Monthly Archives: June 2011

Suspects in Rosemead break-in arrested after search in San Gabriel

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Sheriff’s deputies arrested two Rosemead burglary suspects and sought a third Thursday following a search of a neighborhood in San Gabriel, authorities said.
A man in his 30s and a teenage boy were arrested on suspicion of residential burglary, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Julian Salcido said. A third suspect eluded capture.
A resident of the 8500 block of Olney Street in Rosemead reported seeing someone going into the back yard of a neighbor’s house about 11:30 a.m., the lieutenant said.
Arriving deputies saw a vehicle leaving the area and followed it as it went a short distance west on the 10 Freeway, then exited at San Gabriel Boulevard, officials said.
Three suspects jumped from the car near San Gabriel Boulevard and Marshall Street and ran, Salcido said. One was captured within minutes, the other was arrested about three hours later during a search of the area.
Deputies were unable to find the third suspect and called off the search shortly after 4 p.m.
The name of the adult suspect in custody was not available pending booking.
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Woman beaten on Whittier’s Greenway Trail; 3rd violent crime reported on trail in past month

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WHITTIER — A 19-year old woman was attacked and badly beaten by a group of men while riding her bicycle late Wednesday on the Greenway Trail, authorities said.
The unprovoked attack took place about 10:30 p.m. on the trail between Painter and Greenleaf avenues, Whittier police officials said in a written statement.
She approached three or four male suspects described only as wearing dark clothing, police said. 
“As they passed each other on the trail, the males pushed her off her bike and began to punch and possibly kick her in the face and body while on the ground,” according to the statement.
The attackers fled when witnesses noticed the commotion and came to the victim’s aid.
The young woman was knocked out during the assault, officials said, but she had regained consciousness by the time police arrived.
She suffered “multiple injuries to her face, teeth, elbows and hands,” and was hospitalized for treatment, according to the statement.
Nothing was stolen from the woman during the attack, and no motive was known.
Wednesday’s attack marked the third violent crime reported on the Greenway Trail over the past month.
A man fought off an attacker who tried to steal his bicycle on the Greenway Trail near Five Points on June 13, police said. 
Police arrested a 16-year-old suspect June 4 after he allegedly grabbed a 55-year-old man in a bear hug, then demanded money before fleeing empty-handed.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Whittier Police Department Investigations Division at 562-567-9267.
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Public cautioned of funeral scam

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WHITTIER — Officials at Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary in Whittier are warning the public about an ongoing scam targeting those who have recently used funeral homes or mortuaries.
“Though Rose Hills has not been advised that any of its customers have been targeted, we advise local families to be aware of this potential threat,” Rose Hills officials said in a written statement.
In the scam, a person calls families claiming to be an employee of the mortuary and saying there is an unpaid balance due for funeral services. The family is then asked to immediately pay the phony bill by credit or debit card.
According to the statement, “It is believed the funeral home information is taken from the obituary notice, and the family’s phone number from telephone or Internet directories.”
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Three suspected of burglaries in Pasadena

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PASADENA — Police jailed three suspects Wednesday on suspicion of breaking into two Pasadena homes, authorities said.
Andre Norwood, 21, of Inglewood, Cedric horn, 20, of Los Angeles and Dajuan Bryson, 23, of Los Angeles were booked for burglary, Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said.
A resident in the 400 block of South Grand Avenue called police to report something suspicious, the lieutenant said. The neighbor watched as two men rang the doorbell of a neighbor’s home, then of them went around the back while the other remained in the front.
It was later determined that the men had broken a window in the rear of the home, but were apparently frightened off by a burglary alarm, Hettema said.
By the time police arrived at the Grand Avenue call, the intruders had fled, but the witness was able to give police a good description of their vehicle, police said.
About 20 minutes later, Hettema said, a resident called police from the 100 block of West State Street reporting another break-in. This time, the intruders left the home with a pillowcase stuffed with jewelry.
Police found two of the suspects on foot in the area and arrested them after brief foot chases, officials said. The third suspect was spotted driving by South Pasadena police, pulled over and arrested.
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Crime victim’s clinic planned in Pasadena

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PASADENA — Police are hosting a forum on victims’ rights later this month.
The Crime Victims’ Clinic will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon July 9 in the assembly room on the second floor of the Pasadena Police Department, 207 N. Garfield Avenue, Pasadena police officials said in a written statement.
The Crime Victims’ Bill of Rights, also known as Marsy’s Law, was passed by California voters in 2008 and gives victims of crime and their families 17 constitutional rights, officials said.
“The clinic on July 9 will feature a panel discussion and information on what those rights are, the impact of Marsy’s Law and how it is implemented,” according to the police statement.
Speakers are to include Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, Marsy Nicholas’ mother Marcella Nicholas, Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Darrell Mavis, and representatives from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and various victim’s support groups.
The event is being sponsored by Justice for Homicide Victims and Justice for Murdered Children.
For more information or to RSVP for the free clinic, e-mail to jhvinfo@gmail.com. Seating is limited, so RSVPs are requested no later than July 6.
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Phony military recruiter from El Monte pleads guilty

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From the Associated Press:
POMONA — A Chinese national accused of pretending to be a U.S. Army recruiter to bilk immigrants out of thousands of dollars has been sentenced to three years in prison by a Los Angeles County judge.
Yupeng Deng of El Monte was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty to one count each of theft, manufacturing deceptive government documents and counterfeiting an official government seal.
Prosecutors say the 51-year-old created a scheme where he recruited about 200 other Chinese immigrants from Southern California, the San Francisco Bay area and Atlanta to join his bogus Army reserve unit, telling them it could improve their chances of obtaining U.S. citizenship.
The recruits were charged $300 to $450 to enlist and up to $120 a year to renew memberships.
Deng separately pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
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Officials to swarm in search of DUI drivers over Independence Day weekend

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Authorities throughout Los Angeles County are reminding motorists that they will be out in full force this Independence Day weekend in search of intoxicated drivers.
California Highway Patrol and police officers from a host of agencies that make up the Avoid the 100 Los Angeles County East DUI Task Force will be setting up checkpoints and fielding extra patrols with the goal of reducing drunken-driving related crashes and injuries Friday through Monday, Glendora Police Department Senior Community Service Officer and task-force co-coordinator Wendy Brewer said in a written statement.
Upcoming checkpoints include ones in Glendora, Monterey Park, Pasadena and Santa Fe Springs on Friday, as well as ones Saturday in Pomona and Baldwin Park, authorities said.
Through July 4, police agencies throughout the region will also be sending extra officers out on patrol to look for drunken drivers.
Funding for the Avoid program is provided by the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Mail collection box stolen in Monterey Park; $10,000 reward offered

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MONTEREY PARK — Authorities are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to those responsible for the theft of a mail collection box late Tuesday from the Monterey Park Post Office.
The blue collection box was stolen from the post office, 245 W. Temple Ave., sometime after the day’s last collection at 7 p.m., U.S. Postal Inspection Service officials said in a written statement.
“Postal inspectors encourage customers who deposited mail after the last collection, Tuesday, June 28, at 7 p.m., to submit a Mail Theft and Vandalism Complaint either at their local Post Office, online at postalinspectors.uspis.gov or by calling 877-876-2455 (and selecting) option three.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455, select option two and refer to Case No. 1752437. Callers may remain anonymous.
“Mail theft is a federal crime, and offenders may be imprisoned up to five years, be fined, or both,” according to the statement. “Postal inspectors suggest depositing mail prior to last collection time posted on the collection box.”
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Covina man gets 15 years to life in prison for fatal DUI crash in La Verne

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POMONA — A judge sentenced A Covina man to 15 years to life in state prison Tuesday for a drunken driving crash that killed his two passengers in La Verne last year.
Pomona Superior Court Judge Tia Fisher handed down the sentence to Alan Michael McConnell, 28, who pleaded guilty in April to two counts of murder for the deaths of Telassie Dague, 22, and Renee Hardy, 20, both of Alta Loma, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement.
The fatal crash took place about 12:45 a.m. Jan. 23, 2010, on Foothill Boulevard in La Verne, near Damien Avenue.
McConnell had a blood-alcohol level of .15 — nearly twice the legal limit — when he fled the scene of another minor traffic collision, lost control and crashed into a tree, officials said.
McConnell tried to withdraw his guilty plea earlier this month, though Fisher denied the motion.
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Uptown Whittier Smog Check shop accused of faking inspections

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WHITTIER — Officials have suspended the licenses of an Uptown Whittier automotive smog check business and its technician amid allegations of falsifying smog check records, authorities said.
The Bureau of Automotive Repair took the action Tuesday against Uptown Smog Test Only, 7718 Greenleaf Ave., and Advanced Emission Specialist Technician Moises Zepeda.
A March 2011 surveillance by the BAR found that Zepeda, “certified Smog Check inspections on multiple vehicles that were never at his station,” California Department of Consumer Affairs officials said in a written statement.
The technique, known as “clean-piping,” takes place when a technician runs a smog inspection on one vehicle while entering data for another, officials said.
The BAR case against the shop and technician is ongoing, officials said, and investigators will seek to have both licenses permanently revoked at an administrative hearing.
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