Monthly Archives: July 2010

Beverly Hills police serve narcotics warrants in the SGV; and it’s none of your business

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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.

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Gang members suspected of Pasadena, Altadena burglaries

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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>

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Norwalk man suspected of shooting 7-year-old boy at park

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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.

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Toddler dies after table falls on him near Whittier

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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.

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South El Monte business robbed

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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.

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Woman suspected of attacking man, throwing urine at police in Pasadena

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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.

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Boy, 7, wounded in Norwalk shooting

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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.

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Fire destroys outbuildings behind El Monte restaurant

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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.

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Thieves smash display cases, steal jewelry in Pasadena

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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.

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Robbery reported in West Covina

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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.

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