November 2011 Archives

COVINA -- Information continued to emerge Wednesday in the case of an alleged burglary ring that used police scanners and targeted victims including public officials in at least 20 residential burglaries in Covina, San Dimas and Glendora.
Only two of the five suspects arrested last week in connection with the investigation are suspected of being being connected to the break-ins, authorities clarified Wednesday.
Thomas Dandurand, 32, of Pomona, was charged Tuesday with five counts of residential burglary and one count of receiving stolen property, police said.
His common-law wife, Susana Chaidez, 28, of Pomona, was charged with possession of stolen property and has since been released on bail, according to police.
In police searches carried out during the investigation, investigators recovered allegedly stolen property, as well a list of what police described as potential victims. The list included names, addresses, home photographs and work information for for people including a judge and several public officials.
In addition to valuables, items that were not worth money, but "very sentimental," Marquez said. Such items included non-precious jewelry and family heirlooms.
In one of the crimes, a couple in their 80s had their home ransacked after the husband suffered a heart attack and both went to a hospital in an ambulance, Marquez said.
Police said it was unclear if the burglars used their police scanner to determine the home had been left vacant due to the medical emergency.
Among the items stolen were a prized silverware set that had belonged to the woman's grandmother, and a Luger pistol the elderly man had taken as a war trophy in Germany during World War II, officials said.
The silverware set was recovered following the arrests of Thomas Dandurand and Chaidez, Marquez added.
During the arrests, authorities recovered a list of what they are calling potential victims. The list, found in a suspect's home, includes names, addresses, pictures of houses and employment information for potential victims, including the information of a judge and multiple public officials.
Three other suspects were arrested during the investigation, but have not been linked to the burglaries, Sgt. Ray Marquez said.
Henry Arce, 21, of Baldwin Park was arrested on suspicion of possession of stolen property, however his attorney, Justin Rodriguez, as well as Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Sandi Gibbons said Wednesday the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor count of driving without a valid license.
Thomas Arce, 42, of Baldwin Park, was arrested on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine.
Phillip Gordon Dandurand, 18, of Pomona was initially arrested on suspicion of assisting in the burglaries, however the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office declined to file charges against him due to insufficient evidence, police said.
Police are continuing to seek another suspect, 27-year-old Anthony Ray Arce of Baldwin Park, on suspicion of assisting Thomas Dandurand and Susana Chaidez in the break-ins, Marquez said.

WALNUT -- Detectives arrested a remorseful robbery suspect Wednesday on suspicion of carrying out a heist the day before at a Walnut bank branch, authorities said.
Jaimes Lawler, 27, is described as a transient with ties to the Walnut area, Sgt. Michael Maher of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Major Crime's Bureau said. He was booked on suspicion of armed bank robbery.
Lawler, who did not initially appear to have any significant criminal record, said he committed the crime out of financial desperation.
"He sounds somewhat sorry for his actions, more than most," Maher said.
He was arrested about 9:30 a.m. as he was leaving an apartment building in Los Angeles, the sergeant said.
The robbery took place about 11 a.m. Tuesday at the Bank of America, 200 S. Lemon Ave., sheriff's officials said.
Lawler entered the bank, handed a teller a note demanding money and brandished a handgun, Maher said. He fled with about $1,700.
A set of hair clippers Lawler used to shave his head and beard following the robbery were also found during his arrest, Lt. Kent Wegener said.
Both sheriff's and FBI investigators soon identified the suspect as Lawler, partly due to surveillance images obtained from the bank, officials said. He was tracked to an apartment building in the 400 block of South Bixel Avenue in Los Angeles where he was arrested without a struggle.
Officials recovered nearly $1,600 of the loot, as well as a red bag and the hand-written note used in the robbery, Maher said. The gun used in the crime was not found.
"Subsequently, during an interview, (Lawler) confessed to the bank robbery," Maher said.
According to county booking records, Lawler was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and was due for arraignment Friday in Pomona Superior Court.

SOUTH PASADENA -- A South Pasadena man went for a wild ride early Wednesday after he spotted three men stealing his motorcycle and jumped into their van as it fled, police said.
The incident was reported about 4:30 a.m. in the 300 block of Pasadena Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Robert Bartle said.
A 32-year-old man came outside and noticed his motorcycle had been loaded into a white van, the lieutenant said.
As the van pulled away, the motorcycle owner jumped in through the open rear cargo doors, Bartle said.
The driver apparently attempted to shake the man out of the van by quickly slowing and stopping, but the man held on, Bartle said, "Until he heard one of them say 'just shoot him.'"
At that point, the man jumped out of the van, which was traveling at a very low speed, he said.
The man did not report seeing a gun, and could only described the thieves as three Latino men.
South Pasadena police tracked the motorcycle via a LoJack anti-theft system and found it abandoned and undamaged in Los Angeles, not far from the South Pasadena border, Bartle said.

NORWALK -- Trial for the second of two men accused of luring three men to a South Whittier home under the pretense of buying a car and then murdering them for their money has been set for January, officials said.
Briaell Lee, 29, of Los Angeles is charged with the Jan. 27, 2004 murders of Mario Larios, 23, of West Covina, Edgar Valles, 22, of La Puente and Fernando Pina, 25, of Mexico.
A trial date has been set for Jan. 18 in Norwalk Superior Court, Los Angeles County District Attorney's spokeswoman Shiara Davila-Morales said.
A second man charged with the three calculated killings as well as a fourth unrelated slaying -- 37-year-old Cimarron Bell of South Whittier -- has already been convicted of four murders and was sentenced to death in August.
Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee, who persecuted the case with Deputy District Attorney Todd Hicks, said Bell remained remorseless right through sentencing.
In the triple-slaying, Bell, and allegedly Lee, met with the three victims on the premise of wanting to sell a Chevrolet Monte Carlo for $8,500, though the car was worth significantly more, according to Hicks.
Larios was a potential buyer who went to Bell's South Whittier home with his cousin, Pina, and his friend, Valles, where they were robbed and shot to death.
A Mercedes-Benz Larios' was leasing was found abandoned in a La Mirada parking lot three days later. The three men's bodies were discovered inside.
In addition to the three men killed while trying to buy a car, Bell was also found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, 22-year-old Ineka Edmondson of Compton, on Nov. 11, 2003.
Prosecutors argued that he shot the woman in a La Habra industrial park, where Bell worked as a janitor, because the two were involved in a stolen check-cashing scheme and he believed she was stealing money from him.
Lee also faces the possibility of the death penalty if convicted as charged.

Probably not the big score this burglar was hoping for:

MONTEREY PARK -- A burglar broke into a hobby shop early Wednesday, but escaped with only a broken toy airplane and a box of defective toy parts in the felony, police said.
Police responded to a burglary alarm just after 1:20 a.m. at Banana Hobby, 602 Monterey Pass Road, Monterey Park police Sgt. Dave Elliott said. They found the door to the business was open.
Investigation revealed that a man was captured on surveillance video breaking into the store and stealing two boxes from the lobby, authorities said.
It was determined one of the boxes contained a broken toy airplane, and the other defective toy parts, the sergeant said.
A description of the burglar was not available, officials said, however detectives were using the video tape in an attempt to identify him.

COVINA -- Police are gearing up again for their annual Covina Cops for Kids Toy Drive, officials said.
Our annual program intends to bring out community together by joining generous community members and families who are in need during the holidays," Covina police Sgt. Ray Marquez said in a written statement.
New, unwrapped toys can be dropped off at the Covina Police Department, 444 N. Citrus Ave., through Christmas Day, the sergeant said.
"Every day, our police officers are out in the community encountering families that are struggling throughout the year," Marquez said. With your donation of an unwrapped gift, these same officers can deliver your Christmas cheer to those families who are struggling during the holiday season."
For more information, contact the Covina Police Department's Crime Prevention Office at 626-331-3391, ext. 5199.

WALNUT -- An armed robber fled with an unknown amount of cash Tuesday after a robbery at a Bank of America branch, authorities said.
The crime took place about 11 a.m. at the bank, 200 S. Lemon Ave., Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Angela Becerra said.
No one was hurt in the robbery, she added.
According to initial reports from the scene, the robber was a black man in his 20s or 30s, of medium build, wearing a green plaid shirt and black-framed glasses. He brandished a handgun during the crime.
The robber was last seen fleeing the area on foot, authorities said.

GLENDALE -- A young Alhambra man has pleaded not guilty to allegations of molesting 8-year-old and 3-year-old Glendale brothers he babysat over the course of eight months, authorities said.
Jordan Liu, 19, appeared in Glendale Superior Court Monday to answer to eight charges of child molestation, court officials said.
The allegations came forward as the children's mother was discussing the ongoing child molestation investigation at Pennsylvania State University, police said.
He was arrested Nov. 22 after the older boy told his mother 11 days earlier that he's been sexually assaulted by Liu, who the family had hired as a babysitter through the Website "Sittercity.com," Glendale police officials said in a written statement. "The suspect provided babysitting services and took the child on outings at least once a month for the past eight months."
The boys' mother did not suspect any inappropriateness involving Liu when she began discussing a news story about the ongoing child molestation investigation at Pennsylvania State University as a form of educating her 8-year-old son and raising his awareness, according to the police statement.
"The mother soon learned that her 8-year-old son had been victimized by the babysitter," the statement said.
After launching an extensive investigation, detectives found evidence of sexual abuse of both the 8-year-old boy and his 3-year-old brother.
Sittercity.com has been cooperating with detectives, officials added. In addition to Sittercity.com, Liu also advertised his services on another similar Website, "Care.com," according to Glendale police.
Sittercity.com's Website features the slogan, "We focus on safety, so you can focus on finding the right fit."
"Sittercity was deeply saddened to learn of this situation," Sittercity spokeswoman Mary Schwartz said in a written statement. "As soon as it was brought to our attention, we terminated Mr. Liu's account and notified anyone who may have had contact with him about the termination."
"Sittercity takes safety very seriously," Schwartz said. "Each caregiver who registers on Sittercity is pre-screened to verify his (or) her identity and the caregiver's information is checked against state sex offender registries. "In addition, we allow members to run background checks on the site through LexisNexis. Background checks include identification verification and a national criminal search of local, state and federal criminal records."
Before advertising with Sittercity.com, sitters must acknowledge a pledge to "put safety first," and "be professional and uphold my commitments," according to the Website.
Because of the ongoing investigating, Schwartz said, Sittercity.com deferred all further comments to police investigators.
While police were unaware of any additional victims tied to Liu, "the investigation indicates he may have conversed with over 100 parents through the web service, but it is unknown how many actually may have hired him as a babysitter," the police statement said.
After pleading not guilty Monday, Liu was ordered held in lieu of $2.7 million bail, police said.
He's due in Burbank Superior Court Jan. 5, when a date for his preliminary hearing will be selected, court officials said.
Liu faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted as charged.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Glendale police at 818-548-3106.

WHITTIER -- A man died Tuesday after his Jeep collided with a tree on Slauson Avenue, police said.
The crash took place about 11:30 a.m. in the 12300 block of Slauson Avenue, near the Santa Fe Springs border, Whittier police Lt. Randy Inman said.
The investigation remained in its early stages, however the lieutenant said it initially appeared the driver was the only person inside the Jeep when it crashed into a tree.
Firefighters worked to free the man from the wreckage, but he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene, Inman said.
No further details were immediately available as the investigation continued Tuesday afternoon.

MONTEBELLO -- A thief or thieves have destroyed the 24-year-old Constitution Bicentennial Monument at City Park, apparently in order to steal and recycle the brass plaques that adorned it, authorities said.
The theft was discovered by a city employee early Saturday at the park, 1301 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello police officials said, Montebello police officials said.
The stolen plaques measure about four feet by two feet and bear the preamble to the U.S. Constitution and its articles is on one of the metal plates. It was installed to commemorate the bicentennial of the Constitution in 1987.
"This crime is senseless and disrespectful, Montebello police Lt. Andy Vuncanon said.
The suspect or suspects also caused damage to the marble fixture that held the plaques, Vuncanon added.
"The whole memorial is ruined because of that," Lt. Michael Bergman added. "It's just a shame that they would steal and vandalize the property that belongs to the citizens of Montebello just for the purpose of financial gain. There's quite a bit of meaning in those plaques that's disrespected the the theft and damage to city property."
Authorities believed the plaques were taken in order to recycle their brass for cash.
No one has reported seeing or hearing the theft, investigators said.
Detectives are "actively seeking any leads," Bergman said. Officials are checking nearby surveillance cameras for any indications of the theft.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Montebello Police Detective Bureau at 323-887-1262.

PICO RIVERA -- A man fled with a little over $3,000 after robbing a bank branch Monday.
The robber entered the Chase bank, 9200 E. Slauson Ave., about 6 p.m., Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Smith said.
"The suspect walked to the counter and gave the bank teller a note advising that he a gun and that he was demanding money," Smith said.
No weapon was seen during the crime, he said.
The robber received $3,050 and was last seen fleeing from the bank on foot, Evans said.
Officials described him as a Latino man in his 20s, wearing a baseball cap, a gray long-sleeved shirt and black pants.
Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's Pico Rivera Station.

NORWALK -- Deputies shot and wounded a man early Tuesday after he opened fire on them with a handgun, authorities said.
The shooting took place after three deputies responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting a man with a gun about 3:40 a.m. in a residential cul-de-sac in the 11700 block of Elmcroft Ave., Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Bill Evans said.
The deputies found the armed man when they arrived and ordered him to drop his gun, and he opened fire on them, the lieutenant said. None of the deputies were struck.
"The deputies returned fire and struck him several times," Evans said.
The wounded suspect, initially described as a 39-year-old Norwalk man, was taken to a hospital where he underwent surgery early Tuesday, officials said. His condition was not available.
A handgun was found at the scene, Evans said.
As is standard procedure when a deputy-involved shooting takes place, sheriff's homicide and internal affairs investigators are looking into the incident, as well as officials from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the County of Los Angeles Office of Independent Review.

From the Associated Press:

Lisa Gesik hesitates to log into her Facebook account nowadays because of unwanted "friend" requests, not from long-ago classmates but from the ex-husband now in prison for kidnapping her and her daughter.
Neither Gesik nor prison officials can prove her ex-husband is sending her the messages, which feature photos of him wearing his prison blues and dark sunglasses, arms crossed as he poses in front of a prison gate. It doesn't matter if he's sending them or someone else is -- the Newport, Ore., woman is afraid and, as the days tick down to his January release, is considering going into hiding with her 12-year-old daughter.
"It's just being victimized all over again," she said.
Across the U.S. and beyond, inmates are using social networks and the growing numbers of smartphones smuggled into prisons and jails to harass their victims or accusers and intimidate witnesses.
California corrections officials who monitor social networking sites said they have found many instances in which inmates taunted victims or made unwanted sexual advances.
Like Gesik's case, it's often difficult for authorities to determine for sure who's sending the threatening material and the few people caught rarely face serious consequences.
"The ability to have these kinds of contacts is increasing exponentially. In many ways, the law has not caught up with these changing technologies," said Rob Bovett, an Oregon district attorney whose office prosecuted Gesik's ex-husband, Michael Gladney.
Timothy Heaphy, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, said criminals' use of social networks to reach witnesses has made his job harder.
"We deal every day with witnesses who are afraid of being identified," he said. "If there are increased instances where folks who are incarcerated can reach outside the walls of the jail, that's going to make it more difficult for us to get cooperation."
In a rare victory, Heaphy's office successfully prosecuted John Conner and Whitney Roberts after they set up a Facebook account that Conner used to intimidate witnesses preparing to testify against him on charges of burning two houses to punish a girlfriend and collect the insurance.
"How the hell can u b a gangsta when u snitchin and lien...," said a post from the pair that publicly exposed one witness who cooperated with law enforcement, according to federal court records.
The issue has emerged as cellphones have proliferated behind bars.
In California, home to the nation's largest inmate population, the corrections department confiscated 12,625 phones in just 10 months this year. Six years ago, they found just 261. The number of phones confiscated by the federal Bureau of Prisons has doubled since 2008, to 3,684 last year.
Noting the increase, California legislators approved a law bringing up to six months in jail for corrections employees or visitors who smuggle mobile devices into state prisons, while inmates caught with the phones can now lose up to 180 days of early-release credit. But no additional time is added to their sentence, minimizing the deterrence factor.
In the old days, those behind bars would have to enlist a relative or friend to harass or intimidate to get around no-contact orders. Social networks now cut out the middle man.
In Gesik's case, Gladney used to harass her the old-fashioned way, sending letters and making phone calls through third parties. The Facebook harassment began in June.
Gesik, 44, got prison officials to contact Facebook to remove that account, only to receive another message appearing to be from him in September. This time, there was a different spelling of his last name.
"I figure, if he's done all this from in prison, what's he's going to do when he gets out?" Gesik said.
A gap in state law meant that "no contact" orders like the one Gesik obtained against Gladney were deemed not to apply to anyone in custody, said Bovett, the prosecutor. "So they could do these very creative ways of reaching victims through third parties," he said.
The attorney who represented Gladney in his criminal trial did not return a phone call seeking comment on behalf of his client.
Last June, Oregon legislators approved a law prohibiting inmates from contacting their domestic violence victims from behind bars.
In California, prison officials are working with Facebook to identify inmate accounts and take them down. But that generally happens only after the damage is done.
Karen Carrisosa, who lives in a Sacramento suburb, was aghast when officials found Facebook postings from Corcoran State Prison inmate Fredrick Garner. Garner is serving a 22-year, involuntary manslaughter sentence for killing her husband, 50-year-old Larry Carrisosa, outside a church 11 years ago.
"My kids, they go on Facebook, I go on Facebook, and what if they decide to look us up?" Carrisosa said.
She was alerted by a Sacramento television station that Garner was posting messages to his mother and others. Garner was punished with a 30-day reduction in his early release credits for possessing a forbidden cellphone and has since been transferred to Salinas Valley State Prison.
While the use of the Internet by Los Angeles County jail inmates to harass alleged victims or witnesses is an issue officials are concerned about, the problem is not nearly as significant as in the state prison system, sheriff's Capt. Michael Parker said. Only fourteen cell phones have been seized from L.A. County inmates since 2009.
"Within the L.A. County jail system, we've not had a significant number of cellphones recovered," Parker said.
County jail inmates are less likely to have cellphones than their counterparts in the state prison system for several reasons, he said. Jails have historically been largely transitional facilities, Parker explained, housing inmates awaiting trial or those who've been sentenced to a year or less behind bars.
Additionally, county jail inmates go through continual searches and screenings as they're transported between facilities and to court hearings, unlike prison inmates serving lengthy sentences.
But California's new prison realignment plan -- which will allow convicts whose crimes are deemed "non-serious," "non-violent" and "non-sexual," to serve sentences of several years in county jails rather than prisons -- may increase the motivation and opportunity for inmates to smuggle cellphones into jails in the future, Parker said.
And while having cellphones is against jail policy and can result in disciplinary action against inmates, Parker explained, there is no law or policy preventing inmates from having others who are not incarcerated from posting messages online on their behalf.
"These are definitely complicated issues that we as a Sheriff's Department are interpreting as best we can, and using existing laws to address 2012 issues," Parker said.
If an inmate is having someone else post online for them, officials can only take action if the speech itself takes the form of a a crime, such as a threat, the captain said.
Non-criminal speech enjoys First Amendment protection, Parker said.
"But if they're making a threat against anyone, then like any other threat... we would potentially investigate that as a crime," he added.
"We can only enforce laws that exist," Parker said. "We are constantly adapting to what is the latest shenanigans the inmates are doing. To that end, we have to do it within the Constitution as well."
- Staff Writer Brian Day contributed to this report

SAN DIEGO -- Federal customs officials say they foiled an attempt to smuggle drugs into California from Mexico after discovering more than nine tons of marijuana inside a big-rig at a San Diego-area border crossing.
Federal homeland security spokeswoman Lauren Mack said Friday seven men were charged with drug smuggling after the seizure at the Otay Mesa crossing.
During an X-ray inspection of the truck, hundreds of pillow-sized bricks of marijuana estimated to be worth more than $13 million were found on the truck Tuesday.
The suspects -- whose ages range from 19 to 47 -- were arraigned in federal court Wednesday.
The bust was near the same crossing where a major underground drug-smuggling tunnel was discovered this month.

- From the Associated Press

ROWLAND HEIGHTS - A 2-year-girl drowned in a pool Friday night, officials said.
It happened at 7:23 p.m. in the 2200 block of Deepgrove Avenue, investigators said. The girl's name was not released Saturday.
Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Rob Blunt said a family member found the child in the pool. The girl was taken to St. Jude Medical Center in Fullerton where she was pronounced dead, he added.
Nothing criminal was initially suspected, and the death appeared to be an accident, officials said. Detectives from the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau were assigned to investigate.
There were no further details available about the incident.

EAST VALINDA -- A construction crew ruptured a gas line at an Elementary School early Saturday, however no evacuations were needed, authorities said.
The crew was working at Northam Elementary School, in the 17800 block of Renault Street, about 7:45 a.m. when they damaged the gas line, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Victor Sotelo said.
No evacuations were necessary, and Southern California Gas Company officials were called to the scene to shut off the gas flow to the line, officials said. Repairs will continue Monday.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Two men used a handgun to rob both a gas station and a customer late Friday, police said.
The crime was reported about 9:55 p.m. at a Chevron gas station in the 11400 block of Telegraph Road, just east of the 605 Freeway, Whittier police Lt. Carlos Solorza said.
The suspects were described only as black men wearing hooded sweat shirts. One of them carried a pistol.
After snatching a customer's wallet from the counter, the robbers went behind the counter with the clerk and demanded the register be opened, Solorza said.
The clerk complied, and the robbers helped themselves to the cash before fleeing, he said. No getaway car was seen.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Whittier Police Department, which patrols Santa Fe Springs.

PICO RIVERA - Deputies are looking for the man in a white hat who stabbed another man in the chest Thursday night and rode off on a horse.

In an effort to get back at her French boyfriend, a Temple City woman is suspected of calling authorities at LAX and suggesting the man and his companions - all of whom bear Arabic surnames - posed a threat to passengers aboard a flight leaving LAX.

The woman, identified as Lizet Sariol, 45, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. She is suspected with "providing false and misleading information; specifically, fabricating a terrorist threat to United Airlines," according to a press release issued Wednesday.

...more

LA PUENTE -- Coroner's officials Friday released the names of three people killed in what investigators have described as a double-murder and suicide earlier this week.
Rosa Chavez, 55, of La Puente and her boyfriend Luis Fraustro, 66, of La Puente were shot to death by 52-year-old Francisco Sanchez of La Puente, who was believed to be Chavez's ex-boyfriend, about 10:25 a.m. Wednesday at a house in the 700 block of Sierra Vista Court, Los Angeles County sheriff's and coroner's officials said.
After fatally shooting Chavez and Fraustro with a rifle, Sanchez turned the gun on himself, authorities said.
Chavez cared for three young grandchildren, neighbors said.
No children were at the home when the shooting took place, sheriff's officials said.
The investigation remains ongoing.

PICO RIVERA -- A man accused of intentionally running down and killing another man with his car last month pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a murder charge, authorities said.
Alfredo Campos Jr., 38, of Rancho Cucamonga is charged with murder in the Oct. 30 killing of Richard Quintana Becerra, 38, of Pico Rivera.
Campos pleaded not guilty to a murder charged and was ordered to return to Whittier Superior Court Jan. 15 for a hearing, court official said.
Becerra died at the scene of the 1:20 a.m. incident at Passons Boulevard and Telegraph Road, officials said.
According to sheriff's investigators, the men became involved in a fight before Campos got into his car and intentionally struck Becerra.
Campos fled from the scene, officials said, but was stopped and arrested by deputies a short distance away in an unincorporated county area near Whittier.
According to county booking records, Campos was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles.

PALMDALE -- A suspect bit of a large portion of a deputies ear and tried to grab the deputy's gun during an arrest early Monday, authorities said.
Miguel Barcenas De La Cruz, 41, was booked on suspicion of mayhem and attempted murder of a peace officer, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's officials and county booking records.
The incident began just before 3:45 a.m. Monday as a deputy was on patrol in the 200 block of East Palmdale Boulevard, Detective Mike Baker said in a written statement. The deputy encountered De La Cruz who was walking in in the middle of the street in the 38-degree weather.
As the deputy tried to escort De La Cruz to his patrol car, the suspect suddenly attacked the deputy and a fight ensued, officials said.
"During the minutes-long fight, suspect De La Cruz bit off part of the deputy's left ear," Baker said.
The fight continued, and De La Cruz allegedly grabbed the deputy's gun and tried to take it, Baker said.
"Although in pain from the loss of a significant portion of his ear, the deputy was able to retain his gun as he tried to overcome the suspect and arrest him," he said.
Other deputies arrived as the struggle continued and helped take De La Cruz into custody, authorities said.
The deputy was treated and released from a hospital.
"Unfortunately, the doctors decided the risk of infection was too great to try and re-attach (the severed portion of ear,)" Baker said.
The missing portion of ear was described by officials as about 1-inch by 1 and a half inches.
De La Cruz, who Baker said was already on probation for a previous kidnapping conviction, was being held without bail at the Men's Central Jail in Los Angeles after being treated for injuries suffered in the fight with deputies.

PASADENA -- Police and coroner's officials are investigating after the body of a man was found beneath the Colorado Street Bridge early Tuesday in what authorities said initially appeared to be a suicide.
The dead man was described as a Latino man in his mid-30s, Pasadena police Lt. Rick Aversano said.
"At 7:55 (a.m.), a jogger found what appeared to be a dead body in the wash," he said. The jogger immediately called 9-1-1.
The body was found beneath the bridge, near South Arroyo Boulevard, police added.
No one had witnesses reporting see the man jump, officials said.
"As it looks right now, it appears to be suicide. There doesn't appear to be foul play," Aversano said.
The investigation was ongoing.

WALNUT -- A hearing for a woman accused of fatally stabbing her estranged husband at his Walnut home was delayed Tuesday, authorities said.
Socorro Mora, 43, was scheduled to be arraigned for the murder of George Mora in Pomona Superior Court, however the hearing was continued until Dec. 15, court officials said.
Socorro Mora is accused of stabbing her estranged husband to death Oct. 19 at the home he shared with the couple's four children in the 21600 block of Brookside Court. She also suffered stab wounds in the incident, however authorities have not disclosed how she is believed to have received them.
The couple had celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary in August before separating, family members said.
George Mora had obtained a restraining order against his wife about three weeks prior to the killing, authorities said. Mora is also accused of showing up at George Mora's home and stabbing the family dog to death about a week for the slaying.
Family members described Mora as a dedicated father whose life revolved around taking care of his children.
According to county booking records, Socorro Mora, who was initially being held in a hospital jail ward following the incident for treatment of her own stab wounds, was being held in lieu of $5 million bail at the Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood.

*PHOTO of alleged murder victim George Mora courtesy of the Mora family.

MONTEREY PARK -- Police alerted the public Tuesday about a man who broke into two apartments at senior citizens' facilities last week.
The break-ins were reported Thursday afternoon at senior citizens' homes in the 200 block of North Chandler Avenue, and about a quarter-mile away in the 900 block of West Garvey Avenue, Monterey Park police Lt. Carrie Mazeline said.
The first incident was believed to have occurred between 1 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. at the Chandler Avenue residence, police said.
"The senior walked into his apartment and did not lock the door behind him," Monterey Park police said in a written statement.
"The suspect followed the victim into his home and said something to the victim in English. The victim did not speak any English but assumed the suspect wanted to check the electricity because he was pointing at the lights," according to the statement.
The victim thought the suspect looked "professional," so he allowed the man to remain inside his home, Mazeline said. He later discovered his wallet and other items missing and called police the next day.
The same burglar is believed to be responsible for a second break-in immediately after, Mazeline said.
Sometime between 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m., a woman ran into the same man as she was leaving her home, police said.
"She had a (brief) conversation with him," Mazeline said. The woman left without giving the man permission to enter his home.
When she returned, she found her apartment broken into and item such as jewelry and other small valuable missing, Mazeline said.
In both cases, the victims primarily spoke Chinese, police said.
The same man was captured on surveillance video at the scenes of both burglaries, police said.
He was described as a white man in his mid- to late-40s, about 5-feet 8-inches tall and 175 to 190 pounds. He had black hair with some graying, and he wore a blue a white checkered shirt and blue jeans.
Anyone with information, or anyone who sees a suspicious person loitering in a senior citizens' apartment complex, is asked to call Monterey Park police at 626-573-1311.

SURVEILLANCE photo courtesy of the Monterey Park Police Department.

Coroner's officials Tuesday confirmed the identity of a 65-year-old Pasadena attorney killed Friday when his single-engine airplane crashed at the Pomona Fairplex.
Norman Francis Boxley was pronounced dead at the scene of Friday's 2:15 p.m. crash on the horse-racing track of the Fairplex, just southeast of his intended destination of Brackett Airfield.
It has been known since the afternoon of the crash that the Mooney M20M airplane was registered to Boxley's Pasadena law firm, and family members have said they knew the victim to be him.
Coroner's investigators announced Tuesday that they had confirmed the victim to be him through fingerprints.
The cause of the crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.
A memorial service for Boxley is planned 2 p.m. Saturday at Holy Family Catholic Church, 1527 Fremont Ave. in South Pasadena.

PASADENA -- A robber snatched a purse from an 80-year-old Pasadena woman as she sat at a bus stop early Saturday, police said.
The woman was waiting for a bus at Fair Oaks Avenue and Villa Street when the robber approached and pulled her purse from her arm, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said.
The robber, described as a black man, about 5-feet 8-inches tall, of thin build, wearing a light blue jacket and blue jeans, when fled into a nearby white sedan, Torres said.
The woman was not hurt.

POMONA -- A woman was arrested after she struck a 9-year-old female pedestrian Friday afternoon, authorities said.
Pomona police responded at 3:08 p.m. to an injury traffic collision in the area of Garey Avenue and Phillips Boulevard, according to a police statement.
Arriving officers learned that the suspect, Tanya Bernal, 24 of Pomona, had initially struck a vehicle in the area and driven away.
As she drove south on Garey, she struck another vehicle, jumped a curb and hit a 9-year-old girl walking on the sidewalk, police said. The girl was dragged briefly under Bernal's 1997 Honda Accord until the suspect hit a parked car.
The child was airlifted to a hospital as a precaution with injuries that appear to be minor.
Police arrested Bernal on suspicion of felony hit-and-run and driving without a license. She was booked into Pomona Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
- From staff reports

MONTEBELLO -- Authorities are investigating the death of a man whose body was found on a Montebello sidewalk early Saturday.
The man's name was not released pending notification of his family, Montebello police Lt. Luis Lopez said. He was initially described as a Los Angeles man in his 40s.
At the outset of the investigation, "There doesn't appear to be any foul play," the lieutenant said.
"We responded to a call of a man down at Lincoln and Howard (avenues)," Lopez said. "He was found lying on the south sidewalk."
The initial report was made by a local resident out for a morning walk, he said.
Paramedics pronounced the man man dead at the scene, police said.
The body showed signs of significant trauma on the head that appeared consistent with a fall to the ground, Lopez said.
"Preliminarily, robbery can be ruled out," he said. "He had all of his belongings. It looks as though he may have just fallen."
Coroner's investigators will perform an autopsy to determine whether the man died as the result of the fall, or something else.

SOUTH EL MONTE -- Foul play is not initially suspected in the death of a 41-year-old South El Monte woman, which homicide detectives were sent to investigate Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The woman was found unresponsive by family members about 3:50 p.m. at a home in the 3400 block of Merced Avenue, according to Los Angeles County sheriff's and coroner's officials.
An officials cause of death had not been determined Saturday, coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz said, however the initial investigation indicated a natural death or accidental death such as a drug overdose.

COLTON -- Authorities jailed a Whittier man and a Mexican man Thursday after they met undercover investigators with more than 40 pounds of cocaine, officials announced Friday.
Jose Vega Diaz, 47, of Whittier, and Juan More Flores, 40, of Tecate, Mexico, were being held in lieu of $1 million each at the Riverside County Jail, California Attorney General's officials said in a written statement.
The seized drugs are valued at $1.85 million, officials said.
Department of Justice Special Agents made the bust as part of an ongoing crackdown against a Baja California-based drug cartel that distributed cocaine throughout Southern California, according to the Attorney General's Office.
"Working with a confidential informant, an undercover agent arranged to purchase cocaine from an individual associated with (the cartel)," the statement said. "At a prearranged meeting in a hotel parking lot in Colton, agents arrested (Diaz and Flores) and seized 18.5 kilos of cocaine."

WHITTIER -- A failed robbery at a Chase bank branch in Uptown Whittier Wednesday is believed to be the work of a serial robber dubbed the "Black and Blue Bandit," according to the FBI.
He's been linked to robberies and attempted robberies at banks in Whittier, Montebello and Downey. He was given his moniker because he wears arm slings, knee and arm braces and Band-Aids during the crimes, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.
Wednesday's robbery was reported at 5:01 p.m. at the bank, 13103 E. Philadelphia Street, Whittier police officials confirmed Friday.
The suspect entered the bank and passed a note to a teller demanding money, Whittier police Sgt. Jim De Masi said.
He fled the bank on foot without receiving any money, the sergeant said. "No weapon was seen."
Whittier police said the robber wore a Band-Aid on his right cheek during the crime.
The Black and Blue Bandit has also been linked to a Nov. 12 robbery at a Chase bank branch at 896 Beverly Blvd., Eimiller said.
In that case, the robber pretended to have a weapon as he handed a teller a note demanding $4,000, Montebello police Lt. Rick Rojas said shortly after the heist.
The teller went to a back room, claiming he was going to retrieve the money for the bandit, Rojas said. The teller activated a silent alarm instead.
The robber apparently became nervous and ran from the bank without any cash, police said. He was last seen headed east from the bank.
Witnesses told police the bandit was dressed in blue medical scrubs and wore a blue baseball cap and kept one of his arms in a blue sling, Rojas said. He also has blue eyes.
FBI officials said the Black and Blue Bandit had previously made an Oct. 20 visit to the Bank of America branch, 10010 Paramount Blvd. in Downey.
In that robbery, a handgun was seen tucked into his waistband, and the robber fled with about $3,300, Downey police Detective Maria Villegas said.
The FBI described the bandit as a white man in his 40s, about 5-feet 9-inches tall, 175 pounds, with acne scars on his face.
Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI's Los Angeles 24-hour line at 800-226-8883.

SURVEILLANCE photos courtesy of the FBI

POMONA -- A single-engine airplane en route to Brackett Field in La Verne crashed at the Pomona Fairplex Friday, killing the pilot, authorities said.
The airplane, identified by Federal Aviation Administration officials as a Mooney M20M, "crashed under unknown circumstances around 2:15 p.m. approximately 1 mile southeast of Brackett Field, near the Pomona Fairgrounds," FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said in a written statement.
One person was pronounced dead at the scene, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said. No other injuries were reported.
The airplane crashed near the southeast corner of the grandstands at the Fairplex's racetrack, officials added. The crash did not ignite a fire.
The aircraft's marking indicated it was registered to a Pasadena law firm.
Friday's incident was the second fatal small plane crash near Brackett Field in recent years.
Husband and wife Charles and Renee Shaffer of La Verne died March 14, 2009, when their Piper Dakota suddenly lost altitude and went down in Pomona shortly after take-off from Brackett Field.
The couple's plane crashed into a hillside near the 2600 block of Pomona Boulevard, about 2 miles from the scene of Friday's crash.

SANTA ANA -- A mental competency hearing was postponed Friday for a La Habra woman accused of killing her infant son by throwing him from the fourth floor of an Orange County hospital parking structure in August.
The hearing, which will determine whether 31-year-old Sonia Hermosillo is mentally competent to stand trial, was rescheduled for Jan. 6 in the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, Orange County District Attorney's officials said.
Hermosillo is charged with murder and child abuse for the Aug. 22 death of her 7-month-old son, Noe Medina Jr.
She is accused of taking her son up to the fourth floor of a parking structure at Children's Hospital Orange County, removing a helmet he wore because of a medical condition and throwing him off.
Hermosillo is yet to enter a plea in the case pending a ruling on her mental state. At a previous hearing, defense attorney's argues that she was not mentally capable of assisting in her own defense.
Hermosillo validated her parking before driving away from the hospital, then was arrested later in the day when investigating officers spotted her driving past the scene, officials said.
Noe Medina of La Habra, father of Noe Medina Jr. and husband of Hermosillo, has said his son suffered from two treatable medical conditions. The infant was being treated for plagiocephaly, also known as flat-head syndrome, as well as toricollis -- a condition which causes a twisting of the neck.
Hermosillo, who suffered from postpartum depression, never seemed to accept her son because of the medical problems, Noe Medina has said.
No official motive in the alleged murder has been released.

VALINDA -- Authorities placed an elementary school on lockdown Thursday as they hunted for a burglary suspect.
The sheriff's Industry Station received a call reporting a burglary in progress about 1:40 p.m. in the 15600 block of Doublegrove Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Victor Sotelo said.
Responding deputies spotted an intruder, described only as a Latino man, exiting the garage of a home, the lieutenant said. He ran from the deputies, initiating a search of the neighborhood.
As a precaution, officials placed nearby Baldwin Academy on lockdown as they conducted their search, Sotelo said.
Ultimately, the fleeing man was not found, he said. It was unclear if anything had been stolen from the home where the man was seen running from.

WHITTIER -- Sheriff's detectives are investigating the death of a man found fatally shot in a commercial area in an unincorporated county area near Whittier as an apparent suicide, authorities said.
Deputies were summoned to the 8600 block of Norwalk Boulevard just after 7:50 a.m. Friday after someone reported finding a body lying between two buildings, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Smith said.
The body was initially described only as that of a man.
Deputies noted the man appeared to have been shot in the head, and a gun was found near the body, Smith said.
The investigation was ongoing, however foul play was not initially suspected.

WHITTIER -- One young Whittier man is dead and another is badly injured and in custody at a hospital on suspicion of drunken driving and gross vehicular manslaughter after a solo-car crash earlier this week, authorities said.
Dennis Avila, 20, of Whittier, died in Tuesday's 11:15 p.m. crash on Gretna Avenue, just south of Rose Hedge Drive, in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Lt. Larry Dietz said.
He was a passenger in a 2000 Volkswagon sedan being driven by Steve Rangel Jr., 20, of Whittier, who was allegedly drunk, California Highway Patrol Officer Jeremy Tolen said in a written statement.
Rangel was southbound on Gretna Avenue prior to the crash, traveling at "an undetermined high rate of speed," Tolen said. "For reasons unknown, Rangel lost control of the Volkswagon, and the the vehicle subsequently struck a tree, a sedan parked on the street and a sedan parked on a residential driveway."
Neither Rangel nor Avila were wearing seat belts, officials added.
"The engine compartment separated from the passenger compartment and came to rest in a front yard across the street from the passenger compartment," Tolen said.
Rangel remained hospitalized Friday, officials said. His exact condition was not available, but he was expected to survive.

WEST COVINA -- Police Thursday released a surveillance photo of a man who robbed a bank earlier this week while clutching an envelope he claimed contained a bomb.
The crime took place about 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Bank of America, 2901 E. Eastland Center Drive, West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said in a written statement.
The robber "presented a note to a teller demanding money and that he had a bomb," the corporal said. He fled the bank with an unknown amount of cash.
After the robber left, he said, employees noticed the man had left a bulky manila envelope with wires protruding from it on the counter near the teller's window.
"Bank employees evacuated the building and notified West Covina Police," Lopez said.
Police and a bomb squad from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department responded, and the bomb squad ultimately determined the envelope contained no bomb, officials said.
The surrounding area was cordoned off during the investigation.
Police described the robber as a white man, 30 to 35 years old, 160 to 180 pounds and 5 feet 10 inches to six feet tall.
Anyone with information is asked to call West Covina police at 626-939-8557. Tips can also be left anonymously by calling 626-939-8688, or by texting "TIPWCPD" and your tip to 847411.

SURVEILLANCE photo courtesy of the West Covina Police Department

BALDWIN PARK -- Police Thursday sought the public's help in tracking down a Baldwin Park man who accused of shooting a pregnant woman in the head after getting into a fight with her husband at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.
Omar Martinez, 19, is wanted for attempted murder, Baldwin Park police Lt. David Reynoso said. He's believed to be hiding in the West Covina or Los Angeles areas.
Martinez was attending a court-ordered AA meeting about 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at a church at Los Angeles Street and Stewart Avenue when he got into a fight with another man in his 20s who was attending the meeting, police said.
The fight was broken up and the men separated and left, Reynoso said.
"The intended victim left the meeting and entered a vehicle driven by his pregnant wife," Baldwin Park police said in a written statement. "Suspect Martinez followed the intended victim and shot twice at the vehicle as it left."
The woman driving the car was struck in the back of the head, Reynoso said. She was initially hospitalized in critical condition, however she's since been updated to stable condition.
Police have learned the woman was several weeks into a pregnancy at the time she was shot, and has since miscarried.
"At this time, we haven't been able to determine if the miscarriage is related to the crime," Reynoso said.
Martinez fled after the shooting and hasn't been seen since, Reynoso said.
He was immediately identified as the shooter by witnesses who knew him from the AA group, and he left his AA membership card behind when he fled the scene, the lieutenant said.
Authorities released a photo of Martinez Thursday in hopes a member of the public may be able to help them identify the man wanted for the "cowardly" attack, Reynoso said.
Martinez is described by police as a Latino man, 5 feet 11 inches tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo of the word "pride" on his right elbow.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Baldwin Park Police Department at 626-960-1955.

PHOTO of Omar Marintez courtesy of the Baldwin Park Police Department

LOS ANGELES COUNTY -- Authorities Thursday warned business owners and employees of a recent trend of con artists posing as fire inspectors.
"Businesses throughout Los Angeles County and across the state have been targeted by scam artists who wear official-looking blue shirts and pants and claim they are there to "inspect" the fire extinguishers, smoke alarms or sprinkler systems," Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley said in a consumer alert.
"They ask an unsuspecting employee to sign a form authorizing the inspection," Cooley said. "Weeks or months later, a bill comes to the business's owner for 'work done' or 'services rendered.' The bill, sometimes for an 'annual inspection,' appears to have been signed by the employee.
Such inspections are carried out by local fire departments, however a fee is never charged, officials said.
Before letting a person claiming to be an inspector into a business, employees and shopkeepers are advised to demand government-issued identification and a business card.
"Local fire department officials all have badges, and their uniforms will state the department for which they work," according to the consumer alert.
Anyone who believes they may be dealing with a bogus inspector is asked to contact local law enforcement, or the Los Angeles County Fire Department's Public Affairs Section at 323-881-2411.

Staff Writer Ruby Gonzales had a busy evening on the night crime desk:

SOUTH EL MONTE -- Sheriff's officials announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the suspects in a July 7 South El Monte robbery and to the recovery of the more than $1 million stolen.
The reward is being offered in conjunction with Lloyds of London. The payment will be in proportion to the amount of money recovered.
Investigators believe the robbers were familiar with the operation and floor plan of Commonwealth International Inc.
The company at 12356 Barringer St. stores cash to be distributed to ATMs throughout the region.
The robbery took place just after 7 p.m. on July 7. Detectives said an unknown number of armed suspects forced their way through the ceiling, slid down a rope and surprised the employees.
Deputies said the employees were blindfolded.
After taking control of the business, the suspects loaded the money into a waiting vehicle, according to Sheriff's Lt. Chris Brackpool.
He said there is no security video of the robbery because the suspects also stole the video recording device.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau at 562-946-7893.

PASADENA -- A woman was wounded when shooting broke out at a neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
Pasadena police said the woman, who was shot in the knee, may not have been the intended target. The shooter eluded capture.
Lt. Pete Hettema said callers reported shots being fired on Dearborn Street, east of Summit Avenue at 4:45 p.m.
Police were also told that someone may have been injured at the scene.
Hettema said witnesses heard an argument before the incident. But police aren't sure if the dispute was related to the shooting and haven't pinned down who were arguing, according to the lieutenant.
Police closed down the block and searched for the suspect. He wasn't found.
Hettema said the woman was taken to a hospital with an injury that wasn't life-threatening.
The suspect was only described as a Latino in his 20s wearing a black shirt and black shorts.

PICO RIVERA -- A pedestrian was accosted by an armed man Wednesday who took his cellphone and headphones.
Sheriff's Lt. Brian Yanagi said the victim was walking on Passons Boulevard near Holbrook Street when a man approached and pointed a gun at him.
Yanagi said the robber grabbed the phone and the headphones from the victim and ran.
The suspect was described as a Latino in his 20s, 5 feet 11 inches tall, about 160 pounds with short hair. He was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt and black pants.

WEST COVINA -- A man wearing a surgical mask, sunglasses and a beanie broke into a store display case and stole jewelry on Wednesday.
Police were told the jewelry was worth thousands.
The masked thief showed up at the Kmart at 3:45 p.m., took out a pair of bolt cutters and snipped the cable tying a jewelry display case, according to West Covina police Lt. Alan Henley.
After swiping the jewelry, the suspect walked out of the store at 730 S. Orange Avenue and was seen getting into a gray compact car.

ALHAMBRA -- Police arrested two men and a woman plus recovered possible stolen property after pulling over a car seen at a burglary on Wednesday.
The suspects' names, ages and city of residences weren't available Wednesday night.
Alhambra police Sgt. Kean Oda said the investigation is ongoing. He added that detectives are also checking if the suspects are tied to other burglaries.
A residential burglary was reported about 1:30 p.m. in the 1100 block of Azalea Drive.
Oda said a witness gave descriptions of a suspect and a vehicle seen leaving the area.
An officer later spotted a vehicle matching the description of the getaway car on the westbound 10 Freeway. He pulled it over.
The vehicle stopped at Westmont Drive and Valley Boulevard and one of the passengers ran.
Police detained the remaining two occupants and later found their quarry near the 710 Freeway and Valley Boulevard.
Oda said officers also discovered what appear to be stolen items in the car.

MONTEREY PARK -- MONTEREY PARK -- Garfield Medical Center has agreed to pay $530,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment of female employees and retaliation against those who reported it, authorities announced Wednesday.
The lawsuit, filed by 10 female current or former employees of the hospital, alleged that a male emergency room staff member harassed female co-workers between 2007 and 2009, when he was ultimately terminated, according to a statement released by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
The hospital reached the settlement and "consent decree" without admitting any wrongdoing or liability, according to court documents.
"We decided to enter into the decree in order to avoid expensive and protracted litigation and are pleased to have this matter concluded," Hospital officials said in a written statement. "The hospital's dedicated team can now move ahead without distraction as we focus on our core mission -- providing the highest quality of care to the patients we serve."
The harassment included "inappropriate touching, propositions for sex, graphic discussions of sexual activities, obscene pictures and comments regarding female body parts, including those of underage patients," the EEOC statement said.
"One employee was terminated upon reporting the harassment, while others were compelled to quit rather than endure the hostile work environment," the statement continued. "Despite complaints to hospital management, the offending employee was not terminated until 2009, more than two years after the initial complaints were lodged."
According to the hospital's statement, the hospital took issue with the EOCC's findings, but planned to comply with the terms of the settlement.
"While we disagree with the EEOC's characterization of events, we fully support and intend to comply with all of the provisions in the consent decree, many of which will be incorporated into Garfield Medical Center's existing policies and programs that address discrimination, harassment or retaliation in the workplace," according to the hospital statement.
Under the settlement, the hospital will pay $430,000 to 10 identified victims and set aside $100,000 to for payments to yet unidentified victims, according to the EEOC.
The hospital also agreed to take other measures, officials said, such as purging negative reports from the claimants personnel records and taking steps to avoid future harassment and retaliation, such as toll-free complaint hotline and training for staff members.
Hospital officials said the facility had already put some of the required measured in place prior to the settlement.
"In fact, because of the significant steps the hospital took when the claims first surfaced, the training and other programs we put in place at that time already meet or exceed many of the requirements in the consent decree," the statement said. "Furthermore, the individual involved was counseled and eventually fired.
"Our willingness to agree to the terms in the decree underscores our commitment to provide our employees, physicians, and patients with a comfortable and professional work environment that is free of discrimination," the statement added.
Garfield Medical Center employs more than 1,300 people and treats more than 50,000 patients a year.
The hospital is operated by AHMC Healthcare Inc., which also runs five other Southern California hospitals: Greater El Monte Community Hospital, Monterey Park Hospital, the San Gabriel Valley Medical Center in San Gabriel, Whittier Hospital Medical Center and Anaheim Regional Medical Center.
"In order to be productive, employees deserve a workplace free from sexual comments, repeated propositions and inappropriate touching," said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EOCC's Los Angeles District Office.
"We commend Garfield for agreeing to sweeping injunctive relief remedies to ensure this does not happen again."

COVINA -- A 14-year-old Covina girl badly injured in a crash that killed her twin sister last week remained hospitalized Tuesday in critical condition, officials said.
Luana and Leilani Fukui were struck by a car Nov. 7 as they walked at Lark Ellen Avenue and Tudor Street on their way to Gladstone High School, authorities said.
Leilani died from her injuries three days after the crash.
According to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center spokeswoman Rosa Saca, "(Luana's) condition remains critical."
A Facebook page created by friends of the family titled "Love for Lei & Lu" offers updates on the situation and a way to donate to the family.

PASADENA - A parolee led Pasadena Police on a vehicle chase before barricading himself into an apartment with what authorities believed to have been three pipe bombs, officials said Wednesday.

The pipe bombs were detonated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad on Wednesday morning.

Beau Eginton, 29, of Pasadena, was arrested and booked on felony possession of explosive devices on Wednesday, Pasadena police Lt. Phlunte Riddle said.

Eginton was on parole for possession of methamphetamine, she said.

The chase began Tuesday night when Eginton allegedly failed to yield at traffic stop. Pasadena Police pursued the suspect in his vehicle and then on foot, Riddle said.

Eginton locked himself in his apartment at 201 S. Oak Knoll Ave. in Pasadena.

"A containment was set up and we arrested the suspect," Riddle said. "We returned later to search the apartment with the owner's permission and found the devices."

The Sheriff's Bomb Squad robot removed the pipe bombs, each of which was exploded separately during the course of the morning.

Pasadena police had "no idea where (Eginton) got the explosives," Riddle said.

Pasadena police detectives were scheduled to interogate Eginton on Wednesday afternoon.

MORE...

- From Staff Writer Brian Charles

AZUSA -- Police jailed three men and a woman Tuesday in connection with a robbery the previous day near Azusa Pacific University.
Behroozm Alamdari, 33, of La Verne and Jason Ray Murray, 36, of San Dimas, were booked on suspicion of robbery, Azusa police Sgt. Andy Sutcliffe said in a written statement. Murphy was also accused of violation parole.
Keith Jamal Pollard, 41, of Pomona and and Janna Marie Palmer, 30, of Rancho Cucamonga were arrested on suspicion of possession of both stolen property and methamphetamine, the sergeant said.
An APU student was walking near APU in the 900 block of Alosta Avenue about 7 p.m. Monday when a man approached her and grabbed her purse, police said. After a brief struggle, the robber forced the purse from the woman and fled in a white pickup truck.
Two witnesses had to jump out of the way of the fleeing truck to avoid being struck, Sutcliffe added.
The investigation led police to detain, and ultimately arrest, the four suspects Tuesday at two separate locations in Pomona, he said.
Bail and court information for the suspects was not available Wednesday as the county booking records system, which is managed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, was not working.

MONTEBELLO -- Police arrested one man and sought another Monday after an armed robbery at a cell phone store, police said.
Parolee Ruben Arreola, 28, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of robbery, Montebello police Lt. Rick Rojas said. A second robber remained at large.
The robbery was reported just before noon at Metro PCS, 2300 W. Beverly Blvd., the lieutenant said.
"Two suspects entered the store with a knife and a handgun," he said. "A store employee was forced to lie on the ground as they proceeded to take cell phones, cell phone accessories, about $400 in currency, and the employees' cell phone."
The men then ran from the store, and nearby detectives spotted Arreola near the scene and arrested him without a struggle, Rojas said. Property believed stolen in the robbery was found in his possession, however a weapon was not.
Police searched for the other robber with no success, Rojas said. He was described as a Latino man in his 20s, of light complexion, bearing a blue or green sweater, blue jeans, a beanie and a black backpack.
Anyone with information on the outstanding suspect is asked to call Montebello police detectives at 323-887-1262.
According to county booking records, Arreola was being held without bail and was due for arraignment Wednesday in East Los Angeles Superior Court.
MONTEBELLO -- Police arrested one man and sought another Monday after an armed robbery at a cell phone store, police said.
Parolee Ruben Arreola, 28, of Los Angeles was booked on suspicion of robbery, Montebello police Lt. Rick Rojas said. A second robber remained at large.
The robbery was reported just before noon at Metro PCS, 2300 W. Beverly Blvd., the lieutenant said.
"Two suspects entered the store with a knife and a handgun," he said. "A store employee was forced to lie on the ground as they proceeded to take cell phones, cell phone accessories, about $400 in currency, and the employees' cell phone."
The men then ran from the store, and nearby detectives spotted Arreola near the scene and arrested him without a struggle, Rojas said. Property believed stolen in the robbery was found in his possession, however a weapon was not.
Police searched for the other robber with no success, Rojas said. He was described as a Latino man in his 20s, of light complexion, bearing a blue or green sweater, blue jeans, a beanie and a black backpack.
Anyone with information on the outstanding suspect is asked to call Montebello police detectives at 323-887-1262.
According to county booking records, Arreola was being held without bail and was due for arraignment Wednesday in East Los Angeles Superior Court.

An autopsy was carried out Tuesday on the body of a 24-year-old Whittier man who died after having a high-voltage power line fall on top of him over the weekend, however the officials cause of death was not determined, officials said.
Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's officials identified the man as Joel Julius Ramirez. His cause of death was deferred pending further examination, coroner's Lt. Fred Corral said.
Whittier police said the power line broke loose Saturday morning and started a fire on a roof of a home on Mooreland Drive. As Ramirez was trying to put out the fire, police said the wire fell and hit him. He was knocked unconscious.
The electrical line then landed on the prone Ramirez. A woman who tried to help him was also shocked and injured.
Ramirez was pronounced dead 2:12 a.m. Sunday at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood, according to Bale.

WEST COVINA -- A man arrested in connection with the stabbing of another man at a party over the weekend was released from custody Tuesday after prosecutors declined to file charges, authorities said.
Christopher Cavins, 28, of Glendora was released from jail Tuesday afternoon after the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office declined to file a case against him due to insufficient evidence, according to D.A's officials and county booking records.
He was attending a party about 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Glendora Avenue when another party guest accused him of stealing a cell phone, West Covina police officials said.
The two men became involved in a fight, during which Cavins stabbed the other man several times in the torso with a folding knife, according to police.
Cavins claimed the stabbing was self-defense, however police arrested him on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.
The wounded man was hospitalized in stable condition.

Azusa police kept busy Monday dealing with a failed robbery at a store, as well as a successful purse-snatching in the parking lot of APU:

AZUSA -- An armed man wearing a ski mask got away with nothing on Monday when he suddenly fled from a store before the clerk handed over the money.
Officers didn't know what caused the robber to change his mind.
The robbery occurred at 7:55 p.m. when a man with a handgun entered the Radio Shack at 390 North Citrus Ave.
Azusa police Sgt. Xavier Torres said the suspect demanded cash.
As the clerk was about to give the money, Torres said the robber got spooked for unknown reasons, threatened to shoot the employee and ran.
The suspect was described as standing 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds and wearing black pants, a black hooded sweatshirt and a ski mask.

AZUSA -- A college student was robbed of her purse Monday by a man in a pickup truck.
The incident was reported at 6:53 p.m.
Azusa Sgt. Xavier Torres said the woman was in one of the parking lots at Azusa Pacific University in the 900 block of East Alosta Avenue when a pickup truck drove past her.
The driver parked, got out, headed for the woman and grabbed her purse.
Torres said there was a brief tug of war over the purse before the suspect ran off with it.
As the suspect was heading back to Alosta Avenue, he nearly ran over two witnesses. The pickup truck was last seen on Citrus Avenue.
Torres said no one was injured.
The driver was described as a Latino or white man in his late 20s, 6 feet tall, 185 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He wore glasses and a dark-colored baseball cap.
He had a passenger but there was no description given for this suspect.
The suspects left in a mid '90s white Chevrolet pickup truck with an extended cab.

- From Staff Writer Ruby Gonzales

BASSETT -- Rescuers flew a teenager to the hospital Tuesday after he was struck by a car while walking to Bassett High School, authorities said.
The incident was reported shortly before 8 a.m. at Puente and Temple avenues, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Paul Sotelo said.
Firefighters treated a 17-year-old boy at the scene before taking him via helicopter to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, the captain said.
His vital signs were stable, however he appeared to have suffered head trauma and was rushed to the hospital as a precaution, Sotelo said. His condition was unclear.
The driver of the car remained at the scene, and nothing criminal was initially suspected, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Kelly Huffman said.
It initially appeared that the teen was running late for school and darted into traffic when he was struck, she said.

Two men pleaded not guilty Monday and another is awaiting a court date on suspicion of carrying out eight robberies during a one-day spree in Glendora, Azusa and Covina early this month.
Domonique Evans-Knowles, 19, of Glendora and Dominique Carr, 19, of Riverside pleaded not guilty in West Covina Court to charges in connection with the spree, which took place in both the early morning and nighttime hours of Nov. 1, Glendora police and Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office officials said.
The third suspect, 19-year-old Vaughn Autry of Los Angeles, was awaiting arraignment after being released from jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to county booking records.
The three men are accused of robbing, and in some cases attacking, pedestrians in their alleged two-day crime spree, Glendora police said in a written statement. In some cases, victims were threatened with a handgun.
"Armed street robberies of this type are unusual for Glendora and we knew we had to act quickly before the suspects struck again," Glendora Police Chief Rob Castro said. "These types of crimes can turn deadly, so the capture of these suspects was a high priority for us."
According to the police statement, "The suspects targeted young adult victims walking or riding a bicycle alone in the street after dark." Items such as wallets and cell phones were stolen.
They would often follow the victims and wait for an opportunity to corner them, Lt. Brian Summers said. Two young man were beaten though not seriously injured, during robberies.
The Nov. 1 robberies linked to the trio include early-morning robberies in the 500 block of East Fifth Street in Azusa; the 500 block of E. Gladstone Street in Azusa; and the 400 block of West Arrow Highway in Covina; as well as nighttime robberies in the 20000 block of East Stephanie Street Drive in an unincorporated county area near Covina; the 1500 block of South Glendora Avenue in Glendora; Gladstone Street and Conchord Lane in Glendora; Gladstone Street and Glencroft Road in Glendora; and the 100 block of West Meda Avenue in Glendora, Summers said.
Authorities were continuing the investigation to see if the men could be linked to additional crimes, Summers said.
An investigation launched immediately after the robbery spree led detectives to arrest Evans-Knowles, the main suspect in the crimes, Thursday at his home in the 400 block of West Gladstone Street, police said. He was found after a car matching the description of one used in the robberies was discovered parked at a Glendora apartment complex.
After further investigation, investigators arrested Carr in Glendora later in the day, and Autry was arrested Friday at his Los Angeles home.
"Evidence linking the men to the crimes was located and some of the stolen property has been recovered," according to the police statement.
...FULL STORY

WHITTIER - Police warned the public Saturday about a recent rash of vehicle burglaries targeting the third-row seats from SUVs.

"In the past month, the Whittier Police have taken 10 reports of third-row seats being stolen from full-size SUVs," Whittier police officials said in a written statement. Targeted vehicles have included Chevrolets, Cadillacs and GMCs.

In many cases, police said, the seats are stolen from busy shopping centers during the middle of the day.

The seats have become popular items for thieves because they can be quickly removed from the SUVs and are easy to re-sell, authorities said.

Sheriff's deputies in Pico Rivera arrested two men Oct. 25 after they were seen breaking into a car, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Smith said shortly after the incident. Four allegedly stolen third-row seats from SUVs were found in their Chevrolet Tahoe.

To avoid becoming a victim, police advise SUV owners to remove their third row seats if not being used and store them at home, or secure them to the vehicle with a bicycle lock.

As always, officials said, anyone who sees a suspicious person looking into vehicles in a parking lot is advised to call the police.

SANTA FE SPRINGS - Police jailed a Whittier man Friday on suspicion of causing more than $13,000 worth of damage while stealing copper wiring from a construction company.

William Gonzalez, 27, was booked on suspicion of grand theft and vandalism, Whittier police said Saturday in a written statement.

Officers went to Kiewit Inc., 10740 Shoemaker Ave., about 4 a.m. after a burglar alarm went off, officials said.

They found Gonzalez in the back yard of the business, according to the police statement. "The suspect had burglary tools and copper wire from the business in his possession."

According to county booking records, Gonzalez was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail at the Whittier Police Department jail pending his initial court appearance.

WHITTIER -- A man was hospitalized in critical condition Saturday after a high-voltage power line fell on top of him and shocked him for several minutes.
The accident was reported about 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of Mooreland Drive, Whittier police Sgt. Brent Anderson said.
An officer responded to a call reporting a person screaming in an alley, the sergeant said.
"He found that a man was pinned to the ground by a power wire," he said. The electrical current was still flowing through him.
The officer sprayed the injured man with a fire extinguisher as he began to catch fire from the electrical current, Anderson said.
Southern California Edison officials were summoned to cut power to the line, and they did so within minutes, Anderson said. The 24-year-old man was then rushed to a hospital where he was listed in critical condition.
Officers learned that the man had been inside his home when a power line broke loose, apparently due to the weather, and sparked a fire on the roof, Anderson said.
As the man was trying to extinguish the fire, the loose wire fell and struck him, shocking him and knocking him unconscious, Anderson said. The wire then landed across the man, continuing to pump electricity through his body.
A 46-year woman who tried to help the man as he was pinned by the high-voltage wire was shocked herself and thrown across the alley, Anderson said. She was treated for injuries not believed to be life-threatening.

Baldwin Park leads the day's news:

EL MONTE -- An El Monte man arrived at a hospital late last month reporting was feeling ill and had been involved in a fight five days prior, officials said. Six days later he was pronounced dead, and the death remains under investigation.
Juan Rocha, 24, died Nov. 4 at the Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said.
He had shown up at Greater El Monte Community Hospital Oct. 29 with complaints that he "just wasn't feeling good overall," Lt. Holly Francisco of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
He told officials that he had been involved in a fight with another man on Oct. 24 at a bus stop in the 2600 block of Peck Road in El Monte, however he also suffered from several serious medical conditions, the lieutenant said. She declined to elaborate on the man's medical history.
Homicide investigators said the investigation thus far leads them to suspect a natural death, however coroner's officials said his officials cause of death remained under investigation.
An autopsy was carried out on Rocha's body Sunday, however a cause of death was deferred pending additional testing, Harvey said.
The death was initially reported to coroner's officials as a possible natural death or homicide, he said, adding that there were "injuries consistent with an altercation."
Hospital doctors reported that Rocha's body showed signs of a subdermal hematoma, indicating he had suffered a blow to his head, Harvey added.
"We've not ruled out homicide," he said.
The continued medical investigation into Rocha's cause of death may include a study of his brain.

WALNUT -- Sheriff's deputies arrested three burglary suspects Wednesday after a brief chase and manhunt near Mt. San Antonio College, authorities said.
The suspects' names were not released due to an ongoing investigation by detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Major Crimes Bureau, sheriff's Lt. John Saleeby said. They were initially described as Los Angeles-area men in their early 20s.
Deputies responded about 11:30 a.m. to a report of a break-in at a home in the 19000 block of Country Hollow Drive and spotted the suspects' vehicle in the area, the lieutenant said.
Officials initially followed behind the car, then began a pursuit when it failed to pull over, Saleeby said.
The chase led to a parking lot of nearby Mt. SAC, where the driver slowed down to allow his two passengers to exit the car and continue fleeing on foot, Saleeby said. The driver then abandoned the car in a nearby neighborhood before also taking flight on foot.
Deputies set up a search perimeter and quickly located the three suspects, officials said. Items believed to have been stolen from the home on Country Hollow Drive were recovered.
Major Crimes Bureau detectives were looking into the possibility the men may be involved in other burglaries.

LA VERNE -- Traffic on the 210 Freeway is expected to be slowed through this afternoon as work crews shut down up to two lanes in either direction, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Crews will be spraying vegetation on the roadway until about 3 p.m., CHP Officer Francisco Villalobos said.
The work will require them to shut down up to two lanes on the right-hand side of the freeway a they make their way between Baseline Road and the San Bernardino County line, first westbound, then eastbound, officials said.

PASADENA -- Police arrested a 58-year-old Pasadena man early Wednesday on suspicion of child molestation, officials said.
Edward La Brier was book on suspicion of committing lewd acts on a child and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail, according to Pasadena Police Lt. Tracey Ibarra.
He's accused of molesting a pre-teen relative, though Ibarra declined to described the victim further to protect the privacy of the alleged sex crime victim.
A minor disclosed the abuse to another relative, who told the child's immediate family of the allegation, Ibarra said. The family, in turn, notified police.
Police arrested La Brier about 2 a.m. without a struggle, though details of his arrest were not available Wednesday afternoon.
Further information about the molestation allegation was also not released.
Le Brier's initial court date was not available, however criminal defendants being held in police custody are generally brought before a judge within two working days of arrest.

IRWINDALE -- A fundraiser at McDonald's this evening will raise money for twin 14-year-old Covina girls struck and seriously injured by a car as they walked to school earlier this week.
Gladstone High School students Leilani and Luana Fukui have remained hospitalized in critical condition since Monday's early-morning accident at Lark Ellen Avenue and Tudor Street, California Highway Patrol officials said.
In an effort to raise money to aid their family, McDonald's, 5203 N. Irwindale Ave., will donate 25 percent of proceeds to the Fukui family for sales made between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., family friend Crystal Carscadden said.
The fundraiser was initially scheduled to help the Gladiator Alliance and Color Guard, but was changed to help the family following the tragic accident.
The investigation remains ongoing, however the driver was not initially suspected of a crime.

EL MONTE -- A woman said she's grateful to officials who helped rescue her from her burning business late Tuesday.
The blaze was first reported about 8:45 p.m. at a uniform store in the 9900 block of Gidley Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Quvondo Johnson said.
El Monte police Officer Isacc Rodriguez and Art Saenz were the first officials to arrive on-scene in response to the call, El Monte police Sgt. Roger Cobian said.
"They were met by a man who said his wife was still inside the building," the sergeant said.
The officers ran into the burning building and quickly found the woman, who was trying to battle the flames with a small fire extinguisher, police said.
"Officers grabbed the woman and carried her out of the building as it continued to burn, saving the woman from imminent injury," Cobian said.
The woman was treated at the scene by paramedics for minor injuries, officials added.
Officers Rodriguez and Saenz were hospitalized for treatment of smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning and were later released.
"I want to thank them for doing a good job and saving our building," said 50-year-old Reina Ta, the woman who was rescued from the burning building. "Thank God I'm OK. I'm so grateful."
She added she was glad that rescuers arrived at the building very quickly.
Ta said she was working in the building when she heard some strange noises.
"I thought maybe it was a burglar or something," she said.
She said looked around and soon smelled smoke, then opened a door to discover a portion of the building going up in flames.
"I was so scared," she said.
Ta said her thoughts immediately turned to saving the business, and she grabbed a small fire extinguisher to combat the flames.
She was continuing to fight the fire herself while inhaling smoke when the officers came in and removed her from the flaming structure.
While Ta said she was unhurt physically, "Mentally, I'm in shock."
Firefighters extinguished the blaze in less than 20 minutes, Johnson said.
The fire mainly centered on some items inside the building, as well as an awning, he added.
The fire caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, Johnson said, and the cause was believed to be an electrical problem with an outdoors outlet.

ALHAMBRA -- The investigation into the death of an Alhambra woman found hanged in an apartment remains ongoing, authorities said Wednesday, however the woman's boyfriend is no longer considered a person of interest in the investigation as evidence supporting suicide mounts.
Elizabeth Setiawan, 38, was pronounced dead shortly after midnight Sunday after she was discovered hanging and unresponsive in an apartment at 1121 W. Hellman Ave., Los Angeles County Department of coroner's officials said.
A coroner's investigator initially noted some anomalies in Setiawan's eyes that were possibly consistent with head trauma, Detective Efren Tamayo of the Alhambra Police Department said.
Based on that observation, he said, police named the woman's boyfriend as a "person of interest" as they probed the death as a possible homicide, Tamayo said.
After further investigation, the detective said, "It's leaning toward being a suicide."
Setiawan's officials cause of death remained under investigation as coroner's officials awaited the results of toxicology tests, officials said.

EL MONTE -- Four attackers slashed a man in his hand Tuesday during a failed robbery outside a Chinese restaurant, officials said.
The crime took place about 1 p.m. near a restaurant in the 10000 block of Valley Boulevard, just east of Baldwin Avenue, El Monte police Sgt. Roger Cobian said.
The victim, a man in his 40s, was approached by four robbers described only as Latino men, the sergeant said.
They demanded property from the man, but he gave them nothing, Cobian said.
One of the robbers lunged at the man with a knife, cutting him on the hand, he said. The victim was treated at a local hospital and released later in the day.
The attackers were not found.

WHITTIER -- Police are cautioning the public about an Internet scam that has become increasingly common over the past two months.
The con takes advantage of people who are looking for jobs via websites such as Monster.com, Craigslist.com and others, Whittier police Officer Bradley White said in a written statement.
Victims have come across job listing claiming they can make money working from home, the officer said.
"Once you make contact with the business and show interest, they begin to contact you through the Internet only," the officer said. "They instruct you that you have been hired and that you can work from home."
The scammers then tell the victims to price shop for needed items, such as phones, computers and desks, and that the company will send them a check, usually for $2,000 to $2,500, to cover the cost of the supplies, White said.
"Once you have received the check, they will ask you to deposit the check into your account and ask that the funds be available immediately," according to the statement.
Victims are then told to keep several hundred dollars to cover the cost of work expenses or for the first week's salary, and send the rest back via a wire transfer.
"What you need to be aware of is the company you are dealing with is a fake company and the check they send you is counterfeit," White said.
Anyone who believed that may have been targeted by this type of scam is asked to report it to the police, officials said.

MONTEBELLO -- A man and woman were behind bars Tuesday on suspicion of stabbing and seriously injuring two acquaintances when an argument broke out while all four were riding in a car, authorities said.
Vicky Villalpando, 26, and Anthony De Avila, 20, both of East Los Angeles, were booked on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with Monday's 8:40 p.m. attack in the 2400 block of Via Acosta, Montebello police Lt. Michael Bergman said. They were believed to be dating.
The investigation was ongoing, but investigators initially believed that the two victims, Los Angeles men in their early 20s, were the back-seat passengers in a car being driven by De Avila, the lieutenant said. Villalpando was riding in the front passenger seat.
An argument erupted between the suspects and the men in the back seat, Bergman said. Villalpando and De Avila pulled at least one knife and began to slash and stab the men.
The victims managed to fight their way out of the car and flee, police said. They were found in the area suffering from multiple stab wounds and cuts.
Both men were listed in "serious-but-stable" condition at an area hospital, Bergman said. One of the men underwent emergency surgery due to a wound on his neck.
Detectives continued looking into what the argument was about that led to the stabbing, he added.
According to county booking records, De Avila was being held in lieu of $1 million bail, while Villalpando was being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Both were due for arraignment Wednesday in East Los Angeles Superior Court.

WHITTIER -- A burglar broke into a Whittier record store early Monday and stole only two rare Beatles albums, shopkeepers said.
The break-in took place about 1:30 a.m. at Lovell's Records and Tapes, 6719 Greenleaf Avenue, store manager Ruben Cortez said.
Police responded to take a burglary report once the damage and theft was discovered about 6 a.m., Whittier police Lt. Randy Inman said. A burglar had smashed through a front window of the business with a rock.
The burglar entered the store and helped himself to two framed copies of the Beatles "Yesterday and Today" album bearing the controversial "Butcher" album cover, which has become a sought after collector's item after the cover was quickly changed by the record company shortly after its 1966 release, Cortez said.
Looking at surveillance video of the crime, it appeared the thief knew exactly what he was after, and passed by other valuable items to get the Beatles records, the manager added.
"It was less than 10 seconds," he said. "They could have taken other things. That's all they wanted."
The surveillance footage shows what appears to be a tall white man with short hair, wearing a hooded sweat shirt, burglarizing the business, Cortez said. His face was not clear in the footage.
The albums taken had been framed on the wall as a display piece, Cortez said. One of them was valued at more than $1,000 and the other at more than $500, though neither was for sale.
The more pricey of the records was an original production of the controversial album cover, depicting the Fab Four dressed as butcher amid dismembered baby dolls, Cortez explained. The less-valuable record was a version that had had the original cover pasted over with the revised cover, but the sticker had been carefully removed, exposing the original cover.
The records were part of the personal collection of store owner Tom Geigle, Cortez said. Geigle had owned the rare records for more than a decade and displayed them in the store so his customers could enjoy them.

ALHAMBRA - Detectives are investigating the death of a woman who was discovered hanging in a bedroom of an apartment early Sunday.
Coroner's officials identified the woman as Elizabeth Setiawan, 38, of Alhambra and ruled the death a homicide after a preliminary examination.
Craig Harvey, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner, said it was reported as a suicide but there are other injuries that are inconsistent with suicide and the manner of death. He said there is blunt force trauma to the body.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed Tuesday, Harvey said.
Setiawan's boyfriend was named as a person of interest in the case and taken to the Alhambra Police station, according to police. He hasn't been arrested and is cooperating with the investigation.
Officers responding to an apartment at 1121 W. Hellman Avenue shortly after midnight Sunday found a man holding up a woman who was hanging in the bedroom.
Police said the woman was cut down, but attempts to revive her were unsuccessful and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Alhambra Police Department at 626-570-5162.

COVINA -- Twin 14-year-old sisters struck by a car and seriously injured as they walked to school early Monday have undergone surgery and remained hospitalized Tuesday, authorities said.
The crash was reported about 6:40 a.m. at on Lark Ellen Avenue and Tudor Street, as the sisters, believed to be Gladstone High School students, were one their way to school, California Highway Patrol officials said.
One of the sisters remained hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday, while the other was listed in stable condition, Sgt. Carl Gafford said.
The girls were walking in a crosswalk when they were struck, officials said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, Gafford said. The driver of the Honda Civic that struck the girls, a woman in her 30s, was not believed to be impaired and she remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

SANTA FE SPRINGS -- Whittier police are seeking witnesses to a Santa Fe Springs car crash that left a La Mirada man dead late last month.
Marshall James Doeve, 24, died at a hospital shortly after the two-car crash, which took place about 2:30 a.m. Oct. 30 at Telegraph Road and Shoemaker Avenue, according to police and coroner's officials.
Following the crash, Whittier police officers arrested the driver of the other car, 32-year-old Juan Mora of Whittier, on suspicion of drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter, Whittier police officials said.
"Supposedly, their were several witnesses present when this occurred," Whittier police Officer Bradley White said.
Police asked that anyone who saw the crash contact Sgt. Rob Hanson at 562-567-9256.
Investigators said Doeve was driving a Chevrolet Lumina that collided with a GMC Yukon being driven by Mora, who was allegedly driving under the influence.
Mora was initially booked into the Whittier Police Department's jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, county booking records show, but he was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Friday and transferred to federal custody due to an immigration hold.
His initial court date was not available.

MONROVIA -- A man arrested in connection with a reported child kidnapping in an unincorporated county area near Monrovia has been released after further investigation revealed the purported victim was "not truthful" about the incident, authorities said.
A 6-year-old boy reported that he had been grabbed and carried off by a man from his backyard in the 2500 block of Graydon Avenue shortly after 4 p.m Friday, sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
"An extensive investigation was conducted by Temple Station detectives and as a result of their findings, a suspect was arrested Sunday evening," Lt. Denise Harshman said.
As the investigation continued Monday, detectives learned new information, she said.
"This information did not corroborate the facts as related by the victim and it became evident the child was not truthful with the investigators about the kidnapping," the lieutenant said.
Officials then released the 32-year-old man who had been held in connection with the alleged incident without charges.
The investigation is ongoing, Harshman added, and no further details were available Tuesday.

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WEST COVINA - One year ago today, a family was altered forever with a single piece of heartbreaking news: Michele Carson had been found dead.

Carson had gone to Las Vegas with a friend, and her parents - John Carson of West Covina and Esther Deleon of La Verne - learned after her death that she had met up with an ex-boyfriend. Las Vegas police say the ex-boyfriend, Justin Burns, strangled Michele and set her body on fire in the desert along Interstate 15. She was 25 when she died... MORE

POMONA -- Small skirmishes broke out during dueling demonstrations between neo-Nazi members of the National Socialist Movement and about six times as many counter-protestors in front of Pomona City Hall on Saturday, however no arrests or injuries were reported.
About 60 members of the white supremacist group marched into the Civic Center about 2 p.m. for a planned rally against illegal immigration and promote their ultra-right- wing agenda.
Many wore military-style uniforms and carried flags bearing swastikas as they were escorted into the area by dozens of police officers.
They shouted chants of "sieg heil," "immigrants go home," and "illegals out."
Counter-protestors responded with their own chants of "Nazis go home," and "What do we want? Dead Nazis. When do we want them? Now."
The need for a police escort became immediately apparent as soon as the NSM demonstrators arrived.
Counter-protestors immediately rushed across police lines and began hurling parking cones, water bottles, horse feces and other items at the neo-Nazis.
Some of the more than 100 police officers and sheriff's deputies assigned to the event from law enforcement agencies throughout the San Gabriel Valley quickly separated the groups and maintained a line of officers in riot gear between them.
Clad in a business suit, NSM Commander Jeff Schoep and others addressed the angry onlookers.
"This country is heading down the toilet because of all the illegal immigrants flooding over our border," he said, before giving a Nazi salute and leading his group in a chant of "sieg heil."
Freddie Baca, 27, of Pomona took part in the counter-protest. He said he also protested the NSM when they held another rally in Claremont earlier this year.
"They're not going to accomplish anything by coming here," he said. "They're just trying to rile people up."
Nick Faz, 31, of Pomona said while he was disgusted by the message of the neo-Nazis, he respected their right to rally.
"It's freedom of speech," he said. "I feel sorry for the officers who have to protect them."
Walnut resident Henrietta Palma, 72, also said she was offended by the white supremacists' rally.
"I think this is silly," she said. "This world is like a garden to the one who created it, with flowers of all different colors. We're all God's children. We're not supposed to be prejudice."
Furious words were exchanged from both sides, however the event remained largely peaceful until the NSM protestors made their exit about 3:30 p.m.
Hundreds of counter-demonstrators rushed around the corner in an effort to confront the neo-Nazis at their vehicles. Some began throwing items at deputies and police officers who blocked their way. One man was struck with a baton from a horse-mounted deputy after pelting her in the face with an object.
At times, counter-protestors directed their anger at the officials keeping the peace at the event.
Many counter-protestors cursed and made obscene gestures at officials who protected the NSM demonstrators from violence.
Within minutes of the NSM's dispersal, however, counter- demonstrators heeded police orders to leave the area.
No injuries and no arrests were reported, Pomona Assistant City Manager Mark Gluba said.
"I think the response was appropriate for the size of the event," he said.
He added that all the involved police agencies demonstrated professionalism.
"Everything went peacefully," he said.

SAN DIMAS -- Firefighter and animal control officials were summoned to the Michael D. Antonovich Trail Saturday after horse apparently fell over a cliff and died, authorities said.
The incident was reported about 11:10 a.m. on the trail, which is just west of San Dimas, Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Melanie Flores said.
The horse was about 35-feet over the side of a cliff, she said, however the circumstances of what happened were not immediately available.
No human injuries were reported, and it was not clear if the horse carried a rider when it fell.

From the Associated Press:

LOS ANGELES -- Authorities say a 70-year-old Claremont woman and her son are among four people indicted for money laundering as part of a narcotics scheme to send a powerful and often-abused cough syrup from California to Texas, where it was sold for the street concoction "purple drank."
The U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement that Lucita Uy of has been indicted for buying three pharmacies so she could purchase more than 97,000 pints of Promethazine for the wholesale price of about $9.
On the streets of Houston, where the drug is especially popular, the same bottle can go for as much as $600.
Uy and her son, Lemuel Libano, have pleaded not guilty to two money laundering charges apiece and are scheduled to start trial Nov. 29.

MONROVIA - A 6-year-old boy was taken from his backyard Friday but got away by biting his kidnapper, deputies said.
The kidnapping was reported at 4:10 p.m. in the 2500 block of Graydon Avenue which is in the unincorporated county area near Monrovia.
The boy was in the backyard when a man appeared and grabbed him, according to Sheriff's Lt. Michael White.
As the man was taking the child down the street to a nearby apartment, he had his hand over the boy's mouth. The boy bit the culprit who dropped him.
The kidnapper fled.
White said the boy ran back home and someone in the house called police.
The suspect was described as a Latino man, 25 to 40 years old, wearing a T-shirt and blue jeans.

*Composite sketch courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department

PASADENA -- A teen on a bicycle snatched a purse from a woman Friday as she walked along Garfield Avenue, police said.
The crime was reported about 11:30 a.m. on the avenue near Douglas Street, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said.
A Pasadena woman in her 40s was walking when a teenage robber rode by on a mountain bike and pulled her purse from her shoulder before riding off, police said.
Torres described the suspect as a Latino boy, about 17 years old, 5 feet 7 inches tall, 130 pounds, with short curly hair.

PASADENA -- A woman scared off two teenage girls she found trying to break into her home Friday, authorities said.
A woman in her 60s heard her doorbell ring about 2 p.m. at her home in the 2300 block of Monte Vista Street but did not answer it, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said.
"She heard her sliding (glass) door open and a female juvenile poked her head in the house," he said.
She was accompanied by another girl, Torres said. Both were about 14 or 15 years old.
The woman yelled at the young burglars, and they ran off and jumped into a blue compact car with a waiting driver, officials said. Nothing was stolen.

PASADENA -- Police are seeking a gunman who opened fire on a home with a woman and five children inside late Friday.
The shooting took place about 8:30 p.m. in the 100 block of Painter Street, Pasadena police Lt. Diego Torres said.
"We received numerous calls regarding gunshots in the area," the lieutenant said.
Arriving officers found gunshot holes in a home with a woman in her 30s and five children inside, Torres said. No one was injured.
"Some witnesses saw someone running away from the location, east," he said. It was unclear if the person seen running may have been the shooter, or fleeing from the shooting.
The home and its residents were not believed to have any gang ties, Torres said. Police were investigating the motive in the shooting, and whether the home was the intended target or merely caught in crossfire. 

Temple Station deputies are investigating the report of a child kidnaping (in the 500 block of Graydon Avenue) in the unincorporated area of Monrovia. 
The ten year old victim was in his backyard, when the suspect appeared and picked him up in his arms. The suspect ran with the victim to a nearby apartment complex. The suspect was covering the victim's mouth with his hand, when the victim bit the suspect. The suspect dropped the victim and ran from the scene. The victim ran home where he was reunited with his mother. 
Temple Station detectives responded to the scene and are working with patrol personnel to identify the suspect, (described as a black or Latino man between 18 and 40, with black hair, wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans).

MONROVIA -- Coroner's officials Friday released the name of a Texas man who police said fatally shot himself in front of officers, his ex-wife and two young children after threatening the woman with a gun last week.
Sue Chee Ng, 45, of Allen, Texas, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting, which took place shortly after 12 p.m. Oct. 29 in front of Library Park, in the 300 block of South Myrtle Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
Police officers rushed to the park after receiving 9-1-1 calls reporting a man holding a woman at gunpoint.
When police arrived, the man, later identified as Ng, turned the gun on himself and shot himself in the head, police said.
Two small children, one of which he shared with the woman, were also present during the incident.
Police said Ng had followed the woman and children to the area.

Despite the fact that this man apparently died as a result of injuries suffered more than two weeks ago, El Monte police and sheriff's officials said they had no information to release Friday regarding what may have happened to him:

EL MONTE -- Police and sheriff's homicide investigators are looking into the death of a man Friday stemming from an incident in El Monte last month, however officials released no information about the circumstances of the death.
"Sheriff's Homicide Bureau detectives are assisting El Monte Police Department personnel in the investigation surrounding the death of a Hispanic man resulting from an incident that occurred on October 22, 2011, at the 2600 block of Peck Road, El Monte," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Headquarter's officials said in a written statement.
"The victim was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries," the statement said. "There is no further information available at this time."
El Monte police deferred all questions back to the sheriff's department.

MONTEREY PARK -- A woman died early Friday after being struck by a car near her home, police said.
Shui Lee, 78, died at the scene of the collision, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
The crash took place about 6:30 a.m. in the 500 block of North Inez Street, Monterey Park police Lt. Tina Montoya said.
Initial reports indicate the woman, who lives in a nearby home, was walking in the street in her pajamas when she was struck by a southbound vehicle, the lieutenant said.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, and nothing criminal was initially suspected, Montoya said.
Detectives from the Monterey Park Police Department are investigating the crash.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS -- Deputies jailed three attempted burglary suspects Thursday after a witness reported seeing them trying to break into a neighbor's house, authorities said.
Jordan Saunders, 20, of Los Angeles, Derrick Thompson, 21, and Joshua Allen, 20, all of Los Angeles, were booked on suspicion of attempted burglary, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Vic Sotelo said.
Someone called authorities about noon to report three suspicious men who looked like they were trying to force their way into a neighboring home, the lieutenant said.
The suspects had left the home by the time deputies arrived, Sotelo said, however one was found in a car about a block away, and the other two were found walking about two blocks from the home.
"They all provided us conflicting stories as to what they were doing there," he said.
"Upon examination of the house, we observed a pried off window screen," Sotelo said. "We matched the pry marks with a prying tool that was located in the vehicle."
According to county booking records, Saunders and Thompson were being held in lieu of $20,000 each, while Allen was being held in lieu of $23,122. All three men were due for arraignment Monday in West Covina Superior Court.

NORWALK -- A man snatched a gold necklace with a heart-shaped pendant from a 93-year-old woman on Thursday.
Sheriff's Lt. Frank Rivera said the woman ended up with an abrasion from the robbery which was reported at 4:15 p.m. in the 15000 block of Alburtis Avenue.
Rivera said the robber either came up behind the victim or approached her from the side then pulled the necklace off her neck.
The robber was seen getting into a black 4-door car, possibly an Infiniti, with tinted windows. Deputies think the second suspect was driving the car but didn't have a description for the culprit.
The suspect who took the necklace was described as a black man in his early 20s, 5 feet 7 inches tall and with a thin build. He wore a green T-shirt, a green baseball cap and dark-colored shorts.
- From Staff Writer Ruby Gonzales

ALHAMBRA -- Sentencing for a man convicted of murdering a 16-year-old Pasadena girl in a shooting outside a Pasadena nightclub was postponed Thursday.
John Dvon Reynolds, 24, of Pasadena was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday in Alhambra Superior Court, however the hearing was continued to Nov. 19, court officials said.
A jury convicted Reynold of first-degree murder Oct. 21 for the Aug. 17, 2007 death of Ebony Huel outside the Underground Club in Pasadena.
He was shooting at another man who had provided information to investigators regarding another case against Reynolds, Los Angeles County District Attorney's officials said in a written statement.
In addition to murder, Reynolds was convicted of the attempted murder of his intended victim, who was not shot, as well the special allegation that the shooting was gang-related, officials said. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He faces a minimum sentence of 75 years to life in prison.

WHITTIER -- Three attackers beat a man and robbed him at gunpoint late Wednesday as he walked along Norwalk Boulevard in an unincorporated county area just west of Whittier, authorities said.
The victim was walking on the boulevard near Loch Avon Drive shortly after 9 p.m. when three robbers approached in a black, 1980s-model Acura sedan, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Robert Smith said.
"Two of the suspects exited the vehicle and began punching him," Smith said. "They demanded his money."
The victim struggled with the attackers until one of them pulled a handgun on him, the lieutenant said. He then turned over his money.
A description of the robbers was not available early Thursday, Smith said.
The victim was not seriously hurt, he added.

GLENDORA -- Five pedestrians were robbed at gunpoint Tuesday in what was believed to be crime spree carried out by a single group of suspects, police said.
"Between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., we had five armed robberies at various locations throughout Glendora," Glendora police Sgt. Scott Strong said.
All of the victims were walking, on a bike or on a skateboard, he added.
The robberies occurred in the 700 block of South Hunters Trail; the 200 block of East Gladstone Street: Barranca Avenue and Gladstone Street; Meda Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue; and Glendora and Juanita Avenue, Strong said.
In one of the robberies, a man was punched but not seriously injured, police said.
Police initially described the robbers only as a group of black men in their 20s, one of them armed with a handgun.
Officials were also reportedly investigating a similar robbery that occurred early Tuesday morning in Azusa.

SOUTH PASADENA -- A South Pasadena man suspected of having two acetylene-powered projectile launchers was released from jail Thursday after posting bail, according to county booking records.
Eduardo Lopez, 35, was arrested on suspicion of manufacturing dangerous weapons, South Pasadena police Officer Fernando Sandoval said.
The arrest came Wednesday after police and FBI officials searched his home in the 1500 block of Diamond Avenue and found two of the devices, the officer said.
The devices were about seven feet long with PVC piping for barrels, police said. Powered by the flammable torch fuel acetylene, the devices were capable of firing large projectiles at high speeds.
FBI officials developed information that Lopez had dangerous weapons and asked local police for assistance as they stopped and searched his truck 400 block of Fair Oaks Avenue, officials said.
Bomb squad members searched the vehicle and found no weapons or explosives, then headed to Lopez's home, where the weapons were found, Sandoval said.
Lopez was arrested and booked on suspicion of manufacturing dangerous weapons, police said.
Lopez could not be reached for comment Thursday.
According to county booking records, he was released from jail Thursday after posting $20,000 bail. Information on his initial court appearance was not available.

ARCADIA -- Arcadia High School was placed on lockdown for more than two hours Tuesday as police investigated a threat against the campus.
After learning of the threat Tuesday morning, school officials and Arcadia police elected to seal off the campus just before noon, Arcadia police officials said.
Specifics of the threat, or how it was delivered, were not released Tuesday afternoon due to the ongoing investigation, Lt. Bob Anderson said.
The nature of the threat, we're not releasing that at this time," he said. "We're certainly looking into it as a credible threat. In a situation like this, the safety of our students is our number one priority."
Arcadia High School junior Nadia Saleh, 16, said she was in class when an alarm indicating a campus lockdown sounded.
"We all thought it was a drill, until the teacher checked outside," she said.
Once it became the incident was not a false alarm, teachers began carrying out lockdown procedures, students said.
Students were told to line up against a wall, teachers covered over classroom windows to prevent someone outside the classroom from peering in, and shut off the lights.
Police searched the school with bomb-sniffing dogs, Saleh said.
Parents exchanges phone calls and text messages with their children during the lockdown, as they waited outside the school for their release.
Jannell Garkow of Arcadia traded texts with her 16-year-old daughter, a sophomore at the school.
"I'm a little nervous," she said as she waited for news. "Once they start getting them out of the classrooms, I'll be OK."
Garkow added that her daughter was not panicked during the incident, which took place just before students were to take their lunch break.
"Her main concern is she's starving," Garkow said.
Renee Carrigan has two sons in the school, though only one of them, a freshman, attended Tuesday.
She said she was worried at first, but as the day progressed without word of a major incident, she began to relax.
"Odds are, you think, it's a prank, but you can't know for sure," she said.
The roughly 5,000 students at the school were released shortly after 2 p.m.
Students who walk home were released to the Duarte Road side of the campus, Arcadia Unified School District spokeswoman Marilyn Daleo said. Students needing to be picked up were advised to meet their parents at nearby Arcadia County Park.
Betty Saleh of Arcadia said as a parent, she was pleased with the way the situation was handled by the school.
"They kept us calm and kept us informed," she said.
School officials sent automated phone messages regarding the incident, and Arcadia police sent messages via the online messaging service Nixle.com.
After school activities were cancelled Tuesday, but a normal school day and activities were planned for Wednesday, Daleo said.
"Our established and practiced procedures were followed," she said. "Everyone did what they were supposed to do, and we feel the students were safe and sound and supervised at all times."

WHITTIER - The trial for an East Whittier Middle School P.E. teacher accused of carrying on a months-long relationship with a 14-year-old students began Tuesday, officials said.
Jesse Serrato, 29, is charged with four counts of lewd conduct with a child for the alleged relationship between October of 2010 and March of this year.
His trial began Tuesday in Norwalk Superior Court with the jury selection process, court officials said.
East Whittier City School District put Serrato on leave after learning of the allegation and calling the police. He was ultimately terminated in May.
within days of his arrest, officials said.
Serrato also worked as an assistant walk-on football coach at La Serna High School, which is a paid, part-time job, Whittier Union High School District officials said. He was fired from the position following the allegations.
He had also worked as a coach at Pioneer High School as far back as 2002.

ALHAMBRA -- Police are seeking two men who shot and wounded another man Monday.
The shooting was reported about 9:30 a.m. in the 2800 block of West Ramona Road, Alhambra police Sgt. Esther Rodriguez said.
A Los Angeles man in his 20s was shot several times, however the injuries were not believed to be life-threatening, the sergeant said.
Police initially described the attackers only as Latino men between 18 and 25 years old.
A motive in the shooting was not clear, Rodriguez said, however it was not believed to be gang-related.

SANTA FE SPRINGS - The driver who was killed in a 2-car crash was identified Monday as a 24-year-old La Mirada man.
Marshall James Doeve died at a hospital early Sunday, according to Ed Winter, spokesman for the Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner. Winter said the autopsy hasn't been scheduled yet.
Whittier police said Doeve was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Lumina that collided with a GMC Yukon about 2:30 a.m., Sunday at Telegraph Road and Shoemaker Avenue.
Officers arrested the Yukon's driver, 32-year-old Juan Mora of Whittier, on suspicion of driving under the influence. A charge of vehicular manslaughter was later added.
Mora remained Monday at Whittier jail without bail. He will be arraigned Tuesday at Whittier Superior Court.
Any witnesses to the crash are asked to call Whittier police Sgt. Rob Hanson at 562-567-9256.
- From staff writer Ruby Gonzales

WHITTIER -- A man was seriously injured but expected to survive after being stabbed in the neck late Monday, authorities said.
Officers responded to reports of a man "covered in blood" about 11:45 p.m. in the 12200 block of Whittier Boulevard, Whittier police Officer Bradley White said.
The wounded man was a 56-year-old old Whittier-area transient, Whittier police Officer Bradley White said.
The man was found apparently trying to make his way to nearby Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital, White said. Paramedics took him to another hospital where he was rushed into surgery and listed in stable condition Monday.
In addition to the stab wound to his neck, he also suffered trauma to the back of his head, police said.
No suspect was in custody early Tuesday, police said, and no further details of what took place were available.

WEST COVINA - A 26-year-old Baldwin Park man was stabbed to death early Sunday morning after becoming involved in an altercation outside a Halloween party, police said Monday.
According to a news release, West Covina police received several 9-1-1 calls reporting a stabbing in the 1000 block of South Meeker Avenue at about 2 a.m.
When officers arrived, they found Nicholas Bernard Botiller in the middle of the street suffering from mutiple stab wounds to his upper torso.
Botiller was taken to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
West Covina police Cpl. Rudy Lopez said witnesses told police that Botiller left the party with a group of people and was hanging out with them in the street prior to the stabbing.
He said witnesses heard a "ruckus" and saw that Botiller had been stabbed.
Botiller's attackers fled the area before police arrived. No suspects have been identified or arrested.
Anyone who witnessed the stabbing or attended the party is asked to call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8557.
Tips can be reported anonymously by calling 626-939-8688 or by texting TIPWCPD and the tip to 847411.
- From staff reports