UPDATED: Man dies following domestic violence arrest

A 51-year-old Rowland Heights man who was hospitalized just over a month ago after being arrested by sheriff’s deputies on suspicion of domestic violence died Saturday at a hospital, authorities said.
Charlie Karl Duran died shortly after 2:30 p.m. at San Dimas Community Hospital, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner’s Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said. An official cause of death will be determined through an autopsy, though the death was initially reported to coroner’s investigators as apparently natural.
Deputies used no force while arresting Duran, MacWillie said.
Duran was arrested by deputies from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Walnut/Diamond Bar Station *May 24 on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence, sheriff’s Lt. Mary Leef said in a written statement.
The following day, “While being detained at the Walnut/Diamond Bar Station jail, he was transported to San Dimas Community Hospital for medical reasons,” according to the statement. He died shortly after 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
No further information was released.
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Driver sought in major-injury hit-and-run in Diamond Bar

DIAMOND BAR — The California Highway Patrol asked the public’s help Saturday in tracking down a driver who caused a major-injury crash on the 57 Freeway before fleeing the scene, authorities said.
Adam Roland, 24, of Glendora was hospitalized with major injuries following the 1:13 p.m. crash on the northbound 57 at Pathfinder Road, California Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Licon said. His passenger, a 21-year-old Glendora man, suffered minor injuries.
Roland was driving a 1999 Dodge Stratus at about 80 mph just prior to the crash, Licon said.
“As he continued northbound, a silver or white Mercedes-Benz or BMW crossed over the double-yellow lines, out of the HOV lane, making an unsafe lane change toward Mr. Roland’s vehicle,” Licon said. “Mr. Roland steered his vehicle to the right to avoid in order to avoid a collision.”
The Dodge collided with a guard rail along the right side of the roadway before rolling down an embankment and into a tree, CHP Officer Tatiana Saquillo said.
After being freed from the wreckage by firefighters, Roland was flown to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment, officials said.
CHP officials shut down the two right lanes of the northbound 57 for about an hour as they investigated the collision.
The silver or white car is believed to have caused the crash though it did not make physical contact with the Dodge, Licon said. Officials were investigating the crash as a “non-contact hit-and-run.”
Any witnesses to the crash or anyone with information regarding the hit-and-run vehicle is asked to call the Baldwin Park office of the CHP at 626-338-1164. After hours, the CHP’s Los Angeles Communications Center can be reached at 323-982-4900.
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UPDATED: Fire scorches warehouse in Baldwin Park

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BALDWIN PARK — A large fire gutted a warehouse, four cargo containers, two nearby sheds and a truck Saturday afternoon, causing more than $200,000 worth of damage, officials said.
The fire was first reported a 2:28 p.m. at the metal-clad, 50-foot by 150-foot warehouse on Garvey Avenue, between Bess Avenue and Athol Street, Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatch supervisor Clyde Taylor said.
The fire grew to a “second alarm” before firefighters extinguished the flames about 40 minutes later, she said.
The blaze ignited in the warehouse, which was largely empty except for about 10 55-gallon drums containing motor oil and transmission fluid, fire Capt. Gerald Gonzales said. The vacant warehouse formerly served as an auto repair shop.
The value of the destroyed warehouse was estimated at about $100,000, the captain said.
The fire also spread to a stack of four nearby cargo containers and consumed about $75,000 worth of merchandise, Gonzales said. The containers themselves were valued at about $40,000.
A $10,000 Bess Avenue storage building containing about $15,000 worth of items and a bobtail truck parked on the property also burned, he said, as well as a residential shed full of tools.
The barrels of auto fluids prompted officials to prepare for a hazardous materials incident, however the barrels did not catch fire and no significant contamination occurred, officials said.
No injuries were reported.
West Covina Fire Department firefighters helped their counterparts in the Los Angeles County Fire Department with the blaze.
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
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UPDATED: Rescuers resuscitate drowning toddler in Angeles National Forest

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ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST — Search and rescue team members taking part in an ongoing search for a missing hiker Friday found and resuscitated a drowning toddler they discovered face-down in a creek, authorities said.
Members of the Montrose Search & Rescue Team, who were part of a week-long search for a missing Bakersfield man, came upon the toddler shortly after 5 p.m. near the Stonyvale Picnic Site, off of Big Tujunga Canyon road in the Angeles National Forest north of La Crescenta, Los according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials.
“Members of one of three teams came upon a 1-and-a-half-year-old girl, face down and lifeless in a pool of running water 200 yards away from the picnic area,” sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
Search and rescue team commander and reserve sheriff’s deputy Janet Henderson, who is also an emergency room nurse at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, and sheriff’s Reserve Chief Michael Leum rushed to help the girl, as well as the girl’s mother as she realized what was happening.
Henderson said she and her team had only joined the search minutes earlier Friday afternoon when they came upon the distressed baby.
“I looked up and I saw something in the water,” Henderson said. “I yelled for someone to get the baby. At that time, the mother saw that the baby was face-down.”
The mother and rescuers ran toward the baby, Henderson said. The mother reached the child first and pulled the unconscious girl from the water and handed her to Leum.
The girl’s skin was turning blue and she was not breathing, officials said.
“Mike slapped her on the back a couple of times, which actually made the baby expel some water,” Henderson said.
She added that the toddler slowly regained an increasing level of conscious before a helicopter arrived to take her to a hospital for further treatment, though she still showed signs of water intake.
By Saturday morning, she had been released from the hospital, sheriff’s Sgt. Cynthia Gonzalez said.
The toddler, an adult relative and a 3-year-old child had been sitting along the side of the creek prior to the incident, sheriff’s officials said.
The toddler apparently fell into the creek as the adult family member left her alone briefly to chase after the older child, who had run off.
“It was just one of those things: right place, right time,” Henderson said. “We are just happy to have been there to help her.”
After rescuing the drowning girl, officials said, the search and rescue team members re-joined the ongoing search for the missing hiker.
Ertug Ergun, a 33-year-old engineer and Turkish national from Bakersfield, was reporting missing June 20, according to sheriff’s Sgt. Burton Brink. He is an avid hiker told friends he was planning to go hiking before he went missing.
Rescuers launched a search for him in the Angeles National Forest after discovering his car in parking lot at the Stonyvale Picnic Site.
The search continued Saturday.
PHOTO courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
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Two men sought in South Pasadena puppy theft

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SOUTH PASADENA — Police have released surveillance videos showing two men they say stole a puppy from a pet store last weekend.
The men are being sought for stealing a brown, female, 6-month-old “puggle,” June 23 from Pet’s Delight, 725 Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena police officials said in a written statement. A puggle is a type of dog bred from a pug and beagle.
The men entered the store about 2:50 p.m., police said. One of the thieves acted as a lookout, while the other grabbed the dog. Both men left the store without paying for the animal.
The dog was implanted with a microchip, and has been reported stolen, officials added.
The dog was valued by the pet shop at about $1,000, Detective Richard Lee said.
Police described the thief who took the dog as a Latino man of 35-40 years old, about 5 feet 9 inches tall and 185 pounds. He had black hair and wore long black shorts, along with a white basketball jersey with the phrase “#1 Orlando Magic” on the front and “Hardaway” on the back.
The second thief was described as a Latino man of 35-40 years old, about 5 feet 8 inches tall and 180 pounds, police said. He had black hair and wore a white T-shirt and black shorts.
They were last seen driving off in a green, 2002 Mercury Villager minivan.
Anyone with information was asked to call South Pasadena police detectives at 626-403-7280.
View the video here.
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2000+ pounds of pot found in Norwalk condo

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NORWALK — Deputies investigating a fire at a condominium Thursday discovered more than 2000 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value in excess of $6 million, authorities said.
Deputies responded to a call reporting a fire at a condominium in the 12000 block of Cheshire Street, Sgt. Mike Mendoza of the sheriff’s Norwalk Station said in a written statement.
Deputies found smoke coming from the windows of the home on arrival, Mendoza said.
“Based on the emergent nature of the situation, they made entry into the residence to locate possible victims inside,” Mendoza said.
No one was inside the home, and the smoke was determined to have been coming from food left on a stove, officials said.
“After the fire was extinguished, the deputies noticed a large amount of marijuana in several adjacent rooms,” Mendoza said. “Deputies obtained a search warrant and recovered over 2000 pounds of large-packaged marijuana worth an estimated street value of over $6 million.”
No suspects had been arrested early Friday, officials said, and detectives were investigating the owners.
PHOTO coutesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
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Santa Fe Springs man killed in Whittier motorcycle crash identified

WHITTIER — Authorities have released the name of a 32-year-old Santa Fe Springs man who died Tuesday in a motorcycle crash on Hadley Street.
Michael Hernandez was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after the 11:34 a.m. collision at Hadley Street and Citrus Avenue, according to Whittier police and Los Angeles County Department of Coroner’s officials.
“A motorcycle traveling eastbound on Hadley Street rear-ended a pickup truck that had slowed down,” Whittier police officials said in a written statement.
“The collision caused the motorcyclist to be thrown from his bike,” the statement said. “The motorcyclist landed in the number one lane of westbound Hadley Street, were he was struck in the head by a vehicle traveling westbound on Hadley Street.”
Police and paramedics treated Hernandez at the scene and took him to a hospital, where he died from his injuries a short time later, police said.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by Whittier Police Department traffic investigators.
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Cat dies in Pasadena apartment fire

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PASADENA — A cat died, however no people were injured, in a large fire at an apartment building late Thursday, officials said.
The fire broke out shortly before 7:30 p.m. at a second-floor apartment in the 1000 block of East Villa Street, according to Pasadena Fire Department officials.
Firefighters found heavy smoke and flames coming from the apartment when they arrived and called for additional engines to help with evacuations as they began dousing the blaze, Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
Officials tried to resuscitate an unconscious cat that was discovered inside, but the animal died, she said.
After extinguishing the fire, all but two apartments in the 37-unit building could be re-occupied, officials said.
The owner of the apartment building, nearby Caltech, provided housing for the displaced residents of the two affected units, Derderian said.
Authorities estimated the value of the damage caused by the fire at about $150,000. The cause of the fire was under investigation.
PHOTO courtesy of the Pasadena Fire Department
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UPDATED: Man dies in Norwalk shooting

NORWALK — A man died at a hospital after being shot along Norwalk Boulevard late Thursday, authorities said.
His name was not released pending notification of family members, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner’s Lt. Larry Dietz said. He was initially described only as a Latino man in his early 20s.
The shooting took place just before midnight in the 13500 block of Norwalk Boulevard, near Firestone Boulevard, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
“Detectives have learned that the victim was walking eastbound on Front Street towards Norwalk Boulevard when he was approached by three Hispanic men,” Deputy Guillermina Saldana of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarter’s Bureau said Friday in a written statement.
“The victim ran to a nearby business where he was fatally shot in the upper torso by one of the men who was following close behind,” Saldana said. 
The wounded man was taken to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead was pronounced dead, Dietz said.
No suspects has been apprehended Friday, and the motive in the shooting remained under investigation, officials said.
No further information was available.
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16 arrested in Baldwin Park parole sweep

BALDWIN PARK — Police arrested 16 people Thursday during a parole compliance sweep targeting offenders released early under the recent prison realignment.
Sixteen location within Baldwin Park were visited during the early-morning hours by a multi-agency task force comprised of Baldwin Park police, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, Baldwin Park police Lt. David Reynoso said.
Officials visited the locations to ensure parolees, primarily those released from prison early under a recent plan to reduce the California prison population, are abiding by their release terms, the lieutnant said.
“The emphasis of this detail was to reduce gang-related activity in our community,” Reynoso said. “This detail also serves as a prevenative measure to improve the quality of life of the citizens of our community,.”
Police seized eight guns during the operation, he said. Arrested were: Jaime Salgado, 20, of Baldwin Park, on suspicion of possessing a dangerous weapon; Jeff Steven Drew, 24, of Baldwin Park, on suspicion of possessing drugs for sales; Julie Ann Marie Drew, 21, on suspicion of drug possessiom; Gilbert Samuel Pena, 22, on suspicicion of drug possession; David Alfred Kingsbury, 54, on suspicion of drug possession; Gregory Kingsbury, 30, on suspicion of drug possession; Edward Bestillos, 42, on suspicion of drug possession; Vincent Maldonado, 34, on suspicion of violating parole; Valerie Antress Villa, 23, on suspicion of drug possession; Ramona Guerra, 52, on suspicion of possessing drug paraphernalia; Paul Gonzalez, 35, on suspicion of drug possession; Anthony Guerra, 22, on suspicion of violating parole; Oscar Morales, 29, on suspicion of drug possession; Mario Sanchez, 34, on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm; Louis Lopez, 27, on suspicion of drug possession; and Carmelo Placeros, 55, on suspicion of drug possession.
All of those arrested Thursday are Baldwin Park residents, police added.
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