Monthly Archives: September 2012

UPDATE: Man flown to hospital following two-car crash near Whittier

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WHITTIER — Rescuers landed a helicopter on the field of California High School early Wednesday to hospitalize a 17-year-old boy injured in a two-car crash on Mulberry Drive, officials said.
The crash was reported about 8:24 a.m. on Mulberry Drive near Gunn Avenue in an unincorporated county area near Whittier, according to California Highway Patrol logs. It involved a 1960s-model Ford Mustang and a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
A 17-year-old boy who was a passenger in the Mustang was flown to Los Angeles County-USC with potential serious injuries, CHP Officer Charles Quijada said. Fire officials initially described the badly injured person as a man.
He appeared to have hit his head and was experiencing seizures, officials said.
Another teenage boy riding as a passenger in the Mustang suffered apparently moderate injuries, while a third teen who was driving the classic car was unhurt, according to CHP Officer Charles Quijada.
A woman who was driving the Cherokee also suffered apparently moderate injuries, Quijada said. She was the only person in her vehicle.
The crash occurred as the Jeep was headed eastbound on Mulberry Drive and the Mustang was westbound, Quijada said. The Jeep was slowing down for a red light when it was struck by the Mustang.
“The Mustang came from westbound side, out of control into the eastbound lanes, and struck the Cherokee,” he said.
The cause of crash was being investigated by the Santa Fe Springs office of the CHP.
The wreckage was quickly cleared from the roadway, and only the eastbound lanes of Mulberry Drive were briefly shut down in the aftermath of the collision.
Witnesses are encouraged to to contact the San De Springs CHP office at 562-868-0503.
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Azusa carjacking suspects jailed following crash in San Bernardino

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Two men and a 17-year-old boy in a stolen car were arrested Tuesday after a chase that ended with a crash in San Bernardino.
Officers also found a loaded 9mm handgun in the late model Scion which had been taken during a carjacking in Azusa Tuesday morning.
Azusa Police Sgt. Andy Sutcliffe said a resident walked out of a business in the 400 block of South Citrus Avenue to her car at 5:45 a.m.
A man approached her, brandished a gun and demanded her wallet and other personal items, Sutcliffe said. the man also took the victim’s Scion sedan.
Detectives developed information the car was parked at a fast food restaurant in San Bernardino and notified the San Bernardino Police Department.
San Bernardino officers tried to pull the car over.
The driver led officers on a pursuit for several miles before colliding with another vehicle near 40th Street and Sierra Way, according to Sutcliffe.
San Bernardino Police Lt. D. Robinson said the suspects ran but were caught. The synopsis he has on the incident doesn’t mention any injuries from the crash.
A 17-year-old boy, Raymond Henderson, 23, and Daryl Green, 22, were arrested on suspicion of carjacking. All live in San Bernardino.
The teen is being held at Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall in Downey.
Henderson is at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles with a $100,000 bail while Green is being held at Azusa jail on a no bail parole warrant.
The two men have a Thursday arraignment at West Covina Superior Court.
– Staff report
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Officials identify West Covina homicide victim

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Coroner’s officials identified the man who was fatally stabbed outside a local mall on the weekend.
Lt. Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner said Tuesday that Ibrahim Zepeda, 18, of Baldwin Park died of multiple stab wounds. The death was ruled as a homicide, he added.
West Covina police said Zepeda was attacked Sunday afternoon by several men in the parking lot along the south side of the Sears store at Westfield West Covina. Zepeda was dropped off at Citrus Valley Medical Center – Queen of the Valley Campus.
Police were notified when the hospital called the station about a wounded man in the emergency room. Zepeda later died of his injuries Sunday night.
No one has been arrested for the killing.
– Ruby Gonzales
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Man fatally shot in Pasadena

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PASADENA — A young man died early Wednesday following a shooting, authorities said.
Officials received a report of gunshots heard about 12:10 a.m. in the area of Newport Avenue and Stanton Street, Pasadena police officials said in a written statement.
Police found a wounded man, described as a black man in his early-20s, and summoned paramedics, police said.
His name was not released pending confirmation that his family had been notified, coroner’s officials said. He was initially believed to be a Pasadena resident.
The gunshot victim died from his injuries at a hospital a short time later.
Investigators continued seeking the shooter, described as a black man in his late-teens or early-20s.
No vehicle was seen in connection with the crime, according to Lt. Jari Faulkner. Police continued searching for the attacker Wednesday morning.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Pasadena police at 626-744-4241.
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Family of Whittier woman killed in crash thanks community for support

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62396-REYES carwash-thumb-300x225-62395.jpg
Friends and family members of a 21-year-old Whittier woman killed in a car crash last week thanked the Whittier community for an overwhelming show of support and kindness during a car wash held Sunday to raise money for funeral expenses.
Britney Reyes died at the scene of the crash, which took place about 4:15 a.m. Thursday on Mar Vista Street near York Avenue, police said.
In an effort to help grief-stricken family members take care of services for Reyes, a car wash was held Sunday at the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Mills Avenue.
“People have just been so wonderful,” said Reyes’ grandmother, Lupe Garcia. “It’s overwhelming and wonderful at the same time. The family would like to thank them.”
Countless cars stopped by, most giving much more than the suggested $10 donation, resulting in thousands of dollars raised.
“Total donations have exceeded $10,000,” Reyes’ aunt Judy Reyes said following Sunday’s event. “It was amazing.”
About 30 family members and 100 friends met with people whose lives had been touched by Britney Reyes, as well as other members of the Whittier community who did not know her but were touched by her story and wanted to help, the aunt said.
Judy Reyes said she was especially impressed by a young woman named Lauren Coats, who was an acquaintance of Britney Reyes but had fallen out of touch in recent years.
Coats arranged for a local Jamba Juice store to donate drinks to sell at the fundraiser, then stayed on to sell them and help with the car wash, the aunt said. “She was just amazing.”
Judy Reyes said the communities’ kindness in recent days has been invaluable.
“It gave me the support and strength I needed,” she said. “I really want the Whittier community to know how much the Reyes and Dewberry families appreciate it.”
A longtime Whittier-area resident and graduate of Sonora High School in La Habra, “Britney was a very cheerful, bubbly person,” her grandmother said. “She was always there to make people happy. She was loved.”
Services for Reyes had not been scheduled Sunday.
PHOTO: courtesy
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Officials ID motorcyclist killed in Angeles Crest Highway crash

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LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE — Authorities Sunday identified a 38-year-old Valley Village man who died Saturday in a motorcycle crash on Angeles Crest Highway.
Dan Cretu died at a hospital shortly after the 11:20 a.m. crash at near mile marker 27 of Angeles Crest Highway, about four miles north of the 210 Freeway, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
Cretu was riding a 2012 Aprilia motorcycle when, “for reasons still under investigation,” the motorcycle veered off the right side of the roadway and struck an Angeles National Forest sign, California Highway Patrol officials said in a written statement.
The rider was thrown from his motorcycle and landed on a dirt and grass embankment, officials said. He was rushed by helicopter to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena where he was pronounced dead.
The crash is being investigated by the Altadena office of the CHP. Anyone with information was asked to contact the office at 626-296-8100.
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UPDATE: Detectives investigate hazing allegations at La Puente High School

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LA PUENTE — Authorities are investigating allegations of sexual hazing among boys’ soccer players at La Puente High School, according to school district and sheriff’s officials.
The allegations involve incoming freshman players being sodomized with foreign objects by older students, according to CBS Los Angeles.
One alleged victim of the abuse was sent to a hospital for treatment as a result of the alleged hazing, an official from the Hacienda La Puente Unified School District said.
“Detectives from the Special Victims Bureau are investigating allegations of hazing within a varsity sports program at La Puente High School,” Sgt. Al Frejo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau said in a written statement issued late Saturday.
Frejo described the potential victims of the crimes as an “unknown number” of 14- and 15-year-old boys. 
“The hazing incidents have gone on for several years and may have risen to the level of a crime,” Frejo said. “At this point there is no information to indicate that any member of faculty or coaching staff were directly involved.”
Sheriff’s officials released no further information and did not confirm the alleged hazing was sexual in nature or that it involved players being sodomized, as reported by CBS. However, the Special Victims Bureau specializes in investigating sex crimes.
Sheriff’s officials would not say if any students had been arrested in connection with the allegations.
“This is really a shock to the school, the district and the board members,” Hacienda La Puente Unified School District board president Joseph Chang said Sunday.
Chang said that after the district learned of allegations of sexual hazing about two weeks ago, district officials notified the sheriff’s department.
The district also launched an internal investigation, including looking into whether similar activities were taking place in other sports programs or at other schools in the district, Chang said. So far, he said, no similar allegations have surfaced elsewhere.
“The school district takes this very seriously,” Chang said, adding that he was disturbed by the allegations. “This is really something that should not happen in any school. We always try to maintain a safe and healthy learning environment for the students.”
No school or district staff members were believed to be involved in the hazing, Chang said.
“According to all the interviews (so far), they were not aware of these activities,” he said.
La Puente High School sent a letter home to parents Friday informing them of the investigation and encouraging them to speak with their children about it, Chang said. The district has also made counselors available to potentially affected students.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District officials, including the superintendent and soccer coach, could not be reached for comment over the weekend.
La Puente High School, 15615 E, Nelson Ave., serves about 1,560 students.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau at 877-710-5273, or by email at specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org.
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Motorcyclist killed in crash on Angeles Crest Highway

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LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE — A motorcyclist died Saturday after crashing on Angeles Crest Highway, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The rider, initially described as a man in his late 30s, was pronounced dead at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena just over an hour after the 11:22 a.m. solo-motorcycle crash at mile marker 27.65 of Angeles Crest Highway, about four miles north of the 210 Freeway, CHP Officer Christian Cracraft said.
The circumstances of the crash were being investigated by the Altadena office of the CHP.
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UPDATE: Fire reported at Ocean View Elementary School in Whittier

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WHITTIER — An electrical fire caused about $100,000 worth of damage to the auditorium at Ocean view Elementary School Saturday, officials said.
The fire was first reported at 4:42 p.m. at the school, 14359 E. 2nd Street, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Andre Gougis.
It mainly burned in the attic of the auditorium, which doubles as the school’s cafeteria, Capt. Pat Scanlon said.
Firefighters extinguished the flames in about 45 minutes, he said. 
There was no one present at the campus, and firefighters had to force their way in to the building, Gougis said.
Investigators determined the fire began with a sparking electrical outlet inside a compartment in the stage area of the auditorium, Scanlon said. It apparently smoldered its way upward along the wall until it reached the attic and spread.
No other buildings at the campus were damaged, and school was expected to be held as usual Monday, though the affected building will be off-limits, according to East Whittier City School District and fire officials.
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Baldwin Park teen wounded in stabbing

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BALDWIN PARK — A Baldwin Park teen was stabbed in the chest late Friday, police said.
The crime took place about 9:20 p.m. in the 4400 block of Bogart Avenue, just north of Los Angeles Street, according to Baldwin Park police Sgt. Mark Harvey.
“The victim received a stab wound to the chest,” Harvey said. After treatment at a hospital, he was listed in stable condition.
Police described the stabber as a Latino man with a dark complexion and tattoos on his forearms.
The circumstances of the incident were not available Saturday, as the wounded teen, 16, did not appear to be cooperating with investigators, Harvey said.
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