October 2010 Archives

LA PUENTE -- A man was expected to survive after being shot five times by gang members early Sunday in a seemingly unprovoked attack in front of his home, authorities said.
A 26-year-old La Puente man, who was not believed to have gang ties, was walking up to his home in the 14000 block of Beckner Street about 2:30 a.m. when he was approached by a group of nine suspects described only as Latino men in their late teens and early 20s, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Kelly Huffman said.
Suddenly, the sergeant said, four men in the group pulled handguns and shouted out "Puente" -- the name of a local street gang.
"(They) fired several shots and struck him five times in the lower back and buttocks," Huffman said. "His injuries are not deemed life-threatening."
The group of gang members fled on foot following the attack, she said, and remained outstanding Sunday afternoon.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Industry Station.

Three men suspected in a "brazen" El Monte jewelry store heist were behind bars Sunday as police continued to seek a fourth suspect, authorities said.
Devon Gholston, 21, of West Covina, Albert Turner, 18, of Cerritos and Rodnell Moorer, 19, of Los Angeles were arrested after they allegedly carried out an armed, smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery, then led police on a high-speed chase that ended at a West Covina shopping mall, El Monte police Detective Ralph Batres said.
"It was a brazen robbery right in the middle of daytime shopping," the detective said. The robbed jewelry store sits in a shopping plaza.
Four men armed with handguns and wearing ski masks carried out a robbery about 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Don Roberto Jewelers, 11980 Garvey Ave. in El Monte, Cpl. Juan Casados said.
The men smashed open display cases and helped themselves to jewelry and cash before fleeing, the corporal said.
Minutes later, police said, an El Monte police officer spotted an Oldsmobile sedan matching the description of the getaway car used in the robbery at Garvey and Santa Anita avenues.
The Oldsmobile led police on a high-speed chase down the 10 Freeway to West Covina, and the four suspects jumped out of the car and tried to run in the parking lot of a Macy's at the Westfield West Covina Shopping Mall, 1111 Plaza Drive in West Covina, Casados said.
Two of the four suspects were arrested without incident, while a third was taken into custody after police shot him with a Taser, Casados said.
The fourth suspect escaped, prompting police to set up a search perimeter in the area.
Officers searched the inside of the Macy's and a nearby Applebee's restaurant, where witnesses reported seeing the fleeing suspect, but the fourth robber was not found, Batres said. Police continued seeking him Sunday.
The outstanding robbery suspect was described as a black man in his early 20s, of medium build and wearing dark clothes.
In the suspects' car, Casados said, police found allegedly stolen jewelry and cash.
Turner, Gholston and Moorer were being held in lieu of $1 million bail each and were expected to be arraigned Tuesday in El Monte Superior Court, authorities said.
Authorities are investigating the suspects in connection with other recent jewelry store heists, including an Oct. 21 smash-and-grab robbery at another Don Roberto Jewelers in Fullerton, officials said, though a solid link had not been established Sunday.
"The crimes are similar," Batres said.
Following the Fullerton crime, in which three masked men smashed open display cases and stole jewelry, three Los Angeles gang members were arrested later in the day hiding out at a Santa Fe Springs motel.

From City News Service:

LANCASTER -- A deputy may have escaped death or serious injury when a fully-loaded machine gun pistol was fired twice before jamming during a routine traffic stop in Lancaster Saturday, a sheriff's lieutenant said.
The suspect and another person drove away, but were eventually taken into custody
without incident. They were later identified as Christopher Orlando, 25 and Shayla Janelle Harper, 25, said Lt. Joanne Sharp of the sheriff's Lancaster station in a news statement.
Orlando was identified as an ex-con out on parole and a gang member, but deputies were not sure if he or the woman fired the shots. There were no reports of injuries.
The shooting took place about 3:40 a.m. near 10th Street West at Jackman Street, several blocks west of Lancaster's city center.
A deputy on routine patrol tried to pull over a vehicle that had no front license plate. As the deputy turned behind the vehicle to begin the the traffic stop, he heard one or two shots and saw a muzzle flash come from the vehicle and towards his vehicle, Sharp said
The deputy immediately broadcast over his radio that he been shot at by the suspect vehicle, which sped off and eluded the deputy. A containment area was set up in the immediate vicinity and the suspect vehicle was located shortly thereafter, she said.
A TEC-9 pistol was found on the corner where the shooting took place, Sharp said. The TEC-9 is a semi-automatic handgun that was designed as a machine gun. It was found to have a jammed round in the chamber, and Sharp said there was no evidence that any of the rounds hit any adjacent buildings.

MONTEBELLO -- A minivan crashed into a bank and caught fire late Friday, though the driver suffered only minor injuries, police said.
The crash was reported about 7:10 p.m. at a Chase bank branch, 896 W. Beverly Blvd., Montebello police Lt. Rich Meadows said.
"Officers found that a vehicle had collided into the west side of the bank and came to rest inside the bank, starting a fire," the lieutenant.
Firefighters quickly extinguished the burning minivan and treated the man who was driving it for minor injuries, he added.
The exterior and interior of the bank sustained major damage," Meadows said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation Saturday, he said, though driving under the influence was not initially suspected.

NORWALK -- Deputies jailed a Norwalk man Friday after he shot his roommate during an argument, authorities said.
The name of the suspect, a man estimated to be in his late 20s, was not available late Friday as he had not yet been booked into jail, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Marc Boskovich said.
The incident took place about 6:30 p.m. at a house in the 13000 block of Rosecrans Avenue, the sergeant said.
The suspect got into an argument with his roommate -- a man of about the same age -- and shot him once in the leg with a small-caliber revolver, Boskovich said.
It was not clear Friday what the argument was about.
The wounded man, who fled the home after the shooting, was hospitalized with a wound that did not appear to be life-threatening, he said.
Deputies arrested the alleged shooter in front of his house, he added.

From City News Service:

WHITTIER -- A man was charged Friday with capital murder for the February 2001 disappearance and slaying of a 20-year-old Placentia woman at an apartment where he had lived in Whittier.
Christopher Michael McAmis is scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 30 in Whittier Superior Court in connection with the Feb. 17, 2001, killing of Lynsie Leigh Ekelund, according to a joint statement released by the Los Angeles County and Orange County district attorney's offices and Placentia Police Department.
The murder charge includes the special circumstance allegation of murder during the attempted commission of a rape, which could make him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.
Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek capital punishment against the 31-year-old Fullerton resident.
McAmis -- who allegedly befriended Ekelund in 2000 -- drove with her and two female friends to a nightclub in San Diego on Feb. 16, 2001, then dropped the two friends off at their residences early the next morning, according to the statement.
McAmis is accused of taking Ekelund back to his apartment in Whittier and trying to rape her, then murdering her and disposing of her body, which has never been found.
The woman's mother reported her missing on Feb. 19, 2001, in a case that eventually went cold.
The Placentia Police Department and an Orange County district attorney's task force aimed at catching killers, rapists and sexual offenders began jointly reviewing the case in 2008.
McAmis was arrested Wednesday at his home in Fullerton and remains jailed without bail.

ALTADENA -- Details emerged Friday surrounding a deputy involved shooting, in which no one was injured, and arrest of a man wanted on suspicion of a Covina carjacking.
Kyle Traub, 21, of Altadena was booked on suspicion of carjacking following his 9:20 a.m. arrest Thursday in the 500 block of West Terrace Street in Altadena, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
A deputy fired a single shot at Traub during the arrest, but missed him, before taking Traub into custody without further incident.
The incident began when a deputy spotted a Toyota sedan that had been stolen Tuesday in a carjacking in an unincorporated county area near Covina, sheriff's Lt. Joseph Dempsey said.
Before deputies could set up a coordinated traffic stop to take the suspected felon into custody, the lieutenant said, "the car pulled over on its own with just one lone deputy behind it."
"The deputy got out (of his patrol car), the suspect got out (of the Toyota), and at some point, the suspect did something that's still under investigation that led the deputy to fear for his safety, and he fired one round at the suspect, missing him," Dempsey said. The bullet struck the ground.
Further details about what action the suspect took that was perceived as a threat by the deputy were not available Friday, however Dempsey said that no weapons were found at the scene.
Dempsey declined to name the involved deputy, but said he has been with the department for well over a decade.
"During an investigation, we don't identify the deputy," he said.
Traub allegedly attacked a 33-year-old Covina man Tuesday and stole his car after the victim gave Traub and a female accomplice a ride, officials at the sheriff's San Dimas Sheriff's Station said.
Traub and a young woman who's not been found allegedly approached the victim and asked him for a ride on the second floor of a parking structure outside the West Covina courthouse, officials said.
At Traub's request, authorities said, the victim took the couple to the Westfield Eastland shopping Center in West Covina before going to Fellowship Church, 18821 East Arrow Highway in an unincorporated county area near Covina, to be dropped off.
It was there that Traub allegedly punched the man and wrestled him from the driver's seat before Traub and the woman fled in his car, a sergeant at the sheriff's San Dimas Station said.
The woman was described as white, in her early 20s, about 5 feet 4 inches tall, 130 pounds, with curly brown hair, sheriff's officials said. She wore blue jeans and a white shirt.
Traub was on probation at the time of his arrest after being convicted of possessing drugs for sales in Pomona Superior Court in February of 2008, according to Dempsey and court records.
He was also arrested Monday, the day before the deputy-involved shooting, by deputies from the sheriff's San Dimas Station on suspicion of being drunk in public, but was released later in the day after posting $250 bail, according to sheriff's officials and booking records. The case was still pending when Traub was most recently arrested.
While sheriff's policy generally dictates that deputies involved in shooting a suspect take several days off work, no such policy exists when a deputy-involved shooting does not result in a wounding, Dempsey said.
Sheriff's investigators, sheriff's internal affair officials and the County of Los Angeles Office of Independent Review are all conducting simultaneous investigations into the shooting, officials said.
Once the investigations are complete, the shooting will be examined by the Sheriff's Executive Force Review Committee.
According to sheriff's booking records, Traub was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and was due for arraignment Monday in West Covina Superior Court.

MONTEBELLO -- A  man suspected of fleeing the scene after fatally striking an 84-year-old Montebello woman and her dog appeared in court Friday.
David Loera, 38, of Montebello is charged with vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run in connection with the Oct. 5, 2009 crash that killed Norma Lambo and her dog, Barney.
He was ordered to return to East Los Angeles Superior Court on Nov. 29 for a preliminary hearing.
In the hearing, a judge will listen to a summary of the evidence from both the prosecution and defense and determine whether there is sufficient evidence to warrant a trial.
Lambo and her dog were struck by a pickup truck as they crossed the street at Jefferson Avenue and Alfred Court in Montebello.
After the truck struck Lambo, a passenger got out of the truck and removed the elderly woman's crumpled walker from the bumper before getting back into the vehicle, which drove off, investigators said.
Loera was jailed three days after the crash, but the passenger has not been found.
A San Gabriel man was initially arrested on suspicion of being an accessory after the fact, but charges were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.
Loera is free on $100,000 bail as he awaits trial.
Lambo was a longtime Montebello resident who co-founded the city's "Sister Cities" organization and served as president of the group several times.

ARCADIA -- Police cautioned the public this week to be ware of "residential distraction burglars" targeting primarily elderly victims for theft by pretending to represent government agencies or contractors.
At least two such crimes have been reported in recent weeks, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said. One targeted an elderly Arcadia man, and the other targeted a real estate agent who was holding an open house to sell a home.
A similar trend of crime was reported in the earlier this year, the sergeant said, though "residential distraction burglaries," -- as police call them -- appeared to have subsided until recently.
"These crimes occur during day time hours and focus on elderly victims," Arcadia police said in a written statement. Once the suspect gains the victim's trust and confidence, the suspect is allowed inside and occupies the victim. A second suspect then enters the residence and commits the theft."
The victim often is not aware anything has been stolen until after the burglars have left.
"The suspects in these incidents are commonly referred to by the victims as 'Gypsy' type individuals, or 'Travelers,'" according to the police statement.
An 85-year-old man received a knock at his door in the 300 block of Joyce Avenue on Oct. 19 and found a woman described as white, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, 140 pounds, with long hair, wearing a white shirt and a dark skirt, the sergeant said.
"She told the resident she was from a tree trimming company and lured the 85 year old victim into the back yard to explain the tree trimming process," Le Veque said.
As the woman distracted the elderly resident for about half an hour, he said, another unseen burglar, or burglars, went into the home and stole an undisclosed amount of cash.
The crime was similar in nature to others reported on the southeast portion of Arcadia at the beginning of the year, though a definite link has not been established, Le Veque added.
A trio of burglars used another distraction ruse Sunday to steal jewelry from a home that was occupied by a real estate agent hosting an open house in the 1400 block of Rodeo Road, police said.
The agent, a man in his 50s, was approached by a man who identified himself as "Danny John" and claimed to be interested in buying the house, Le Veque said.
"He immediately asked the real estate agent if he could see the back yard and the pool," he said.
The real estate agent heard a noise coming from inside the house, went back in, and spotted two men exiting the front door, officials said. It was later discovered that jewelry was missing from the house.
The three burglars were described by police only as olive-complected men in their late 30s.
Police advised vigilance on the part of residents to avoid becoming a victim of this type of scam.
"Don't allow anybody into your house that you don't know," Le Veque said. If someone claims to represent an officials agency, "Verify who they are. If they say they're from the city or a power company, they're usually going to have a marked vehicle with them."
If there's doubt whether a visitor is legitimate, he added, "Close the door and tell them to wait, and call the company or call the police and verify that they're supposed to be there."
Anyone who encounters possible distraction burglars is asked to call Arcadia police or 9-1-1. Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Arcadia police detectives at 626-574-5160.

From a Justice Department Press release:

As part of the Justice Department's nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general elections, Assistant United States Attorney Dennis Mitchell will again serve as the District Election Officer during the November 2 general election, United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. announced Friday.

Since 2006, AUSA Mitchell has served as District Election Officer to handle citizen complaints concerning potential violations of the federal Voting Rights Act.

As District Election Officer during next week's balloting, AUSA Mitchell will ensure that complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses made to federal authorities will be properly handled and, if appropriate, thoroughly investigated.

AUSA Mitchell will serve as District Election Officer for the Central District of California, which includes the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

"Every allegation of any voting rights abuse is an extremely serious matter," said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. "Every citizen is entitled to vote without interference or discrimination. Citizens should not hesitate to report possible violations of voting rights laws."

Have a complaint? Register it at: 213- 894-2484 to report possible election fraud and voting rights abuses.

The FBI will also make special agents available to hear complaints. Their number is 310-477-6565.

ALTADENA -- A sheriff's deputy shot at, but missed, a carjacking suspect before arresting him Thursday, authorities said.
Kyle Traub, 21, of Altadena was booked on suspicion of a San Dimas carjacking, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
The shooting took place about 9:20 a.m. in the 500 block of West Terrace Street in Altadena, Deputy Guillermina Saldana of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau said in a written statement.
Deputies stopped a car Traub was driving after realizing it had been carjacked from San Dimas, officials said.
No further information regarding the circumstances of the shooting was released, other than that no deputies were injured.
Officials at the sheriff's Altadena Station deferred all questions to the Sheriff's Headquarter's Bureau, which is tasked with handling press inquiries for the department.
No further information about the San Dimas carjacking was available Thursday night.

PASADENA -- Fourteen contractors have been cited on suspicion of working without a license in Pasadena, authorities announced Thursday.
The Contractors State License Board engaged in a two day "Blitz" of stings targeting unlicensed contractors throughout California, CSLB officials said in a written statement.
More than 110 people were cited in the two-day operation, which was carried out in nine cities on Oct. 20 and 21. The CSLB conducts such stings twice annually.
"This Blitz is a wake-up call for all California consumers," CSLB Registrar Steve Sands said. "
"You must check out the people you're going to hire to work on your home to make sure they're properly licensed. Your family safety or your finances could be jeopardized by not taking a few minutes to verify the contractor on CSLB's website or through our toll-free phone system," he said.
Two of those cited in Pasadena were also booked and fingerprinted before being released, officials said.
In the sting, CSLB investigators posed as homeowner and community organization volunteers as they solicited bids from unlicensed contractors for work ranging from swimming pool repair to painting, according to the CSLB statement.
Those who bid more than the legal limit of $500 for labor and materials received a notice to appear in court for a misdemeanor charge contracting without a license.
Under California law, contractors may work without a license on jobs valued at $500 or less, so long as they advertise that they are not licensed.
Other charged levied against suspected unlicensed contractors included illegal advertising and soliciting excessive down payments, officials said.
With a few exceptions that are noted on the CSLB's website, it's against state law to solicit a down payment for contracting work of more than 10 percent of the contract price or $1,000, whichever is less.
According to the CSLB statement, "The goal of CSLB's twice-yearly blitz is to educate consumers about potential dangers of hiring phony contractors, and to encourage people who want to work in the construction trades and who qualify to get their contractor license to comply with California law."
Contractors working without licenses don't carry workers' compensation, leaving homeowners potentially liable if a worker is hurt on the job, officials said. Additionally, if something goes wrong with the project, consumers have fewer options to get their money back when dealing with an unlicensed contractor.
Other cities included in the sting were Fresno, La Mesa, Placerville, Porterville, San Juan Capistrano, Seaside, Visalia and West Sacramento.
The CSLB can be reached online at www.cslb.ca.gov, or by calling 800-321-2752.

BASSETT -- A man escaped injury in a mysterious and seemingly unprovoked shooting in a residential neighborhood late Wednesday, authorities said.
A 22-year-old man was walking to his car about 9:10 p.m. on Pellissier Road, near Famosa Street, when he spotted the shooter, described only as male and wearing a dark baseball cap and a dark zip-up jacket, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steve Katz said in a written statement.
"The suspect was on the embankment of the transition road from the eastbound 60 Freeway to the southbound 605 Freeway when he fired approximately six shots at the victim," Katz said.
The man was not wounded by the gunfire, though his car was struck twice, Lt. Victor Sotelo said. He moved his car around the corner, then called for help.
No words were exchanged prior to the shooting, he said, and the victim did not report recognizing his attacker.
The victim was not believed to have gang ties, Sotelo added, and a motive in the shooting was unclear Thursday. "This is quite unusual," he said.
After firing the shots, the attacker was last seen running north up the embankment before he disappeared into the brush, officials said.
Sheriff's deputies and California Highway Patrol officers searched the area with the help of helicopters, but the shooter was not found, Katz said.
CHP officers briefly shut down the connector road between the eastbound 60 Freeway and the southbound 605 Freeway during the search, officials said, however traffic in the area was light at the time.

Police arrested a wanted man Wednesday after authorities said he led them on a chase from Covina to West Covina that ended in a crash during which he threw a rifle from the car.
Christopher Ventura, 21, of West Covina was booked on suspicion of felony evading, as well as a witness intimidation charge steming from an ongoing West Covina police investigation, Covina police Sgt. Rob Bobkiewicz said.
The incident began about 5:20 p.m. when West Covina police asked that Covina officers check the home of a witness intimidation suspect in the 700 block of North Grand Avenue to see if his car was parked there, Bobkiewicz said.
Covina officers spotted his car and waited about five minutes before Ventura came out and got into it, the sergeant said.
Officers tried to pull over Ventura's car, Bobkiewicz said, but he continued south on Grand Avenue, initiating a chase.
Police followed as Ventura merged onto the westbound 10 Freeway, he said, weaving in and out of traffic at speeds of up to 90 mph. At one point, Ventura allegedly threw a rifle from his car onto the freeway, which police recovered.
Ventura exited the freeway and headed south on Vincent Avenue before running a red light and crashing into an SUV that was making a U-turn at Vincent Avenue and Lakes Drive, Bobkiewicz said.
West Covina and Covina officers then took Ventura into custody, he added. A handgun was found inside his car.
A man and his mother inside the SUV were not injured in the crash, police said.

In two unrelated incidents that occurred about the same time Wednesday, a mother and son were struck and injured by a car in an unincorporated county area near Covina, and another woman and small child were struck and injured in Altadena:

COVINA -- A pregnant mother and her young child were struck and injured by a car Wednesday as they crossed San Bernardino Road in an unincorporated county area near Covina, officials said.
The child, estimated to be three years old, didn't appear to suffer any severe injuries, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said. The mother, who was seven months pregnant, had stable vital signs but suffered abrasions and complained of pain to her hip.
Both were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment, officials said.
The woman, who was in her early 20s, was using a stroller about 6:30 p.m. to push her child across the street in a crosswalk near Walnut Haven Drive when they were struck, California Highway Patrol Officer William Bury said.
A man driving a car failed to see the mother and son and struck them, Bury said. The investigation was ongoing, however nothing criminal was initially suspected.

ALTADENA -- A woman and a young boy were struck and badly injured by a car Wednesday as they crossed Altadena Drive, authorities said.
The incident was reported just after 6:30 p.m. on Altadena Drive near Glenrose Avenue, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
A woman estimated to be in her 20s and a boy of about 5 years old were crossing the street in a crosswalk when they were struck by a small SUV that was eastbound, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Mike McCormick said.
The boy was hospitalized in critical condition, while the woman appeared to have suffered moderate injuries, the captain said.
The driver of the SUV, a woman estimated to be in her 50s, did not appear injured but was extremely upset by the "very unfortunate accident" and was hospitalized as a precaution, McCormick said.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the Altadena office of the CHP.

INDUSTRY -- Deputies arrested a Hacienda Heights man late Tuesday after crashing into the same man's car twice and fleeing the scene, authorities said.
Louis Espinoza, 23, was booked on suspicion of hit-and-run, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steve Katz said in a written statement.
The incident began about 1:45 p.m. at Salt Lake Avenue and Turnbull Canyon Road, the lieutenant said.
After crashing into another car, "(Espinoza) fled the scene of the accident, followed by the victim," Katz said. The victim called 9-1-1 and got in touch with deputies from the sheriff's Industry Station.
"The suspect drove approximately one mile away from the first accident scene," Katz said. "The victim followed the suspect to a cul-de-sac where the suspect drove recklessly through two chain link fences and ultimately struck the victim's vehicle a second time."
Espinoza abandoned his disabled car and ran to a nearby McDonald's restaurant, officials said, where he called his mother and had her pick him up.
Deputies found Espinoza at his home after linking his vehicle registration to his address, Katz added,
According to sheriff's booking records, Espinoza was released from jail Wednesday after posting $35,000 bail. He was due in West Covina Superior Court Thursday for arraignment.

A high-risk sex offender paroled earlier this month and known to frequent the Pasadena area is being sought after he removed his GPS ankle bracelet and went missing in South Los Angeles, authorities said.
Valentino Rodriguez Jr., 40, was paroled to 5819 E. Olympic Blvd. in East Los Angeles on Oct. 4, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
On Monday, officials discovered that "(Rodriguez) removed his GPS tracking device at the ARCO Station located at Century Boulevard and Main Street in South Los Angeles," according to the sheriff's statement.
Rodriguez is known to frequent the Pasadena, LAPD 77th Division, LAPD Southeast Division and East Los Angeles areas.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Anthony Camargo of the sheriff's East Los Angeles Station at 323-264-4151.
PHOTO of Valentino Rodriguez comes courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

NORWALK -- Two would-be robbers fled empty-handed Wednesday after a failed bank robbery in Norwalk, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 11:30 a.m. at a Chase bank branch, 11618 E. Rosecrans Ave., Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steve Kenny said.
Two criminals described only as black men wearing sweat shirts entered the bank and demanded money, the lieutenant said. They motioned as if they had weapons, though none were seen.
"For some reason, something scared them and they left the location before they committed the crime," Kenny said.
No further details were available.

LA MIRADA - A sheriff's sergeant and a civilian suffered minor injuries late Tuesday when their vehicles collided in a La Mirada intersection in front of BIOLA University, authorities said.
The crash occurred just after 10 p.m. at La Mirada Boulevard and Oakwood Lane, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Ray Ward said.
Sgt. Brian Neel, assigned to the the sheriff's La Mirada substation, was taken to a hospital for evaluation but expected to be fine, Ward said.
A 45-year-old woman who was driving a Mercedes-Benz sedan also suffered minor injuries but was not hospitalized, fire officials said.
The investigation remained ongoing, however it initially appeared that "she made a left turn in front of (the sergeant)," Ward said.
Firefighters spent about 15 minutes cutting the sergeant free from his SUV, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Fred Stowers said.
The sheriff's SUV sustained major damage in the crash, sheriff's officials said, while the sedan sustained moderate-to-major damage.
The sergeant was driving his black-and-white Chevrolet Tahoe SUV at normal speeds on routine patrol -- not with emergency lights and sirens on -- when the crash occurred, sheriff's Lt. Steve Kenny said.
Neel was southbound on La Mirada Boulevard in the SUV and the woman was making a left turn from northbound La Mirada Boulevard into the parking lot of BIOLA University when the vehicle met in the intersection, Kenny said.
The woman was not arrested, he said, and it was not clear Wednesday whether she would be cited.
The investigation is being handled by personnel from the sheriff's Norwalk Station.

PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

It took more than three years but with a week to go before the statewide general election ...

IRWINDALE -- A San Gabriel Valley Tribune article from 2007 resulted in the arrests of four Irwindale city officials, including a current council member, officials said Wednesday.

The four have been charged with misappropriation of public funds after they allegedly attended Broadway shows and baseball games during trips to New York to get a better bond rating for the city, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office said.

Charged are City Councilman Mark Breceda, 50; retired city manager Steve Blancarte, 56; finance director Abe De Dios, 65; and former councilwoman Rosemary Ramirez, 49, said Deputy District Attorney Nipa Cook with the Public Integrity Division.

Defendants Breceda, Blancarte and Ramirez are scheduled to appear this morning in Department 30 at the Foltz Criminal Justice Center for arraignment.

De Dios, who is out of town, is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday. Read more: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_16445212#ixzz13aF3z6QY

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Police asked the public's help Tuesday in finding two robbers who attacked and robbed a man outside a bank branch.
The crime took place about 10:20 a.m. Friday outside the Bank of America, 9930 Orr and Day Road, as a man was leaving the bank with an envelope full of money, Whittier police said in a written statement.
As the man was walking through the parking lot, two robbers "grabbed the victim, forcing him to the ground in attempt to take an envelope containing cash," according to the statement.
The victim struggled with his attackers and cash went flying in all directions, police said.
The robbers, described only as black men, snatched up what they could from the ground and were last seen driving east on Telegraph Road in silver, 1980s-model Toyota Camry, officials said.

"America's Got Talent" audition, ecstasy, speed, a missing woman and the arrest of a rock musician. This story has some interesting twists:

Los Angeles police said Tuesday the wife of a man vying for a spot on "America's Got Talent" was found dead in the stairwell of an upscale hotel where the T.V. show was holding auditions.

Covina native Laura Finley, 48, was discovered about 8:30 a.m. Saturday morning by a guest of the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.

Police said her death appeared to be accidental, but they are looking into "other possibilities" as a precaution, Los Angeles Police Lt. Paul Vernon said.

The coroner's office is waiting for the results of toxicology tests before determining Laura Finley's cause of death, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Fred Corral said.

Laura Finley grew up in Covina and married her high school sweet heart, Joe Finley, four years after graduating from Northview High School in 1980, said Laura Finley's sister, Jill Sutterlin.

"My sister loved her husband more than she loved her children and herself," Sutterlin said. "She was his number one fan."

Joe Finley called hotel security and reported his wife missing after he got out of bed Saturday, Vernon said.

The 47-year-old rock musician then attended an audition for the NBC reality T.V. show, Vernon said. Police later notified him about the death of his wife.

Joe Finley was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of drug possession, Vernon said.

During an interview with detectives, Joe Finley said he and his wife had consumed ecstasy before her death, Vernon said.

Manling Williams' former boyfriend testified Monday that he initially denied having an affair with the woman who sliced her husband to death with a ninja sword and suffocated her two children.

So here's the scoop, San Gabriel PD can't find the woman they need to make a case against former Mayor Albert Y.M. Huang.

This comes via a Facebook status update from Jan Williams, whose son Neal and two grandsons were brutally killed in 2007 by Neal's wife Manling. Trial is underway in the case. Prosecutors allege that Manling wanted to make it look as if Neal committed suicide. As Jan points out there were a few problems with that plan:

Jan Williams In planning a suicide, it might be well to remember that it is very difficult to stab yourself repeatedly in the back, especially when your hands and fingers have been severed. That's free advice.

This from the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES-Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca directed detectives to launch a criminal investigation against a tenant of one of his well-connected supporters and contributors, a report published Sunday said.

The department's investigation, prompted by a handwritten note from Baca, targeted a man in a Beverly Hills rental dispute with Ezat Delijani, a longtime Baca donor.

The sheriff sent the note with his request to his chief of detectives, who gave it a special "rush" status normally reserved for serious crimes, the published report indicated.

The note, written on a printed e-mail from Delijani's son, read: "Chief Miller-This case involves a 'lease forgery.' Could you have our people investigate this."

John Crawford over at Sierra Madre Tattler blogs about a break-in at his home that cost him:

a computer of the more traditional kind, two laptops including the one I usually type this blog on, a faux flat screen TV, a kid's cello (the maestro seemed strangely unmoved by its loss), the stereo including a turntable, some jewelry and, oddly enough, a stack of my shirts.

At the tail end of the post, Crawford reveals how a similar break-in happened at Chief Marilyn Diaz's home. You can read the entire post and all the comments here.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES -- A report says Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca told detectives to launch a criminal investigation against a tenant of one of his well-connected supporters and contributors.
A newspaper reported Sunday said the department's investigation targeted a man who was in a Beverly Hills rental dispute with longtime Baca donor Ezat Delijani.
It was reported that the investigation was outside Baca's jurisdiction and Beverly Hills police had already concluded there was no crime involved.
The story says the sheriff sent a handwritten note to his chief of detectives requesting the probe and detectives gave it a special "rush" status normally reserved for serious crimes.
Baca told a reporter he had little personal involvement in the probe and Delijani received no special treatment.

EAST VALINDA -- A large fire displaced a family Sunday and caused an estimated $180,000 worth of damage to a house and its contents, authorities said.
The blaze was first reported at 2:25 p.m. at a single-story house at 17422 Glenthorpe Street, dispatch supervisor Robert Diaz said.
No one was injured in the fire, though a 32-year-man was taken to a hospital for evaluation because he had singed hair, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Gary Black said.
"The house was well-involved (with fire) on fire department arrival," Black said.
Seven adults and one child had gotten themselves out of the home before rescuers arrived, he added.
Firefighters attacked the blaze from all angles and cut holes in the home's roof to ventilate the blaze, officials said.
The fire was extinguished in under 20 minutes from when it was reported, Black said, and firefighters began the work of salvaging what items could be saved from the badly scorched home.
The fire gutted the home, causing about $150,000 worth of damage to the structure and about $30,000 worth of damage to the contents of the home, he added.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, though it initially appeared to have ignited in the kitchen, the captain said.
The family made their own arrangements for temporary lodging, officials said, and the Red Cross was not needed.

PHOTO by Brian Day

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- The family of a father of two who was killed when an electric vault exploded on a vacant lot said today the man had been hired to maintain the property and was not stealing copper wire, as police allege.
Jose Fernando Santillanes, 36, of Lynwood, was killed at 4:14 p.m. Saturday when he apparently triggered an explosion and flash fire on a vacant lot at 3064 Firestone Blvd., while his 3-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son were in a truck about 15 feet away, said South Gate police Lt. Keith Hupp.
Maria Cortez, 33, was critically burned while trying to pull Santillanes away from the vault. She was being treated at the Grossman Burn Center, he said.
The man's family told a television station that Santillanes had been hired to clean up the vacant lot on a regular basis, but police asserted they had evidence that he was trying to steal copper from the vault.
"The lady was just screaming 'my husband, my husband,'" neighbor Karla Hernandez told a television station. "The children were crying. And then we heard two more explosions."
Hupp described the scene as "pretty ugly."
"We actually had to knock down the fence to try to get over there," witness Raul Rivera reportedly said. "So we were just knocking down the fence until we got there, but it was too late."
The children were taken into protective custody and later turned over to an aunt in Lynwood, Hupp said.
"Copper theft has been a problem for the past several years due to the high value of copper," Hupp told a news station. "Unfortunately sometimes people don't know when wires are live, and these were definitely live."
The blast at the former Liberty Cable Co. site also caused an electrical outage in the immediate area, but service was restored to most customers within a few hours.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has reversed its policy of waiting until prosecutors make a decision about charging deputies accused of crimes before starting internal investigations, it was reported Sunday.
In one case, a group of jailers were accused of taking an inmate to a secluded spot in Men's Central Jail, beating him, pulling down his boxers and pepper-spraying his anus and groin, a newspaper reported.
After nearly three years, prosecutors decided not to charge the deputies. That triggered the start of a Internal Affairs investigation, which is still under way.
Since the alleged attack, two of the accused deputies continue to be paid. For the cash-strapped department, that means shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars for employees who weren't working, it was reproted.
In an attempt to avoid such long delays, sheriff's officials recently changed course and decided to allow their own inquiries to begin immediately.
"There were significant investigations that were being delayed two, three years because the district attorney's office wasn't doing anything," sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said.
Whitmore said the change is not about cost-saving but about transparency. "The public would get frustrated with the delay," he said. "The sheriff wants to be more accountable."
Michael Gennaco, whose Office of Independent Review oversees the sheriff's department, said the practice of waiting came from a 1991 settlement with the union representing deputies that stipulated that internal reviews be done after criminal adjudication.
A representative for the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs declined to comment, but Gennaco said the deputies' union is taking legal action to block the change in practice.

NORWALK -- Two robbers forced their way into a home improvement store early Sunday and ordered an employee to open a safe at gunpoint, authorities said.
A manager arrived at Lowe's Home Improvement, 14873 Carmenita Road, about 6 a.m. to open the store, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Glen Emery said.
The two robbers, one of whom was armed with a handgun, "barged their way in and had (employees) turn the alarms off," he said.
Emery said the robbers then forced the manager to open a safe before locking him and another employee in an office.
The robbers fled out the back of the store with an undisclosed amount of cash, he said.
Officials initially described the robbers only as two black men who were both wearing sunglasses.
Detectives continued their investigation Sunday afternoon.

EAST VALINDA - A young gang member is awaiting trial on suspicion of shooting a 24-year-old man to death outside an East Valinda house party earlier this year, investigators announced last week.
Jonathan Lopez, 18, of La Puente is accused of murdering Emilio Borges of Hacienda Heights in front of a Feb. 27 birthday party in the 17000 block of Boulay Street, authorities said.
The attack took place as Borges, along with two passengers, were driving away from the party, Sgt. Brian Schoonmaker of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
"(Borges) was starting to drive away when the shooter walked up on him and shot him through an unopened window," he said.
A man who was a passenger in Borges' car suffered a grazing wound, while a woman in the car was unhurt, Detective Mike Valento said.
Due to an ongoing investigation, Valento declined to say exactly how detectives identified Lopez as the suspected triggerman in the fatal shooting before arresting him Sept. 30.
"Right now, let's just say the investigation led in his direction," he said.
Investigators said because the shooting occurred outside a party, there were several witnesses present.
"(Lopez) was under surveillance. He was arrested a short distance from his house once he walked away," Valento said.
Lopez was 17 when the fatal shooting took place, though he has since turned 18, Valento said. Because of the seriousness of the crime and how close Lopez was to being 18 at the time of the shooting, prosectors have charged him as an adult.
According to court records, Lopez was charged with murder Oct. 4 in Pomona Superior Court.
In addition to murder, Lopez is also accused of the special allegation of personally using a firearm in the alleged crime, authorities said. An allegation of committing the crime for the benefit of a criminal street gang is expected to be added later.
The motive in the shooting appeared to be gang-related, Valento said, and detective recently learned that the shooting may have been preceded by a confrontation between the shooter and victim at the party.
Valento described Lopez as a documented member of a La Puente area street gang known as Townsmen.
Borges himself had a criminal history and, according to sheriff's investigators, was a former affiliate of a local street gang.
He was convicted of criminal conspiracy in connection with a drive-by shooting at age 17 in 2003 and served four years in prison, according to his mother and court records.
Less than a year after his release, he was again imprisoned for three years after a drug possession conviction.
Both family members and detectives said Borges had severed ties with his gang prior to his slaying.
His mother, Belinda Mendez, said she believed her son may have been targeted because of his appearance. He had tattoos and kept his head shaved.
Borges is survived by a wife, a 3-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son from a previous relationship.
"He liked to have fun," she said. "He liked to take the kids out - to the park, swimming. He was the best father."
Mendez said Borges was excited to have just started attending classes at Mt. San Antonio College the day before he was killed.
She added that her son had earned his high school diploma while in prison, and had recently become certified in forklift driving and welding.
He had been working with family businesses plastering swimming pools and cleaning carpets, and was hoping to start a career in the construction industry.
A Hacienda Heights resident, Borges was staying temporarily in Walnut when he was killed, Mendez said.
Lopez is due due back in court for an arraignment hearing on Oct. 27, court officials said.
He's being held in lieu of $2 million bail, records show, at the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic.
As Lopez awaits trial, Mendez said she is determined to make some positive out of her family's tragedy.
She has launched a new nonprofit organization called Parents Fighting Back dedicated to deterring youths from becoming involved in gangs or violence.
The organization is planning a youth resource fair on Feb. 26 in front of West Covina City Hall to honor the anniversary of Borges' death.
The event will feature organizations geared toward keeping kids out of trouble, such as youth groups and explorer scouts.
For more information on Parents Fighting Back, e-mail parentsfightingback@yahoo.com.

PHOTO: Emilio Borges, courtesy

ALHAMBRA -- A hearing was delayed Friday for a Monterey Park man accused of kidnapping a young San Gabriel Valley woman for ransom, cutting her throat and leaving her for dead in the desert, officials said.
DeQiang Song, 24, is charged with kidnapping for ransom and attempted murder in connection with the Sept. 8 incident.
An arraignment was scheduled for him Friday in Alhambra Superior Court, however it was continued to Nov. 22, court officials said.
Song allegedly kidnapped the woman, with whom he was acquainted, after taking her on a shopping trip in Arcadia, investigators said.
He allegedly bound her, demanded ransom from her father via telephone, cut her throat and abandoned her in a remote area of desert off the 15 Freeway between Apple Valley and Victorville.
The badly wounded woman walked about half a mile to the nearest home for help, officials said.
Detectives, who authorities said had been working with the woman's father, jailed Song as tried to pick up ransom money in San Gabriel.
According to sheriff's booking records, Song is being held in lieu of $2,050,000 bail at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Whittier police jailed three men at a Santa Fe Springs motel late Thursday suspected in a smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery in Fullerton earlier in the day, authorities said.
Deshawn Coleman, 22, of Los Angeles, Bryant Burnett, 19, of Compton and Lavell Grant, 22, of Lynwood, are suspected in the Thursday's 4:45 p.m. heist at Fullerton Jewelry Mart, 1475 S. Harbor Ave., as well as auto theft, Fullerton police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich said in a written statement. All are believed to be Los Angeles gang members.
Whittier police spotted a stolen car in the parking lot of the Budget Inn, 13420 East Firestone Blvd. in Santa Fe Springs, about 6:50 p.m. and ultimately arrested the three men on suspicion of auto theft, Whittier and Fullerton police said.
"Detectives determined that the three suspects that Whittier PD officers arrested for auto theft were connected to the earlier robbery at the Jewelry Mart," Goodrich said.
Whittier officers were on patrol when they noticed Coleman, Burnett and Grant standing near a car with a broken rear window in the motel's parking lot, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said. They had been staying at the motel.
"Officers investigated further and ultimately determined that the car was a stolen vehicle from Los Angeles, but it hadn't been reported stolen yet," Webster said.
When Whittier officers entered the license plate number into a police computer system, he said, they learned it matched a description of a getaway car given in the Fullerton robbery.
In the jewelry store robbery, six masked men entered the store through three different doors in teams of two and immediately began smashing jewelry cases open with hammers, Goodrich said.
They helped themselves to jewelry for about 30 seconds, then fled to getaway cars, police added.
During the robbery, Goodrich said, employees of the store turned on the robbers and began pelting them with missiles.
"After the employees realized the suspects were unarmed, the employees began fighting back, throwing stools and other objects at the robbers," he said.
The other suspects remained outstanding, as well as the majority of the stolen jewelry, police said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Coleman, Burnett and Grant were released from jail early Friday after posting $35,000, $35,721 and $88,471 bail, respectively.
Anyone with information on the robbery is asked to call Fullerton police Detective Matt Malone at 714-738-6534.

WHITTIER -- Deputies found and arrested a burglary suspect hiding in the laundry room of an apartment complex Friday in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, authorities said.
Robert ALexander, 19, of Los Angeles was jailed after a brief search and lockdown of a nearby elementary school, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Joe Chavez said.
The incident began about 11:40 a.m. when a witness reported seeing the suspect enter a house in the 8300 block of Norwalk Boulevard, Chavez said.
Deputies surrounded the home and spotted the intruder climb out a rear window and flee into a nearby apartment complex at Norwalk Boulevard and Slauson Avenue, officials said.
They surrounded the apartment building, Chavez said, and locked down nearby Aeolian Elementary School as a precaution.
After about 15 minutes, deputies found the burglary suspect, "attempting to hide in the laundry room," he said.

From the Associated Press:

LONDON -- A British judge has sentenced a former Roman Catholic priest arrested in Duarte last year to 21 years in jail after he was convicted of 21 charges of sexual offenses against boys.
James Robinson, 73, had denied the charges. He was accused of abusing boys from 1959 to 1983. He was ordained in 1971.
Judge Patrick Thomas described Robinson on Friday as devious and manipulative. Thomas says "the offenses you committed were unimaginably wicked and caused immense and long-lasting -- we can only hope not permanent -- damage to the six victims."
Robinson left Britain in 1985 and moved to California.
Police issued an arrest warrant against him after he was tracked down by a BBC program and challenged in person by one of his accusers.
After being arrested last year in Duarte, he was extradited back to the UK to face trial.

#ObamaUSC In case you are interested:

South Pasadena's Bernie Madoff will be in court today for arraignment:

SOUTH PASADENA - The man local authorities have dubbed "Bernie Madoff of South Pasadena" is scheduled to be arraigned Friday at Los Angeles Superior Court.

Morris Gussin is facing twenty felony counts of grand theft and securities violations in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme.

He was arrested by a Federal Bureau of Investigations Task Force in Las Vegas and was extradited by South Pasadena authorities after a two and half year investigation.

Janice and Carlos Sams Cespedes said they were referred to Gussin by a mutual friend to help them go over their insurance policy and write a will after Carlos was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2004.

"She trusted him and because she trusted him, I trusted him," Janice said. "He used her name because she's known in the Pasadena community and unbeknownst to her he was stealing people's money."

Gussin is being represented by the law firm of Brown, White & Newhouse, LLP.

"(Gussin) will certainly enter a plea of not guilty to the charges," said George Newhouse, attorney. "A great number of the charges appear to be seven or eight years old and under the law they have three years to allege grand theft."

I'm shell shocked. I don't know how much I can write about this right now. It's going to take a lot of assimilating. My notes are disjointed and staccato, and it will be a few days before my feelings and stomach settle down and I can really write about it. It's too new, too immediate and too awful.

The defense attorneys admitted to the jury that Manling committed the murders. They are not contesting the crime scene information. What they will argue is the legal definition of first degree murder. I don't really understand that, but I'm not understanding much of anything today. My system is on complete overload.

SAN GABRIEL - A 29-year-old Rosemead man will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars after a judge sentenced him Thursday to 84 years to life in prison for the murder of a Gabrielino High School senior, authorities said.
Gabriel Guerrero was convicted Aug. 30 in Alhambra Superior Court of the shooting death of 17-year-old Ryan Dasalla, who was shot in the back on April 27, 2005, Los Angeles County District Attorney's officials said in a written statement.
He was convicted of first-degree murder, as well as gang and gun enhancements, she said. The court denied a defense motion for a new trial.
Guerrero, his brother Daniel Guerrero, who remains a fugitive, and co-defendant Sarah Toledo were accused in the slaying, which occurred about a block away from Gabrielino High School, officials said.
Toledo, who allegedly helped the Guerrero brothers target the victim, faces the same charges as Gabriel Guerrero when her case goes to trial Nov. 24, authorities added.
The Guerrero brothers - who are both members of the Varrio Nueva Estrada street gang - targeted Dasalla because they believed he was involved with a tagging crew that took part in the beating of their younger brother the night before, officials said.
In addition to his prison sentence, Gabriel Guerrero was also ordered by Alhambra Superior Court Judge Dorothy Shubin to pay restitution to the state Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, as well as to Dasalla's parents.

ROSEMEAD -- For the second time in less than two months, a house fire believed to have been sparked by a marijuana-growing operation led authorities to discover more than 1,000 pot plants.
The blaze was reported about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 2600 block of Kelburn Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Pat Dolan said.
It resulted in the seizure of "hundreds and hundreds" of marijuana plants from the home, preliminarily valued at about $200,000, Capt. Joe Fennell of the sheriff's Temple Station said.
More than 1,200 plants were uprooted altogether, officials said.
"What we found out was this location was used solely for marijuana growing," Fennell said.
The irrigation, lighting and electrical work done to create the pot farm, ":definitely took some level of expertise," he added.
Neighbors reported the fire at the two-story house, and firefighters found smoke coming from the home on arrival, Dolan said.
After cutting their way through a security door, firefighters were greeted by hundreds of marijuana plants in various stages of maturity in a sophisticated grow operation complete with irrigation and lighting, officials said.
"The house really wasn't set up to live in," Dolan said. "It had one couch, but everything else was for (growing marijuana.)"
Marijuana plants were growing throughout the home, which had had its electrical system re-wired to bypass Southern California Edison's electric meters, officials said.
The homemade electrical modifications are believed to be the cause of the fire, Dolan said.
"They had set up their own power system. One of the outlets was overloaded," he said.
The spark from the electrical outlet ignited some window blinds, he added.
The fire was largely contained to a single room on the home's second floor and caused about $1,000 worth of damage, officials said. The first floor was not damaged.
No one was in the home when authorities arrived, and no arrests were made Thursday, Fennell said.
Narcotics investigators will continue investigating in the coming days, he added, and will be seeking the residents of the home.
Wednesday's pot house fire was the second such incident in the area in less than two months, according to fire and sheriff's officials.
An Aug. 31 house fire less than a mile to the south in the 1900 block of Portrero Grande in the unincorporated county area of South San Gabriel led deputies to discover more than 1,000 marijuana plants, investigators said.
The operation was believed to have been tied to Asian gangs, officials said.
Fennell said it it was not yet clear is Thursday's pot house in Rosemead was connected to the South San Gabriel grow house or Asian gangs.
It's too early in the preliminary investigation to make that determination," he said.
As firefighters increasingly encounter marijuana-growing operations when they respond to fires, firefighters have become "painfully aware" of dangerous possibilities such as booby traps, explosives, chemicals or other hazardous contents, Dolan said.
"I just think we're a little bit more cognizant now when we go on these fires," he said. "It's something to look out for."
"Once we realize these are grow houses, we proceed very cautiously," Dolan said.
The smoke from burning marijuana is not a significant problem for firefighters, as they generally bring their own air supply and breathing equipment when fighting fires.

IRWINDALE -- Arraignment was postponed Thursday for a Glendora man accused of killing his father with a dumbbell and stashing his body at an Irwindale storage facility.
Jonathan Pedraza, 24, was initially due for arraignment Thursday, but was ordered back to Pomona Superior Court Nov. 4, when he will enter a plea to charges of murder, felony vandalism and hit-and-run, court officials said.
The suspect is charged with killing his 62-year-old father, Miguel Pedraza of Glendora, Sept. 10 with a free weight inside a storage locker at A-1 Mini Storage, 4391 Irwindale Ave. in Irwindale. The body was discovered a short time later after the son allegedly drove a car through a security gate to flee the storage facility.
A motive in the slaying was not released.
According to sheriff's booking records, Jonathan Pedraza was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

This video describing the arrest of San Gabriel mayor Albert Huang on robbery and domestic assault charges is a little cleaner. And it has subtitles ...enjoy

From City News Service:

GLENDORA - A man in a wheelchair was stabbed today in Glendora, and he told police the attacker robbed him of his wallet.
The stabbing occurred at about 1:30 a.m. in the 600 block of West Route 66, near Grand Avenue, Glendora police Sgt. Matt Egan said.
The man was taken to County-USC Medical Center, Egan said, adding the man's injuries were not life-threatening.
The attacker was described as a Hispanic man, 20 to 30 years old, 5-foot-7, with short hair, a light mustache, wearing a gray shirt and black pants, Egan said.
He had a scar on one side of his face, from his cheek to his lip, Egan said.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Police arrested three robbery suspects late Wednesday after one of them claimed he was attacked in an unrelated incident, authorities said.
Adam Giavelli, 21, of Pico Rivera, Joseph Torre, 21, of Santa Fe Springs and a 17-year-old Lawndale boy were booked on suspicion of robbery, Whittier police Lt. Carlos Solorza said.
Police responded to a report of an armed robbery about 9:10 p.m. in the 11500 block of Telegraph Road, near Orr and Day Road, the lieutenant said.
The three suspects allegedly confronted a Santa Fe Springs man in his 30s, brandished a screwdriver and demanded money, police said. The alleged victim handed over about $25.
About and hour and a half later, "We got a call to assist the fire department on a medical aid," Solorza said. "The victim of that was one of the (robbery) suspects."
Giavelli, who appeared drunken and was bleeding from a previous head injury where he had stitches, told investigators he was jumped by gang members, police said.
Solorza said Giavelli was accompanied by Torre and the teenager when authorities arrived.
"An officer recognized the three of them, because they matched suspect description (in the robbery)," he said.
The alleged assault took place within half a mile of the scene of the earlier robbery.
Unless Giavelli posts $50,500 bail, he will spend his birthday, Friday, behind bars, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's booking records. Torre was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Information regarding their initial court appearance was not available Thursday, though criminal suspects being held by police are generally brought before a judge within two days of arrest.
Police said the teenage suspect was sent to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.

From AP

LOS ANGELES - Eight current and former officials including alleged ringleader Robert Rizzo, have pleaded not guilty to looting millions of dollars from the city of Bell's treasury.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Hilleri G. Merritt ordered them to return to court Dec. 8 for a preliminary hearing. None of the eight, including Bell's mayor, vice mayor and ousted city manager spoke in court Thursday except to say "yes" when Merritt asked if they were agreeable to the hearing date.

The not guilty pleas were entered by their attorneys.

An additional hearing was scheduled for Friday for one of the defendants, Councilman George Mirabal, so his lawyer could discuss pretrial motions. A scheduling conflict kept Mirabal's chief attorney from appearing in court with him Thursday.

Only two of the defendants, Mirabal and former Councilman Victor Bello, are still in custody.

Towing fees put $1.2 million into Bolen Parque's city coffers in 2009, so you can see why (in a tough economy) the city needs checkpoints. Read more here.

City attorney Michele Beal Bagneris (who never speaks in person) sent a letter to reporter Brenda Gazzar outlining the suspension of police review boards in Pasadena. Her reason? The Brown Act conflicts with the Police Officers' Bill of Rights. Open public records experts disagree. Brenda got both sides in her story ...which you can read here.

WEST COVINA -- Police jailed a man early Wednesday on suspicion of burglarizing the same bar two nights in a row and stealing empty bottles and cans, authorities said.
Joel Menefee, 46, of West Covina was arrested early Wednesday at the Cove bar, 146 S. Glendora Ave., West Covina police Lt. Ron Mitchell said.
The bar's owner called police Tuesday to report that the business had been broken into, empty bottles and cans had been stolen and the intruder had been captured on surveillance video, police said.
The owner also told police the suspect may have broken into the bar before, Lt. David Rozeboom said.
Police officers stopped by the bar about 4 a.m. Wednesday and found Menefee there standing near his truck, Rozeboom said. Someone had forced their way into the bar.
A locksmith by trade, Menefee admitted to police that he picked the lock to get into the establishment, police said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Menefee was released from jail hours after his arrest after posting $200,000 bail. He was due for arraignment Friday in West Covina Superior Court.

ARCADIA -- Officials postponed trial Wednesday for a former Pasadena school teacher accused of murdering his ex-wife's boyfriend in Arcadia.
Brandon Landreth, 33, of Pasadena, is charged with the March 30, 2008, shooting death of 25-year-old Justo Cesar Morales at Morales' parents home in the 2200 block of Canyon Road in Arcadia. He is a former John Muir High School English teacher.
Trial was scheduled to begin Wednesday in Pasadena Superior Court, however Landreth was ordered to return to court Nov. 29 for a pre-trial conference, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokesman Shiara Davila-Morales said.
A trial date has been set for Jan. 4, she added.
Investigators have said the motive in the shooting is believed to be jealousy over Morales' relationship with Landreth's ex-wife.
Landreth is accused of knocking on the front door of a home where Morales was, and opening fire on Morales as soon as he opened the door, authorities said.
He then allegedly fled the scene on a skateboard.
Citing an allegation that Landreth has made threats against another of his ex-wife's boyfriends, a judge ordered Landreth to be held in lieu of $5 million bail early last year.
When police stopped Landreth while driving three days after Morales was shot, they allegedly found camping gear, extra clothing, $9,000 in cash and other items.
In a search of Morales' home, investigators said they recovered a handgun, ammunition and a piece of paper with the name of another possible intended victim -- a man who has also had a relationship with Landreth's ex-wife.

Manling Williams case heads to trial. This from Jan Williams in a Facebook post: 

LA MIRADA -- A sheriff's SWAT team searched a neighborhood late Tuesday and early Wednesday in search of a gun-toting man who ran from deputies.
The armed man -- a passenger who fled from authorities during a traffic stop --  was not found, however the driver of the car was arrested on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Al Reyes said.
Jerry Bresnahan, 23, a parolee whose city of residency was not available, was being held without bail, according to sheriff's officials and booking records.
The incident shortly before 11 p.m. Tuesday when deputies pulled over a car on Valley View Avenue, just north of Rosecrans Avenue, the lieutenant said.
"A passenger ran out of vehicle carrying a firearm," Reyes said. Witnesses told deputies they saw him running into a nearby church.
Several people ran out of the church, and sheriff's SWAT officials were summoned to set up a search perimeter, Reyes said.
Authorities determined the armed man was no longer in the area and ended their search about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Bresnahan was due for arraignment Friday in Bellflower Superior Court.

This from Sandra Tsing Loh at KPCC's Loh Down on Science:

University of Colorado found that the collection of 150 or so microbe species living on a person's hand are different from the germs on any other hand. Our germs, like fingerprints or DNA, are a form of ID.

The scientists recently lifted bacterial colonies from computer keyboards used by one volunteer from a group. After comparing the germy DNA to the germy DNA of everyone in the group, the researchers identified the computer's user.

It's like Clue!

When the researchers compared their samples to the Human Skin Microbiome project - a big database of people and germs? The positive-ID held up. They could still finger their suspects.

This comes from a Chinese language broadcast. Basically they used CGI to re-enact the fight between former San Gabriel Mayor Albert Huang and his girlfriend early Friday morning at a Valley Boulevard dumpling house.

An El Monte man suspected of being the "Golden Years" bandit was in FBI custody, officials said Tuesday night.

William McCormick Jr., 59, of El Monte, took the charge after he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence earlier this month. He is suspected of robbing banks in Alhambra, Rosemead and Bellflower.

Octomom Nadya Suleman, popping out kids like Skittles or Bad Dad Joe Kurihara, who left his 3-year-old in a parking stall while he wandered drunk through Pasadena...who is the worse parent? You decide...

SAN GABRIEL -- Mayor Albert Y.M. Huang Tuesday announced he would resign from office following his arrest on suspicion of robbery, assault and battery.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office today could make a decision on whether to formally charge Huang, officials said.

"I'm confident the truth will ... restore my reputation," Huang said. "The media attention has greatly affected my family."

Early Friday, Huang argued with a woman over money at a table in New Taste Dumpling House on West Valley Boulevard.

Authorities are not releasing the woman's name because the case has been classified as domestic violence, but Huang told a Chinese language publication the woman was a girlfriend whom he began seeing when he separated from his wife in 2009.

Police confirmed Huang's account.

"At one time, they did have a dating relationship," said San Gabriel police Lt. Darren Perrine. "It wasn't his wife."

Witnesses said the argument between the couple began after the woman threw a steamer of dumplings at Huang and he threw vinegar at her. The argument then escalated outside the restaurant.

At some point, Huang allegedly entered his own car with the woman's purse and keys and attempted to drive away, authorities said.

View Dylan Kunihara in a larger

From the Associated Press:

CHINO -- Authorities say a man who was hit in the head with a golf ball at a Southern California country club has died.
The San Bernardino County coroner's office said on its website Sunday that 69-year-old Hiroshi Tango of Brea died at a hospital Saturday.
On Oct. 7, Tango was playing golf at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino when he was hit in the head by a ball.
The coroner says he complained of head and neck pain after he was hit and he was taken to Loma Linda University Medical Center, where he "succumbed to his injuries" on Saturday, nine days after he was struck by the stray ball.

PASADENA -- Police are searching for a 3-year-old West Covina boy who went missing after his father was arrested for public drunkenness, authorities said.
Dylan Kurihara was last seen about 9:30 p.m. Saturday in a Lexus SUV with with his father, 23-year-old Joe Kurihara of Los Angeles, leaving a parking structure at Cordova Avenue and Euclid Street, police said in a written statement.
They had just attended a wedding at the nearby Masonic Temple, along with the boy's mother, Lt. Tom Delgado said.
"The father was intoxicated and went outside," Delgado said. "The child followed the father. The child and the father never returned inside."
Police arrested Joe Kurihara about 10:35 p.m., "an hour and five minutes after (father and son) were last seen," as he was on foot in the 300 block of East Green Street, Delgado said.
The father made no mention of his son, and there were no indications that the man had been driving, police said.
"We had no idea the son was with the father," he said.
"Joe Kurihara does not recall being with the child due to his level of intoxication," according to the police statement.
Police have not been able to locate the SUV, either.
The mother was not initially alarmed when she couldn't find her son, because she believed he was with his father, Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens said.
She became worried and called police about 8 a.m. Sunday to report her son and his father were missing, authorities said.
Police told her that the father, Joe Kurihara, had been jailed on suspicion of public drunkenness, but he was not with a child when arrested.
Though the initial arrest was for being drunk in public, he was ultimately booked on suspicion of resisting arrest, Pope Givens said.
Initial investigation revealed no indication of custody disputes or other problems between Kurihara and the mother of his son, Pope Givens said.
She declined to say whether investigators doubted the father's story.
"Anything beyond the current facts would be speculation," she said. "We're going to look into everything that we need to look into to find Dylan."
According to sheriff's booking records, the father remained behind bars Sunday in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Joe Kurihara was also arrested Thursday and Aug. 10 by Baldwin Park police officers for an outstanding misdemeanor warrant, Baldwin Park police officials said.
It was not clear Sunday what alleged offense the warrant was issued in connection with, and he was released both times after posting $1,155 bail.
Police described Dylan Kurihara as 32 inches tall, 35 pounds, with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a blue and brown checkered long sleeve shirt and dark blue pants.
The SUV he was last seen in is a silver 2001 Lexus RX300 with a license plate number of 4UHY191.
Police used a reverse 9-1-1 system to notify local residents about the missing child, and also broadcast the information to other nearby law enforcement agencies.
Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez asked anyone with information that may help officials locate Dylan Kurihara to call the Pasadena Police Department.
"While traveling around Pasadena today, please keep an eye open for Dylan and/or the vehicle," he said. "If you located Dylan or the vehicle, please call 9-1-1 or the watch commander's office at 626-744-4620."



PHOTO of Dylan Kurihara comes courtesy of the Pasadena Police Department

AZUSA -- Authorities Saturday released the name of a 62-year-old Azusa man who died after being struck by a car while crossing Gladstone Street in an unincorporated county area near Azusa.
John Allen Macadam died at the scene of the 7 p.m. Friday collision on westbound Gladstone at Fenimore Avenue, Coroner's officials said.
Macadam was crossing northbound across Gladstone and a 42-year-old Baldwin Park man was driving a 1997 Saturn sedan westbound on the street when the pedestrian was hit, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
"When Mr. Macadam entered the westbound lanes of Gladstone Street, he was struck by (the westbound) vehicle," the statement said.
The driver was not hurt, officials said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, according to the CHP. Investigators were looking into, but could not confirm, reports that Macadam was trying to prevent a dog from getting struck when he himself was hit.

COVINA -- Police jailed three men Friday on suspicion of breaking into cars and stealing items, authorities said.
Nicholas Cadena, 21, of La Puente, Robert Salempessy, 19, of Azusa and James Gray, 21, of Covina were booked on suspicion of burglary and receiving stolen property, Covina police Sgt. John Zumwalt said.
Security guards at IKEA, 848 S. Barranca Avenue, called police after spotting a group of men looking into parked vehicles in the parking lot, and even reaching into a car that had a partially opened window, the sergeant said.
The men had left the parking lot in a maroon station wagon before police arrived, Zumwalt said, however West Covina police found the car parked across the street at a Target store parking lot.
"We surveilled the car until people returned," he said. When the three suspects came back to the car, they were arrested.
Items believed to be stolen were found inside the car, Zumwalt said, including a GPS unit that had apparently been stolen earlier in the day from an unlocked car in the 500 block of South Chaparro Road in Covina.
Other possibly stolen items were found, and police are searching for the rightful owners of the property, he said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Cadena, Salempessy and Gray were all released from jail Saturday after posting $20,000 bail.

WHITTIER -- A man was shot to death late Friday on Pickering Avenue, authorities said.
James Fuentes, 36, of Whittier died in the attack, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said.
Police received a report of a possible shooting about 9 p.m. in the 6700 block of Pickering Avenue, just south of Hadley Street, Whittier police Office Mike Dekowski said in a written statement.
"When officers arrived on scene, they found a male victim with multiple gunshot wounds in the chest," he said.
Fuentes was rushed to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, officials said.
"He may have been arguing with the suspect prior to the shooting," Webster said.
It was unclear what the argument was over.
The suspect, a Latino man of about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pound with short black hair and a round face, fled the scene in a gray or silver 1980s-model Nissan pickup truck with angled stripes near the cab, Webster said.
Police were checking nearby surveillance cameras to see if they captured an image of the shooter.
The attacker first drove through the parking lot of a nearby 7-Eleven store and parked his car in the driveway with the engine running, according to a witness who asked that his name be withheld for fear of retaliation.
The man in the car called to Fuentes by his first name before getting out of his truck and confronting him, the witness said.
After a very brief conversation of only a few words, the witness added, the attacker drew a handgun, fired two or three times into the Fuentes' chest and fled in the pickup truck.
The wounded man ran to a nearby home for help and collapsed, according to the witness.
Acquaintances said Fuentes was a longtime Whittier resident who attended Cal High and the father of children who live with his former wife. He was not believed to be in a gang.
The killing marked the first reported homicide within city limits this year, police said. Last year, Whittier saw two homicides.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Whittier Police Department at 562-945-8250.

MONTEBELLO -- Police arrested two men and a woman Friday on suspicion of stealing a car that was taken from Montebello earlier in the day.
Ricardo Diaz, 33, Gladys Garibay, 25, and Hector Dominguez, 19, all of Montebello, were booked on suspicion of auto theft and receiving stolen property, Montebello police Lt. Rich Meadows said.
The car was reported stolen about 7:20 a.m. from the 400 block of Concourse Avenue, the lieutenant said.
Montebello police Officer Oscar Chavez was patrolling in the 700 block of Via Altamira about two hours later, Meadows said, when he spotted the stolen car parked alongside the curb.
The engine was running and Diaz, Garibay and Dominguez were all inside, police said.
All three walked away for the vehicle but were detained, and ultimately arrested, by Chavez, Meadows said. The stolen car was returned to its rightful owner.
"It was a good observational arrest," he said. "It was outstanding work by Officer Chavez."
According to sheriff's booking records, Diaz was being held in lieu of $47,500 bail, Dominguez was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail and Garibay was released Friday afternoon after posting $25,000 bail.
All three were due for arraignment in East Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday.

WEST COVINA -- A West Covina salon owner is accused of inappropriately touching three female customers during separate incidents at his salon over the past three months, police said Thursday.
Fouad "John" Kakos, 49, of West Covina was charged Wednesday in West Covina Superior Court with three misdemeanor counts of sexual battery, West Covina police Sgt. David Lee said in a written statement.
He was jailed and released Tuesday after posting $75,000 bail, police said.
"West Covina police received three independent reports alleging inappropriate touching at John Michael Paul's Salon, located 2970 E. Workman Ave., the lieutenant said.
Two of the three incidents took place during massage sessions, police added. They took place between August and October.
Kakos has owned the salon since December, Lee added.
Anyone with information is asked to call the West Covina Police Department.

PASADENA -- Police jailed two Pasadena youths on suspicion of auto theft Thursday following a minor hit-and-run collision, authorities said.
The names of the young suspects were not released due to their age.
The arrests were made about 2 p.m. near Fair Oaks Avenue and Washington Boulevard, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
A motorist flagged an officer down to report a sedan had just crashed into his car and kept driving, the lieutenant said.
The occupants of the hit-and-run car abandoned the vehicle nearby and fled on foot, Delgado said.
Police found the three juveniles in the area and arrested two of them on suspicion auto theft, he said.
The third boy with the group was not suspected of stealing the car.

DOWNEY -- Authorities are hosting a public open house Saturday at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.
The open house will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the juvenile detention facility, 7285 Quill Drive, County of Los Angeles Probation Department spokeswoman Kerri Webb said in a written statement.
The event promises to provide, "an inside look of how the California juvenile justice system works right here in Los Angeles County," Webb said.
There will be tours of the facility, demonstrations of electronic monitoring devices, Mobile Gang Task Force demonstrations, artwork and school project by juvenile offenders and informational booths, officials said.
Probation officials will also be on hand to meet with visitors.
Guests are advised to wear comfortable clothing and closed-toe shoes, as the tour will include a lot of walking.
About 3,000 juveniles are incarcerated in 20 juvenile detention facilities throughout Los Angeles County, primarily at three juvenile halls, officials said. Other than the Downey facility, other juvenile halls are operating in Sylmar and Los Angeles.
Most incarcerated juvenile offenders from the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier areas end up being housed at the Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall.
No incarcerated youths will participating in the open house.
For more information, call Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall at 562-940-8681.

More than two years after 16-year-old Sammantha Salas of Monrovia was gunned down in front of her father's apartment building, two reputed gang members were sentenced to life in prison in connection with her murder. As you'll read in the FULL STORY, the killers remain remorseless, denying at their sentencing that they were responsible for the killing:

Excerpt from story by Staff Writer Adolfo Flores:

BURBANK - Two cousins, reputed members of a Crips clique that waged tit-for-tat shootings with a rival Latino gang in Monrovia in 2008, will spend the rest of their lives behind bars for an ambush shooting that mistakenly killed a 16-year-old girl, a judge ruled Wednesday.
Nickelis and Rayshawn Blackwell received life in prison without the possibility of parole during an emotional sentencing hearing at which Sammantha Salas' mother, Jeanette Chavez, addressed the court with tears in her eyes.
"'I don't want to die' were my daughter's, Sammantha's, last words before she died in her father's arms," Chavez said. "Nickelis and Rayshawn, you without remorse violently destroyed the lives of innocent law-abiding citizens ...
You messed with the wrong mother, the wrong family for that matter."
In July, the two were found guilty for their roles in the Jan. 26, 2008, shooting of Salas as she walked with two friends to a neighborhood market on Peck Road in unincorporated Monrovia. One of the friends, a 16-year-old girl, was critically injured but has since recovered.

ARCADIA -- A man suffered major injuries Sunday after colliding with a minivan while riding his bike through an intersection, police said.
The crash was reported about 12:45 p.m. at El Monte Avenue and Las Tunas Drive, Arcadia police Lt. Roy Nakamura said.
The bicyclist, a man in his 20s, was rushed to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena where he was listed in critical condition, the lieutenant said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, police said, however nothing criminal was initially suspected.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A good Samaritan pulled an allegedly drunken woman from a car stopped on a set of train tracks Sunday, just before a train plowed into the vehicle, police said.
Wendy Garcia, 25, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of drunken driving, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said.
Officials received a call about 6:30 a.m. reporting a Nissan Altima was stopped on the train tracks in the 12100block of Los Nietos Road, the lieutenant said.
"The caller reported a female was passed out inside the vehicle," he said.
Prior to police arriving, a passer-by pulled the woman from the car, Webster said.
"A short time later, a train struck the front of her vehicle and took her vehicle about 100 feet down the tracks," he added.
Officers determined the woman appeared to be drunk and arrested her on suspicion of driving under the influence.
How the woman ended up stopped on the railroad tracks remained under investigation, Webster said.
According to Los Angeles County sheriff's booking records, Garcia was released from jail Sunday afternoon after posting $5,000 in bail.

PASADENA -- Police arrested man Sunday on suspicion of of using a fake handgun to rob a gas station, police said.
Davon Barlow, 18, of Burbank was booked on suspicion of robbery, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
The robbery took place about 8 a.m. at a Mobile Gas Station in the 400 block of North Allen Avenue, police said.
Barlow allegedly entered the store, displayed what was later found to be a replica handgun in his waistband and demanded money from the cash register, Delgado said.
Police said Barlow fled with the money, but the clerk gave chase and briefly fought with the suspect.
Officers found the suspect in the area a short time later, Delgado said, with the replica gun and allegedly stolen cash on his person.
According to sheriff's booking records, Barlow was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. Information was not available regarding his initial court appearance.

PASADENA -- A man was hospitalized in critical condition after being run over by his own car in a park parking lot early Sunday, police said.
The incident was reported about 7:20 a.m. in the parking lot of Villa Parke, 363. E. Villa Street, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
"A gentleman started his car, left it, and went to go talk to somebody in a car that was next to him," the lieutenant said.
The man, identified as a 54-year-old transient known to frequent the Pasadena area, saw his car rolling backward and tried to stop it, Delgado said.
In the process, he fell and was run over by the car, he said.
The man, who Delgado said may have suffered another medical problem after being run over, was hospitalized in critical condition.

From City News Service:

MONROVIA -- Police Sunday arrested a 26-year-old Monrovia man they believed assisted in the abduction of two Anaheim boys by the children's father and grandfather last week.
Anaheim officers said they arrested David Nicholas at his home in Monrovia, and booked him on suspicion of conspiracy for the Thursday kidnapping case. His bail was set at $1 million, said Anaheim police Sgt. Rick Martinez.
"At this stage of our investigation, we will not be releasing any additional information about Mr. Nicholas' role in this case," Martinez said.
Anaheim police continued their search today for 4-year-old Jacob and 2- year-old Justin Quinones, who were abducted from their Anaheim home Thursday night.
Police recovered a Dodge Caravan used in the crime Friday after it was returned to a rental agency.
Initially police believed the suspects -- Abraham Fernandez, 23, and Louis Mendoza Fernandez, 52, both of Houston -- might be headed for Texas, but then said they believed they were still in California.
The Quinones boys were outside an apartment complex in the 3300 block of West Orange Avenue about 7:50 p.m. Thursday when they were grabbed, Anaheim police Sgt. Bob Dunn said last week.
The children were with their mother, who was taking out the trash, he said.
Two men got out of the van and each man grabbed a boy, he said. A witness may have kicked a dent into the van as it pulled away, Dunn said.
An Amber Alert was canceled when the van was recovered.
"We don't know the whereabouts of the children and we're very concerned," Dunn said.
Justin and Jacob were both wearing Buzz Lightyear T-shirts and beige shorts, and Jacob was also wearing a gray, zippered sweatshirt, Dunn said.
Justin is about 2 feet 6 inches tall and 38 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Jacob is 3 feet tall and 62 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Abraham Fernandez is light-skinned, about 5 feet 10 inches and 160 pounds, with long brown hair often pulled back in a ponytail. He had a mustache and maybe a goatee, and was wearing a black shirt, and jeans, Dunn said.
Louis Mendoza Fernandez is light-skinned, stocky with a gut, about 5 feet-9 inches and 175 pounds, with brown eyes and longer straight or scraggly brown hair. He was wearing a dark-colored baseball cap, light-colored shorts and white tennis shoes, Dunn said.
Anaheim police urged anyone with more information to call them at (714) 765-1900.

BALDWIN PARK -- A fire badly damaged a Ramona Boulevard hamburger stand Saturday.
The fire was first reported at 5:23 p.m. at P & G Super Burgers, 15028 Ramona Blvd., Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Andre Gougis said.
Firefighters found the building "charged with smoke" on arrival, he said.
After calling for a second wave of firefighters to assist with the blaze, the fire was extinguished at 6:48 p.m., officials said.
The blaze mainly damaged the roof and exterior facade of the restaurant, though the interior sustained significant smoke and water damage, Capt. Peter Ramirez said.
It appeared to have ignited near an air conditioning unit in the attic, he added.
A dollar-value estimate of the damage was not available.
The restaurant was open for business when the fire broke out, officials said, however no injuries were reported.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- A crook on a motorcycle snatched a woman's purse late Thursday, but he abandoned the handbag when the woman gave chase, authorities said.
The crime took place about 7:50 p.m. on Via Dicha, near Larkvane Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. John Saleeby said.
A woman was walking on the sidewalk when a man rode by on a motorcycle and snatched her purse, the lieutenant said. He was described as a Latino man wearing a black helmet and black leather jacket.
The robber rode north on Larkvane Road and dropped the purse as the woman chased after him, Saleeby said. It was unclear late Thursday if anything had been stolen from the purse.

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE -- The sheriff's Crescenta Valley Station was briefly evacuated Thursday evening after a faulty air conditioning unit filled the building with smoke, authorities said.
The smoke was first reported at 6:42 p.m. at the sheriff's station, 4554 Briggs Ave. in La Crescenta, Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatch supervisor Michael Pittman said.
The building was evacuated and emergency calls were re-routed to the sheriff's Temple Station, sheriff's Sgt. Richard Conti said.
A single inmate being housed in the Crescenta Valley Station jail was secured in a police car during the incident, he added, and Crescenta Valley deputies continued their usual patrols.
The malfunctioning air conditioner bellowed smoke in to the station, though there was no actual fire, officials said.
Firefighters were ventilating the building around 7:30 p.m., and operations at the station were expected to return to normal later Thursday evening.

ALHAMBRA - After nine years with the Alhambra Police Department, Police Chief Jim Hudson finished his last day Thursday.
"The department is in a good place and my hope is that the department will continue to get better," Hudson said. "Since 2005 we've had a reduction in crime by 26 percent."
The Fighting Our Crime Using Structure program and the 31 police officers he's hired since he's been police chief stick out as the highlights of his career. The program honed in crimes such as homicides, rape and robberies.
The city reported that last year there were no murders in Alhambra.
'I came up with the concept patterning it after Chief Bratton, putting our own twist to it," Hudson said. 'It's through the hard work of the department's employees that made the crime reduction take place."
"His reduction is crime is his legacy," said Sergeant Brandon Black. "He's got the department focused on reducing crime."
FOCUS monitors and maps crimes, Black said, resources are appropriated where they are needed the most. Watch commanders meet monthly to discuss advances and weaknesses in the program.
Hudson came to the department in 2001 as a captain from the City of Orange police department where he worked for about 25 years. In 2004 he was promoted to police chief.
James Anthony will take over as interim police chief on Monday while the City Manager Julio Fuentes chooses Hudson's successor. Anthony had previously served as interim police chief for Alhambra.

NORWALK -- A man was found suffering from a gunshot wound Thursday in a car at Holifield Park, officials said.
The incident was first reported about 1:45 p.m. at the park, 12500 Excelsior Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Greg Arnold said.
Deputies responded to reports of a gunshot victim and found a 20-year-old man sitting in a parked car, suffering from a wound that did not appear to be life-threatening, the sergeant said.
The shooting was believed to have occurred nearby before the wounded man ended up at the park, he added.
No further details were available.

A group of five medical marijuana dispensaries, including one in Covina, raided by authorities Wednesday were targeted because the operators were allegedly turning a profit from the establishments in violation of state medical marijuana laws.
Eleven people were arrested in connection with the operation, which took place Wednesday morning in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties.
The Alternative Medicine Collective of Covina, 20050 E. Arrow Highway, Suite B, was forced to close its doors after a multi-agency task force seized its products, along with four other dispensaries in the four-county operation, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said. No one at the Covina dispensary was arrested.
Under California's Proposition 215, also known as the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, medical marijuana dispensaries are only allowed to operate as non-profits, Capt. Ralph Ornelas of the Sheriff's Narcotics Bureau said.
"This organization was definitely working outside the law," he said.
"Our investigation proved they were charging people and making a profit out of it," Ornelas said. "You're not supposed to make a profit."
Authorities also searched an Alhambra home in the 1600 block of Curtis Avenue, though no evidence was seized, the captain said.
Erik Andresen, 35, of Seal Beach was arrested as the "primary suspect" in the case against the five dispensaries, Ornelas said.
He was booked on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana and another marijuana-related offense at the sheriff's Norwalk Station, according to a jailer. He was released Thursday after posting $100,000 bail.
Andresen said he serves as an adviser for the organization of patients involved and denied any wrongdoing.
"We are a group of patients who are together, collectively, to provide medicine for sick people," he said.
Andresen said the dispensaries did not make a profit.
"You're allowed to be reimbursed for your time," he said. He declined to say how much money he has received in compensation, but described it as "piddly."
"I don't own a home," he said.
Andresen added that the collectives generally give excess marijuana free of charge to their sickest patients.
"We don't turn a profit because be give away any extra proceeds," he said.
The names of the other 10 people arrested on drug related charges were not available Thursday, Ornelas said.
In all, the multi-agency task force searched five marijuana dispensaries, one cultivation site, two processing sites, seven homes and a sailboat, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
Ornelas said they were located in Covina, Alhambra, Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Fullerton, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and Palm Springs, Ornelas said.
In addition to the Covina establishment, the medical marijuana dispensaries raided Wednesday included the Palm Springs Holistic Collective, the Riverside Compassionate Wellness Center, the San Diego Holistic Collective, and the Compassionate Medical Collective in San Diego, Ornelas said.
Andresen said that as far as he knows, only one dispensary in San Diego is affiliated with his patient group.
Officials seized 35 marijuana plants, valued at $70,000; 78 pounds of processed pot, valued at $234,000; seven gallons of concentrated cannabis oils, valued at $44,800; about 4,000 pre-packaged, marijuana-laced edible products; hydroponic growing equipment and chemicals; and about $20,000 in cash, according to the sheriff's statement.
The edible products included, "Lolly pops, ice pops, candy bars, brownies -- all that stuff," Ornelas said.
He said sheriff's narcotics officials are looking into requesting agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration to get involved.
Andresen said he would have no problem cooperating with health regulations governing edible marijuana products.

ARCADIA -- A woman interrupted a thief as he attempted to steal her father's SUV late Wednesday, police said.
The incident was reported about 11 p.m. at Newman and Santa Anita avenues, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
"A a male suspect was seen getting out of a suspicious vehicle and then looking into a parked SUV with a flashlight," the sergeant said. "The suspect entered the passenger side of the SUV and slid across to the driver's seat."
The SUV owner's daughter saw what was happening and began walking toward the SUV, police said.
"The suspect apparently saw the witness and immediately got out and fled back to the suspect vehicle which drove away to northbound Santa Anita Avenue," Le Veque said.
Police described the would-be car thief as a Latino man in his late 30s, with dark hair and a goatee, wearing a red USC hat, a red sweat shirt, baggy blue jeans and white tennis shoes.
His vehicle was a white Nissan Titan pickup truck with a large "O" emblem on the rear window and last three license plate numbers of 457.
Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police.

Authorities Wednesday served search warrants at 16 locations in four counties -- including medical marijuana dispensaries in Covina and Alhambra -- and arrested 11 people on suspicion of drug-related charges, authorities said.
The searches took place in in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties and targeted what is believed to be a single group of criminals illegally making and selling drugs via medical marijuana dispensaries, Capt. Ralph Ornelas of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Narcotics Bureau said.
The names of those arrested were not released late Wednesday pending further investigation, he said.
"Members of the Narcotics Bureau, in a joint effort (with other agencies), served simultaneous search warrants at 16 locations related to the illegal manufacture and sales of marijuana, cannabis concentrates and marijuana-laced food products through various outlets in Southern California and other states," sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
The searches targeted dispensaries and individuals operating out of compliance with California's medical marijuana legislation, Ornelas said.
"This organization was definitely working outside the law," he said.
Among the sites searched by law enforcement were the Alternative Medicine Collective of Covina, 20050 E. Arrow Highway, Suite B, as well as an Alhambra dispensary, Ornelas said. The name of the Alhambra dispensary was not available late Wednesday.
Officials seized 35 marijuana plants, valued at $70,000; 78 pounds of processed pot, valued at $234,000; seven gallons of concentrated cannabis oils, valued at $44,800; about 4,000 pre-packaged, marijuana-laced edible products; hydroponic growing equipment and chemicals; and about $20,000 in cash, according to the sheriff's statement.
Locations searched included five medical marijuana dispensaries, one cultivation site, two processing sites and one sailboat, officials added.
The suspects were booked on suspicion of crimes including cultivation of marijuana, sales of marijuana and hashish, sales of methamphetamine, sales of cocaine, sales of psilocybin and manufacturing a controlled substance.

By Jessica Donnelly and Brian Day, Staff Writers:

GLENDORA -- A man suspected of robbing a bank Tuesday was located at his apartment around the corner from the scene of the crime, authorities said.
Blair Piper, 32, of Glendora was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, Glendora police Lt. Brian Summers said.
Summers said the robber entered a Citibank branch at 401 E. Arrow Highway at 2:16 p.m. and gave the teller a note demanding money and claiming he had a gun.
The teller gave the man an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.
The man left the bank and discarded his clothes behind a Vons in the shopping center, Summers said. The man left a hooded sweatshirt, baseball cap and shorts behind the store, he said.
The suspect went to an apartment less than a mile away in the 640 block of East Claraday Street, Summers said.
Witnesses said they watched the man enter the complex and alerted police, he said.
Officers found the man and recovered the money inside the apartment complex, Summers said. They also recovered the demand note, he said.
No gun was located, Summers said.
Piper was identified by the teller and witnesses at the bank, police said. He was released from jail after posting $100,000 bail, according to sheriff's booking records. He was due in West Covina Superior Court Thursday for arraignment.
Piper was convicted in May in West Covina Superior Court of driving with an open container of alcohol, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.
According to sheriff's booking records and police, he was also arrested by Glendora police due to outstanding warrants stemming from a marijuana possession case on Sept. 28 and July 30.

LOS ANGELES -- A federal jury Wednesday convicted a Rosemead man of five smuggling-related counts, including conspiring to smuggle 200 shoulder-fired missiles capable of destroying airplanes into the U.S.
Yi Qing Chen, 46, faces at least 25 years in federal prison when he returns to court Feb. 7 to be sentenced by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer, U.S. Attorney's Office spokesman Thom Mrozek said in a written statement. He could receive life in prison without the possibility of parole.
He was one of 34 defendants in the Los Angeles area and 87 on the East Coast targeted in a multi-agency undercover investigation called, "Operation Smoking Dragon," Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie Hobbs said.
"They were a group of opportunists that would smuggle anything for money," she said.
Chen was convicted of conspiracy to import the missiles under a 2004 anti-terrorism statute specifically designed to prevent the importation of missile systems designed to destroy aircraft. It was the first case charged and the first conviction won under the new law.
The heat-seeking missiles -- Chinese-made QW-2 missiles -- are capable of taking down an airliner upon take-off or landing, Hobbs said. The small size of the deadly system makes it even more dangerous.
"It can be carried around in a bag, basically. It's easily portable," she said.
In arranging the purchase, "An undercover FBI agent told them he was buying (the missiles) for a friend who was going to train mercenaries," Hobbs said.
In addition for arranging to smuggle the missiles, Chen was also convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, distribution of cocaine, trafficking in counterfeit cigarettes and trafficking in contraband cigarettes, Mrozek said.
He was initially arrested in August of 2005, Hobbs added.
The investigation consisted of undercover FBI agents arranging to purchase contraband items from members of the criminal organization.
Drugs, counterfeit money and cigarettes were smuggled into the U.S., Hobbs said, however the arrests were made before the smugglers could bring the missiles into the country.
The investigation began more than five years ago as a probe into suspected cigarette smuggling, however investigators soon realized the group was smuggling much more than tobacco.
All of the other 34 West Coast-based defendants named in the indictment have been convicted, pleaded guilty or died, Hobbs said.
One of Chen's co-defendants, Chao Tang Wu of La Puente, pleaded guilty in 2006 to smuggling charges, including the plot to smuggle Chinese missiles, Mrozek said.
Wu died of natural causes as he was awaiting sentencing, Hobbs said.
Another co-defendant, Wilson Liu of San Marino, is serving a 12-year prison sentence in connection with the case for smuggling extremely well-made counterfeit $100 bills known as "supernotes" to the U.S. for the group, Hobbs said.
As he was awaiting trial for the crime, she added, he was seen by investigators passing the fake bills at a Las Vegas casino.

TEMPLE CITY -- Officials briefly evacuated a building at Temple City High School Wednesday after an instructor dropped a beaker containing a dangerous acid.

The incident was first reported about 9 a.m. at a science classroom in a two story building on the campus, 9501 Lemon Ave., Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire officials said.

A custodian at the school was taken to a hospital to be examined as a precaution after inhaling fumes from the spill, fire Capt. Tim Bushrow said.

The chemical spilled was hydrochloric acid, he said. "The estimated quantity was probably a cup to two cups."

The acid is capable of burning the skin and causing respiratory problems if inhaled, the captain added.

The acid was spilled near the door to the classroom and outside walkway, Bushrow said.

Adding to the drama, he said, "In this case, it was misty or raining outside. Once (hydrochloric acid) mixes with water it produces visible vapor."

Hazardous materials experts responded to the scene, neutralized the acid with baking soda and cleaned up the mess, Bushrow said.

About 150 students who were evacuated from the building were allowed back in about an hour later, officials said.

West Covina police found three pounds of methamphetamine during a routine traffic stop Saturday, leading investigators to discover another 12.5 pounds of the drug stashed at a La Puente home, authorities said.
Police estimated the street value of the bust at about $186,000.
Samuel Lizarraga, 44, of La Puente was booked on suspicion of possession of narcotics for sales and transportation of narcotics, West Covina police Lt. Alan Henley said.
Officers stopped Lizarraga just after 5 p.m. at Valinda and Temple avenues in Valinda because his car displayed expired registration, the lieutenant said.
"During a search of the vehicle, they found three pounds of methamphetamine in the car," Henley said.
When authorities searched Lizarraga's home in La Puente, they found another 12.5 pounds of methamphetamine, he added.
Lizarraga was also found to be driving with a suspended license, police said.
He already had a case pending against him in West Covina Superior Court for driving on a suspended license that was filed in May of 2009, court records show.
According to Los Angeles County sheriff's booking records, Lizarraga was being held in lieu of $120,000 bail at the West Covina Police Department jail. He was due for arraignment Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.

PASADENA -- Four teenage hikers were escorted from Eaton Canyon by rescuers Saturday after they are believed to have become too drunk to get themselves out, authorities said.
One of the teens was hospitalized as a precaution due to apparent severe intoxication and the 85-degree temperatures in the canyon, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
All of the hikers were estimated to be 15 or 16 years old, she added.
Pasadena firefighters and Altadena Search and Rescue Team members responded to what was initially reported as an injured hiker about 6 p.m. in Eaton Canyon, north of Pasadena, sheriff's and fire officials said.
They found two teenage boys and two teenage girls who appeared to be drunk.
The boys and one of the girls were able to walk out of the canyon, accompanied by rescuers, Derderian said. One of the girls had to be carried and then placed on a gurney.
Derderian said the hikers were removed from the canyon just before nightfall.
The teens were expected to be cited on suspicion of underage drinking, sheriff's officials said.

SAN GABRIEL -- A man is expected to recover after being wounded in the arm in drive-by shooting early Saturday, police said.
The crime was reported shortly after 1:30 a.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 600 block of East Main Street, San Gabriel police Lt. Andy Borrello said.
The victim was approached by several Latino men in a later-model, blue or black Toyota sedan when someone inside opened fire, the lieutenant said.
The shooting was believed to be gang-related.

AZUSA -- A 4-year-old boy was flown to the hospital Saturday after being bitten in the face by his family's pet pit bull, police said.
The incident was reported about 5:40 p.m. at a home in the 100 block of South Virginia Avenue, Azusa police Sgt. Mike Gurbada said.
The boy was bitten in the lip and the injury did not appear to be life threatening, however he was flown by helicopter to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles as a precaution, the sergeant said.
It initially appeared that, "The child got to close to dog while it was eating," Gurbada said.
Authorities landed a helicopter at Memorial Park, 320 North Orange Ave., to rush the boy to the hospital.
Animal control officials were summoned to take possession of the dog, he said, which was a family pet.

PASADENA -- A man fought with a burglar in his home and a woman found two men trying to pry open the window of her apartment late Saturday and early Sunday in Pasadena.
The first of of the two crimes occurred about 3 p.m. Friday in the 2000 block of East Corson Street, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
A 39-year-old man arrived home to discover a white man in his late 40s, about 5 feet 11 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and an unclean appearance inside his house, police said.
"A struggle ensued between the victim and suspect," Russ said. "The victim was trying to detain him."
The burglar fled and was not found, he added.
Russ said police advise residents to avoid confrontations with criminals whenever possible.
"Under situations where you confront a suspect or find yourself in the presence of a suspect, when possible, be cooperative," he said.
"The most important thing to do is to move to a safe location and allow the police to handle the situation. It's fortunate in this situation that the victim was not hurt."
In an unrelated attempted break-in, a 47-year-old woman was awakened about 2:45 a.m. Saturday to find two men trying to pry open a window at her apartment in the 100 block of South Holliston Avenue, officials said.
One of the crooks was described as a Latino man in is mid-20s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, of stocky build, with black hair and a black baseball cap, Russ said.
The second would-be burglar was a Latino man in his 20s, tall and thin, wearing dark clothes.
Officers searched the area but did not find any suspects.

PASADENA -- Five San Gabriel Valley residents found themselves face to face with violent criminals in unrelated crimes late Friday and early Saturday.
A group of men were threatened at knifepoint after confronting car burglars and a man was beaten and robbed Friday, and a 16-year-old was beaten and robbed early Saturday morning, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
Seven suspects were arrested in connection with the crimes.
A Pasadena man, an Azusa man and a La Cañada Flintridge man, all in their early 20s, discovered three men who appeared to be breaking into their car about 5:30 p.m. Friday in the 1700 block of East Colorado Boulevard, the lieutenant said.
When the men confronted the burglars, "One of the suspects brandished a knife and threatened to stab the victims," Russ said.
Two of the burglars then fled on foot, while another fled in a nearby Chevrolet Impala.
Johnny Cruz, 30, of Arizona, Eric Perez, 25, of Azusa and Rogelio Quezada, 32, a transient, were found by police in the area and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Russ said. The knife was also recovered, along with a small amount of methamphetamine.
All three were being held in lieu of $30,000 bail at the Pasadena Police Department's jail Saturday, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's booking records.
Later Friday evening, a 49-year-old Pasadena man was robbed of his wallet as he was walking in the 600 block of N. Marengo Avenue, police said.
The man fought with the robbers and was punched and kicked in the process, Russ said. He suffered a cut to his upper lip but did not require hospitalization.
Police jailed Jonathan Torres, 22, of Pasadena, Eduardo Barriga, 30, of Pasadena, and two Pasadena juveniles on suspicion of the crime after finding them in a nearby apartment complex, officials said.
According to booking records, Torres was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail Saturday at the Pasadena Police Department's jail, while Barriga was released Saturday after posting $10,000 bail.
Suspects were not arrested, however, in another violent robbery that took place about 12:50 a.m. at El Sereno Avenue and Howard Street.
A 16-year-old Pasadena boy was walking when he was suddenly attacked by three men, Russ said.
One of the robbers took the boy's wallet, cell phone and keys as he was being beaten, he added. The boy suffered bruises to his face and scratches.
Authorities described the robbers as a three white men in their early 20s.
One of them was about 5 feet 7 inches tall, about 120 pounds, with short black hair and goatee, wearing a baggy white T-shirt and flannel shorts.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Pasadena Police Department.

PASADENA -- Three men and a juvenile suffered minor injuries when they were the victims of two separate unprovoked attacks by large groups late Friday and early Saturday.
Both assaults were carried out by groups of more than 10 young Latino men and were separated by about half a mile and less than two hours, though there was no evidence Saturday that the incidents were connected, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
"Nothing indicated they're related," he said.
The first of the two attacks was reported just before 10 p.m. Friday in the 900 block of North Summit Avenue, the lieutenant said.
An 18-year-old man was standing in a residential neighborhood when he was approached by 10-15 Latino men between 15 and 18 years old, armed with a glass bottle and a baseball bat, who attacked him without provocation, Russ said.
The victim suffered a cut above his eye and swelling to his face, he added.
Just after midnight, police said, a group of two young men, 18 and 19 years old, and one juvenile were attacked by group of young men for no apparent reason.
The victims were walking near Los Robles Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard when they were approached by 11-12 Latino men between 18 and 20 years old who were riding bicycles, Russ said.
"The group began yelling at the victims," he said. "The suspects attacked without provocation."
The 19-year-old victim suffered a cut to the top of his hand in the incident, he added.
No arrests were made in either attack.

PASADENA - A 73-year-old man died Friday after falling from his carport roof while making repairs, authorities said.
The name of the man was not released Sunday pending confirmation that family members had been notified, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Larry Dietz said.
The accident took place about 11 a.m. Friday in the 1600 block of Locust Street, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
"A 73-year-old Pasadena resident was doing repairs on his carport when he lost his balance and fell from the roof," Russ said.
He was rushed to the hospital, Russ said, and a police chaplain was summoned to comfort the man's wife, who was present at the time of the accident.
The man was pronounced dead shortly before 9 p.m. at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, Dietz said.

WEST VALINDA -- A 2-year-old boy was fighting for his life Friday after falling into a backyard swimming pool, authorities said.
The child was hospitalized on life-support following the 4:45 p.m. accident in the 700 block of Vineland Avenue in the unincorporated county area of West Valinda, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Victor Sotelo said.
The toddler was believed to have been home with his father when he climbed up onto a hamper, crawled out a window of the home without his father's knowledge and fell into the swimming pool, the lieutenant said.
The father found the boy in the water and called 9-1-1, he said.
The boy was not breathing when deputies arrived and began administering CPR, Sotelo said. Paramedics soon arrived to take the boy to the hospital.
Deputies blocked intersections to help the ambulance quickly get to the Citrus Valley Medical Centers - Queen of the Valley Campus in West Covina, he added.
"Doctors are hoping for a positive result," Sotelo said.
Nothing criminal was initially suspected in the incident, he said.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A man who robbed a bank branch in Santa Fe Springs last month is a serial bandit the FBI is calling the "Muscle Shirt Bandit," FBI officials said Friday.
The day after a successful Sept. 24 robbery at a U.S. Bank Branch at 13372 Telegraph Road, the robber attempted to rob two banks in Los Angeles but failed, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
He earned his moniker because he wore gray, sleeveless muscle shirts during the crimes, she added.
In the Santa Fe Springs heist, the robber entered the bank about 4:45 p.m. and presented a teller with a note demanding cash, Whittier police said in a written statement.
He received an undisclosed amount of money before fleeing the area, police added.
The bandit has also been tied to two Sept. 25 attempted robberies at neighboring banks in Los Angeles, Eimiller said.
He tried to rob a Citibank branch at 3530 Wilshire Blvd. about 12:45 p.m. before trying again five minutes later at a Wells Fargo branch at 3550 Wilshire Blvd, authorities said.
Witnesses have described the "Muscle Shirt Bandit" as a Latino man in his mid-30s to early 40s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 180-185 pounds, according to police and FBI officials.
He has multiple tattoos on his arms and chest, as well as a tattoo reading, "Down4thesickness" on the back of his neck, Eimiller said. He was also seen carrying a dark-colored backpack.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Whittier Police Department or the FBI.

*Surveillance image courtesy of the FBI

WHITTIER -- A man was jailed for an outstanding arrest warrant Friday after crashing his car at Telegraph and Carmenita roads, police said.
Alexander Martinez, 36, was booked on an arrest warrant stemming from an incident of vandalism at the Whittier Police Department jail, Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said. He was also cited on suspicion of driving on a suspended license.
The crash occurred about 11:40 a.m. as Martinez was eastbound on Telegraph at Carmenita Road, the lieutenant said.
He looked down to check his GPS and drifted to the side of the road, jumping the truck over a curb and crashing into a Toyota Camry preparing to exit a parking lot.
A 21-year-old Whittier man in the Camry was hospitalized after complaining of pain, Webster said.
The truck continued and struck a stop sign and a "now leasing" sign, police said. Martinez was not injured.
Investigating officers then discovered Martinez had a suspended license and an outstanding warrant for allegedly vandalizing the Whittier Police Department's jail during a previous stay, Webster said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Martinez was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail. Information on his initial court appearance was not available.

SOUTH PASADENA -- A South Pasadena husband and wife were jailed this week on suspicion of crimes including breaking to a travel agency where the woman formerly worked and stealing computers and people's personal information, authorities said.
Maureen Hizon, 35, is also being investigated on suspicion of embezzling about $100,000 from the Has-Camino Travel Agency, where she worked at since 2002 until she didn't show up for work in late August, South Pasadena police officials said. The embezzlement investigation was ongoing prior to the burglary.
Her husband, Shannon Powers, 35, was additionally booked on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine for sales after police found a small amount of the drug, which appeared to be packaged for sales, along with a scale in his car, Detective Mike Palmieri said.
They were both arrested Tuesday at their home in the 200 block of Monterey Road, police said in a written statement.
Hizon and Powers are suspected of being tied to a break-in at the travel agency at 1136 Fremont Ave., Suite 7, that occurred over the weekend between Aug. 27 and Aug. 30, Palmieri said. Property stolen in the burglary was found in their home when they were arrested.
Computers and customer's personal information was taken, he added.
Some of the stolen information has already been used fraudulently, Palmieri said.
Hizon was released from jail Friday after posting $20,000 bail, according to sheriff's booking records.
Powell was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Information regarding their initial court appearance was not available.