Man arrested in connection with Pasadena’s worst-ever animal cruelty case

From reporter Brian Charles:

PASADENA – In what local Humane Society officers called the worst case of animal abuse they’ve ever seen, a 40-year-old Pasadena man was booked Wednesday on suspicion of repeatedly beating a muzzled German shepherd while it was lashed to a fence.

Jung Song was arrested at his home on suspicion of felony animal cruelty in connection with the brutal attack on the 14-month-old dog, which was caught on videotape, officials said.

Song is due in court today for an arraignment. He was being held on $40,000 bail at the Pasadena City Jail, according to Pasadena police. The beating was captured by a security camera the dog’s owner mounted outside his home, said Ricky Whitman, Pasadena Humane Society spokeswoman, who viewed it. Attempts to reach the dog’s owner Wednesday were unsuccessful.

“This is the worst animal cruelty case we have ever seen,” Whitman said. “We have seen dogs hit with baseball bats in a moment of fury, but this was worse.”

In the video, the suspect is seen scaling the back of his neighbor’s home in the 1900 block of Navarro Avenue in Pasadena on April 20, shooting the shepherd with a pellet gun and beating it while it was leashed to a fence and muzzled, according to Whitman’s description.

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Sheriff’s crime maps go missing

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has apparently stopped updating the public about crime via Crimereports.com.
The online system, which allows residents to view maps indicating what crimes have been reported in a selected area, has been hailed by community members and officials alike as a way to keep the public informed about the activities of the sheriff’s department and state of crime in their own neighborhoods.
After many months of consistent data, which officials explain is sent automatically from station computers to the Crimereports.com servers, the information has dried up.
A search of Crimereports.com over the past seven days indicated not a single call for service or reported crime in areas patrolled by the sheriff’s department.
Other police agencies who make use of Crimereports.com continue to be updated as usual.
No information about the change was available late Wednesday, and it was not clear if the data is being omitted intentionally or because of technical problems.
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La Habra heights man gets 54 years to life in prison for Koreatown murder

From City News Service:
LOS ANGELES – A 24-year-old La Habra Heights man was sentenced Wednesday to 54 years to life in prison for the shooting death of an Orange County man who tried to intervene in a fight outside a Koreatown karaoke bar.
Louis Woo Lee was convicted Sept. 24 of second-degree murder and two counts of assault with a firearm for the June 7, 2009, shooting that killed Michael Kim, 36, outside M2 Cafe & Karaoke Bar.
Jurors also found true allegations that Lee had used and discharged a handgun during the crime.
Kim was shot once in the head after trying to intervene in the fight outside the bar, according to Deputy District Attorney Kennes Ma.
Authorities believe the shot was aimed at another person who suffered a graze wound, according to Ma.
Lee had gone to the bar to back up his friends, who had been involved about two hours earlier in a verbal dispute that was renewed outside and escalated to a physical fight, the prosecutor said. 
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Passenger killed in car crash on 210 Freeway in Irwindale

IRWINDALE — A 28-year-old Rialto woman died early Wednesday when the disabled car she had been a passenger in was struck by a big rig, authorities said.
Jaime Angelina Jones died at the scene of the 2:35 a.m. crash on the eastbound 210 Freeway, just west of Irwindale Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said.
Jones was a passenger in a 2008 Kia being driven by a 29-year-old Bloomington woman, California Highway Patrol Officer Brian Parks said in a written. Another woman, 28 and from Fontana, was also a passenger in the Kia.
“For reasons still undetermined, (the driver) lost control of (the Kia) and collided with the guardrail at the south road edge,” Parks said. The car came to a rest sideways in the two left lanes of the eastbound 210 Freeway.
About a minute later, a 2003 Freightliner big rig being driven by a 60-year-old Dayton man approached in the no. 2 lane at 40-45 mph, Parks said.
“(Two of the Kia passengers) managed to exit (the Kia) and move to safety, however (Jones) apparently was having difficulty exiting,” the officer said.
Just as the other passenger made it out of the car, the big rig plowed into the Kia, fatally injuring Jones, he said.
Alcohol was not believed to be a factor in the crash, investigators added.
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Hacienda Heights, Downey men indicted in massive Rhode Island drug bust

From the Associated Press:
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Two men, including one from Hacienda Heights and one from Downey, linked by authorities to an unspecified Mexican drug cartel and charged in one of the state’s largest-ever drug busts have been indicted in federal court.
Armando Saucedo, of Hacienda Heights, and Andrew Rios, of Downey, were indicted Wednesday on conspiracy and drug and gun possession charges. A third man, Adilson Reyes, of South Ogden, Utah, has already been charged and pleaded not guilty. The court earlier entered not guilty pleas on Rios’ and Saucedo’s behalf.
The men were arrested in January with over $1.2 million and $6.6 million worth of cocaine. An arresting agent’s affidavit says that at the time of his arrest, Reyes admitted he drove large shipments of cocaine from California to Rhode Island.
Lawyers for the men didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment.
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Deputies arrest teen on suspicion of shining laser at helicopter in Pico Rivera

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PICO RIVERA — For the second time in five months, deputies arrested a teenage boy late Tuesday on suspicion of shining a laser beam at a sheriff’s helicopter.
Deputies flying in a helicopter asked for help from ground units about 10:45 p.m. regarding someone shining a green laser at their aircraft from inside a vehicle driving near Rosemead Boulevard and the 5 Freeway, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Andy Berg said in a written statement.
Deputies found the car travelling on the 605 Freeway and pulled it over, detaining several people who were inside, the lieutenant said.
“A 16-year-old passenger was identified by the aero unit personnel as the subject who pointed the laser at the aircraft,” Berg said.
A green laser pen light was found in his possession, and the teen admitted to shining the laser at the helicopter, he added.
The teenage suspect was released to his parents with a citation to appear in court.
Green lasers, which have became cheaply available to consumers in recent years, are marketed as being many times brighter than their older, red counterparts.
While they have legitimate uses, such as giving presentations or astronomy, the devices have been causing issues for law enforcement aircraft, for more than two years.
Pico Rivera sheriff’s deputies arrested a 15-year-old boy Dec. 16, 2010 after allegedly shining a green laser light at a sheriff’s helicopter as it was trying to land at the sheriff’s Pico Rivera Station, sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
“The light distracted the pilot to the point where he felt he could not safely land the aircraft and the landing was aborted,” the statement said.
A search soon turned up the 15-year-old suspect, who had a laser pointer with him, officials said.
Pico Rivera deputies arrested a local 24-year-old man Aug. 8, 2009, on suspicion of shining a green laser pointer at aircraft.
West Covina police jailed a 28-year-old local man March 2 on suspicion of shining a green laser beam at both police and civilian aircraft between December of 2009 and January of 2011.
In addition to a green laser pointer with a range of about 10,000 feet, officers also discovered the suspect had a police radio scanner with him.
El Monte police jailed a 19-year-old man in February on suspicion of shining a green laser pointer at a police helicopter as it orbited over the scene of a traffic crash.
Lasers, which can temporarily blind or disorient pilots, can be highly dangerous to both people on aircraft and those on the ground below, sheriff’s officials said.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials have cautioned the public that a laser beam pointing directly into the eye can be more damaging than staring at the sun.
Shining a laser at an aircraft can be punished either as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances, officials added. Those convicted can face a maximum of three years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
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Monterey Park police officer, suspect, two bystanders wounded in shoot-out

MONTEREY PARK — A gun battle between police officers and suspects left
an officer, a suspect and two bystanders wounded, as police scoured
the area for a possible second suspect, authorities said.
Police responded to a call reporting a hit-and-run traffic crash about
4 p.m. at Garfield and Newmark Avenues, Monterey Park police Lt. Rick
Rojas said.
“As soon as the officers arrived on scene, (the suspects) immediately
engaged them with gunfire,” the lieutenant said.
One officer was hospitalized with a gunshot wound, Rojas said. He
condition was stable and he was expected to survive.
A man Rojas referred to as the “main suspect” was also shot in the
exchange, and was hospitalized in unknown condition.
Two bystanders were also believed to have been wounded in the
shooting, though their conditions were unclear late Sunday.
At least one additional suspect involved in the shoot-out was believed
to have fled into a nearby neighborhood, police said. A description
was not available.
Sheriff’s helicopters circled overhead as Monterey Park and Alhambra
police, assisted by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,
cordoned off and searched several blocks east of Garfield Avenue along
Newmark Avenue. A SWAT team also joined the search.
Authorities set up their command post at the United Methodist Church,
333 S. Garfield Avenue.
Dozens of curious residents and business people lined Garfield Avenue
and peered from behind yellow police tape to get a glimpse of what was
going on. Many said they heard nothing prior to a sea of police and
sheriff’s cars arriving at the scene.
Traffic in both directions of Garfield Avenue was shut down in the area
during the investigation
No further information was available.

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Pasadena police find marijuana grow while responding to burglary alarm

PASADENA — Police arrested a Pasadena man late Friday after a burglary alarm led them to find an indoor marijuana garden and more than eight pounds of pot, authorities said.
The discovery was made shortly after 8:30 p.m. in the 700 block of North Mar Vista Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Chris Russ said.
Police responded to a house to check out a burglary alarm that had gone off, he said.
“While conducting a check of the detached garage for signs of burglary, they could smell the odor of marijuana coming from a second floor detached garage,” the lieutenant said.
Further investigation led them to find a marijuana growing operation of about 30 plants inside the garage, complete with lights, fans and hydroponic systems, Russ said.
More than eight pounds of pot marijuana were also recovered from the home, police added.
Officials jailed a 39-year-old resident of the home on suspicion of cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana for sales, Russ said. His name was not released Saturday afternoon.
“The investigation is ongoing,” Russ said. “We’re trying to figure out what else is going on with this situation.”
While the suspect has a doctors recommendation for medical marijuana, police said it appeared his activities went beyond legal medical use.
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Azusa teens suspected of vandalism

AZUSA — Police arrested two teenage graffiti vandalism suspects Friday, authorities said.
The teens, a 14 and 16 years old, were booked on suspicion of vandalism and released to their parents with citations to appear in court, Azusa police Cpl. Rick Hayden said in a written statement. Both teens are Azusa residents.
A witness called police about 8:30 p.m. to report seeing the teens tagging on a wall near some train tracks in the 400 block of West Foothill Boulevard, the corporal said.
“The teens were located and arrested without incident,” he said. “During an evidence search of the area, a backpack loaded with spray paint cans was located.”
The graffiti caused about $300 worth of damage, police said.
Azusa police have taken a “zero-tolerance” stance toward graffiti, Hayden said, and encourage anyone who witnesses it to call the police immediately.
“With the public’s help the Azusa Police Department has seen a significant increase in the number of vandalism-related arrests,” he said. “The City of Azusa also seeks restitution from convicted graffiti vandals and/or their parents to pay for the cost of repairing the damage.”
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Whittier man dies in Glassell Park SUV crash

From City News Service:
GLASSELL PARK — A 19-year-old from Whittier who drove a sports utility vehicle into a parked big rig in Glassell Park died Saturday, authorities said.
The big rig driver reported that he was sitting inside the truck on a private business driveway when the crash occurred at 2:25 a.m. in the 2900 block of North San Fernando Road, below the  2 Freeway, police said. The big rig driver was not injured.
James Henry Freiman was killed, according to the coroner’s office and Richard French of the Los Angeles Police Department.
According to the preliminary report, Freiman was driving more than 50 miles mph when he slammed into the middle area of the trailer and there were no skid marks on the road.
It was unknown if alcohol was a factor in the crash. 
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