a handgun, Cooper said.
Pelacos is being held without bail, according to sheriff's booking records.
After the crash and arrest, a tow truck moving the vehicle ruptured a gas line at about 1:15 a.m. and several homes were evacuated. There was no fire but more firefighters were called out as a precaution, authorities said.

South Pasadena police officers chased a parolee from their town to Los Angeles Thursday and jailed him on suspicion of auto theft following a crash, officials said.
Police tried to pull over Ricardo Torres Penaloza, 26, just before 3:30 p.m. on the southbound 110 Freeway at Salonica Street, South Pasadena police Sgt. Robert Bartl said. Police described him as a a transient with a last known address in Los Angeles.
Penaloza allegedly fled from police in the car, which had been reported stolen, and crashed into a barrier and another car while trying to take the Avenue 60 offramp, Bartl said.
Police said Penaloza fled on foot and hid in a shed in a nearby apartment complex on Arroyo Drive in Los Angeles before he was found by South Pasadena and Los Angeles police, he said.
Penaloza was booked on suspicion of auto theft, hit-and-run, delaying or obstructing arrest, Bartl said. A replica handgun was found inside the stolen car.
Because he is a parolee, Penaloza was being held without bail, officials said.

PASADENA -- Following a report by the California Attorney General showing hate crimes had dropped by more than 20 percent state-wide in 2009, Pasadena police released statistics Thursday indicating hate crimes were more than cut in half last year.
Pasadena police investigated 20 hate crimes in 2008, and nine in 2009, according to police statistics.
Hate crimes in both 2008 and 2009 were primarily racially or ethnically motivated, police said.
In 2008, 15 of the 20 reported hate crimes were based on race or ethnic background, while two were based on sexual orientation and three were based on religion, according to police data.
Last year, five of the nine incidents were based on race or ethnic background, three were based on sexual orientation and one was based on religion.
California Attorney General Jerry Brown released a report Thursday indicating hate crime events in California were down by 21.3 percent last year.

PASADENA -- A 3-year-old Pasadena girl was expected to recover Thursday after falling from the window of a second-floor apartment, officials said.
The incident was reported shortly after 2 p.m. in the 500 block of North El Molino Ave., Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
The three year old girl was sitting on top of a couch and leaned back when she fell through a glass window, he said.
She was taken to the hospital but was expected to be okay, Lt. Pete Hettema said.
The incident initially appeared to be accidental and there were no signs of foul play, he added.
"We'll be certainly looking at parental supervision issues," Hettema said, adding "There's nothing that stands out as a major issue now."

AZUSA -- Police arrested an Azusa man Thursday after he allegedly barricaded himself inside a home, tried to light a fire and threw objects at police officers, authorities said.
Raymond Flores, 28, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, assault on a police officer, resisting police via threats and arson, Azusa police Lt. Frank Chavez said in a written statement.
The incident began about 5:30 p.m. at a house in the 100 block of Calle De Las Estrellas, Chavez said.
Police responded to a report of a disturbance after family members reported Flores was becoming violent and walking around the home with a knife, the lieutenant said.
"When officers arrived Flores had barricaded himself on the second floor, threatening to kill officers if they proceeded any further," Chavez said. He further claimed to have weapons.
"Based on Flores' irrational and violent behavior, an uncle living at the location had to be evacuated from his second floor bedroom via window," Chavez added.
Residents of two nearby condominiums were also evacuated as a precaution, police added.
During a standoff that lasted more than two hours, Flores allegedly continued yelling threats at police, brandishing a knife and throwing objects at officers, Chavez said.
One officer was struck by a picture frame and a ceramic object but was not injured, he said.
Chavez said Flores is also suspected of trying to light a fire by lighting the chemicals inside an aerosol spray can during the standoff.
He ultimately surrendered without further incident, police said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Flores was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail and was due for arraignment in West Covina Superior Court Monday.

Beverly Hills is considerably outside our San Gabriel Valley coverage area, so I don't often cross paths with the Beverly Hills PD. After the department carried out a series of narcotics raids in the San Gabriel Valley, and refused to say a word about it, I'm sorry to report my first encounter with the Beverly Hills police left me woefully dissapointed. Station officials would confirm only that narcotics detectives had served "a warrant" Thursday at an undisclosed time and place on planet Earth.  It's none of our business, I guess.  Thanks for the transparency.

The limited information available regarding Thursday's operations came from assisting agencies in the SGV:

WEST COVINA -- Police and federal officials arrested a West Covina man Thursday on suspicion of possessing about 600,000 ecstasy pills for sale, authorities said.
Drug Enforcement Administration officials and the Beverly Hills Police Department spearheaded the operation along with others, including one in Bassett, authorities said.
Police officers and DEA agents arrested the West Covina man and found the drugs while serving a search warrant at 6 a.m. at a home in the 1400 block of South St. Malo Street, West Covina police Lt. Ron Mitchell said.
The ecstasy was estimated to be worth about $6 million, he said.
The name of the 32-year-old man was not available Thursday.
The suspect was arrested without incident at his home, officials said.
Several family members were home while the warrant was served, though the man was the only person arrested, Mitchell said.
Involved police agencies said he was in federal custody.
Meanwhile in Bassett, Beverly Hills police served another warrant in connection with a methamphetamine investigation in the 100 block of 8th Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Hugo Macias said.
Sheriff's officials did not participate in the raid, and Hugo said he had no further information.
Beverly Hills police declined to release any information about what they were doing in other jurisdictions Thursday other than to confirm that narcotics detectives had served a warrant.
DEA spokeswoman Sarah Pullen referred all questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.

From City News Service:

A half-dozen suspected gang members were arrested
in connection with a rash of home burglaries in Pasadena and Altadena, police and sheriff's officials announced today.
The arrests were made between Tuesday and today during a joint operation conducted by the Altadena sheriff's station and Pasadena police, said Detective Andrea De Leon of the Pasadena Police Department.
The suspects, all believed to be members of a local street gang, were arrested on suspicion of residential burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft auto, De Leon said. One man is also accused of violating parole.
Their names were not immediately released.
Investigators recovered some stolen items during the operation, including a vehicle, laptop computers, a big-screen television and cellular telephones, De Leon said.
An investigation into the group's alleged connection to other crimes in Altadena and Pasadena was ongoing, she said.<NO1><NO>

NORWALK -- Sheriff's officials jailed a 21-year-old gang member Thursday on suspicion of shooting a 7-year-old boy who was playing at a Norwalk park, authorities said.
Sheriff's gang investigators arrested Charles German Vera of Norwalk about 11 a.m. as he was driving with his mother on the 5 Freeway in Norwalk, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
He is suspected of shooting and wounding a 7-year-old boy who was playing at about 7:40 p.m. Wednesday evening at Hollyfield Park in Norwalk, officials said.
The boy was hospitalized in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the torso following the shooting, and remained in stable condition Thursday, officials said.
The boy was believed to have been shot by a stray bullet fired during an argument between gang members across the street from the park, Lt. Bill Evans said shortly after the shooting.
Vera was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and was being held in lieu of $1 million bail, sheriff's officials said.

WHITTIER -- A 3-year-old boy died at a hospital Thursday after a table fell on him at his home in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 5 p.m. at a home in the 14100 block of Mulberry Drive, sheriff's Sgt. Chris Mouat said.
The boy was at home with family members when the table fell, he added.
Officials rushed the toddler to a hospital where he died from his injuries, Mouat said.
The investigation was ongoing, the sergeant said, however there were no initial indications of foul play.
"It appears to be accidental at this time," he said.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- Three armed men robbed a South El Monte shoe company Thursday and injured a female employee, officials said.
Deputies responded to a robbery alarm about 2:25 p.m. at Retro Footwear, 1710 Chico Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Tom McNeal said.
They found that three Latino men in their early- to mid-20s, all armed with handguns, had robbed robbed a woman working at the business, the lieutenant said. One of them wore a gray hooded sweat shirt.
A female employee was struck in the head during the robbery and was treated for a cut, officials said. She was expected to be fine.

PASADENA -- Police jailed a Pasadena woman on suspicion of attempted murder Thursday after she allegedly tried to run over a man with her car, then hurled a bag full of urine at arresting officers, authorities said.
Monica Avila, 39, was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood, according to sheriff's booking records.
The incident began shortly after 3 a.m. when police responded to a report of a trespasser in the 300 block of E. Penn Street, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
"The victim reported that when he came out of the house to talk to the trespasser, she tried to run him down with her vehicle," the lieutenant said.
The victim, a 44-year-old man, was the brother of Avila's ex-boyfriend, police said.
The man was not hurt, however the woman allegedly crashed into a fence in her attempt to run over the man and drove away, he added.
Police found Avila driving at Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, Russ said.
When officers tried to arrest her, "She removed removed her urostomy bag and deliberately threw it at three officers, who were exposed to it's contents," Russ said.
Police then arrested Avila, he said, took her to a hospital to be examined because of the car crash and booked her on suspicion of attempted murder. Additional charges were possible stemming from the assault on the officers.
No information was available Thursday regarding Avila's initial court appearance.

NORWALK -- A 7-year-old boy was wounded by a stray bullet Wednesday as he played at a park, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 7:40 p.m. at Hollyfield Park, at the corner of Excelsior Drive and Bloomfield Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Bill Evans said.
A group of people -- believed to be gang members -- were fighting across the street from the park when shots rang out, the lieutenant said.
The two intended victims fled unharmed, but a stray bullet flew into the park and struck the young boy in the torso, Evans said.
The boy was hospitalized in stable condition and was undergoing surgery late Wednesday, he added.
No description of the shooters or intended victims was available.

EL MONTE -- A fire caused by a leaking propane hose destroyed three small outbuildings behind a restaurant Wednesday, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported about 5 p.m. to the rear of Playa De Nayarit, 9817 Garvey Ave., Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Mark Ortiz said.
The owner of the restaurant was cooking in one of three small outbuildings when a propane line broke, causing the fire, Ortiz said.
The owner escaped without injury, and firefighters extinguished the flames in about 20 minutes, officials said.
The fire caused an estimated $100,000 to the outbuildings and their contents, Ortiz said, as well as a Toyota Sienna minivan that was parked nearby and scorched in the blaze.

PASADENA - A group of crooks used a hammer to smash open display cases at a jewelry store before helping themselves to about $12,000 worth of bracelets and fleeing, police said.
The crime took place about 3 p.m. at City Jewelry, 445 E. Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena police Lt. Rodney Wallace said.
Three black teenage boys and a black man in his 20s, all wearing dark clothing, entered the store and went straight for the display cases, the lieutenant said.
After grabbing jewelry, the thieves fled to a gold-colored Honda Civic with no license plates and a waiting driver, Wallace said.
The car was last spotted northbound on Euclid Avenue, he added.

WEST COVINA - A man used a handgun to carry out a takeover-style robbery at a West Covina check cashing business Wednesday, authorities said.
The crime was reported about 10:50 a.m. at Advance Payroll on Azusa Avenue, just north of Rowland Avenue, West Covina police Lt. Alan Hensley said.
"(The robber) entered the location with a handgun and threatened employees," the lieutenant said.
The gunman ordered those inside the store to the ground and stole about $3,000, Henley added. No injuries were reported.
 No getaway car was seen, he said.
Police described the robber as a black man between 20 and 30 years old,  weighing about 200 pounds.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- Sheriff's officials continued seeking answers Sunday in the shooting death of a woman and the wounding of a man at a home the day before.
Hong Nguyen, 34, died at the scene of the 4:45 a.m. shooting in the 11400 block of Thienes Avenue, Detective Richard Ramirez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
Coroner's officials listed Nguyen as a Garden Grove resident, but Ramirez said detectives were unsure where she had been living.
Deputies found Nguyen and the man both had been shot in the chest, sheriff's officials said.
"At this point, we're still making a determination as to what unfortunately transpired," he said. "We're still early in the investigation."
Ramirez said detectives had ruled out the possibility of an intruder in the home, but there was not enough information Sunday to determine the circumstances of the shooting.
Coroner's investigators ruled Nguyen's death a homicide, Investigator Betsy Magdaleno said.
Deputies recovered two handguns in the home, but Ramirez declined to say where in the home they were found or in what proximity to the bodies.
The wounded 38-year-old man had major injuries, sheriff's officials said. He had not regained consciousness at a hospital.
Sheriff's officials declined to release his name because his family had not been notified.
Detectives ordered tests to see whether Nguyen or the man fired a gun, Ramirez said, but the results could take weeks to come back.
It was not clear Sunday what relationship existed between Nguyen and the wounded man.
"We understand they knew each other, but we're not sure what their relationship was," the detective said.
Although the wounded man had not been booked on suspicion of a crime Sunday, Ramirez said, he had not been ruled out as a suspect.

A car crashed into a bakery in an unincorporated county area near Azusa Sunday, startling an employee inside but causing no injuries.
The crash occurred about 1:15 p.m. at Leo's Bakery on Clydebank Avenue, just north of Arrow Highway, California Highway Patrol officials said.
A Las Vegas woman in her 30s was trying to park a Nissan Sentra in front of the business when the car lurched forward and smashed through the front window of the bakery, CHP Officer Adam Christopher said. She and four children inside the Sentra were not hurt.
Bakery employee Adrian Vargas, 25, said the crash left her shaken up but uninjured.
"I saw the window coming toward me and I ran to the back," she said through a Spanish interpreter.
Christopher said there was no indication of anything criminal and the crash was being investigated as an accident.
The driver of the Sentra declined to comment.
Leo's Bakery owner Leopoldo Lopez said he thankful no one was hurt in the crash, and he hopes to make repairs and reopen for business in about a week.
The structure of the bakery remained sound and attached businesses were not affected, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.

AZUSA -- A man was hospitalized for psychological evaluation and injuries from a police dog Saturday after a three-hour standoff with police, officials said.
The incident began about 3:30 p.m. in the 700 block of North Loren Avenue, Azusa police Sgt. Sam Fleming said.
Officers responded to a report that a man was pouring some type of flammable liquid on someone else's car, he said.
The man drove away in his own car when police arrived, the sergeant said.
He refused to pull over for police and drove a short distance before returning to the 700 block of North Loren Avenue and refusing to get out of his car, Fleming said.
After three hours of refusing officers' orders, he said, authorities used a police dog to remove the man from the car and took him into custody without further incident.
He was being treated for dog bites and undergoing psychological evaluation late Saturday, Fleming said.
Once the man's mental health is examined, police will consider criminal charges, which could include attempted arson and resisting police.
Since the man had not been booked on suspicion of a crime Saturday, his name was not released.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- A woman was killed and a man seriously wounded in a shooting early Saturday in South El Monte, authorities said.
Coroner's officials did not release the name of the 34-year-old woman who died pending notification of family members. Her city of residency was not clear.
Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Temple Station responded to a call reporting a shooting about 4:45 a.m. at a house in the 11400 block of Thienes Avenue, Sgt. Diane Hecht of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau said in a written statement.
"They discovered a man in the doorway suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body," Hecht said.
"When the deputies checked the location for other victims or suspects, they found a woman also suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper body," she said.
The woman died at the scene, coroner's officials said.
The wounded man, who was estimated to be in his mid-30s, was hospitalized in "critical, but stable" condition, Hecht said. His name was not released.
The relationship between the man and woman was not clear Saturday afternoon, she added.
Information regarding a motive or suspect was also not available.
Saturday's slaying was South El Monte's second reported homicide of 2010.
Gerardo Corral Jr., 27, of El Monte was killed in an early-morning drive-by shooting Jan. 1 in the 10700 block of Klingerman Street, according to coroner's officials.

Authorities surrounded a home in an unincorporated county area near Whittier for more than seven hours Friday where a parolee was believed to be barricaded, but ultimately found the house empty.
The incident began about 2:15 p.m. when a 26-year-old parolee who was wanted for an alleged narcotics violation was believed to have barricaded himself inside a house in the 7800 block of Morrill Avenue, Deputy Mark Pope of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau said.
Sheriff's officials evacuated nearby homes and businesses and surrounded the home, Pope said. The sheriff's SWAT team, known as the Special Enforcement Bureau, was also summoned to the scene.
Deputies finally forced their way into the home but did not find the suspect, Deputy Guillermina Saldana said.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- Armed intruders tied up two women and three children Friday during a home-invasion robbery, authorities said.
The crime took place about 2:30 p.m. in the 2300 block of Ridgeview Avenue, Lt. Leonard Williams of the sheriff's Walnut-Diamond Bar Station said.
The robbers were initially described only as two Latino men, he said. One was armed with a handgun and the other had a knife.
After forcing their way into the home, "They bound the victims and then ransacked the residence," Williams said.
An undisclosed amount of cash and jewelry was stolen, he added.
"Once the suspects left, the victims were able to untie themselves and call for help," Williams said.
No getaway car was seen.
The victims in the robbery, two women in their 30s and three children under 10 years old, were not injured in the incident, he said.
Friday's incident was the second home-invasion robbery reported in Rowland Height in the past month.
Two men bound and robbed a man and woman in their home just over a mile away in the 2500 block of Herlinda Lane on June 24, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
The robbers terrorized and threatened the couple, and cut the arm of man's arm with a knife during the crime, according to the statement.
Officials said David Ry, 25, of Monterey Park and Rotaan James, 28, of Los Angeles were arrested July 6 on suspicion of carrying out the Herlinda Lane robbery and are awaiting trial.

ARCADIA -- A fire sparked by ceremonial candles damaged an Arcadia apartment Friday, authorities said.
The fire was reported about 1:10 p.m. at a single-story apartment complex at 819 Fairview Avenue, Arcadia Fire Department Battalion Chief Rick Braun said.
The four residents of the apartment -- two adults and two teenagers -- evacuated themselves from the burning apartment before firefighters arrived, Braun said.
Firefighters extinguished the fire, which was contained to the living room of the apartment, in about 15 minutes, fire officials said.
No one was injured, and no other apartments were affected by the blaze, Braun added.
The fire was caused by religious ceremonial candles left burning in the apartment, Braun said. He estimated the fire caused about $20,000 worth of damage.
Braun said it was not clear Friday afternoon whether the family would be able to stay in the damaged apartment during repairs or if they would have to make other accommodations.

GLENDORA -- Authorities served a narcotics search warrant and arrested a man Thursday morning at a home in the 1000 block of Brightview Drive in Glendora, police said.
"Narcotics detectives with the Azusa Police Department received information that at least one of the residents was involved in narcotics sales in the city of Azusa and that he lived in that home in Glendora," said Azusa police Lt. Frank Chavez.
Richard Meza, 23, of Glendora, was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sale, officials said. Police did not say how much of the drug was seized.
Azusa Police Department detectives and a SWAT team arrived at the home around 7:30 a.m., Chavez said.
Nearly ten other people, including children, as well as three large pit bulls were at the home during the raid, police said. Meza was the only person arrested.
According to sheriff's booking records, Meza was booked at the Azusa Police Department jail and released Thursday afternoon after posting $30,000 bail. He was due for arraignment in West Covina Superior Court Monday.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES -- In hindsight, the investigation into the Grim Sleeper serial killings could have led to suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr.'s doorstep much sooner.
He lived in the same neighborhood where the serial killer stalked prostitutes and drug addicts over 22 years. He spoke openly about his contempt for prostitutes and said they deserved to die. He displayed photographs he'd taken of women in sexually explicit poses. He had a lengthy criminal record that included 15 arrests.
Now that police have identified Franklin as the man suspected of killing 10 young black women in the case, residents in this working-class Los Angeles neighborhood worry they missed warning signs and wonder if they should have alerted authorities.
"I'm a little shook up by the experience," said Franklin's longtime friend, Lydia Kam, as she stood in disbelief outside Franklin's shuttered house. "I'm wondering if we are too lenient. ... I should have made a better choice."
Franklin would often regale Kam with stories of his sexual exploits and was even more graphic with her husband, Mark Tribble.
"He would have violent fantasies," Tribble said. "He was putting the girls down ... saying someone is going to kill these girls, saying they were going to end up dead."
Despite a lack of community help, police used DNA evidence to arrest Franklin on July 7 at his home in the Manchester Square neighborhood nine miles south of downtown, an area dotted with Spanish-style and stucco homes.
To most neighbors, the place is still known as South Central, the name that was changed to South Los Angeles in 2003 by a City Council trying to re-brand an area notorious for gang crime, killings and urban strife.
The serial slayings occurred between 1985 and 2007, with the killer apparently taking a pause between 1988 and 2002, prompting the Grim Sleeper nickname.
Cold case detectives announced in September 2008 that a serial killer was on the loose and, partly in response to pressure from victims' families and activists, launched a publicity blitz to generate leads.
No one suspected Franklin, despite billboards being put up across the area where the killer struck, advertising a $500,000 reward.
In a neighborhood where helping police is often frowned upon, it was easy for people to dismiss his stories as the fantasies of an unhappily married man who could get them cheap used car parts.
"This man was an A-1 mechanic," said Kam, who has known Franklin for about a decade. "He didn't make mistakes on how he fixed cars. He was a good man to know."
Franklin, 57, was arrested after his son was arrested and swabbed for DNA. Using a controversial technique known as a familial DNA search, the sample came back as similar to evidence in the serial killings, ultimately leading police to Franklin.
Aside from the 10 murder charges, police suspect Franklin killed a man who may have discovered
he was a killer. They are also reviewing whether Franklin was involved in about 30 other homicide cases. He has not been charged in those cases.
Franklin was arrested at least 15 times for investigation of burglary, assaults and other crimes but avoided state prison. He is alleged to have killed one of his victims in July 2003, a time when he should have been in county jail but was released early because of overcrowding.
His attorney, Regina Laughney, said she expected Franklin to enter a not guilty plea at his Aug. 9 arraignment. She declined to comment further. His wife and sons have not spoken publicly about his arrest.
The family's mint-green house on 81st Street has become a tourist attraction of sorts, with a steady flow of traffic moving slowly past the single-story home where a Doberman and German Shepherd circle the front yard.
Some drivers stop to talk to each other and share recollections on the man they knew as Lonnie; others just snap a cell phone picture and drive on.
Tribble is reconstructing conversations they had. Looking back, he sees plenty to be alarmed about.
"You would have a normal conversation, but he'd end up saying something gruesome," Tribble said.
Asked why they weren't more concerned about Franklin's stories, Tribble and other residents said it never occurred to them he might be the killer because he looked nothing like a series of composite sketches drawn from descriptions provided after a woman survived an attack.
The sketches show a slender man with gray hair. Franklin has a more spherical head and a thin mustache.
"It didn't look like him," said resident Carmella Coleman.
After hitting a wall in their investigation, detectives released the sketches in hopes of generating publicity. They also released a recording of a 1987 call to police in which a man describes seeing a body in an alley.
Though it jogged no one's memory when it was released in February, several residents are now convinced the voice is Franklin's. Cold case Detective Dennis Kilcoyne isn't so sure but is looking into it.
Family members of some of the victims faulted police for their initial investigations, saying
the cases didn't carry the same importance they would have if the victims had been from a wealthier part of town.
Alice Brown, an aunt of Henrietta Wright, who was found shot to death in an alleyway in 1986, said police at the time could have been trying harder.
"I don't think the police did too much investigating," Brown said. "I wasn't questioned until recently."
A search warrant released Thursday shows police came tantalizingly close to catching the killer in 1988, after a woman he is accused of shooting and leaving for dead survived and provided investigators with an address where she thought her attacker had gone to fetch something.
Detectives searched the home but found nothing. It turned out the survivor identified a house three doors down from Franklin.
Kilcoyne said detectives did thorough investigations but lacked the technology available today.
"I have always known that sooner or later, we would catch the guy and it would be someone we have had multiple contacts with," Kilcoyne said.

A well-known biologist and bird-watcher was found dead in a ravine deep in the Angeles National Forest on Thursday morning.
A rescue team found Arcadia resident Michael San Miguel, 70, dead after finally reaching him 300 feet down a ravine north of Altadena, Los Angeles County coroner's officials said.
San Miguel, a Southern California Edison subcontractor, was studying the environmental impact of running power lines in the area when he fell down the ravine Wednesday evening, Sgt. Debra Herman with the La Crescenta Valley sheriff's station said. He was working with Pasadena-based Bon Terra for the Renewable Transmission Project, Edison spokesperson Vanessa McGrady said.
"The whole birding community is devastated,' Elaine Macpherson of the Pasadena Audubon Society said.
Macpherson said San Miguel was a pillar of the society, always willing to share his knowledge and lead field trips.
The accident was first reported Wednesday about 8 p.m. in the forest near Angeles Crest Highway and Mt. Wilson Red Box Road, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Robert Diaz said.
It took Montrose Search and Rescue and deputies four hours to hike down the steep terrain to San Miguel, Herman said.
"The team did not return till 5:30 a.m. on Thursday," Herman said. Search and Rescue retrieved San Miguel's body and brought it up the ravine, where Homicide Bureau officials and the county coroner were waiting to begin an investigation.
"Search and Rescue is amazingly trained," Herman said. "They were the only team who could do this type of rescue."
Sheriff's and fire officials were unable to hoist the man out of the forest by helicopter because of overhead power lines, officials said.
Homicide detectives are continuing their investigation to determine San Miguel's injuries and cause of death, county Homicide Bureau officials said.
San Miguel is survived by his wife, Gayle; children, Michael and Lisa; daughter-in-law, Laurie; and grandchildren, Alex and Jake.

From staff and wire reports:

A state appellate court panel today upheld an El Monte man's conviction for stabbing a female cab driver in November 2008.
The three-justice panel from the 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected Carlos Ramirez's claim that there were errors in jury instructions given during his trial.
Ramirez was convicted of attempted murder and carjacking for the Nov. 14, 2008, attack on the driver, who was stabbed in the neck with a utility knife before her cab was taken.
The attack took place at Tyler Avenue and Kauffman Street in El Monte.
Ramirez and another man stole $10 from the wounded woman's purse before fleeing, according to testimony in Ramirez's trial.
The stolen taxi was recovered shortly after the driver reported the crime to police.
Police said the victim, a Rosemead woman in her 20s who had been driving a taxi for about a month, was "traumatized" by the attack.
Co-defendant David Siguenza, who worked with Ramirez at a car wash and was with him at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to carjacking.

From City News Service:

POMONA -- A 21-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the slaying of a woman who was gunned down as she was reporting a break-in at her Covina Hills home to a 911 operator.
Pomona Superior Court Judge Tia Fisher also tacked on a 25-year-to-life sentence for Christopher Kevin Santana, who was convicted June 14 of first-degree murder for the March 19, 2008, killing of Michelle Hsu.
The 46-year-old woman was struck three times by gunfire and died at the scene.
Jurors found true the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a burglary, along with gun use and discharge allegations against Santana.
A separate jury deadlocked on charges against Christine Alegre, the 19- year-old alleged getaway driver.
Two other defendants, Victor Manuel Maurtua III, 21, and Christopher Stratis, 19, are still awaiting trial. A fifth person, Megali Fernandez, 19, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter.

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- Rescuers were working there way to an injured Southern California Edison subcontractor late Wednesday after he fell about 300 feet down a ravine while working on electrical equipment deep in the Angeles National Forest north of Altadena, authorities said.
The condition of the worker, who was believed to be about 70 years old, was unknown, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Blume said.
The accident was first reported about 8 p.m. in the forest near Angeles Crest Highway and Mt. Wilson Red Box Road, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Robert Diaz said.
Sheriff's and fire officials were unable to hoist the man out of the forest by helicopter because of overhead power lines, Diaz said.
Rescuers continued hiking through rough terrain to reach the man Wednesday night, Blume said.

The following text is taken from a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department press release issued late Wednesday, regarding two men apprehended on suspicion of a violent home-invasion robbery in Rowland Heights last month:

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is seeking the public's assistance in locating possible additional victims of residential robbery in Rowland Heights and surrounding communities.
On June 24, 2010, at about 8PM, two suspects armed with handguns forcibly entered a home of a Chinese-American family in the 2500 Block of Herlinda Lane, (unincorporated area) Rowland Heights. The suspects, who were described as one male Asian adult and one male Black adult, terrorized a middle aged male and female couple by binding their hands and feet and threatening them with handguns and a knife. During this ordeal, the Asian suspect cut the male victim's arm with a knife while threatening him. The suspects terrorized the victims in their own home for an hour before leaving the location. The suspects stole the victims' ATM cards, cash, and cellular phones.
Investigators from Operation Safe Streets Bureau - Asian Gang Team investigated this case. Investigators learned that the suspects attempted to use the ATM cards at several different ATM machines in San Gabriel and Alhambra, immediately following the robbery. Investigators obtained the video footage from the ATM machines, which depicted the image of the male Black suspect.
On July 6, 2010, at about 7:00PM, a sheriff's patrol deputy assigned to Walnut Station was on patrol in the city of Diamond Bar, when he stopped a vehicle because the driver was talking on his cell phone, which is a traffic violation. The vehicle was occupied by two individuals who matched the description of the robbery suspects. The Deputy subsequently located, from inside of the vehicle, two 2-way radios, gloves, a replica of a handgun, a cellular phone, a bag containing miscellaneous jewelry, and beanies. The two occupants (David Sarun Ry of Monterey Park and Rotaan James of Los Angeles) of the vehicle were arrested and booked at Walnut Station for suspicion of robbery.
Sheriff's Operation Safe Streets Investigators from the Asian Gang Team immediately responded to Walnut Station and continued the investigation.
On July 8, 2010, the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office in West Covina Court. Charges of robbery, kidnapping, criminal threats and assault with a deadly weapon were filed against both suspects. If convicted, each suspect could be sentenced to over 100 years in prison. The Investigation is still on-going.
Anyone with information about additional victims is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Asian Gang Team (310) 603-3100. If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you can call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org/.

From reporter Ruby Gonzales:

A 1-year-old girl who was kidnapped from a Norwalk restaurant six years ago was found Wednesday in Phoenix, Ariz.
She was taken back to California.
The now 7-year-old was identified by the foot print on her birth certificate, according to Capt. Pat Maxwell of the sheriff's Norwalk Station.
He said the girl appeared well-cared for.
He didn't release the name of the girl saying it was department policy. No one was arrested Wednesday.
Maxwell said detectives are interviewing people at the Phoenix residence where the girl was found on Wednesday.
"We're trying to determine how this person had custody of the girl," Maxwell said.
The child was kidnapped Sept. 21, 2003 by her three teenaged aunts from her foster parents at a Chuck E. Cheese in the 10900 block of Firestone Blvd. in Norwalk, according to Maxwell.
After a search, deputies arrested two of the aunts. They were later sent to juvenile camp. But the child and her third aunt weren't located.
In November 2009, he said detectives received information about the possible location of the missing girl. This month, the investigation focused on Phoenix, Ariz. where deputies believed the missing girl was living.
Investigators headed to Phoenix on Wednesday and were assisted by Phoenix Police and the FBI's Innocence Lost Task Force personnel.

PICO RIVERA -- No one was injured in a drive-by shooting in Pico Rivera Wednesday, authorities said.
The crime was reported just after 6 p.m. on Beverly Boulevard, just west of Paramount Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. John Adams said.
A shooter, described only as a light-skinned Latino man wearing a white T-shirt, passed through the area in a silver-colored Toyota 4-Runner, the sergeant said.
Witnesses reported the driver leaned out of the SUV and fired about five shots from a rifle at a nearby apartment building, Adams said. The SUV was last seen driving west on Beverly Boulevard.
Investigating deputies were unable to find anything that had been struck by gunfire, Adams added. It was unclear who the intended target of the shooting may have been, and a motive in the shooting was also unclear.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles authorities missed a chance to collect a DNA sample from a suspected serial killer before he allegedly killed his last known victim.
A newspaper reported Wednesday that the DNA profile of Lonnie Franklin Jr. was supposed to be collected under a state law that went into effect in November 2004.
Proposition 69 required the Los Angeles County Probation Department to gather DNA samples from tens of thousands of local offenders who were on probation.
Though Franklin was on probation following a 2003 conviction for receiving stolen property, his DNA was never taken.
The probation department says it took time after the law's approval to implement the new requirements.
Franklin's last alleged victim was killed New Year's Day 2007.

GLENDALE -- Sheriff's deputies assigned to the Crescenta Valley and Altadena sheriff's stations arrested two men Wednesday after allegedly finding 10 pounds of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Glendale, authorities said.
Noe Virgen and Jose Pelayo -- both 24-year-old Van Nuys residents, were booked on suspicion of possession and transportation of narcotics for sales, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Larry Landreth said.
The arresting deputies were members of the sheriff's Community Oriented Policing, or COPS, bureau, Landreth said.
They spotted the car about 12:45 p.m. and pulled it over on the 5 Freeway near Colorado Street for having tinted windows, he said.
Deputies searched the car with the consent of Virgen and Pelayo and found the methamphetamine inside a backpacks, the lieutenant
Landreth said the ten pounds of methamphetamine seized had an estimated value of more than $140,000, and likely more.
"It's a good find," Landreth said. "It's good to get that much (methamphetamine) off the street."
The investigation will be continued by sheriff's narcotics detectives, he added.

From reporter Nathan McIntire:

BURBANK - Emotions boiled over in a courtroom Tuesday as a jury found Monrovia cousins Nickelis and Rayshawn Blackwell guilty of gunning down 16-year-old Sammantha Salas in a hail of machine gun fire two years ago.
Several of the Blackwells' relatives and friends let out wailing cries before storming out of the Burbank courtroom as a clerk announced guilty verdicts on eight counts against the two, including first-degree murder and attempted murder.
"A murder case where a 16-year-old is killed is up there with one of the most heinous crimes you can have," Deputy District Attorney Joe Porras said after the verdicts. "To get justice in a case like this is satisfying to the victims, to the victims' families and the community."
The Blackwells each now face five terms of life in prison. They are scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 24, Porras said.
Salas' mother, Jeanette Chavez, said the verdicts were "beyond relief."
"The bottom line -- it's justice for Sammantha," Chavez said. "I know she's proud of us, because we worked really hard. Seeing these guys off the street so they won't harm another family -- that was the bottom line."
The cousins stared straight ahead as the verdicts were read. But Nickelis Blackwell unleashed a tirade of expletives as deputies led him away in handcuffs.
Rayshawn Blackwell looked back into the audience, smiled and said, "It's all right. We'll be back."
Nickelis' attorney, Thomas White, said his client was upset at the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison.
"They're looking at several hundred years, and no one on this earth will be alive to see them get out of custody," said Geoffrey Pope, Rayshawn Blackwell's attorney.
Salas was gunned down as she walked with two friends in the 2500 block of Peck Road in an unincorporated county area near Monrovia on Jan. 26, 2008. One of her friends, a teenage girl, was severely wounded but recovered. A second friend ran away and escaped injury.
Detectives said the teens were caught up in a string of retaliatory gang shootings in Monrovia, Duarte and unincorporated Los Angeles County in late 2007 and early 2008 that left four people dead and several others wounded.
Salas and the wounded teen were not involved in gangs, detectives said.
Prosecutors told jurors the Blackwells were distraught the night of the shooting, after attending the funeral of their uncle. Sanders Rollins, 64, was gunned down 12 days earlier by members of Monrovia Nuevo Varrio, a Latino gang.
The Blackwells are members of the primarily black Duroc Crips, Porras told jurors during the trial.
Jurors also convicted the Blackwells of attempted murder for a Jan. 14, 2008, shooting that targeted the father of a man now charged in Rollins' murder.
The Rollins case has yet to go to trial.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- An Alhambra man who caused $15,000 in tagging damage by painting cat faces along freeways in the downtown Los Angeles area is facing 90 days in jail, three years probation and 300 hours of community service in connection with his guilty plea to a felony vandalism charge, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Rick "Atlas" Ordonez, 33, also is expected to pay restitution to the California Department of Transportation for tagging damage that occurred between January and March, according to Deputy District Attorney Pallavi Dhawan.
The amount of restitution is expected to be determined at Ordonez's sentencing on July 20.
Ordonez was arrested June 30 at his home by deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Transit Services Bureau, and charged July 2.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- An ex-felon was convicted today of stabbing to death a Monrovia couple in their 70s who were "like family" to him.
Alfredo Montez Valenzuela, 38, faces a possible death sentence for the July 2003 killings of 78-year-old Clark Shaum and his 70-year-old wife, Bernice.
Valenzuela was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder, first- degree residential robbery, first-degree burglary and unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle. Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder during the commission of a burglary and robbery.
The penalty phase of trial, during which jurors will recommend whether Valenzuela should be sentenced to death or life in prison without the possibility of parole, will begin Friday before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lance Ito.
Deputy District Attorney Brook White told jurors during the trial that Clark Shaum was stabbed 113 times and his wife was stabbed more than 40 times.
Valenzuela -- who had known the couple through his father since he was a child -- initially denied involvement in the crimes, describing the couple as being "like family," the prosecutor said.
But White said Valenzuela later admitted involvement in the slayings, telling authorities, "When I went in, Bernice woke up. I got scared ... I wasn't planning on doing that ... I didn't want to go back to prison."
Valenzuela told authorities that he stabbed Clark Shaum "a lot of times" because "he wouldn't die," according to the prosecutor.
Valenzuela's attorney, Jeffrey Brodey, told jurors the defense has "never denied that it was Alfredo Valenzuela who committed these murders."
But he said Valenzuela's then-girlfriend, Shawna Robles, "was the architect of that crime" because she needed money to pay a bill for storage and was "able to browbeat and badger Alfredo" after meeting him on a jail bus in 2000 and coming to live with him after each were released from custody.
"She challenged Alfredo's masculinity ... she controlled all aspects of their life," Brodey said. "She was like the man who came to dinner and never left ... Once she was there, she sort of took over the house."
Valenzuela's attorney said Robles, who was at the crime scene, was "far more intelligent and definitely the leader" and gathered up some of the couple's belongings after the two were killed.
Robles was tried separately, with a jury convicting her in April 2008 of first-degree murder and other charges in the couple's slaying. That jury recommended that Robles be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole -- a sentence handed down in June 2008.

From the Associated Press:

CHINO HILLS -- A pilot whose small plane ran out of fuel had to crash-land on a Southern California golf course and ran into a golf cart moments after two men had abandoned it, but no one was injured.
Pilot Phil Samuelian of Pasadena told a TV station he was flying his 1968 Cessna 177 from Kernville to Corona on Sunday when he had to land near the driving range and clubhouse and hit the cart and a flagpole at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills.
Golfers told the TV station that about 20 people on the driving range had to scramble to avoid the plane.
Witnesses said the two men who fled from the cart finished their round.
A phone message left with the Federal Aviation Administration was not immediately returned.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES -- Some 70 Camp Pendleton Marines have been patrolling the streets of Los Angeles' toughest neighborhoods with the LAPD to learn skills they hope to apply in Afghanistan.
The Marines say learning to work like a cop on a beat will help them better track the Taliban, build relationships with Afghans leery of foreign troops and make them better teachers as they try to professionalize an Afghan police force beset by corruption.
The weeklong exercise -- unbeknownst to the public -- involved Marines dressed in jeans and T-shirts observing drugs busts, witnessing prostitution arrests and even following a murder case. It was the largest group of Marines to embed with the city's officers.

This comes from reporter Jannise Johnson at one of our sister papers, the San Bernardino Sun:

CHINO HILLS -- A 30-year-old band teacher was arrested Thursday on suspicion he had a sexual relationship with his 16-year-old female student.
Justin Wallin was arrested on the campus of Chino Hills High School without incident, according to a written statement from San Bernardino County sheriff's officials.
The sheriff's department started an investigation Tuesday after the 16-year-old reported she and the teacher were sexually involved.
The girl's parents found sexually explicit text messages from Wallin on her phone, according to the release.
The parents discovered more than 8,000 text messages from Wallin to their daughter.
Investigators learned that Wallin the and the girl engaged in sexual acts in Chino Hills, Chino and at Wallin's house, according to the release.
Wallin was booked into West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga on suspicion of three sex-related charges. He is now out on $100,000 bail.
Wallin in employed by the Chino Unified School District and investigators are concerned there may be other victims.

WHITTIER -- A 50-year-old Whittier woman died late Friday after being struck by a minivan while crossing Whittier Boulevard, police said.
Carol Gose died at the scene of the crash, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Jim Blacklock said.
She was crossing northbound across Whittier Boulevard at Strub Avenue about 10 p.m. when she was struck by the westbound Chrysler minivan, Whittier police said in a written statement.
She had been staying at a nearby motel, police added.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation by Whittier police, who were looking into the possibility that Gose may have been intoxicated when she was struck, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said.
Whittier resident Linda Delao said she watched as Gose crossed the street against a red light.
"I thought she would wait for the green light but she didn't," she said. "She walked on the red light and the car hit her.
The driver of the minivan, a 33-year-old Whittier woman, was not hurt in the incident, police said. She was also not immediately arrested or cited.

WEST COVINA -- Police arrested two men on suspicion of auto theft Friday following a routine traffic stop, authorities said.
Joseph Reilly, 21, of El Monte and Matthew Goik, 37, of West Covina were being held in lieu of $25,000 each at the West Covina Police Department's jail, Lt. Marty Sevilla said in a written statement.
The incident took place about 7:45 p.m. when a West Covina police officer pulled over a 2004 Infiniti G35 for turning without signaling and not having license plates near Baymar Street and Deodar Avenue, Sevilla said.
The driver, Reilly, and Goik, a passenger, got out of the car and started walking away, the lieutenant said, but both were detained by an officer.
Police then discovered that the Infinite had been reported stolen from Los Angeles June 19, he added.
According to sheriff's booking records, Reilly and Goik were due for arraignment Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.

Coroner's officials released the name Saturday of an El Monte man who died in a crash on the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles.
August Nixon, 39, died at a hospital shortly after Wednesday's 9:45 p.m. crash on the westbound 10 Freeway near State Street in Los Angeles.
Few details about the crash were initially released by the California Highway Patrol, but the crash involved Nixon, who was driving a 2005 Toyota sedan, and a 33-year-old Duarte man who was riding a 2008 Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
The circumstances of the crash were not available, officials said however CHP officers arrived on scene to find the Toyota overturned and the metrologist unharmed, authorities said.

PICO RIVERA -- A man and woman were expected to survive Saturday after they were shot in the face by gang members, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 10:30 p.m. Friday at Durfee Avenue and Banta Road, Sgt. Joe Van Damme of the Los Angeles County sheriff's Pico Rivera Station said.
Two 19-year-old men and a 20-year-old woman -- all Pico Rivera residents -- were walking in the area when a car described only as a white, 4-door sedan approached, the sergeant said.
Four people in the car described only as male and Latino asked the men and woman what gang they were affiliated with, Van Damme said.
When the victims responded that they were not in a gang, two of the attackers opened fire with handguns, he said.
The wounded 19-year-old man was initially hospitalized in critical condition, Van Damme said, but was updated to stable condition after undergoing surgery.
The wounded woman was also hospitalized in stable condition Saturday, he said. The third man who was walking with the wounded pair was not struck by the gunfire.
The investigation is being handled by sheriff's gang detectives.

WEST COVINA -- Police jailed a man and woman Thursday after they were allegedly caught with about $25,000 worth of methamphetamine, authorities said.
Jorge Sajaropulas, 34, of Phoenix, Arizona and Mistie Knowles, 30, of Wichita, Kansas were booked on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sales and transporting the drug, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said in a written statement.
Police spotted a Mitsubishi Galant with no license plate and watched Knowles, who was sitting in the passenger seat, conceal something underneath her seat.
"The officers obtained consent to search the car and under the seat where the female was seen concealing an item, the officers found approximately half-pound of methamphetamine in a container," the lieutenant said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Knowles was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail and was due for arraignment Monday in West Covina Superior Court.
Sajaropulas, an illegal immigrant, was being held without bail at the request of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, police said. No information was available Friday regarding his initial court appearance.

A rave party scheduled for this Saturday at an outdoor venue on the El Monte-Industry border -- which was already moved from a previous location in Pico Rivera -- has been cancelled, sheriff's and police officials said.
The electronic music party "Fresh Squeezed 2010" was scheduled to take place at the the El Monte Event Center, 3226 Gillman Road, according to the concert promoters. The facility has an El Monte mailing address, though it is officially within Industry's borders.
Sgt. Carlos Herrera of the sheriff's Industry Station said station officials were relieved to hear of the cancellation.
"They were expecting 4,000 to 5,000 people," Herrera said. "Based on that, it's a load off our minds not having all those people in the area... and everything that comes with the raves that they're known for.
Though "Fresh Squeezed 2010" was billed as a "drug free" event by promoters, authorities were concerned about illegal activity such as drug use that's often associated with raves.
Dozens of user-posted comments on the Squeeze Entertainment Web sites promoting the event make mention of drugs, especially ecstasy.
The event was originally planned at the Pico Rivera Sports Arena, but venue officials backed out following the death of Sasha Rodriguez Roth, 15, of Tarzana, who collapsed and later died during Electric Daisy Carnival at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum that was staged June 25-26.
The show promoters and El Monte venue owners could not be reached for comment Friday.
El Monte police and Los Angeles County sheriff's officials were preparing for extra enforcement to deal with the massive party.
The concert promoters were planning to pay for six sheriff's deputies to patrol the event and hire 30 private security guards, Lt. Vic Sotelo of the sheriff's Industry Station said.
Additionally, the station planned to send three additional deputies and a sergeant to keep tabs on the event, he said.
El Monte police Lt. Bob Roach said his department was also preparing for extra patrols and enforcement prior to the news of the concert cancellation.
Roach said he was particularly concerned because the event was advertised as being open to all ages, meaning children could be allowed in.
"It's beyond me that these parents would allow these kids to go out to these kinds of things," he said.

ARCADIA -- Arcadia police arrested an El Monte man early Friday after he allegedly broke into a house and pickup truck, authorities said.
Lewis Erlenmeyer, 44, was booked on suspicion of residential and vehicle burglary, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
A tipster called police shortly before 3:45 a.m. to report a man wearing all black and gloves was acting suspiciously and walking through residential properties in the 1900 and 2000 blocks of Terra Lane, Le Veque said.
Investigating officers found Erlenmeyer hiding beneath some construction equipment in the area, police said.
They also discovered that a nearby pickup truck had been broken into, Le Veque said, and recovered items such as credit cards and power tools believed to have been stolen from a house near where Erlenmeyer was arrested.
According to sheriff's booking records, Erlenmeyer was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Pasadena Superior Court.

COVINA -- Two men robbed a man and woman late Thursday inside a Covina home, authorities said.
The crime occurred about 10 p.m. at a home in the 700 block of South Shady Glen Drive, Covina police Lt. David Povero said.
The robbers were described only as Latino men with bandanas covering their faces, police said. One of them was armed with a handgun.
After ordering the occupants of the home to the floor, the intruders stole about $5,000 in cash and fled, Povero said.
No getaway car was seen, he added, and the investigation was ongoing.

PASADENA -- A Duarte elementary school teacher pleaded not guilty Friday to charges that he molested seven current and formers students over the past twelve years.
Wade Bughman, 41, of Monrovia was a 6th grade teacher at Beardslee Elementary School in Duarte when Los Angeles County sheriff's officials began investigating him in April, sheriff's and Duarte Unified School District officials said.
Through his attorney, John Tyre, Bughman denied wrongdoing.
"At this point we're denying all allegations and anything that is alleged against him," Tyre said. "Obviously that's our position - that he didn't do anything."
Tyre declined to discuss the specifics of the case.
Bughman is charged with 11 felony counts of child molestation -- including continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14 and forcible rape -- for alleged molestations of girls between the ages of 7 and 12.
Prosecutor Debra Archuleta could not be reached for comment Friday.
He was put on leave from his position at the elementary school as soon as the investigation began, DUSD officials said. He taught several grade levels since he began working for the school in 1993.
Bughman was arrested June 17 at his parents' home in Apple Valley, sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
Pasadena Superior Court Judge Terry Smerling reduced Bughman's bail from $2.1 million to $700,000, Tyre said.
Tyre said he didn't know of Bughman would be able to raise that amount.
Bughman is due back in Pasadena Superior Court July 29, where attorneys will set a date for a preliminary hearing, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said.
In a preliminary hearing, lawyers for the prosecution and defense present their cases to a judge, who decides whether there is sufficient evidence to require a defendant to stand trial.
Though the charges against Bughman date back to 1997, Whitmore said sheriff's officials suspect the molestations may go back further.
Anyone with information regarding the case was asked to call the sheriff's Special Victims Bureau, 866-247-5877.

PHOTO of Wade Bughman courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

Authorities have concluded their investigation into the death of a popular South Pasadena High School student who died of alcohol poisoning after leaving an Altadena party where alcohol was allegedly being served.
Aydin Salek, 17, died shorty after leaving a Dec. 12, 2009 party being hosted by 18-year-old Nancy Diaz in the 500 block of West Mariposa Street in Altadena, South Pasadena police Detective Mike Palmieri said.
Police learned Friday that the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office plans to charge Diaz with a misdemeanor count of furnishing alcohol to a minor in connection with the Dec. 12, 2009 party, the detective said.
The announcement brings an end to the 6-month investigation into Salek's death.
"As far as our investigation is concern, we've concluded it," Palmieri said.
Police and the DA's officials agreed that Diaz would not be arrested, he said, but instead a letter would be sent to her notifying her of an arraignment.
The arraignment is expected to occur within two months, Palmieri said, though the exact date was not available Thursday.
The prosecutor could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Salek's mother, Azita Salek, said she didn't wish to comment on the criminal case against Diaz.
She said she was now focused on the Aydin Salek Memorial Leadership Scholarship Fund set up by family members in honor of her son.
The first South Pasadena High School students received the scholarship at a senior awards ceremony at the end of the last school year, she said.
She addressed students at her son's former school in April about the danger's of drinking, in which she implored Salek's former classmates to "not follow your friends' mistakes."
Diaz could not be reached for comment Thursday.
If convicted as charged, she could face a $1,000 fine and no less than 24 hours of community service, officials said.
Police looked into the possibility of seeking more serious charges against Diaz, but decided against it, Palmieri said.
"There's no evidence to substantiate any felony charges," the detective said.
There were about 300 people at the party, which was advertised via Facebook and text messages, he added.
While police allege that Diaz served alcohol at her 18th birthday party, there were no witnesses who reported seeing any person give alcohol to Salek, Palmieri said.
Witnesses did report, however, that "(Salek) appeared sober before arriving and upon arriving at the party," he added.
"He was found unconscious at the party and was carried (by friends) to the car, and was driven back to South Pasadena where they hoped he'd be revived," Palmieri said.
During the trip, the situation apparently turned more serious and friends called 9-1-1, authorities said.
A friend, then a police officer and a paramedic performed CPR on Salek, authorities said, but he died of alcohol poisoning at a hospital a short time later on Sunday, one day before his 18th birthday.
Though police learned of the expected charges Friday, station officials did not report it until asked about it Thursday.
Palmieri said then Police Chief Dan Watson was informed about it, though it was the retiring chief's last day on the job.
Capt. DeAnn Wheeless said information about the conclusion of the investigation was not distributed to all the department's command staff, so watch commanders may have been unaware of it.
"It was an oversight," she said. "It was not released to all the officers."
For more information on the Aydin Salek Memorial Leadership Scholarship Fund, visit www.aydinsalek.com.

LOS ANGELES -- A 39-year-old El Monte man died late Wednesday following a freeway crash involving his car and a motorcycle, authorities said.
His name was not released Thursday pending notification of his family members, coroner's officials said.
The crash was reported about 9:45 p.m. on the westbound 10 Freeway, just east of State Street, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
CHP officers arrived at the scene to find the El Monte man's 2005 Toyota car overturned onto its roof, officials said.
A 33-year-old Duarte man who was driving a 2008 Harley Davidson was involved in the crash but was not hurt, according to the CHP.
The injured El Monte man was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where he died from his injuries at 11:30 p.m., officials said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, and no further details were available regarding the circumstances surrounding the crash.

WEST COVINA - The city placed a West Covina Police officer on paid leave amid a criminal investigation into claims the officer raped a woman, law enforcement officials said Wednesday.

A 41-year-old woman said West Covina Police Officer Hector Garay raped her on June 30 inside her West Covina apartment. This newspaper does not identify alleged victims of sex crimes.

Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Amy Hanson, an internal criminal investigator with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed a probe into the woman's allegations against Garay is underway.

Garay, 52, of Corona, did not discuss the allegations.

"I'm not going to comment," Garay said.

Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore and Sgt. Scott Craig, the sheriff's department lead internal criminal investigator, deferred all questions to West Covina Police Chief Frank Wills.

Wills declined to discuss the specifics of the probe and didn't name the officer involved.

"The allegations, even if true, have nothing to do with on-duty conduct or matters in the scope of his employment," Wills said.

Wills said the alleged victim has a "long history" of making false allegations against West Covina Police officers. 

With all his appearances at award shows, trips with his reporter girlfriend and official appearances at big games, it's hard to know how Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa fit an appearance at LAPD HQ into his schedule today, but he did. Here's the latest AP story on the capture of a suspect in the Grim Sleeper serial killer case:

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa says the arrest of a suspect in the so-called "Grim Sleeper" serial killings ends 25 years of "terror" in the city. The mayor told a press conference Thursday that he wished to thank a special team of detectives that worked on the case full time.

Fifty-seven-year-old Lonnie Franklin Jr. was charged Wednesday with 10 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and special circumstance allegations of multiple murders that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

The killings in South Los Angeles ranged from 1985 until 2007.

Police Chief Charlie Beck says the detective team made its investigation the largest current case in his department.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES -- A one-time police garage attendant suspected of killing 10 people and stumping detectives for more than two decades was finally arrested Wednesday after police used DNA from his son to track him down.
Lonnie Franklin Jr., 57, was charged with 10 counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and special circumstance allegations of multiple murders that could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted, District Attorney Steve Cooley said.
"Today is a good day," Donnell Alexander, the brother of victim Monique Alexander, said as he watched police activity outside the South Los Angeles house where the arrest was made earlier in the day.
Detectives have spent years investigating slayings between 1985 and 2007 in which the killer targeted young black women and one man. The attacker was dubbed the "Grim Sleeper" because he apparently took a 14-year hiatus from his crimes, from 1988 to 2002.
The break in the case came after Franklin's son was arrested and swabbed for DNA, said Alexander, who was given a briefing on the case by robbery-homicide detectives.
Using a controversial technique known as a familial DNA search, the sample came back as similar to evidence in the serial killings, leading police to investigate relatives of the man who was arrested.
Detectives later swabbed a cup used by Lonnie Franklin Jr. at a restaurant and confirmed his DNA matched that in the serial killings, Alexander said, citing his briefing by police. Two police officials confirmed Alexander's account.
Cooley believes the "Grim Sleeper" case was the first time a familial DNA search has been used successfully in California.
State Attorney General Jerry Brown said the match came when an unspecified family member of Franklin was swabbed after getting convicted on a felony weapons charge.
Los Angeles city personnel director Maggie Whalen said Franklin was hired in 1981 as an attendant at a Los Angeles Police Department garage, where he helped work on cars.
The following year, he moved to the sanitation department, where he worked a number of jobs before becoming a refuse collector. He left city employment in 1989.
Earlier Wednesday, dozens of police officials closed off a block around the 81st Street house where Franklin was arrested.
Neighbors described him as friendly and quiet and were stunned when they learned of his arrest. They said he was often seen working on cars in his front yard and would sometimes stop to chat with passers-by.
Alexander joined a crowd at the end of the block where the green house is located. A mobile
command post was parked out front, and a line of police tents sheltered tables in the front yard.
Alexander said he always kept faith there would be an arrest.
"You don't think about it every day, but every birthday, every holiday, every Christmas," he said. "It's not closure but it helps."
The "Grim Sleeper" case has dogged police even though they had the killer's DNA, a description from a survivor and had offered a $500,000 reward.
The victims were shot, strangled or both, usually after some kind of sexual contact. Several were prostitutes.
Police have said it's possible the lone male victim, Thomas Steele, who was shot in 1987, was a friend of another victim or discovered the killer's identity.
All the bodies were found outdoors, often in alleys a few miles south of downtown Los Angeles.
Rochell Johnson, whose mother Henrietta Wright was thought to be the killer's second victim when she was murdered in 1986, praised detectives.
"I was just waiting for the day," she said. "It's a big relief for all the victims' families."
The initial killings occurred during a time of extreme violence in parts of Los Angeles, when many young women were falling prey to crack cocaine and other drug addictions. As many as 30 detectives investigated the slayings in the 1980s but exhausted leads within a few years.
A special squad of detectives was assembled after the most recent known "Grim Sleeper" killing, the June 2007 shooting of Janecia Peters, 25, whose body was found in a trash bin.
The detectives have been focusing on the January 1987 slaying of Barbara Ware, a 23-year-old with a history of prostitution who was found shot in a South Los Angeles alley.
A man called police to report seeing her body being dumped from a blue-and-white van. Within an hour police had used the license plates to locate the van at its registered address at a church. The van's engine was still warm and there were several congregants in the church, but none seemed to know anything. The trail stopped there.
The one suspect description came from a woman who was sexually assaulted then shot and survived. She said a man with chiseled features and a black polo shirt who was driving an orange Ford Pinto offered her a ride to her sister's house.
She said they exchanged banter and shortly after getting into the car, she was attacked and
pushed from the vehicle.
Keisha Smith was among the crowd kept away from the 81st Street investigation scene by police
tape. She said Franklin was well known as a mechanic in the neighborhood and had often helped
find parts for her truck.
"It makes me feel scared," she said. "I have three little kids and he was that close to my kids."
Franklin was expected to be arraigned Thursday.

ARCADIA -- The Arcadia Police Department has become the latest Western San Gabriel Valley law enforcement agency to begin posting information about crimes in online maps.
The department has now teamed with the Website CrimeMapping.com to provide residents with timely information about crime in their community. The project was publicly unveiled at Tuesday's city council meeting.
Arcadia police Lt. Bob Anderson said the program is intended to increase public involvement in policing and keep the public informed of law enforcement activity.
"We're looking just to increase the flow if information to the community and to keep people engaged with the community," Anderson said.
The better the public is informed about crimes and crime trends in their neighborhoods, they better prepared they are to be able to assist police, Anderson added.
"An informed public can help us out," he said.
CrimeMapping.com takes information from police computers and plots that data on a map available to the public. Incidents generally appear on the Web site one day after they occur.
Through Arcadia Police Department's Web site, www.arcadiapd.org, Internet surfers can also find the department's news and information Web page and links to the department on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Nixle.
Anderson said police are simply trying to keep up with times.
"We're just dealing with a different public at this point... (one that's) more connected to the digital age," he said.
The company that runs CrimeMapping.com, San Diego-based The Omega Group, already provided Arcadia police with computer systems, Anderson said. This made the process of joining up with CrimeMapping.com easy.
The Arcadia Police Department is the fifth Pasadena-area law enforcement agency to team up with this type of online crime-mapping Internet service.
The Pasadena and San Gabriel police department also post information on CrimeMapping.com, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the Sierra Madre Police Department partner with a similar Website called CrimeReports.com.
In Pasadena, police joined with CrimeMapping.com early this year under Interim Police Chief Christopher Vicino.
Newly chosen Police Chief Phillip Sanchez, who will be sworn in next week, said he believed in the program and planned to continue participating in it.
"Information sharing is the life-blood of any law enforcement agency, and a point of interest for the community," Sanchez said.
San Marino and South Pasadena police provide their own crime maps on their department Websites, though the statistics they contain may be more than a month old.
Alhambra police are not involved in a public crime-mapping program, however Police Chief Jim Hudson said his department is looking into it.
"We've considered it," he said. "We're actually analyzing crime-mapping programs as we speak."
Hudson said he supported the idea of crime-mapping, but his department needs to weigh options and determine what programs may work with existing police computers.
"I think citizens absolutely want to be as informed, in real time, as they possibly can be," he said, but added that more research is needed before a decision can be made.
"We do have to be very cognizant of spending taxpayer's dollars," Hudson said. "My department isn't ready to purchase anything at present."
The cost of participating in CrimeMapping.com is based on population, officials said. Agencies that patrol populations of 100,000 or less are charged $1,200 per year for the service, while agency's patrolling areas with more than 100,000 people are charged $2,400 annually.

Associated Press is reporting that Los Angeles Police Department has arrested a suspect in the Grim Sleeper case:

A law enforcement official says Los Angeles police have made

an arrest in the so-called "Grim Sleeper" serial killings in which a man is believed to

have killed 11 people since 1985.

The official, who was not authorized to speak publicly, tells The Associated Press the

arrest was made Wednesday morning. No name or other details were immediately

released.

Detectives have spent years probing at least 11 slayings between 1985 and 2007 in which the killer targeted young black women and one man.

The killer was dubbed the "Grim Sleeper" because he apparently took a 14-year hiatus in his crimes.

Coroner's officials Tuesday released a composite sketch of a woman whose body was found in the Angeles National Forest after the Station Fire.

The skeletal remains were found on Dec. 26. near the Angeles Crest Highway, coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey said in a statement released Tuesday.

"Jane Doe 87" was "determined to be a White or Hispanic female with an age range between 20-40 years old," Harvey said. "The skeletal remains may have been at this location for an extended period of time, possibly several years prior to the "Station Fire" in August 2009."

The composite drawing depicts a woman with a slight overbite and dark hair pulled back in a bun. The woman had several items of jewelry including a yellow metal band with five clear stones and six pink stones, a yellow metal band with five clear stones and six blue stones and a yelow metal band with five clear stones and six green stones.

Additionally she had a yellow metal necklace, Harvey said.

The woman's skull was found just days after the skull of a man was located in the area near Lucas Creek, investigators said.

Detectives said the man's skull appeared to have been pierced by a bullet.

Investigators said both sets of remains had been placed in shallow graves and had been undisturbed for some time before last year's Station Fire, which destroyed more than 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest.

Hikers discovered the man's skull on Dec. 24. The woman's skull was located after cadaver sniffing dogs were brought to the scene, officials said.

From the Associated Press:

PHOENIX -- The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's tough new law targeting illegal immigrants. The government filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Phoenix on Tuesday.

The lawsuit argues that Arizona's new measure requiring state and local police to question and possibly arrest illegal immigrants during the enforcement of other laws usurps federal authority.

Tuesday's action has been expected for weeks. President Barack Obama has called the state law misguided. Supporters say it is a reasonable reaction to federal inaction on immigration.

UPDATE:

"I applaud the Justice Department's decision to challenge Arizona's immigration law," said Chu. "This misguided policy is not only unconstitutional, it's un-American in the way it separates families and hurts real people. Arizona's law is an excessive - and obvious - reaction to the reality that, for far too long, the federal government has neglected its responsibility and authority over immigration policy. That's why Congress must prevent the emergence of other patchwork fixes to our broken system and pass comprehensive immigration reform this year."

COVINA -- Police arrested a man Sunday after he allegedly broke into a Covina home, authorities said.
The owner of the allegedly burglarized home also discovered a valuable classic sports car missing when he arrived to inspect his home, police added, though it was not clear if the burglary and car theft were related.
Eugene Portillo, 42, of Baldwin Park, was booked on suspicion of burglary, Covina police Sgt. Trevor Gaumer said.
A tipster called police about 8:30 a.m. to report a suspicious person with a "pry bar" going into a neighbor's backyard in the 400 block of West Adams Park Drive, the sergeant said.
When police arrived, they found Portillo still in the yard and arrested him without further incident, Gaumer said. He still had the pry bar with him, and he had allegedly forced open a rear door of the home.
According to sheriff's booking records, Portillo was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and was due in West Covina Superior Court Wednesday for arraignment.
When the homeowner, who had not been at the house for about a week, arrived to talk to police, he discovered his highly rare and valuable classic sports car had also been stolen sometime in the previous week, Lt. Tim Doonan said.
The 1969 Ford Mustang Shelby GT was not restored, but was still estimated to be worth more than $50,000, the lieutenant said.
Police were looking into whether Portillo may be connected to the auto theft as well, he added.

PASADENA -- A police officer talked a suicidal man down from the Colorado Street Bridge Saturday, authorities said.
The incident began shortly before 1 p.m. in the middle of the historic bridge, Pasadena police Lt. Keith Jones said.
A 28-year-old Los Angeles man had climbed over the railing of the bridge and was preparing to jump about 150 feet down into the Arroyo Seco, Jones said.
"He was distraught over the fact that he thought he was going to lose his job," the lieutenant said.
A passer-by reported the incident to police and an officer arrived and began talking to the man, Jones said.
After several minutes of conversation, the officers convinced the man to climb back over the railing, he said.
The troubled man was hospitalized for psychological evaluation, he added.

POMONA -- Police were investigating the possibility of drunken driving Saturday after a solo-vehicle crash left two people with serious injuries, authorities said.
Raul Gonzalez, whose age and city of residency were not known late Saturday, was being investigated for drunken driving in connection with the 12:30 a.m. crash at Seventh Avenue and Palomares Street, Pomona police officials said.
He and his passenger, a 42-year-old woman, were both airlifted to a trauma center for treatment following the crash, police said in a written statement.
He allegedly fled from a police officer after being pulled over and crashed into three parked vehicles, the statement said.
The officer stopped Gonzalez's 1994 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck and observing that Gonzalez appeared to be driving while intoxicated, police said.
"Before the officer had an opportunity to have the driver exit the vehicle and continue his investigation for a possible DUI, (Gonzalez) drove off," according to the police statement.
The truck traveled about three blocks before crashing into three parked cars, officials added.

WHITTIER -- A 17-year-old boy was shot and wounded Saturday afternoon in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 3:40 p.m. at Meyer Road and Laurel Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Myron Johnson said.
The victim was walking in the area when he was shot in the shoulder, the lieutenant said.
"He's claiming that he didn't see or hear anything," Johnson said. "He wasn't able to provide much information."
A black compact car was seen speeding away from the area after the shooting, he added.
The wounded teen was hospitalized with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
The wounded teen was believed to have gang ties, Johnson said, however the motive in the shooting wasn't clear.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Norwalk Station.

PASADENA -- The 75-year-old mother-in-law of a Pasadena city councilman helped firefighters rescue her neighbor from a burning home early Saturday, authorities and family members said.
Isadore Caldwell, mother-in-law of Pasadena City Councilman Chris Holden, awoke shortly before 3 a.m. in the 700 block of Manzanita Avenue to find her neighbor's house on fire, Pasadena fire officials and Holden said.
After calling the fire department, "She started wetting down the roof and helping put out the fire," Holden said.
As firefighters were en route to the blaze, the woman called back to report her neighbor -- a woman estimated to be in her 50s -- was still inside the burning house, Pasadena Fire Department Capt. Mike Barilla said.
Fire officials said Caldwell's actions helped them render aid to the victim faster than would otherwise have been possible.
"Her persistence with a garden hose, flagging us down right away and pointing us to the bedroom (where the injured woman was)... all those factors played a part in us being able to rescue (the victim) in minutes," Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
Firefighters were greeted by heavy smoke and fire coming from the rear of the house and pulled the trapped occupant out through a living room window, fire officials said.
The rescued woman suffered major smoke inhalation and was hospitalized in critical condition, fire officials said. She was conscious and speaking when transported.
Holden said he was proud of the way his mother-in-law handled the emergency.
"She did a very good job," he said. "75 years old, but she never lost her composure."
"The adrenaline took over and she went into action," Holden added. "Now I think it's kind of dawning on her what happened, and it made her a little rattled."
Caldwell could not be reached for comment Saturday.
About 25 fire personnel extinguished the fire in about 20 minutes, officials said. The fire caused an estimated $70,000 worth of damage to the house and its contents.
The cause remained under investigation, authorities said, though it did not initially appear to be related to fireworks.

PHOTO courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department

WEST COVINA -- A 70-year-old man was beaten unconscious Friday after confronting an intruder in his home, police said.
The crime occurred about 3 p.m. in the 1100 block of East Puente Avenue, West Covina police Lt. Ron Mitchell said.
The man arrived home and found an intruder described only as a black man between 20 and 30 of medium build, the lieutenant said.
"The victim was struck or punched in the head, knocking him unconscious," Mitchell said. "When he woke up, he contacted the police department and discovered that his home had been ransacked."
The man was hospitalized but was expected to be OK, Mitchell added.
It wasn't immediately clear what, if anything, was taken from the home, he said.
Mitchell added that detectives and forensic investigators were sent to the scene to search for clues.

This comes from reporter Jannise Johnson:

CHINO HILLS -- A 36-year-old El Monte man and Arcadia school employee was arrested Thursday following a months-long investigation into sexual abuse charges, authorities said.
George Armenta, 36, was arrested about 12:15 p.m. Thursday in Chino Hills by San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies on charges he carried on a sexual relationship with a minor, San Bernardino County sheriff's officials said.
Armenta is a color guard choreographer in the Arcadia Unified School District, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
The victim, now 25, told sheriff's investigators that he and Armenta had a sexual relationship, which began when he was 15 years old and ended when he was 17, according to the news release.
The former student reported the alleged relationship in March, authorities said.
The alleged victim told detectives that he and the suspect were involved while he was a member of the color guard at a high school in Chino Hills, investigators said.
The alleged sex acts took place in Chino Hills and at the suspect's residences in Los Angeles County.
Sheriff's Detective Kathy Oros said victims will often not report sex crimes immediately.
"What ends up happening is they finally build up the courage," Oros said. "He finally got the strength to come forward."
Once investigators got the initial report in March, they found evidence that backed up the victim, Oros said.
Armenta was arrested after detectives arranged for him to come to Chino Hills, Oros said.
Armenta was booked on suspicion several counts of child molestation, according to the statement. He was being held $50,000 bail but has since posted bond.
Investigators would like anyone with information on this case or on any additional victims to call Oros as 909-364-2061.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES - Three executives of a Los Angeles toy company -- including two from the San Gabriel Valley -- were arrested Friday for their alleged part in a scheme to launder almost $9 million for drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia using teddy bears and Topo Gigio mouse dolls.
Meichun Cheng Huang, 57, of Irvine, a co-owner of Angel Toy Corp.; Ling Yu, 52, of Arcadia, CEO and co-owner of the company; and company accountant Xiaoxin "Judy" Ju, 48, of San Gabriel, were arrested on federal charges at the downtown business on Alameda Street, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"It's no small irony that a multi-million-dollar company which promoted itself as retailer of cuddly stuffed animals was allegedly acting as a financial linchpin for drug trafficking operatives in Colombia and Mexico," said ICE Director John Morton.
"It may be a toy company, but we believe these defendants' pursuits were anything but child's play," he said. "Businesses that launder profits for drug trafficking organizations should be on notice there will be a high price to pay for helping further these dangerous criminal enterprises."
According to an indictment, Huang and Yu directed their Colombian and Mexican clients to drop cash off at the company's Los Angeles headquarters or deposit it directly into the company's bank accounts.
After receiving the money, Angel Toy executives allegedly wired it to China to purchase stuffed animals and dolls, according to ICE.
The toys were subsequently exported to Colombia, where an associate apparently arranged for their sale, ICE said.
The Colombian pesos generated by those sales were then used to reimburse Colombian drug traffickers, a money-laundering process known as a "black market peso exchange," said state Attorney General Jerry Brown, whose office investigated the case along with ICE.
"This sort of scheme does go on in other contexts, but linking teddy bears to the drug business -- that's one for the record books," the Democratic gubernatorial candidate said.
"The money goes to China, the toys go to Colombia, and the profits go to drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia."
The drug proceeds, which were allegedly laundered through numerous cash deposits in the United States, were returned to clients when the stuffed animals and dolls were exported to the foreign countries and sold to generate local "clean" money, according to ICE.
Today's arrests stemmed from a five-count indictment that charged five defendants, including the co-owners of Angel Toy Corp., and Jose Leonardo Cuevas Otalora, 50, a Colombia-based businessman who allegedly oversaw the importation of the toys into his country, prosecutors said. The fifth defendant in the case is Angel Toy Corp. itself.
Immigration officials were working with the Colombian National Police and the U.S. Department of Justice to arrest Otalora, according to ICE.
The indictment also seeks the forfeiture of more than $8.6 million dollars, which is the amount of money allegedly laundered over a four-year period, from 2005 to 2009.
Topo Gigio was a character on a children's puppet show on Italian and Spanish television in the early 1960s and began famous worldwide when the cute rodent appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show." Topo Gigio remains a Latino cultural icon.

A serial bank robber the FBI is calling the "Golden Years Bandit," is believed to be responsible for heists in San Gabriel, Rosemead and Alhambra, officials said Friday.
The robberies believed connected to the bandit all occurred along Valley Boulevard.
They include a June 26 robbery at an East West Bank, 140 W. Valley Boulevard in San Gabriel;  a March 17 robbery at a Bank of America at 8856 E. Valley Boulevard in Rosemead ; and a Jan. 23 robbery at a Bank of America at 444 E. Valley Boulevard in Rosemead, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a written statement.
In the most recent crime, "the bandit ordered the victim teller to 'not say a word,' and demanded cash in denominations of 100s, 50s and 20s," Eimiller said.
"He further threatened that if the teller did not comply, someone would get hurt," she said.
The robber motioned as if he had a weapon in his waistband, though none was seen, claimed to have a partner working with him.
He used similar tactics in his other two robberies, Eimiller said.
The bandit is described as a white male with a large build in his fifties or sixties, with gray hair and a mustache.
In the most recent heist, he wore blue jeans, a denim jacket, a blue shirt and a green hat, officials said.
Authorities believe he has used an older-model, beige van as a getaway car.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at 888-226-8443 or their local police department.

*SURIVELLIANCE PHOTO of the "Golden Years Bandit" courtesy of the FBI.

An off-duty Alhambra police officer injured in a motorcycle crash on the 605 Freeway remained hospitalized Friday, authorities said.
Ryan Stringer, 25, suffered moderate injuries in the 8 a.m. crash Thursday on the northbound 60 Freeway, just north of Whittier Boulevard, California Highway Patrol Officer Bradley Hopkins said in a written statement.
He remained in a medically induced coma at a hospital Friday, due to head trauma, Alhambra police Lt. Jennifer Wiese said.
"The next 72 hours are critical," she said, adding that she offered her support and condolences to the officer's family.
Stringer has been been with the Alhambra Police Department for less than two years, Wiese said.
Stringer had just entered the freeway from the Whittier Boulevard onramp on a 2005 Honda motorcycle when the crash occurred, Hopkins said.
"(Stringer) lost control of his motorcycle and it collided with the ground," the officer said. "(Stringer) was ejected from his motorcycle and sustained moderate injuries," he added. "The motorcycle continued to slide on the roadway and collided with the rear of a 2002 Freightliner (big rig)."
Stringer was flown by helicopter to a hospital, and the right two lanes of the 605 Freeway were closed for about an hour and 20 minutes during the investigation.
The driver of the big rig, a 23-year-old Corona man, was not injured.
Officials said the investigation into the crash was ongoing.

While a ballot initiative to make marijuana legal in California is scheduled on the November ballot, law enforcement is pressing on in uprooting pot plants. Two warehouse pot-growing operations were dismantled Tuesday and Wednesday by police in San Gabriel, and authorities today announced the seizure of more than 11,000 marijuana plants from a pot farm in the Angeles National Forest. Here's an account from the Associated Press:

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST -- More than 11,000 marijuana plants have been uprooted in a sophisticated pot farm in a remote area of the Angeles National Forest.
Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Forest Service and Los Angeles County sheriff's investigators participated in Thursday's eradication and clean up operation. The 11,249 marijuana plants had an estimated street value of more than $22 million.
Sheriff's Capt. Ralph Ornelas notes forest marijuana grows destroy and poison public lands.
Some 1,560 pounds of trash, including fertilizers, pesticides, food, propane tanks, camping equipment and irrigation lines were also removed in the Knapp Ranch grow area northeast of Santa Clarita.

Officials arrested nine people Thursday, including two San Gabriel Valley residents, on suspicion of stealing money from both the Medi-Cal system and senior citizens.
The alleged scam involved employees of Montclair-based Community Extended Care Hospital and their associates who are accused of stealing more than $150,000 from patients and defrauding Medi-Cal, California Department of Justice officials said in a written statement.
"This scam ripped off both senior citizens and our desperately needed public health funds," California Attorney General Jerry Brown. "These thieves callously stole thousands of state dollars meant to be spent on seniors in this skilled nursing facility."
David Carmona, 74, of LaVerne, and Andy Tricas, 46, of Duarte were among those arrested during the five-month long investigation, authorities said. They and all the other suspects were being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the San Bernardino County Jail.
Carmona was the neighbor of another suspect, who has since died, and Tricas was the boyfriend of the now-deceased suspect.
Seven other suspects from throughout Southern California were also arrested Thursday morning, according to the D.O.J. statement. A tenth person charged in the case, Maribel Velazquez, 36, New Mexico, remained at large.
The alleged scam took place from 2006 to 2009, officials said.
After billing Medi-Cal for 100 percent of some patients bills, hospital employees are accused of soliciting additional money from elderly patients and their families, according to the D.O.J. The suspects allegedly placed the money in a patient trust accounts, then wrote checks on those accounts for their own gain.
"The scam involved hospital employees writing checks, ranging from $250 to $6,900, from the patient accounts to individuals in the gang, including a UPS driver, their own relatives, and a next door neighbor, who would then cash the checks, take a percentage of the stolen funds and return most of the cash to the hospital employees," the D.O.J. statement said.
The investigation into the hospital, carried out by the Attorney General's Bureau of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse, began in January following a preliminary investigation by the California Department of Health Care Services, officials said.

A West Covina man suspected of carjacking two cars and trying to carjack a third was arrested at his home Thursday, authorities said.
Andy Ramirez, 31, was taken into custody on suspicion of two counts of carjacking and one count of attempted carjacking, West Covina police Sgt. Dennis Patton said. He was booked at the West Covina jail.
A woman was in a a parking lot near Grand Avenue and San Jose Hills Road in Walnut about 11:30 a.m. Thursday when a man pushed her down and took her car keys, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John Saleeby said. The suspect then drove off in the woman's car south on Grand.
Ramirez allegedly abandoned the stolen car and tried to steal another vehicle, but was unsuccessful, Patton said. A short time later, he's suspected of carjacking a second vehicle by physically wrestling with a woman.
West Covina police saw the stolen car at Nanette Avenue and Ridgewood Drive and detained the driver, said Saleeby, who works out of the sheriff's Walnut Station.
Ramirez allegedly drove that car about 500 yards before abandoning it and running away, police said. He was found at his home, which was near where the car was left.
The woman who owned the first stolen car was brought to the scene and positively identified the suspect as the carjacker, Saleeby said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Ramirez was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and was due in West Covina Superior Court for arraignment Tuesday.

ARCADIA -- Two men escaped with an undisclosed amount of jewelry after a smash-and-grab robbery in a mall jewelry store, police said Thursday.
The crime was reported about 8 p.m Tuesday at Ben Bridge Jeweler in the Westfield Santa Anita shopping mall, 400 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia police said in a written statement.
One robber entered the store and asked a clerk about appraisals, police said. A second robber then entered the store, and both walked behind the jewelry display cases, according to the statement.
When a store employee confronted the intruders, officials said, they brandished a handgun and demanded the keys to the display.
Unable to open the display cases, the robbers smashed open several of them and helped themselves to jewelry, officials added.
Police described the robbers as two tall, thin black men in their early 20s.
One wore a white, button-down, long-sleeve cotton shirt, baggy jeans, a cream colored ball cap and white tennis shoes, the statement said. The second robber wore similar clothing, but with a dark jacket and dark tennis shoes.
They were last seen leaving the area in a white Dodge Charger with paper license plates, police added.
Neither of the two female clerks working at the time were injured, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said.
The robbery was captured by a surveillance camera, he added, though the tape was not available for public distribution Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police detectives at 626-574-5160.