December 2010 Archives

WEST COVINA -- A man tried to rob a bank branch Friday, but apparently got spooked and fled empty-handed, police said.
The crime took place just after 9 a.m. at a Bank of America branch in the Eastland Shopping Center, 2901 Eastland Center Drive, West Covina police Lt. Richard Bell said.
A man entered the bank and handed a demand note to a teller, the lieutenant said.
The teller did not respond, he said, and the robber seemingly became nervous and fled the bank without any money.
He was last seen heading north from the bank on foot.
Police described the would-be robber as a bearded Latino man of slightly heavy build, wearing a dark shirt, blue jeans, a baseball cap and multicolored gloves.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- An Albertsons clerk was behind bars Friday on suspicion of robbing a bank branch inside the grocery store where he worked while wielding a hatchet and wearing pink scrubs and a Darth Vader mask, authorities said.
Gregory Sanchez, 46, of Rowland Heights was arrested about three hours after Thursday's 11 a.m. robbery at the Bank of America branch inside an Albertsons store, 19725 E. Colima Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Capt. Michael Parker said.
Sheriff's and FBI investigators identified Sanchez, a courtesy clerk at the Albertsons where the robbery took place, as a suspect in the crime shortly after it occurred, the captain said. "By then, he had gone to work."
"He was arrested about 50 feet from where the robbery occurred," Parker said.
Sanchez is accused of entering the store with a hatchet dressed in pink medical scrubs and a Darth Vader mask from the Star Wars series of movies.
The movie mask was initially reported to sheriff's officials by a witness as a sun visor and a long black wig.
Brandishing the hatchet, he demanded cash from a teller at the bank branch inside the store and received an undisclosed amount before fleeing in a tan sedan, Lt. John Saleeby said.
Sheriff's officials declined to say how Sanchez was identified as a suspect prior to his arrest.
According to sheriff's booking records, he was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the sheriff's Walnut-Diamond Station. He was due for arraignment Tuesday at West Covina Superior Court.
"Bank robbery is a very serious matter and very frightening to victims and witnesses," Saleeby added in a written statement. "We are glad no one was hurt and that we have a suspect in custody."

ALHAMBRA -- A man who tried to get his estranged wife in trouble by making it look like she was threatening public officials, including Sheriff Lee Baca, Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm springs, pleaded no contest Thursday.

ichael Karl McNeil, 37, of Susanville, sent the e-mails in July 2008 using an e-mail account he created to "set up his estranged wife," said Deputy District Attorney Jose Gonzalez.

He pleaded no contest to six counts of criminal threats and three counts of attempted criminal threats, Gonzalez said.

he charges to which McNeil pled involve threats against Baca, a Los Angeles County sheriff's detective who investigated the case, Lassen County District Attorney Bob Burns, a Lassen County judge and a staff member from Mack's office.

he attempted threats involved Boxer, Mack and Lassen County Public Defender David Marcus.

cNeil, a former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, has been in jail since his Aug. 6, 2008, arrest by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Arson Explosives Detail.

He is facing 19 years and eight months in prison, with sentencing set for March 10 before Alhambra Superior Court Judge Laura Priver.

ore than two-dozen other counts against McNeil are expected to be dismissed when he is sentenced.

AZUSA -- Homicide detectives Wednesday were investigating the death of a 21-year-old woman under "suspicious circumstances" in an unincorporated part of Azusa.

uthorities were called at 10:28 p.m. Tuesday to the 18400 block of Nearfield Street, said Lt. Jim Tatreau of the sheriff's San Dimas Station.

essica Cabrera of Azusa was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to Assistant Coroner Chief Ed Winter, who said an autopsy was pending to determine the cause of death.

inter said the case was reported to the coroner as either an accident or a possible homicide, adding that the body showed no signs of obvious trauma.

nyone with information about the death was asked to contact the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. 

Entering what will probably be the final week of his career, Brett Favre got fined by the NFL for inappropriate text messages to Jen Sterger, a team "hostess" , when he played for the Jets.
Here's the story courtesy Detroit News:

A Pasadena city employee, identified as Sherwin Williams, 44, was arrested Monday after a shooting incident in Pasadena. Williams is being held on $4 million bail downtown. No arraignment has been set, officials said.

From our counterparts at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin:

CHINO -- A 67-year-old woman died after her car became submerged on a flooded street in south Chino Saturday night.
Pasadena resident Joan Ja Oden drove her car around 8:35 p.m. past the barriers on Euclid Avenue near Route 71, according to written statement from the San Bernardino County Coroner's Office. Euclid was closed because of flooding.
Oden's car was submerged, according to the release. She was taken to Chino Valley Medical Center after bystanders got her out of her car.
She died from her injuries at 4:20 a.m., according to the release.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the incident. Coroner's investigators will conduct an autopsy later this week to determine the exact cause of death.

From City News Service:

LOS ANGELES COUNTY -- Despite the inclement weather, the California Highway Patrol logged no fatalities in Los Angeles County -- or statewide -- during the first 36 hours of Christmas weekend, which ended at 6 a.m. Sunday.
During the same period last year, no one died on Los Angeles County freeways, state highways and county roads patrolled by the CHP, but 11 people died in wrecks statewide during the same period in 2009.
Drunken driving arrests in Los Angeles County were up, with 83 people arrested this year, compared to 72 during the first 36 hours of Christmas period in 2009, the CHP reported.
Statewide, drunken driving arrests were down -- 507 arrests this year, compared to 552 last year.
The CHP's maximum enforcement period started at 6 p.m. Friday. The agency's figures do not include fatalities or drunken driving arrests of local police agencies.

BALDWIN PARK -- Authorities have released the name of a 31-year-old man who died early Friday after being shot in Baldwin Park.
David Anthony Deanda was pronounced dead at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center just over the three hours after the 12:45 a.m. shooting in the 13200 block of Francisquito Avenue, sheriff's and coroner's officials said. His city of residency was not clear.
He was standing in a driveway along with two other men when a gunman approached and shot him several times in the upper body, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
The attacker fled in a dark-colored Honda sedan with a waiting driver, officials said. He was described the shooter as a Latino man about 30 years old, tall and of thin build, wearing a gray sweater and dark jeans.
The shooting, which investigators said appeared to be gang-related, is being handled by the Baldwin Park Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau.

WEST COVINA -- An off-duty deputy chased down a suspected robber and recovered a woman's purse Friday in a Target store parking lot, police said.
Brian Ciaccio, 21, of Azusa was also being investigated in connection with a kidnapping and robbery reported last week in Pomona after property taken in that crime was found in his truck, West Covina and Pomona police said.
The purse snatching was reported just before 11 a.m. at in the parking lot of the Target at the Eastland Shopping Center, West Covina police Lt. Marty Sevilla said.
Two men pulled up in a white Ford pickup truck and Ciaccio got out and approached a woman, the lieutenant said. He then grabbed her purse and ran.
"An off-duty (Los Angeles County sheriff's) deputy hears the victim screaming, chases down the suspect and detains him at gunpoint," Sevilla said.
The woman got her purse back, but left before speaking with police, he said.
Sevilla said investigators want to speak with the woman to aid in the prosecution of Ciaccio, Sevilla said.
The second man who was in the truck, described as a white man in his 40s, fled without the truck, police said.
Upon searching the abandoned pickup truck, Sevilla said, police found property that had been taken in a kidnapping and robbery reported in Pomona last week, as well as items stolen in a San Clemente vehicle burglary Thursday night.
In the Pomona crime, a man was renovating a house on the evening of Dec. 16 when two white men tied him up and stole his tools and car, Pomona police Sgt. Robert Devee said. The victim was not injured.
West Covina police turned Ciaccio over to Pomona police, where Devee said he was booked on suspicion of possession of stolen property as detectives continued their investigation.

ALHAMBRA -- Police shot at and arrested a man early Friday after he drove a car toward police officers during a brawl in a parking structure, authorities said.
No one was injured in the incident, which took place just before 2 a.m. inside a parking structure at 80 S. First Street, Alhambra police Lt. Jennifer Wiese said.
Ulises Palacios, 27, of Garden Grove was jailed on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon a police officer, according to police officials and sheriff's booking records.
A second person, a male passenger of the 4-door sedan that charged at police officers, fled on foot and was not found, the lieutenant said.
After arriving at the scene of a reported fight in the parking structure, "officers saw several people fighting and others getting into vehicles," Wiese said.
"Two combatants got into a vehicle and refused to obey officers' orders to stop," she said. "Instead, they proceeded to drive at the officers, endangering the officers' safety. (Two) officers were forced to discharge their firearms at the suspect vehicle."
Bullets struck the car, but not the two people inside, police said.
Palacios crashed his car into a wall of the parking structure and was arrested, while the passenger ran away.
Wiese said police are asking the passenger to turn himself in for questioning.
Palacios was taken to a hospital to be examined, because of the crash, and booked into jail, police said.
According to sheriff's booking records, he was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and was due for arraignment Wednesday in Alhambra Superior Court.

BALDWIN PARK -- A man fatally shot another man early Saturday in what investigators believed to be a gang-related attack in a residential neighborhood, officials said.
The dead man's name was not released Saturday afternoon pending positive identification and notification of his family, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Capt. John Kades said.
The victim was standing in driveway in the 13200 block of Francisquito Avenue with two others about 12:45 a.m. prior to the shooting, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Luis Castro said in a written statement.
"(The shooter) approached them and shot the victim several times in the upper torso," the deputy said.
The gunman then ran south on Francisquito Avenue and entered into the passenger side of a dark-colored Honda sedan, officials said.
The wounded man was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 4 a.m., Kades said.
Officials described the shooter as a Latino man of about 30 years old, tall and thin, wearing a gray sweater and dark jeans.
"The motive is unknown but appears to be gang-related," Castro added.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau is helping Baldwin Park police with the investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323--890-5500.

SEATTLE -- Children playing in a ravine south of Seattle this week found the skull of a young mother who vanished nearly three decades ago and has long been thought to be a victim of Green River serial killer Gary Ridgway.

he King County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday that dental records identified the remains as those of 20-year-old Rebecca "Becky" Marrero, who was last seen Dec. 3, 1982, as she left a motel room on Pacific Highway South.

reen River killer Gary Ridgway was arrested in 2001 after DNA tests linked him to some of dozens of unsolved killings dating to the early 1980s. He pleaded guilty two years later to murdering 48 women, most of them runaways, prostitutes and drug addicts in a deal that spared him from the death penalty.

arrero, who had a 3-year-old daughter, was believed to be one of Ridgway's early victims. But he was never charged in her case because her body wasn't found and because Ridgway couldn't provide investigators with enough information about her to prove he killed her.

arrero's skull was found Tuesday in a ravine in Auburn, about 25 miles south of Seattle. It was the same area where the remains of another Ridgway victim, Marie Malvar, were found in September 2003.

t wasn't immediately clear if the King County Prosecutor's Office planned to charge Ridgway in Marrero's death.

With the discovery of Ms. Marrero's remains detectives and prosecutors will now review the investigation into her disappearance and death," the office said in a written statement. "Investigators will examine all aspects of the case including any potential involvement of Ridgway."

ne of Ridgway's attorneys, Mark Prothero, was out of the office Thursday and couldn't immediately be reached for comment.

rothero wrote in his book on the case, "Defending Gary," that during extensive interviews Ridgway had "never been able to give the detectives anything useful on the Rebecca Marrero case."

UPDATE: Hikers found:

Firefighters used a heat sensor on the helicopter to locate four lost hikers.

The hikers were airlifted out of the Angeles National Forest at 11:24 p.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Fredric Stowers said. They had been missing since Sunday.

The hikers had built a small fire near the east fork of the San Gabriel River just south of the "Bridge to Nowhere," a popular hiking destination. "They were able to get a hit on the fire," Stowers said.

The three men and one woman were transported to the East Fork Ranger Station.

The temperature was about 39 degrees at the time of the rescue, according to a state weather station.

Officials said the hikers were believed to be in good condition and were not hospitalized.

The County Department of Public Works listed road closures on its website. Here's the link.

This from City News Service:

Evacuations were orders in La Canada Flintridge and La Crescenta. In all 147 homes in La Canada Flintridge and 85 homes in La Crescenta were ordered evacuated. officials did not name the streets involved for "security reasons."

The Red Cross has established an evacuation shelter at the Holy Redeemer Church at 

2411 Montrose Avenue, Montrose 91020. The shelter will open at 6:00 p.m. 

'No Parking During Rain Event' restrictions are currently in force on posted streets in 

La Canada Flintridge and La Crescenta. Parking will not be allowed on those streets 

during the entire rain event and vehicles will be subject to towing. 

         

Residents are urged to continue to monitor news broadcasts, or visit the CARE website at www.dpwcare.org for further updates as this series of storms approach.

There's a Yellow Alert in La Canada; A Green Flag is up in Sierra Madre; a NWS Flash Flood Watch is in effect; and Pasadena officials are offering sand bags.

From The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office:

LOS ANGELES - A City of Commerce councilman must resign and abstain from holding public office for the next three years after pleading guilty today to obstruction of justice, the District Attorney's Office announced.

East Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Henry Barela, who imposed the sentence, further indicated that Hugo Argumedo, 49, may not hold public office while on his three-year probation term.

Deputy District Attorney Sandi Roth of the Public Integrity Division said the defendant pleaded to a misdemeanor count of obstructing justice. A felony count of perjury by declaration was dismissed at sentencing.

The case, filed Dec. 14, stems from a false affidavit that Argumedo certified as true, filed in a civil lawsuit between the City of Commerce and the former city attorney, Francisco Leal.

The false affidavit, signed by Argumedo, was filed by Leal in an attempt to defend allegations that he failed to pay a settlement owed to the City of Commerce after a contractual dispute.

Argumedo's conduct caused the city to incur additional legal fees and resulted in a miscarriage of justice to the city, the prosecutor said.

Who knew?

This from reporter Ben Baeder, who chronicles a growing trend right here int he San Gabriel Valley -- illegal slot machines:

It's the long arm of the law versus the one-armed bandits.

Area police are increasingly finding illegal gambling machines at area businesses, such as restaurants, liquor stores and laundromats.

Officers in El Monte and Covina have confiscated 11 machines since Dec. 6.

The discoveries have officers wondering how widespread the practice is.

"We weren't really looking for them, but after these last couple weeks, we are now," Covina Police Sgt. Gregg Peterson said.

Covina police since Dec. 6 have confiscated four slot machines, including two last week at a laundromat on Azusa Avenue.

And El Monte Police on Tuesday found seven video games converted into gambling machines. The games were llegal gambling machines seized by El Monte Police from businesses.

(SNIP)

Even children's games that give out redemption tickets are technically forbidden. If they desired, officials could enforce the law at Chuck E. Cheese's or similar establishments.

It appears the FBI is yet to name this newcomer to the field of serial bank robbery. Based on his height and M.O., I've already heard "Little Bomber Bandit" suggested. Any ideas?

WHITTIER -- A man threatened to have a bomb while robbing a U.S. Bank branch in Whittier Saturday in what police suspect was the second area bank robbery carried out by the same bandit in three days.
The crime took place about 11 a.m. at the bank at 13525 E. Whittier Blvd., Whittier police Lt. Bill Webster said.
A robber walked into the bank and approached a teller, Webster said, "threatening to have bomb and demanding money."
The demand was made verbally, as opposed to in a note, officials said.
After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber was last seen leaving the area on foot, police said.
He was described as a white man in his 50s, between 5 feet 1 inch and 5 feet 4 inches tall, with a thin build and wearing dark clothing and a dark beanie.
The tactics used in the robbery and the description of the suspect were strikingly similar to those reported in a Wednesday robbery at another U.S. Bank branch in Norwalk, Webster said.
"It's very similar to the one in Norwalk recently, so we believe it may be the same suspect," he said.
In Wednesday's crime, a man of a similar description entered the bank branch at 13928 Pioneer Boulevard in Norwalk, Sgt. Glenn Emery said.
He handed a teller a note in which he claimed to have a bomb and demanded money, official said.
In both crimes, the robber carried a brown, zippered portfolio.

PHOTOS: Above - surveillance image from Saturday's robbery in Whittier.(Courtesy of the Whittier Police Department) Below - a surveillance image from Wednesday robbery in Norwalk.(Courtesy of the FBI).

MONTBELLO -- A massive fire caused more than $1 million worth of damage to a commercial facility early Saturday, officials said.
The fire was first reported at 12:34 a.m. at a business at 760 S. Vail Avenue, Montebello Fire Department Battalion Chief Kevin Collinge said.
The building was full of wooden furniture, pallets and cardboard boxes, providing ample fuel for the flames, he said.
"The fire was very well involved when we got there and it spread very, very quickly," Collinge said.
The 150-foot by 300-foot building on Vail Avenue was completely destroyed, he said. A second adjoined building of about 150-feet by 150-feet sustained about $100,000 worth primarily water and smoke damage, though firefighters managed to keep the fire itself from spreading into the second building.
"They were able to do a pretty good stop," Collinge said.
The first firefighters on the scene called for backup, officials said, and a total of about 60 firefighters from several fire departments extinguished the blaze in about two hours.
Firefighters remained at the charred ruins Saturday afternoon watching for possible flare-ups, Collinge said. They were expected to keep an eye on the scene throughout Saturday night.
One firefighter was treated by paramedics for exhaustion during the firefight but did not need to be hospitalized, officials said.
Authorities were concerned about large embers being emitted by causing other nearby buildings to ignite.
"The (burning) cardboard was getting airborne and just flying all over the place," Collinge said. "The wind was carrying some of those embers (south) probably a good quarter-mile away.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES -- The attorney for a mechanic accused of the "Grim Sleeper" serial killings criticized Los Angeles police Saturday for releasing photographs of women seized at the suspect's home.
Louisa Pensanti said the photos include family and friends of suspect Lonnie Franklin Jr. who are now under intense public and police scrutiny. She also said investigators' comments at a recent news conference were "jeopardizing Lonnie Franklin's chance for a fair trial."
"Those are family photos," she told The Associated Press, adding that Franklin's relatives are upset that the photos were released publicly.
LAPD spokeswoman Norma Eisenman said investigators could not immediately be reached for comment.
Last week, police released the photos of about 160 women in the hopes of finding out who they are and if anything happened to them.
Police said they've received hundreds of calls. Several callers told investigators they were among the women in the photographs, but police must interview them individually to be sure.
Before the photos were released, investigators contacted Pensanti asking that Franklin's wife come down to the police station to view the photographs, the lawyer said. When Pensanti instead requested a copy of the photos so she could review them privately, investigators refused, she said.
"There's no reason she had to come down to the police department," Pensanti said.
Franklin is accused of killing 10 women beginning in 1985, and he has pleaded not
guilty. The photos and videos were found in Franklin's home and garage during a search after his July arrest. None of the photos depicted the alleged victims.
Investigators spent years trying to crack the case. Franklin's arrest finally came after his son was swabbed for DNA after being arrested on an unrelated matter, and the sample connected the father to evidence from the killings.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and the FBI are seeking a serial bank robber dubbed "The Trojan Horse Bandit." With at least five bank robberies on his resume in Bellflower and Downey, the bandit earned his moniker because of his affinity for sporting USC Trojan apparel. During the crimes, according to a written statement from the sheriff's department, "He has been described by witnesses as having worn University of Southern California (USC) Trojan team apparel."

Here's an alert sent out by sheriff's officials regarding the bandit.

As the Associated Press details below, sheriff's deputies had their hands full Friday with a man accused of a rampage that started with the stabbing of his own mother and ended with the fiery crash of a stolen sheriff's patrol car and a fight with deputies. In between -- carjacking, kidnapping, hit-and-run and a chase. And all within about an hour:

SANTA CLARITA -- A man stabbed his mother Friday, carjacked a car with a 4-year-old boy inside and crashed and was arrested only after he tumbled 100-feet down an embankment in a stolen sheriff's patrol car and fought with deputies, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
The suspect, identified as Aaron Clay Tanner, 30, of Santa Clarita, stabbed his mother several times and pushed her out of their car on State Route 14 near the Mission Hills area of Los Angeles, sheriff's Capt. Michael Parker said. He then drove to Newhall where he allegedly crashed into another vehicle in a parking lot and fled.
Deputies were called to the scene on a report of a hit-and-run. When deputies arrived, a woman told them she had been assaulted, her PT Cruiser had been stolen and her 4-year-old son who was in the car had been kidnapped, Parker said. The suspect also had collided with another driver in the parking lot before stealing the PT Cruiser, injuring the driver, Parker said.
A deputy spotted the PT Cruiser about four miles away. The suspect had rear-ended another vehicle, then backed into a tree, Parker said. As the deputy ran to rescue the child, who was still in the crashed car, the suspect somehow got into the deputy's patrol car and took off.
Deputies spotted the stolen patrol car and began pursuing the suspect. The suspect crashed the patrol car into a 4-foot-high block wall, went over an embankment and down a 100-foot drop. The car rolled several times and came to rest at the bottom of the drop where it caught fire.
As the deputies rushed to reach the suspect, they saw him reach for a shotgun which had been dislodged from the burning car, Parker said.
The suspect fought with and bit deputies as they tried to take him into custody, Parker said. Deputies used a stun gun on the suspect and he was ultimately arrested.
The entire sequence of events took place in less than an hour, Parker said.
The child was seat-belted in the PT Cruiser and received only minor injuries from the crash, Parker said. The child's mother was treated at a hospital for injuries to her face.
The suspect's mother was stabbed multiple times in the upper body, but her injuries
were believed to be non-life threatening, Parker said.
Tanner was taken to a hospital for his injuries suffered during the crashes and fight with deputies and is listed in serious condition, Parker said. He will be booked on suspicion of attempted murder, kidnapping, carjacking, attempted carjacking, auto theft, assault with a deadly weapon and felony hit-and-run with injuries.
Several deputies also were treated for various injuries, including bites they received on the legs and hands while handcuffing the suspect.

POMONA -- An Orange County man was sentenced Friday to five years in state prison for a DUI crash that killed a woman on the San Bernardino 10 Freeway in El Monte five days before Christmas last year.

omona Superior Court Judge Jack Hunt imposed the term on Thomas Earl Vanauken, 44, of Anaheim, who pleaded no contest last month to one count of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

anauken was behind the wheel of a 2009 Acura MDX that rear-ended Edelmira Guardado's 1995 Mitsubishi around 2:45 a.m. Dec. 20 after the 42-year-old Ontario woman slowed for traffic on the eastbound side of the freeway, just east of Santa Anita Avenue, due to construction work.

nvestigators said shortly after the crash that he may have been traveling at more than 120 mph.

uardado died of extensive head trauma. One of her passengers suffered lacerations, and the other escaped injury.

anauken kept driving after the crash and got into the carpool lane, where the Acura hit the center divider and overturned, according to the California Highway Patrol. He was arrested after being treated at a Baldwin Park hospital.

Cheating. And, porn and guns and aspiring cops. That's the atmosphere at the Rio Hondo Police Academy, according to a former employee who laid it all out for the school's Board of Trustees in a letter that we've exclusively obtained. Here's a bit of Dan Tedford's story on the subject:

"There are police officers on the street not properly trained with the shotgun," Lopez wrote in the letter. "If there is an accidental discharge or one of these officers shoots someone with the shotgun, and there is a (sic) law suit, the college will be on the hook for any damages."

This comes from the Robbery/Homicide Division of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Officials believe that the suspected Grim Sleeper may be responsible for several murders that have yet to be attributed to suspect Lonnie David Franklin.

On Thursday officials released several images of woman confiscated from Franklin's South Los Angeles home.

The images are available on the LAPD website at www.lapdonline.org.

LAPD press release on the jump:

POMONA -- Authorities continued their investigation Thursday into the deaths of twin brothers found shot to death in a Pomona parking lot.
Ricardo Delgado Aguilar and Roger Aguilar, both 28, were both found shot to death about 8:30 a.m. Wednesday behind a business at 3201 W. Temple Ave., Pomona police Sgt. Jaime Gutierrez said in a written statement. Both were listed with coroner's officials as being transients.
Both initially appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds to the head, though coroner's investigators were yet to determined whether each man's death was the result of homicide or suicide, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said.
The investigation is ongoing, however Gutierrez said police do not believe there is a suspect at large.
"We are comfortable in the belief that this was a murder-suicide or suicide-suicide," the sergeant said.
"The twin brothers had a very close relationship and had recently made statements to family members which led them to believe they killed themselves," he said. "Pending test results and autopsy, we are leaning toward this conclusion."
The gun believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered at the scene, police and coroner's officials said. Autopsies were expected to be carried out Friday.
Anyone with information is asked to call Pomona police detectives at 909-620-2095.

ALHAMBRA -- A man is suspected of drunken driving in connection with a solo-car freeway crash that killed a 21-year-old female rapper and injured four other passengers and a road worker early Thursday, authorities said.
Jacob Garcia, 47, of Pomona was booked on suspicion of felony drunken driving and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Ceasar Murillo said.
The name of the dead woman, a Los Angeles resident, was not released pending confirmation that her family members had been notified, CHP and coroner's officials said.
The crash occurred about 12:45 a.m. in a construction zone on the westbound 10 Freeway, just east of Fremont Avenue, according to CHP logs.
"For unknown reasons, (Garcia) lost control and struck the right shoulder sound wall," CHP Sgt. Connie Guzman said. "His vehicle spun again and the right rear of the vehicle struck a backhoe parked on the right shoulder.
It was the impact with the construction equipment that was believed to have caused the fatal injury to the 21-year-old passenger, who was sitting in the right, rear passenger seat, officials said.
She died at a hospital shortly after the crash.
Five passengers of the Mercedes-Benz C 250 sedan suffered injuries ranging from minor to serious, including a 14-year-old boy and a 15-year old boy who were both seriously injured, Guzman said.
The other injured passengers were a 26-year-old woman, a a 19-year-old man, she added. All of the injured were expected to survive.
A road worker who was sitting on the backhoe that was struck by the Mercedes also suffered minor injuries in the crash, according to the CHP.
Garcia himself was treated for minor injuries before being booked into jail, officials said.
The suspected drunken driver is an event promoter, and the dead woman was a rapper who had just finished a performance in Hesperia, Guzman said. Three of the passenger were believed to be dancers in the show.

NORWALK -- A man threatening to have a bomb robbed a Norwalk bank branch Wednesday, authorities said.
The heist took place about noon at the U.S. Bank, 13928 Pioneer Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Glenn Emery said.
A white man in his mid-40s, wearing a black shirt, mustard-colored jacket and and a blue L.A. Dodgers baseball cap entered the store and handed a teller a note, officials said.
"The note stated he had a bomb and demanded money," Emery said.
After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber fled the bank, the sergeant said. Deputies searched the area but did not find him.

This from reporter Beige Luciano-Adams:

Beige tells me she could smell the Altadena Drive house from several hundred feet away...

LA CAÑADA FLINRTRIDGE -- Sheriff's deputies arrested a Pasadena man and an Altadena teen Tuesday after they broke into a woman's house, then one of them rammed her car with their own, authorities said.
Ricardo Lopez, 19, of Pasadena, was booked on suspicion of burglary and assault with a deadly weapon, while a 17-year-old Altadena boy was suspected of burglary, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Blume said.
A 54-year-old woman arrived home about 10:45 a.m. and found the suspects inside her house, the lieutenant said.
When Lopez saw the woman was dialing 9-1-1, he ran out to his truck and charged toward the woman's car, Blume said.
"The truck scraped against passenger side of the victim's car," he said, then drove away.
Stolen from the home was four laptop computers and other electronics, Blume said.
The teenage suspect, who was left behind in the scuffle, was found nearby walking on Foothill Boulevard with the help of tips from neighbors, officials said.
Deputies found Lopez sitting in the car believed to have been involved in the incident parked near his home in Pasadena, Blume said. Lopez was arrested, and deputies discovered items allegedly stolen from the house in La Cañada Flintridge inside Lopez's home.
According to sheriff's booking records, Lopez was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail and was due for arraignment Thursday in Pasadena Superior Court.

WHITTIER -- An armed man robbed a teen of an iPod Tuesday, police said.
The crime was reported about 1 p.m. on Santa Fe Springs Road, just south of Whittier Boulevard, Whittier police Officer Mike Dekowski said.
The young victim, estimated to be 14 or 15, was approached by a newer-model brown Volkswagon, the officer said.
The driver called the teen over before displaying a handgun in his pocket and demanding the boy's iPod, Dekowski said.
The robber was last seen fleeing westbound on Persing Drive, he said.
Police described the robber as a light-skinned Latino man of about 19, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 200 pounds, wearing a blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a blue L.A. Dodgers baseball cap.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Whittier Police Department.

From City News Service:

POMONA -- The bodies of 28-year-old twin brothers, who had both been shot in the upper body in a possible murder suicide, were found today in a Pomona parking lot.
Officers got a call of "two men down" about 8:30 a.m. and found the bodies in a lot in the rear of a business at 3201 W. Temple Ave., said Pomona police Sgt. Matt Stone.
The twins were identified late today as Roger Delgado Aguilar and Ricardo Delgado Aguilar, both of Pomona, said police Lt. Chuck Becker.
"At this point everything is tending to show it was a murder suicide," Becker said. "A weapon was located at the scene."
Becker said he could not elaborate, but said this was just what the investigation seemed to be "leading to."

COMMERCE -- Authorities continued their investigation Wednesday into the deaths of two boys and a young man from Montebello -- including two local high school students -- who were fatally struck by a commuter train earlier this week.
Anthony Sandoval, 15, Gilbert Correa, 17, and Joseph Hernandez, 25, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, Lt. Mike Rosson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
They were walking northbound on a set of train tracks near Garfield Avenue and Telegraph Road about 8:37 p.m. Monday when they were struck from behind by a a northbound Amtrak commuter train, according to sheriff's officials.
At the time they were struck, a southbound freight train was passing alongside them on a parallel set of tracks, Rosson said.
"That they didn't hear or see it because of the other train, that's something that's being looked into," he said.
Detectives initially suspected the two young boys and may have been on the tracks to write graffiti.
One of the victims was found with graffiti implements and was wearing a latex glove -- often used by graffiti vandals to keep paint from getting on their hands, the lieutenant said.
"We believe they were there for the purpose of tagging,' he said.
Family members of the victims could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Sandoval was a freshman at Montebello High School and Correa was a senior at Vail High School, Montebello Unified School District Interim Assistant Superintendent of Pupil and Community Services Michael Cobarrubias said.
Both were well-liked by both fellow students and staff, he added. Sandoval has been attending school in the district since kindergarten, and Correa had been in the district since first grade.
Counselors were on-hand Wednesday at both high schools.
"As a result of the tragedy, we activated our 'crisis intervention team,' which consists of school psychologists, school counselors and other support staff to provide support to students who have been impacted, the staff who've been impacted and the families," Cobarrubias said.
"Our biggest concern right now is to offer support." he added.
Trains in the section of track involved generally travel at 40-45 mph when passing each other, Rosson said. Other times, the trains are permitted to travel at nearly 80 mph.
The exact speed of the train at the time of impact was not available, Rosson said, as detectives had yet to download the information from a data storage device on the train.
There were no initial signs that the teens and man were intoxicated at the time of the accident, authorities said, though it was expected to be several weeks before coroner's officials completed toxicology tests.
Official causes of death for the young men had not been determined Wednesday afternoon, coroner's officials said.
The more than 120 passengers waited on the Los Angeles-bound train for about five hours as officials gathered evidence and investigated the scene, officials said.

From the Associated Press: The U.S. Border Patrol says that one of its agents has been killed in southern Arizona.

Border Patrol spokesman Eric Cantu confirmed the agent's death but had very few details to release Wednesday morning.

KOLD-TV in Tucson reports that the incident occurred just after 11 p.m. Tuesday in the Peck Canyon area north of Nogales.

Cantu tells The Associated Press the FBI is investigating the agent's death. CNN reports that four people are in custody in connection with the incident.

Albert Y.M. Huang won't be in criminal court anytime soon as prosecutors in the domestic violence unit declined to press battery and robbery charges. 

This just in from reporter Jessica Donnelly: 

MONROVIA - A 6-month-old infant was taken from the arms of her mother Monday afternoon by a Great Dane and carried 200 feet before the dog let go, authorities said.

The child was flown to the Los Angeles County USC Medical Center to be treated for bite injuries to the chest, police said.

The child was was reportedly experiencing possible complications Tuesday, but had been in stable condition Monday, officials said.

The mother was visiting her neighbor in the 600 block of Laurel Lane at 2:24 p.m. when the 3-year-old, 170-pound, Great Dane took the child, police said.

Adults chased the dog which carried the infant for 200 feet, Monrovia police Lt. Michael Lee said. The dog dropped the child and ran home, police said.

Monrovia paramedics treated the child before the infant was flown to the hospital, Lee said.

The dog has been quarantined, where it will remain for ten days during an investigation, the lieutenant said.

Monrovia police say there is no record of aggressive behavior from the dog prior to the attack.

The most watched video on YouTube this year involves an intruder.

Here you go:

This from Calwatch:

While the state collects millions of dollars from red-light cameras at intersections, a few California cities are starting to question whether the safety benefits are worth the high cost to their own coffers.

Other cities have rejected automatic ticketing programs as well, including Union City near San Jose, Yucaipa and Costa Mesa, Cupertino, Compton, El Monte, Fairfield, Fresno, Fullerton, Indian Wells, Irvine, Maywood, Montclair, Moreno Valley, Paramount, Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Roseville, San Carlos, Santa Fe Springs, Santa Maria, Santa Rosa and Upland.

Sadly neither Pasadena nor Baldwin Park make the list of California cities reconsidering the cost effectiveness of red light cameras.

Vincent Timphony, trainer of the first Breeder's Cup Classic winner Wild Again has died at 76, family members said.

SAN DIMAS -- A man robbed a market at gunpoint Saturday, authorities said.
A robber described only as Latino man in his 20s walked into Jim's Market, 244 W. 1st Street, about 8:30 p.m. and displayed a handgun, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Kirk Smith said.
After stealing about $120 from the cash register, the gunman was last seen running south from the store, Smith said.

EL MONTE - An electrical fire tore through an El Monte clothing store Saturday, causing an estimated $600,000 worth of damage to the building and the merchandise stored inside, authorities said.
The fire was reported at 7:53 p.m.at All Clothing 5.99, 10942 Valley Mall, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze in just under 30 minutes, Capt. Art Jimenez said, adding that the fire could have been much worse had it not been reported early on.
The fire caused about $100,000 worth of damage to the store,  and completely destroyed the store's inventory of about half a million dollars worth of clothing, the captain said.
It was believed to have been sparked by a malfunctioning overhead light inside the store, he said.
The store was closed when the fire broke out, and no injuries were reported, officials said.

ARCADIA -- A group of gunmen fled empty-handed after trying to rob a married couple returning home from a jewelry show late Saturday, police said.
The crime took place just before 9 p.m. as a 41-year-old man and his wife, 44, arrived at their house near Lovell and Camino Real avenues after attending a jewelry show at the Orange County Fair and Events Center, Arcadia police Lt. Colleen Flores said.
"(They) had just pulled into their driveway, when an older black Honda occupied by four males stopped behind the couple and blocked the driveway," Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
Two of the men jumped out of the Honda and and pointed handguns at the couple, who ran away unharmed.
"The suspects proceeded to smash out a couple of windows on the victim's vehicle in order to gain entry," Le Veque said. They fled when they found nothing of value inside.
"There was no loss, since the victims contract with a security service who removed all jewelry at the conclusion of the show. The victims had no valuables with them at the time of the crime," Le Veque said.
The victims, who are in the jewelry business, believed they were followed home from the trade show by the robbers, police said.
According to the Orange County Fair and Event Center website, the "Gem Faire" trade show was being held at the venue over the weekend.
The failed thieves were described only as Latino men between 20 and 30 years old, wearing dark clothing.
Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police detectives at 626-574-5160.

LOS ANGELES -- Homicide have been reduced by 12.9 percent in Los Angeles County during the first 11 months of the year, as some San Gabriel Valley cities saw increases, according to figures released over the weekend by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
While 187 homicides were reported county-wide in the first 11 months of 2009, 163 had been reported as of Nov. 30 of this year, according to sheriff's data. Homicides are down by 50 percent compared with five years ago.
The number of annual killings is the lowest since 1975, sheriff's officials said.
But while much of the county witnessed a decrease in homicides so far this year, sheriff's stations in Temple City, San Dimas, East Los Angeles, Lakewood and Carson saw increases.
The Temple station reported a 76 percent increase in killings, from 5 in 2009 to 9 in 2010, and the sheriff's Dan Dimas Station saw an increase in homicides, from two reported in 2009 to three in 2010.
The sheriff's Carson station reported a 66.6 percent increase in murders, from 6 in last year to 10 this year; the sheriff's East Los Angles Station reported a 33.3 percent increase from 12 to 16; and the sheriff's Lakewood Station saw homicides rise by 40 percent, from five to 7.
Several sheriff's stations saw significant decreases in homicides, most noticeably at the sheriff's Norwalk Station, where reported homicides dropped from 15 last year to three this year -- a decrease of 80 percent.
The Pico Rivera Station saw homicides drop 50 percent in the first 11 months of the year, from eight last year to four this year.
Deputies at the sheriff's Industry Station investigated seven homicides through November of this year, down 30 percent from 10 last year.
The report also noted county-wide declines in reports of violent crimes and serious property crimes, although the Altadena station reported a 43.8 percent increase in property crimes.
Station officials have attributed the increased property crime rate in Altadena to a rash of burglaries toward the beginning of the year. The burglary trend has been decreasing in more recent months.
The report details reported crime statistics for the unincorporated communities and 42 contract cities policed by the sheriff's department and includes numbers for this year, last year and 2005. The 119-page report can be read at www.lasd.org.
-- City News Service contributed to this report.

PASADENA -- Pasadena police continue focusing extra-attention this weekend on suppressing holiday-related crime, a lieutenant said.
As the holidays approach, opportunistic thieves are eager to take advantage of increased shopping and travel, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
To curb that trend, ten police officers were assigned Saturday to focus on "holiday crime suppression" when not responding to high-priority calls for service.
Russ said the practice will likely continue sporadically through the holiday season as the volume of calls for service allows.
The officers are handing out pamphlets and talking to residents about crime prevention tips, he said, "as well as conducting extra enforcement efforts in neighborhoods to lower the incidents of victimization by opportunists committing thefts during the holiday season."
Pasadena police are also placing officers and volunteers in major shopping centers in the city during weekends to hand out fliers and answer questions, officials said.
Russ reminded the public of some common-sense tips to help avoid becoming a victim of a lawbreaking grinch, such as having neighbors look after vacant homes, requesting that packages be signed for so they can't be stolen from doorsteps.
While out doing holiday shopping, Russ added, it's important to never leave items in plain sight in a car.
"Over 50 percent of the burglaries that occur to vehicles are because the stuff is visible.
Police also advised not leaving boxes from recent purchases outdoors next to trash cans, as this can advertise to criminals what purchases were recently made.
Perhaps the best defense, Russ said, is to to develop relationships with neighbors, be alert for anything suspicious and never hesitate to call the police.

From City News Service:

COMPTON -- A freeway tagger was struck and killed early Saturday on the 710 Freeway in Compton, California Highway Patrol officers said.
The man had just illegally painted the center median when he dashed across the 710's northbound lanes just north of Alondra Boulevard at about 4:15 a.m., CHP Officer Ed Jacobs said.
A 2006 silver Nissan Maxima merging onto the freeway from Alondra Boulevard hit the man as he and two accomplices were sprinting from the median across the northbound lanes.
All three were described as men in their 20s, but no names have been released.
The tagger was also struck by another vehicle, whose driver fled. The make and model of that vehicle was not immediately known.
The CHP said the other two taggers were detained and questioned. The driver who hit the man was not cited.

LA PUENTE -- Deputies jailed a Fontana man on suspicion of auto theft after he fled from them Friday, officials said.
Robert Costello, 53, was arrested in connection with the incident, Sgt. N. Mitry of the Los Angeles County sheriff's Industry Station said.
Deputies spotted a car that had been reported stolen and pulled it over about 2 p.m. at Temple and Perth avenues, the sergeant said.
The car stopped and Costello allegedly ran into a nearby residential neighborhood.
He was found and arrested a short time later, Mitry said.
According to sheriff's booking records, Costello was being held in lieu of $80,000 bail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in El Monte Superior Court.

PICO RIVERA - A man was behind bars Friday on suspicion of taking part in a smash-and-grab jewelry robbery at the Pico Rivera Indoor Swap Meet, authorities said.
Christopher Holley, 18, was booked on suspicion of the crime, which took place about 6:15 p.m. at the swap meet, 7860 Paramount Blvd., Sgt. Rodney Johnson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau said. He was listed as a Los Angeles resident, though authorities said he claimed to have been staying in Lancaster.
The robbery was carried out Holley and six other men who fled the scene in two cars, leaving him behind, officials said.
"He got left behind and was trying to blend in with patrons from a nearby business," Johnson said. Deputies arrested him without incident.
While Thursday's heist has not been definitively linked to any others, the robbery highlighted a trend of smash-and-grab jewelry robberies that have been on the rise throughout Los Angeles County and Southern California over the past nine months or so, Johnson said.
"We don't have any evidence that (Holley) or his group have been involved in others, but it seems that groups have decided that this is going to be their crime of choice," he said.
Similar crimes took place in Pasadena on Nov. 17 in Pasadena, Oct. 30 in El Monte, and in other places such as Los Angeles, Glendale and Orange County, authorities said.
Just as in the Pico Rivera crime, the others have involved groups of young black men who smashed open display cases with hammers or other items before helping themselves to jewelry and fleeing in waiting getaway cars, officials said.
The robbers in the crimes so far have all worked quickly, Johnson added. "They're in an out within 90 seconds or a couple of minutes."
It was unclear whether the recent smash-and-grab jewelry robbery trend is the work of one gang, Johnson said, or if it's simply growing in popularity among criminal groups.
At least half a dozen suspects already arrested in connection with the crimes have all been members of the Crips street gang from Los Angeles, investigators said.
Johnson said detectives were still looking into whether Holley had gang ties Friday.
According to sheriff's booking records, Holley was being held in lieu of $42,550 bail at the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station jail. He was due for arraignment Monday in Whittier Superior Court.

LA HABRA -- A former executive with the Boys and Girls Club of La Habra was behind bars Friday on suspicion of embezzling $134,000 from the organization.
Lynette Rojas, 37, of La Habra is due to be arraigned Monday in Orange County Superior Court, Orange County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Farrah Emami said.
As an executive assistant with the Boys and Girls Club of La Habra, Rojas was responsible for both payroll funds and a the organization's finances, Emami said.
She's accused of overpaying herself, as well as stealing cash deposits between May 2008 and June 2010. She began working for the Boys and Girls Club in April 2008.
"She really violated her position of trust and authority by stealing over $100,000 from these needy children," Emami said.
La Habra police arrested Rojas Thursday, according to officials and sheriff's booking records.
She is charged with a felony count of grand theft by embezzlement and 24 counts of computer fraud, along with special allegations of stealing more than $100,000, aggravated white collar crime over $100,000, and property damage over $65,000, Orange County District Attorney's officials said in a written statement.
If convicted as charged, she faces up to 20 years in state prison.
Boys and Girls Clubs of La Habra Board of Directors President Nancy Zinberg said she and her staff were "shocked" to learn of the allegations.
"It's just a real sorry state of affairs," she said. "Nobody likes to be taken advantage of, especially when you're taking advantage of charitable funds."
Rojas was fired from her position as soon as authorities launched their investigation in September, Zinberg said.
When she appears in court Monday, officials will request a judge set her bail at $135,000, roughly equal to the amount allegedly stolen, Emami explained.
"Rojas must prove the money is from a legal and legitimate source before posting bond," according to the D.A.'s statement.
Rojas is accused of stealing nearly $25,000 by giving herself additional unauthorized pay, and another $109,000 that she was supposed to deposit into the organization's bank account, officials said.
"She is accused of attempting to hide her theft by altering the organization's cash deposit paperwork," the D.A.'s statement said. "The theft was discovered when it was determined that the cash deposit paperwork completed by Rojas was significantly more than the deposit receipts from the bank."
The case is being prosecuted by the D.A.'s Major Fraud Unit.
No programs at the Boys and Girls Clubs as La Habra were curtailed due to the alleged theft, Zinberg said, but "It certainly made us more careful."
"It was frightening when it happened," she said, "but everybody worked together, staff and board, to clean up the mess."
An auction helped recoup some of the missing funds, she said, while officials expect insurance policies to help as replace some of the missing cash as well.
To make a donation, or for more information on the Boys and Girls Clubs of La Habra, visit www.ourchildrensfuture.org, or contact the organization at 562-694-1805.


PHOTO of Lynette Rojas courtesy of the Orange County District Attorney's Office

ARCADIA -- Police are looking into why two men attacked and beat a restaurant employee late Thursday.
The incident was reported about 10 p.m. in the 100 block of East Duarte Road, Arcadia police Sgt. Dan Crowther said.
An employee of a nearby restaurant, a man in his 30s, was having a cigarette after his shift when he was approached by two attackers, the sergeant said.
The victim reported that the men attacked him without provocation and he didn't know why, Crowther said. He was struck several times, then kicked repeatedly when he fell to the ground.
The suspects were described only as a Latino man and a skinny Asian man, both between 18 and 20 years old.
No further information was available.

PICO RIVERA -- A group of robbers made off with about $15,000 worth of jewelry Thursday after a smash-and-grab robbery at the Pico Rivera Indoor Swap Meet, authorities said.
The crime was reported about 6:15 p.m. at the swap meet, 7860 Paramount Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Smith said.
Officials described the robbers as 5-7 black men between 20 and 25 years old, wearing dark clothing and hooded sweat shirts.
They approached a jewelry store, located near the entrance of the swap meet, Smith said.
Some of the men acted as lookouts while the others smashed open display cases with blunt objects and helped themselves to jewelry, primarily gold rings, the lieutenant said.
The robbers then got into two sedans, Smith said, and were last fleeing south on Paramount Boulevard.
He added that detectives were looking into the possibility that the crime is connected to a series of similar smash-and-grab jewelry store robberies carried out throughout Southern California in recent months.
The suspects arrested so far in connection with the ongoing smash-and-grab jewelry robbery trend have all been members of the same Los Angeles street gang.
Officials declined to release further details Thursday as they continued their investigation.

WHITTIER -- Police arrested two San Bernardino County men Thursday in connection with the stabbing of two men at a party over the weekend, authorities said.
Raymond Martinez, 28, of Rancho Cucamonga and Jonathan Moran, 27, of Highland were booked on suspicion of attempted murder, Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said.
They were both arrested at their homes in connection with Sunday's stabbing that left 34-year-old former State Assembly candidate Steve Sanchez of Indio and his friend, 34-year-old Gabriel Davalos of Whittier seriously wounded, police said.
The alleged attack took place about 1:15 a.m. Sunday in the 6200 block of Friends Avenue, Whittier police said in a written statement.
Martinez and Moran arrived to a party drunk and were asked to leave by Davalos, the owner of the home, police said.
An argument erupted during which the suspects are accused of stabbing Sanchez and Davalos.
The wounded men were initially hospitalized in critical condition, but expected to survive, officials said.
Sanchez ran unsuccessfully for the 80th State Assembly District seat last November.

PHOTOS: Above: Raymond Martinez, 29, of Rancho Cucamonga; Below: Jonathan Moran, 27, of Highland (Courtesy of the Whittier Police Department)

PICO RIVERA -- Sheriff's investigators continued their probe Thursday into an attempted home-invasion in which a man was pistol-whipped earlier this week.
The crime was reported about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of Arrington Avenue as a man in his mid 40s and his teenage daughter arrived home, Detective C. Sanchez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau said.
"Three (Latino men) confronted a father and daughter at their front door," the detective said. No further description of the suspects, who carried handguns, was available.
"They pistol-whipped the father and tried to get access into the house," he said.
After a brief commotion, Sanchez said, the assailants abandoned the crime and fled.
It wasn't clear Thursday if the men were able to force their way into the home, Sanchez said, however it did not initially appear that anything had been stolen from the house.
Detectives were also trying to figure out why the home was targeted.
"We don't know what they were looking for," Sanchez said.
Initial reports indicated the suspects fled the area in a gray Honda CRV, however Sanchez said that detail remained under investigation Thursday.
Officials at the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station deferred all questions to the Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau.

From the DA's office:

LOS ANGELES - Jurors today convicted a 30-year-old gang member of five murders and other counts, the District Attorney's Office announced.

William Vasquez, an 18th street gang member, was convicted of the first-degree murders of five victims between 2002 and 2005. Jurors found true special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and that the defendant was an active participant in a criminal street gang.

Vasquez was additionally convicted of one count of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Gang and gun allegations were found true.

An allegation that the defendant personally used a firearm as to one of the murders was found not true.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler said the penalty phase of the trial will begin Dec. 14. Vasquez faces death or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

BALDWIN PARK - Police arrested a junior high student Wednesday on suspicion of attempted murder after he tried to stab another students during a fight on-campus before school, authorities said.
The incident was reported just before 8 a.m. at Olive Middle School, 13701 E. Olive Street, Baldwin Park Unified School District police Captain Rudy Gatto said.
A 14-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy got into a fight when the older student pulled a folding knife and, "made some stabbing motions toward the victim, who was able to push him back," he said.
A staff member at the school broke up the fight before either student was injured, the captain said, and school officials later found the knife in the possession of the older boy.
Gatto said school police arrested the teenager on suspicion of attempted murder as well as possession of a knife on school grounds - a felony.
He was taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.
As a criminal case is brought against the suspect, Gatto said, school administrators will determine what disciplinary actions the district may take against the youth.
Investigators continue to seek witnesses of the incident, he added. Anyone with information can call BPUSD police at 626-856-4364, or tips can be left anonymously by calling 626-856-4847.

PASADENA, CA - The Pasadena Police Department will conduct a DUI Checkpoint enforcement program on Friday, December 10th , 2010. The hours of operation will be between 7:00 pm - 3:00 am. DUI programs are a useful and effective tool for achieving the Pasadena Police Department's goal of detecting and removing impaired drivers from our streets.

The Pasadena Police Department is committed to making the roadways safe for the driving public during the holiday season. Members from the Pasadena Police Department's Traffic Section will be conducting this program for the purpose of looking for and arresting impaired/intoxicated drivers.

"Our objective is to send a clear message to those who are considering driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol and/or drugs," Pasadena police spokewoman Janet Pope Givens said. "The public is encouraged to help keep our roadways safe and to 'Report Impaired Drivers by calling 911' whenever you see a suspected impaired driver."

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This just in. Joe Santoro is out.

Here's the story:

WHITTIER - Rio Hondo College officials have announced that Dean of Public Safety Joe Santoro, who was overseeing the college's police academy when it was suspended by the state in October for a breach in testing security, has gone on personal leave and plans to retire next summer.

Santoro, the former police chief in Monrovia, has worked at Rio Hondo for more than seven years.

During his tenure at Rio Hondo, officials said the police academy received a 2008 award from the California Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) for training excellence and organizational achievement.

Currently, the academy remains on suspension following an incident where a police academy instructor discovered actual test questions on a cadet study guide, which college officials said they self-reported to POST.

The photo of Joe Santoro comes from the Monterey Park Police Department archives, on Flickr

This from AP, reporting on Rolling Stone's plans to release a 30-year-old John Lennon interview:

NEW YORK (AP) - Three days before he was gunned down, John Lennon complained about his critics - saying they were just interested in "dead heroes" - and talked optimistically about his family and future, musing that he had "plenty of time" to accomplish some of his life goals.

Lennon's final interview was released to The Associated Press by Rolling Stone on Wednesday, the 30th anniversary of the musician's death. The issue using the full interview will be on magazine stands on Friday. While brief excerpts of Jonathan Cott's interview with Lennon were released for a 1980 Rolling Stone cover story days after Lennon's death, this is the first time the entire interview has been published.

"His words are totally joyous and vibrant and hopeful and subversive and fearless," said Cott in an interview on Tuesday. "He didn't mince words."

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- A man brandished a handgun while robbing an El Pollo Loco restaurant Wednesday, authorities said.
The crime took place about 7:45 p.m. at the restaurant at 1343 Nogales Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mike Browne said.
A man described only as black and about 6 feet tall entered the store, displayed a black handgun and demanded money, the lieutenant said.
After obtaining an undisclosed amount of cash, he said, the robber got into a white Honda sedan with a waiting driver and the two drove away.

PICO RIVERA -- A would-be robber left empty-handed Wednesday after trying to rob a bank branch, authorities said.
The crime took place just before 5 p.m. at Wells Fargo, 8737 Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Richard Hernandez said.
The man entered the bank and handed a teller a note in which he claimed he was armed and demanded cash, the sergeant said.
For an unknown reason, the man suddenly abandoned the robbery attempt and left, he said.
He was a white man wearing a blue shirt and brown pants, Hernandez said.
Initial reports from the scene described the robber as being in his 30s or 40s and having brown hair and blue eyes, though Hernandez said he could not confirm those details late Wednesday.

LA HABRA -- A man was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and making threats this week after severely beating a woman, authorities said Wednesday.
Francisco Millan, 29, of Los Angeles was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, according to La Habra police spokeswoman Cindy Knapp and Orange County sheriff's booking records.
Police responded to a report of domestic violence about 3 a.m. Sunday at a home in the 600 block of Warne Street, Knapp said.
No weapons were used in the attack, Knapp said, however the woman was beaten so seriously that police decided to pursue the case as an incident of attempted murder.
Authorities found and arrested Millan shortly after the incident in Los Angeles County with the help of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies, she said.
The woman was expected to recover from her injuries.
Millan was scheduled to appear in Orange County Superior Court for arraignment Tuesday, though an update on the case was not available Wednesday.

PASADENA -- PASADENA -- A man was behind bars Wednesday on suspicion of trying to burn down the Pasadena Police Department, officials said.
Demetrius Newborn, 35, of Pasadena was booked on suspicion of arson, Pasadena police Lt. Rodney D. Wallace said.
Newborn is accused of entering the Pasadena Police Department lobby, 207. N. Gafield Ave., about 10 p.m. Monday, "with a small bottle of flammable liquid," the lieutenant said.
Wallace said Newborn then soaked a piece of paper in the liquid, dropped it on an upholstered chair and set in on fire.
Officers quickly stamped out the fire before it spread and arrested Newborn, he added.
A motive in the alleged arson wasn't clear Wednesday, Sgt. Marie Sell said.
He said nothing prior to starting the fire, she said, and has not been willing to speak with police.
According to Sell and Los Angeles County Superior Court records, this is the second time Newborn has been accused of trying to torch the Pasadena Police Department.
He was charged with attempted arson in late 2008 after attempting the same type of arson at the Pasadena Police Department, along with a burglary charge.
The attempted arson charge was ultimately dismissed, records show, though he was convicted of the burglary.
According to sheriff's booking records, Newborn was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail at the Pasadena Police Department's jail. Information was not available regarding his initial court appearance.

ARCADIA -- Arcadia's top police and fire officials were "jailed" Tuesday in an event to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Arcadia Police Chief Bob Sanderson and Arcadia Fire Chief Tony Trabbie joined a handful of other volunteers and were held captive at B.J.'s Restaurant and Brewhouse Tuesday afternoon until friends, family and coworkers could raise sufficient "bail" for the MDA.
Chief Sanderson's release fetched $2,600 for the charity, while Chief Trabbie raised a ransom of $2,690, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said.
Being an inmate of the MDA wasn't all bad, Le Veque explained, as B.J.'s provided lunch to all the prisoners.

PHOTO: Arcadia Police Chief Bob Sanderson waits "behind bars" during an MDA fundraiser on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2010. (Courtesy of the Arcadia Police Department.)

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- Authorities have released a surveillance photo of a man who robbed a Chase bank branch this week.
The crime was reported about 11 a.m. Monday at the branch, 17160 Colima Road, Lt. Raymond Enriquez said.
The man entered the bank and handed a teller a note which read, "Give me all your money or I'll kill you," the lieutenant said.
No weapon was seen, he added.
The robber was last seen exiting the bank with an undisclosed amount of stolen cash, Enriquez said.
The FBI, which investigates bank robberies, has joined the sheriff's Industry Station in the probe.

SURVEILLANCE PHOTO courtesy of the FBI

If a recent story about a a man being shot by a suspected gang member while taking out the trash in West Valinda Tuesday triggers a feeling of Deja vu, you're not alone. Unfortunately, he is not the first San Gabriel Valley resident in recent history to encounter violence while emptying the garbage, according to SGV Tribune archives. A West Valinda man was wounded in the same manner in in April of 2009, and a 12-year-old Montebello boy was shot and wounded the same way in February of 2007. Here's the most recent story, followed by the previous ones:

Suspected gang member shoots West Valinda man taking out trash
WEST VALINDA - A man was shot in the foot while taking out the garbage Tuesday night, Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials said.
The victim was approached at about 7:30 p.m. in the 13500 block of Moccasin St., when the suspect - an adult man - asked him where he was from, Sgt. Ernie Barbosa said.
"He walked up to him and asked if he was in a gang," Barbosa said. "When the victim responded he is not involved - which we believe - the suspect fired four to five rounds in the direction of the victim."
The victim was running at the time of the shooting, Barbosa said. He started running when he saw the suspect reach for the handgun, Barbosa said.
The man was transported to a local hospital, he said.
The suspect fled on foot from the scene and no description was provided, Barbosa said.

La Puente man shot while taking out trash
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
WEST VALINDA -- Someone yelled out a gang name and opened fire on a man taking out the trash in front of his home Wednesday, hitting the man twice in leg.
The drive-by shooting occurred about 1:50 p.m. in front of a house at Amar Road and Melham Avenue in an unincorporated county area near La Puente.The wounded 20-year-old man was shot twice in the leg, said his uncle, who asked that his name not be published for fear of retaliation.
The nephew and two of his friends were doing some cleaning at the home prior to the attack, the uncle said.
"They were taking out some trash... and there were like five shots," he said.
At least one man in the car yelled out the name of a Bassett street gang during the incident, he added.
Two or more attackers fled southbound on Melham Avenue in a dark-colored compact car, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Rico Sandoval said.
The wounds did not appear to be life-threatening, he added.
A minivan parked in front of the home had two bullet holes in it. The home's wall also had one bullet hole.
"The other two are in my nephew's leg," the uncle said.
The uncle said his nephew was not involved with gangs.
"I don't know what happened," he said. "Why in broad daylight?"
The uncle said the shooting in the normally quiet neighborhood had him worried about the safety of his family. One of the bullets struck a wall only feet from his elderly mother's room.
"I'll keep an eye out," he said. "That's all I can do."

12-year-old boy shot in drive-by
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
MONTEBELLO A 12-year-old boy was shot in the abdomen while taking out the trash Monday night, police said.
The boy, apparently an unintended target, whose name was withheld, was shot at about 10:20 p.m. in the 500 block of Walnut Avenue, said Montebello police Sgt. Dave Rodriguez.
He is expected to survive.
"He has already undergone surgery and is in stable condition," Rodriguez said Tuesday morning.
He said no suspect has been arrested, and police are still investigating leads.
Rodriguez said the shooters were aiming for the victim's older brother. Both were standing outside their residence when the drive-by shooting occured.
"At this point, the shooting appears to be gang-related," police wrote in a statement. "Information about possible suspects and/or the vehicle used is not being released at this time as it might jeopardize our ongoing investigation."
Anyone with information about this crime is asked to contact the Montebello Police Department at (323) 887-1313.
* UPDATE: Then 18-year-old Vontrell Martez Gonzalez of Montebello was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Jan. 4, 2008, after pleading guilty to assaulting the boy with a 12-year-old and attempting to murder his older brother. According to prosecutors, the shooting was motivated by rivalry between tagging crews.

The fight at the tailgate party before 2010 USC-UCLA game at the Rose Bowl. This cell phone video appears to have captured the actual stabbing. About 12 seconds in you can see what appears to be an attacker and victim.

PASADENA -- Police announced Tuesday the arrests of three more people associated with a brawl at the Rose Bowl Saturday that left five people injured.

Arrested on suspicion of attempted murder were Arthur Cisneros, 25; Anthony Cisneros, 22; and Akira Cisneros, 24. All were booked by Pasadena police Monday night and remain in custody in lieu of $1 million bail, Pasadena police Lt. Tracey Ibarra said.

The additional arrests were the result of "some witness statements and a review of "the video on YouTube," Ibarra said.

Authorities on Monday charged two men arrested in connection the drunken brawl both were charged with resisting an officer and other counts, officials said.

Joshua Elder, 24, of Temple City and Steven Michael Radu, 27, of Monrovia were scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Pasadena Superior Court, but officials said the arraignment might be delayed until today.

Arturo Cisneros, 44, of Northridge, and the father of Arthur, Anthony and Akira Cisneros was arrested Sunday on suspicion of attempted murder. Ibarra said detectives have until this afternoon to present a case to the District Attorney's office.

"(Arturo Cisneros) was arrested for his involvement in the stabbing," Ibarra said. Cal State Fullerton student Joshua Dirling, 27, was stabbed in the cheek. Vimal Patel, 24, was stabbed in the back, according to reports.

Witnesses said the incident erupted between two groups of tailgaters when a football was tossed and accidentally hit a car.

Don Meredith one of the original voices of Monday Night Football -- and a legendary Dallas Cowboy has died. He was 72. This from ESPN:

Over his nine-year career, Meredith threw for 17,199 yards and 111 touchdowns. He retired unexpectedly before the 1969 season.

Just two years after retiring from football, Meredith joined Keith Jackson and Howard Cosell in the broadcast booth as part of the "Monday Night Football" crew.

He quickly became one of the most popular broadcasters in sports because of his folksy sayings and country humor.

Meredith's signature call was singing the famous Willie Nelson song "Turn Out the Lights" when it appeared a game's outcome had been determined.

AZUSA -- A sheriff's bomb squad investigated a "crudely constructed and non-functioning" explosive device found Sunday in a vacant mobile home, police said.
The manager of a mobile home park in the 700 block of North Loren Avenue was cleaning a vacant unit about 4 p.m. when she discovered the device, Azusa police Lt. Mike Bertelsen said.
The device resembled "two aerosol canisters taped together, with some lighters and fireworks attached to the top of canisters," the lieutenant said.
Police evacuated the mobile home park and called in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad, the lieutenant said.
Bomb squad officials determined, "the device was crudely constructed and non-functioning," he added. "They disassembled the device rendered it safe."
Residents of the mobile home park were allowed to return to their homes about 6 p.m., police said.
Police continued to investigate who was responsible for leaving the the device in the mobile home, which had been vacant for at least two months.

BALDWIN PARK -- Four people, including an infant, were hospitalized and one man was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run following a six-car crash on the 10 Freeway Sunday, authorities said.
The crash was reported just before 3:40 p.m. and involved cars on both the eastbound and westbound sides of the 10 Freeway, just East of Francisquito Avenue, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
Three vehicles became involved in a crash in the eastbound lanes when one of them, a Honda sedan, went over the center median and collided with three other cars in the westbound lanes, CHP Sgt. C. Fusco said.
The Honda that jumped the center divider burst into flames after two adults and an infant inside it were able to free themselves, he said.
They, as well as a woman who was driving a Mazda van that became involved in the crash in the westbound lanes of the freeway, were hospitalized with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening, Fusco said.
A Dodge van involved in the initial collision on the eastbound side of the freeway fled the scene and was later found nearby at the Puente Avenue offramp, the sergeant said.
The driver of the van, a man in estimated to be in his 50s, was expected to be booked on suspicion of hit-and-run, Fusco said. Officers were also investigating the possibility of driving under the influence.
The suspect's name was not available late Sunday pending booking, officials said.
Eastbound traffic lanes were cleared shortly after the crash, however westbound lanes remained affected until about 5 p.m., officials said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation.

AZUSA -- Thirteen residents of two Azusa neighborhoods awoke Saturday morning to find the windows of their vehicles shot out with what police believe was a BB or pellet gun.
The vandalism took place between 1 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Saturday in the 300 and 400 blocks of North Pasadena Avenue, as well as in the 1000 blocks of Gladstone and Gaillard streets, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said in a written statement.
"Evidence suggests that the suspects used a weapon consistent with a BB or pellet gun to shoot at the vehicles and shatter their windows," Madaloni said.
The spree caused an estimated $4,600 worth of damage to the parked vehicles, police added.
No description of the vandal or vandals was available.

WHITTIER -- A man found his son fatally shot Saturday in a residential neighborhood in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, authorities said.
Vincent Zamorano, 49, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 4:35 p.m. shooting in the 7600 block of Boer Avenue, Los Angeles County coroner's officials said.
The shooting took place in a converted garage where Zamorano lived, Detective Louie Aguilera of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
His father, who lives in the main house on the property, heard the sound of a door slamming and what he could only describe as a Latino man running from his yard, Aguilera said.
He checked on his son and found him suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his face, officials said.
Neighbor Alejandra Pinkard, 57, said she and her family were shocked to learn of the fatal shooting in on their normally tranquil street.
"We're all totally, totally baffled by this," she said. "It's so bizarre."
No on answered the door at Zamorano's home Sunday afternoon.
Pinkard said she didn't know Zamorano and his family well, but talked to them in passing in the neighborhood.
"As far as we're concerned, they're all very nice people," Pinkard said. "(Zamorano) was always nice to us. He always said 'hi' to us."
Zamorano lived at the home with his father, sister and his sister's children, neighbors said.
"This poor man," Pinkard said. "He doesn't deserve this."
Pinkard and other neighbors said they did not see or hear anything unusual around the time of the shooting.
The gate the shooter exited to flee Zamorano's back yard is generally locked, the neighbor said, leading her to believe the shooter must have been let in to the home.
An autopsy determined Zamorano died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds and the death was ruled a homicide, coroner's officials said.
A motive in the shooting was not clear Saturday night, Aguilera said. Zamorano did not have gang ties.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

PASADENA -- Two men were stabbed, two police officers were injured and three men were jailed following a brawl outside the Rose Bowl in the hours before Saturday's football game between rivals USC and UCLA.
Arturo Cisneros, 44, was booked on suspicion of attempted murder, while Steven Radu, 27, and Joshua Elder, 23, were booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said. Their cities of residence were not available late Saturday.
Two men were hospitalized with stab wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening in the brawl, which erupted shortly before 4:30 p.m. in a grassy parking area next to the Rose Bowl, the lieutenant said. It involved as many as 40 combatants.
One police officer suffered a sprained ankle, and another suffered a sprained wrist in the pre-game melee.
Both officers were treated for their injuries and were in "fair condition," police said in a written statement.
Kickoff was at 7:30 p.m., as planned, and the game proceeded without further violence, Torres said.

SAN GABRIEL -- One robbery suspect was behind bars after being chased down and captured by his alleged victim Friday, though a second suspect remained at large, authorities said.
Jeremy Mallari, 19, San Gabriel, was jailed on suspicion of robbery, San Gabriel police officials said.
A man was walking about 7 p.m. in the 1600 block of South San Gabriel Boulevard when two robbers snatched a necklace he was wearing and fled, Sgt. Rene Hernandez said.
The victim chased after the alleged robbers, caught up with one of them -- later identified as Mallari -- and managed to detain him until police arrived, the sergeant said.
The second suspect, described only as a male Asian wearing dark clothing, was not found, Hernandez added. The stolen necklace was also not located.
Though Friday's incident ended safely, Hernandez said police generally advise people not to chase after criminals, but rather to call the police.
According to sheriff's booking records, Mallari was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the San Gabriel Police Department's jail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Alhambra Superior Court.

In a trend recently discussed on the Arcadia Police Department News and Information Blog, authorities are seeing package and mail thefts increase as the holidays approach. An Arcadia resident had a package stolen from a porch Friday, however as you'll read below, for their efforts, the crooks got away with only "a small amount of anti-aging cream."

ARCADIA -- A resident had a package stolen from a porch Friday -- a holiday crime trend authorities have warned about in recent weeks.
The theft took place just before 3 p.m. at a home in the 200 block of West Woodruff Avenue, Arcadia police Lt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
"The ironic part of this crime is that these two suspects were only rewarded with a small amount of anti-aging cream," the sergeant said.
A witness reported seeing a woman pick up a package from the porch and replace it with what was later found to be an empty box, police said.
The thief then got into a Cadillac with a waiting driver and left.
Police described the woman as white, about 25 to 28 years old, 5 feet 2 inches tall and of thin build. The driver was described only as a black man with a shaved head.
Arcadia police issued a public warning about just such package thefts last month.
South Pasadena police jailed a man and woman last week on suspicion of stealing mail and delivered packages from homes in that city.
"This type of theft is likely to continue to occur with the holidays upon us," Le Veque said. "Please be extra vigilant and call the police if you see any suspicious activity in your neighborhood."

BALDWIN PARK -- Two robbers stole a man's wallet and necklace at gunpoint late Friday, police said.
An employee was returning to his office about 10:30 p.m. in the 13500 block of Francisquito Avenue when he was approached by two men, Baldwin Park police Sgt. Chris Hofford said.
One of the men pulled a black, semi-automatic handgun and demanded the victim's wallet and gold necklace, the sergeant said.
After the victim complied, the robbers were last seen running west on Francisquito Avenue, he added.
The gun-wielding robber was described as a Latino man in his late 20s, wearing a black shirt, Hofford said. The second robber was a Latino man in his mid-20s, wearing a gray hooded sweat shirt.

SOUTH PASADENA -- Police sought a man Friday who was spotted fondling himself in his car by a teenage girl, police said.
The incident took place about 2:15 p.m. as two 14-year-old girls were walking home from school on Bank Street, just west of Fair Oaks Avenue, South Pasadena police Sgt. Robert Bartl said.
The girls passed by a silver convertible sports car parked along the side of the road and looked inside, the lieutenant said.
One of the girls saw a man sitting in the driver's seat exposing and touching himself, Bartl said.
One of the girls screamed and the two quickly walked away, he said.
The car drove off and was last seen in a nearby business parking lot, police added.
A description of the man was not available, Bartl said, however he was wearing brown pants and a teal shirt.

LA HABRA -- A gunman escaped with about $60 Wednesday after robbing a shoe store at gunpoint, police said.
The crime was reported about 9:35 p.m. at Payless ShoeSourse, 1326 S. Beach Boulevard, Unit C, near the intersection of Beach and Imperial Highway, La Habra police Lt. Jeff Swaim said.
A robber entered the store, brandished a handgun and demanded cash from the register before fleeing, the lieutenant said.
He was described as a white man, between 35 and 38 years old and about 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a tattoo of a cross on his neck, Swaim said. He wore a gray hooded sweat shirt, baggy shorts and white shoes.

DUARTE -- Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Friday offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a hit-and-run driver who fatally struck an 86-year-old man in front of his home.
Longtime Duarte resident and father of 12 Gabriel Barragan Abundio died at the scene of the crash, which took place about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 18000 block of Buena Vista Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said.
A retired horse groom, Abundio was walking home from a bus stop after Christmas shopping when he was fatally struck by a vehicle described only as black, which then fled the scene, investigators and family members said.
Supervisor Antonovich offered a $10,000 reward Friday for information leading to the capture of the hit-and-run driver.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Temple Station.

PASADENA -- Coroner's officials Friday released the name of a man who was fatally struck by an alleged drunken driver on the 210 Freeway.
Nestor Salan, 31, of Beaumont died at the scene of the crash, which took place bout 12:35 a.m. Thursday on the eastbound 210 Freeway, just east of Lake Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Lt. David Smith.
David Peng, 24, of Arcadia was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and vehicular manslaughter in connection with the crash, California Highway Patrol officials said.
Salan's Honda crashed into the center divider for unknown reasons and he exited the car, according to the CHP.
A BMW being driven by Peng then struck and killed Salan, officials said.
Peng was released from jail Thursday afternoon after posting $100,000 bail, booking records show.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Authorities released the name Friday of a 17-year-old boy fatally wounded in a car-to-car shooting earlier this week, and asked for the public's help in developing leads in the mysterious attack.
John Estrada of Lakewood died at an Orange County hospital shortly after the 9:43 p.m. Wednesday shooting on the 5 Freeway between Carmenita Road and Rosecrans Avenue, Lt. Dave Dolson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
A 32-year-old Whittier man and a 21-year-old Whittier man, who were in the same minivan Estrada was in, were wounded in the shooting but expected to survive, the lieutenant said. The older man was driving.
Detectives were left with few leads to follow in the case, Dolson said, and no information was available about the vehicle that unleashed a fatal volley of bullets at the minivan.
"We don't have a suspect description at all," he said.
A motive also remained under investigation, Dolson added. "At this time, it's still up in the air."
The lieutenant added that the surviving victims reported no altercation prior to she shooting, which appeared to be unprovoked.
Estrada was a passenger in a minivan that entered the northbound 5 Freeway at Carmenita Road prior to the shooting, investigators said.
Just after getting on the freeway, another vehicle is believed to have opened fire on the minivan, officials added.
It was unclear how many shots were fired, Dolson said, but at least half a dozen bullets struck the minivan.
The wounded minivan driver exited at Rosecrans Boulevard and continued driving east until the shooting victims flagged down an ambulance crew at the corner of Rosecrans Boulevard and Marquardt Avenue.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

WHITTIER -- A flighty car theft suspect evaded police three times Thursday before ultimately being taken into custody, officials said.
Coolie Li, a 28-year-old transient known to frequent the Reseda area, was booked on suspicion of auto theft, Whittier police Officer Mike Dekowski.
An officer spotted a stolen car driving in the 12500 block of East Whittier Boulevard, near Five Points, and tried to pull it over, the officer said.
The driver, later identified as Li, fled from the car on foot and got away from the officer, Dekowski said.
Li was spotted on foot in the area and police set up a search perimeter, he said, but called off the search empty-handed.
Police received another call just before 10 p.m. reporting a "suspicious person," who matched the description of the car thief, in the 6000 block of Greenleaf Avenue, Dekowski said.
"Once the officer arrived on scene, he fled again and was able to get away," he said.
Another call came in about 10:40 p.m. reporting a person of the same description hiding in a back yard in the 6000 block of Bright Avenue, police said.
While searching the area, Dekowski said, officers found Li hiding in the back of an SUV parked at a home in the 5800 block of Bright Avenue and arrested him.
According to sheriff's booking records, Li was being held in lieu of $35,000 bail at the Whittier Police Department's jail.

Police responded to reports of two unrelated robberies Thursday afternoon in Covina. In the first case, a woman was robbed after leaving a check cashing business.

In the second, as you'll read below, it appears the robber may have been some Christmas shopping. Though he was bald, according to witnesses, he still decided to help himself to hair care products, along with the cash in the register.

COVINA -- Two men used a knife to rob a woman Thursday as she walked home from a check cashing business, authorities said.
The woman had just left the business about 4 p.m. and was walking in the 200 block of West Arrow Highway when she was approached by the robbers, Covina police Sgt. John Zumwalt said.
The men displayed a knife and demanded the woman's money before fleeing eastbound on Arrow Highway in a 4-door, black pickup truck, the sergeant said.
One robber was described as a Latino man between 25 and 30 years old, Zumwalt said, wearing a black shirt and blue jean shorts. The second robber was desribed only as a Latino man.

COVINA -- A man used a handgun to rob a beauty supply store of hair care products and cash Thursday, police said.
The crime took place just before 5 p.m. at Sally's Beauty Supply on Azusa Avenue, just south of Arrow Highway, Covina police Sgt. John Zumwalt said.
The robber entered the store and brandished a handgun before stealing cash from the register and about $70 worth of hair care products, Zumwalt said.
He was described as a Latino man in his 40s, bald but wearing a black baseball cap, with a long-sleeved flannel shirt and black shorts, police said. He has a mustache and goatee and wore sunglasses.

AZUSA -- Police arrested two Azusa teens Wednesday on suspicion of graffiti vandalism, officials said.
A citizen called police about 5:05 p.m. to report seeing three teenage boys writing graffiti on signs in the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy, 101. W. Foothill Blvd., Azusa police Cpl. Andy Rodriguez said.
Officers detained the boys and ultimately arrested two of them, he said. The young suspects admitted to scrawling the graffiti.
After being booked on suspicion of vandalism, the teens were released to their parents with written promises to appear in court, police said.
The graffiti caused an estimated $200 worth of damage, Rodriguez said.
"The Azusa Police Department encourages anyone who witnesses graffiti-related crime to immediately contact the police," Rodriguez said. "With the public's help, the Azusa Police Department has seen a significant increase in the number of vandalism-related arrests and successful prosecutions."

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- A 17-year-old boy died and two men were wounded but expected to survive after a car-to-car shooting on the 5 Freeway late Wednesday, authorities said.
Investigators did not release the dead teenager's name Thursday afternoon.
The three shooting victims, who had been riding in a minivan, flagged down an ambulance crew just after 9:40 p.m. at Rosecrans Boulevard and Marquardt Avenue, Lt. Dave Dolson of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
"The information that we have is that it happened on the freeway," he said, though details of the shooting remained under under investigation Thursday.
The attack was believed to have taken place on a 3/4-mile stretch of the northbound 5 Freeway, between Carmenita Road and Rosecrans Boulevard, investigators said.
After being wounded, the men exited the freeway at Rosecrans Boulevard and drove east about a mile until they spotted an ambulance and sought help, officials said.
No description of the vehicle that contained the shooter or shooters was available, Dolson said, and a motive in the shooting was not clear.
The teenage victim, who was a passenger in the car, was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting at UCI Medical Center in Orange County, officials said.
The two other men who were wounded in the minivan were in their 20s and 30s, Dolson said. They were hospitalized in stable condition.

DUARTE -- Authorities asked the public's help Thursday in tracking down a hit-and-run driver who fatally struck an 86-year-old Duarte man in front of his home as he returned from Christmas shopping.
Gabriel Barragan Abundio died at the scene of the crash, which was reported about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 18000 block of Buena Vista Street, near Duarte Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Sidra Strong said.
A longtime resident of Duarte and former horse groom and Santa Anita Park and other area racetracks, he is survived by 12 children -- six daughters and six sons -- as well as dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren, his son, Silvester Barragan said.
"My father was a good man," he said. "Everybody knows him."
Abundio was crossing west across the street mid-block in the residential neighborhood when he was struck by a southbound vehicle, Strong said. That vehicle, which officials described only as dark in color, then fled the scene.
Barragan said his father was walking home from a nearby bus stop after a Christmas shopping trip to the Westfield Santa Anita Shopping Mall in Arcadia when he was struck. One of his daughters was cooking dinner for him at his apartment.
He added that his father, who was in good health, enjoyed life.
"He liked to say hi to everybody," Barragan said. "He enjoyed a lot of walking. He tried to live a peaceful life."
Born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico, Abundio moved to California in the late 1960s and brought his family to Duarte in 1976, Barragan said.
Through his career as a groom at Santa Anita Park, Hollywood Park and the Del Mar Racetrack, Abundio met many famous jockeys and trainers, his son added.
Barragan said he was shocked that the "ruthless" driver did not stop to help his badly injured father after striking him.
"My father had a broken skull," he said. "I wish the guy who did the damage would turn himself in."
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Temple Station.

TEMPLE CITY - Three people suspected of robbing a Bank of the West branch in Temple City Wednesday were arrested during rush hour on the 10 Freeway at the interchange with the 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights, authorities said.
Levell Martin, 38, of Los Angeles, Calvin Sims, 33, of Los Angeles, and Daneyelle Jackson, 22, of Inglewood were arrested on suspicion of robbery and kidnapping, Lt. Thomas McNeal of the sheriff's Temple Station said
The robbery was reported in the 9900 block of Las Tunas Drive at about 4:50 p.m., McNeal said.
When deputies arrived at the bank, they were told two males and a female had just committed the robbery, got into a black van and fled. Witnesses gave deputies a partial license plate number from the van, McNeal said.
A short time later, a Temple Station deputy was searching for the suspects and saw the van on the westbound 10 Freeway, near Walnut Grove Avenue in Rosemead.
The deputy requested backup and was assisted on the freeway by a sheriff's helicopter crew, deputies with trained dogs, more deputies from Temple City and East Los Angeles, and California Highway Patrol officers, McNeal said.
The van and its occupants stopped on the westbound 10 at the interchange with the 5. The suspects surrendered without the need for the use of force, McNeal said.
They were arrested on suspicion of bank robbery and taken to the Temple Station for booking.
Money allegedly stolen from the bank, a weapon, and other evidence connecting the suspects to the alleged bank robbery were found inside the van, McNeal said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department detectives were working with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the robbery, McNeal said.
"Thanks to the help of good witnesses, deputies had a description of the suspects and their van," McNeal said. "With that information, a very alert deputy spotted the suspects and their vehicle, leading to their arrest."

ARCADIA -- Two men robbed a taxi driver at gunpoint late Wednesday, police said.

The crime took place about 11:35 p.m. on Baldwin Avenue, just south of Duarte Road, Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.

The robbers flagged down a taxi, got in, and directed the driver to pull behind a nearby business, police said.

One of the men pulled a revolver and pointed it at the taxi driver while demanding cash and the keys to the taxi, Le Veque said. The robbers then ordered the victim out of his cab.

A witness spotted the robbers leaving the area on foot east on Naomi Avenue toward Lovell Avenue, police said. The taxi was not stolen.

Police described both robbers as skinny Latino men about 17 to 20 years old and wearing dark clothing. One was about 6 feet, 5 inches tall and wore a black beanie and gloves, while the other was about 5 feet, 5 inches tall and wore a black hooded sweatshirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police.

Maybe it's because his name pops up in one of the documents?

"I deplore the potentially treasonous disclosure of classified and sensitive national security information, and urge the Department of Justice to bring any responsible party to justice. I also condemn the ongoing WikiLeaks release of a quarter million diplomatic documents, which will cause immeasurable harm to our diplomatic efforts, and worst of all, may expose our sources of information to great danger.

"I learned this morning that the released cables include one chronicling a private meeting I had in Islamabad with now President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari. Not only could this release cause a potential issue for President Zardari, but it will certainly inhibit his willingness -- and that of other foreign leaders -- to be candid in their discussions with the Administration and Members of Congress. This is not in our national interest.

"Ultimately, the Intelligence Community and the Departments of Defense and State need to strike a balance between information sharing and reasonable limits on the dissemination of and access to classified or sensitive information. There are many legitimate reasons for keeping diplomatic conversations from leaking into the public domain. Confidence breeds candor and compromise, and the current document "dump" is particularly damaging to our diplomatic relationships and security alliances that have been critical to American foreign policy, diplomacy and counter-terrorism efforts worldwide."