2 killed in Diamond Bar crash involving former OC CEO, Whittier and La Habra city manager

DIAMOND BAR – A man and wife died late Sunday in a freeway crash involving a longtime public administrator who has served as Orange County’s Chief Executive Officer, as well city manager in Whittier and La Habra, authorities said.
Anubhai Patel, 66, and Shardaben Patel, 67, both of Anaheim, died in Sunday’s 9:08 p.m. crash on the southbound 57 Freeway, just north of Pathfinder Road, according to California Highway Patrol, Orange County coroner’s and Los Angeles County coroner’s officials.
There were sitting in a disabled 2006 Toyota Prius in the No. 3 lane, which was struck from behind by a 2008 Cadillac Escalade being driven by Thomas Mauk, 69, of Whittier, California Highway Patrol Officer C. Chen said in a written statement. Mauk’s wife was riding as a passenger in the SUV, which was traveling at about 60 mph in the carpool lane prior to the collision.
The Escalade had changed lanes from the carpool lane to the No. 1 lane, then again to the No. 2 lane, Chen said. Mauk then looked in his rear view mirror and behind him to check for traffic as he began transitioning into the No. 3 lane. Traffic was light at the time and conditions were dry, officials said.
“As he completed the lane change to the No. 3 lane, he looked ahead and observed a stopped vehicle in the No. 3 lane directly ahead of him,” Chen said.
Both Anubhai and Shardaben Patel died of their injuries, officials said. Shardaben Patel died at UC Irvine Medical Center, while Anubhai Patel was pronounced dead at the scene, CHP Sgt. Mike Dulong said.
Mauk and his wife were treated for apparently minor injuries, Chen said.
Mauk was not arrested or cited, Dulong said, although the investigation continues.
Mauk served as Whittier’s city manager from 1980 through 1999. He was La Habra’s city manager from 1999 to 2002, and he served as the chief executive officer for Orange County from 2004 to 2012. He could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Two dogs were inside Mauk’s SUV at the time of the crash, Dulong said. A puppy inside the SUV was OK, while the second dog could not be found.
Any witnesses to the crash are encouraged to contact the Baldwin Park office of the CHP at 626-338-1164.

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Transient suspect of attempted murder in Pasadena

PASADENA –Police jailed a transient on suspicion of attempted murder late Tuesday after he tried to strangle a woman he had been arguing with, authorities said.
Farris Tollette, 45, was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Pasadena Police Department jail pending his initial court appearance, according to Los Angeles County booking records.
The alleged attack took place about 9 p.m. at Los Robles Avenue and Buckeye Street, Pasadena police Lt. Tom Delgado said.
Tollette and the victim, also a transient, have a history of domestic violence and had been arguing earlier int he day, the lieutenant said.
Tollette saw the woman alone and ran up to her, knocked her to the ground and choked her until she lost consciousness, he said.
Responging officers arrested Tollette without a struggle, Delgado added. The woman declined to be taken to a hospital.

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Cops to collect unwanted prescription drugs

Law enforcement agencies throughout the region and nationwide are teaming up with the Drug Enforcement Administration Saturday to collect unwanted prescription drugs.
Residents are invited to drop off unwanted drugs at dozens of area police and sheriff’s stations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the DEA.
“This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications,” DEA officials said in a written statement.
Collecting the drugs helps prevent them from falling into the hands of abusers, or ending up polluting the environment, officials said.
Locations participating in the drug take back program Saturday include Los Angeles County sheriff’s station, the Whittier Police Department, the La Habra Police Department, the La Verne Police Department, the San Gabriel Police Department, the Glendora Police Department and the Monterey Park Police Department.
To find a nearby collection site, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov and click the “got drugs” icon.

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SGV firefighters, police to face off on basketball court for charity in Arcadia

ARCADIA — San Gabriel Valley police officers and firefighters are once again preparing to face each other on the basketball court to raise money for the Special Olympics.
The “Battle of the Badges” is planned for Saturday at the Arcadia High School gym in, 180 Campus Drive in Arcadia, organizers said in a written statement.
Four games are scheduled.
San Gabriel police will take on San Gabriel Firefighters in a game at noon, followed by a game between Alhambra police and Alhambra firefighters at 2 p.m.
El Monte police will take on Los Angeles County firefighters from El Monte at 4 p.m., and Arcadia police officers and firefighters will square off at 6 p.m.
The cost of admission is a “donation of your choice” to the Special Olympics Southern California, organizers said.
For more information, contact Arcadia police Detective Walter Ashby at 626-574-5188.

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Monrovia fire 85 percent contained, all evacuation orders lifted

All remaining evacuation orders in Monrovia were lifted Sunday afternoon as firefighters had surrounded a brush fire that charred more than 100 acres in the foothills at the northern edge of town since Saturday morning.
Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan announced all residents still evacuated due to the Madison Fire were free to return home shortly after 3 p.m. Only residents were being allowed into the recently evacuated neighborhoods in case the wind should pick up and again.
“The fire has been held to 125 acres,” he said. Firefighters had drawn solid containment lines around 85 percent of the wildfire, he said, leaving only a small portion on the eastern flank uncontrolled.
Though estimates Saturday placed the size of the fire, which ignited shortly after 11 a.m. along the 300 block of Madison Avenue, at 175 acres, the estimate was revised Sunday, Monrovia spokeswoman Jennifer McLain said.
“We do have crews continuing to work the fire line as we speak,” Donovan said Sunday afternoon. Twenty fire engines and 10 hand crews remained assigned to the fire, which was burning in steep, tough terrain, with a water-dropping helicopter on stand-by.
“At the height of the incident, over 400 homes were directly threatened by the fire, and due to the hard work of Monrovia Firefighters and mutual aid partners from across Southern California, no homes were damaged or destroyed,” Donovan said.
Overnight, three to five patrol crews would continue working the fire, Donovan said. Today, crews were expected to finish building the containment lines in the form of a 200-foot-thick layer of fire retardant foam between the wildfire and nearby neighborhoods.
The fire was largely smouldering Sunday, Donavoan said, although “we did have some spot fires.”
Though the weather continued to be cooperative Sunday, an increase in wind remained a concern.
“If we get a significant wind, it can pick up embers and carry them over the containment line,” Donovan said.
About 200 homes were evacuated at the peak of the fire Saturday, McLain said.
“They were pretty aggressive using foam to protect the homes,” McLain said.
“Residents will see smoke in the area from active fire, and you might also spot fire in open areas,” city officials said in a written statement. “Hand crews will be working in the hills, and fire engines will be in neighborhoods supporting this work.”
In an ironic twist, the fire is blamed on a fire prevention effort, officials said.
It was sparked by a gardener’s power tool, Donovan said. The homeowner had hired the gardener to perform weed abatement ahead of fire season.
Having discussed with other fire chiefs the weather and vegetation conditions in the area, “We are anticipating a very bad fire season,” Donovan said.
And to have such a large fire so early in the season seemed to indicate that prediction was accurate.
“I think we’re in for a long road.”

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Officials: Rosemead gang member and wife arrested with pound of cocaine after El Monte traffic stop

An admitted gang member from Rosemead faces a potential third-strike after he and his wife were arrested last week following a traffic stop in El Monte that led to the discovery of more than $20,000 worth of cocaine, authorities said.
Duong Che, 32, who is on parole for home-invasion robbery, and his wife Helena Hong, 30, of Rosemead, were booked on suspicion of possession of cocaine for sales and transportation following their arrests Thursday night, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials and county booking records.
About a pound of cocaine was seized in the bust, with an estimated street value of $20,000 to $30,000, sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Kim said in a written statement.
Sheriff’s gang investigators assigned to the Asian Gang Team pulled Che over for a minor traffic violation as he was driving with his wife as a passenger near El Monte Superior Court, 11234 E. Valley Blvd., Kim said. Deputies discovered Che was on parole, giving them authority to search him and his vehicle.
Several packages of cocaine were found in his pocket, and more packages were found inside the vehicle, the sergeant said. More than nine ounces of the drug were recovered from the traffic stop, and Che and Hong were arrested.
Kim said investigators then turned their attention to Che’s home in the 7400 block of Whitmore Street in Rosemead, Kim said.
“During the search, an additional seven ounces of cocaine, and other evidence of narcotics — such as scales, empty bags and cash — were discovered and seized,” he added.
As a potential third-strike offender, Che faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted as charged, officials said. He was being held without bail pending his initial court appearance.
Hong was released from jail Friday afternoon after posting $60,000 bail, according to county booking records.
Both Che and Hong were scheduled to appear in El Monte Superior for arraignment Monday.

PHOTOS courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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Monrovia brush fire reaches 175 acres

MONROVIA — A brush fire in the hillsides of northern Monrovia quickly grew to 175 acres and prompted mandatory evacuations of about 200 homes Saturday, authorities said.

The fire, which ignited shortly after 11 a.m. along the 300 block of Madison Ave., was 50 percent contained by nightfall, Monrovia Fire Department and city officials said.
As the fire continued to grow Friday afternoon, mandatory evacuations were ordered along the fires eastern flank in an area above Foothill Boulevard in the vicinity of Myrtle Avenue.
The fire was separated by one ridge from neighborhoods, though no homes were “directly threatened” by the wildfire Saturday afternoon, Monrovia Fire Department and city officials said.
“The fire has jumped a critical containment line and continues to burn,” Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan said Saturday afternoon. The blaze was working its way east through heavy brush that has not burned in more than 55 years.
But by nightfall, firefighters appeared to be getting the upper hand. The majority of evacuations — for all but four streets — were lifted at 9 p.m.
Only Highland Place, Heather Heights Court, Briarcliff Road and Alta Vista Avenue remained under mandatory evacuations orders Saturday night, due to concerns over possible overnight winds.
“There is no imminent danger,” Donovan said. “Residents are asked to be patient, but no time has been established at this point to lift the evacuation.”
An evacuation center was set up for displaced residents at the Monrovia Community Center, 119 W. Palm Ave, and the Red Cross was summoned to offer assistance, fire and city officials said. Few residents made use of the shelter Saturday afternoon.
Sixty-five fire engines, five water dropping helicopters, two water dropping fixed-wing airplanes, six hand crews and two bulldozers were assigned to the fire in the afternoon, Donovan said.
Firefighters switched tactics after sunset, relying less on water drops on more on hand crews, officials said. Twenty engines and six hand crews continued working overnight.
“The concern for tonight is downwind draft, which is typical for foothill areas,” Donovan said. “I am comfortable with the situation and the lack of wind.”
Officials used Monrovia High School as a base for them to operate out of, Monrovia spokeswoman Jennifer McLain said.
The fire was believed to have been sparked by power tools from gardening work, Donovan said.
Saturday’s hot weather took a toll on the firefighting effort, and one firefighter was treated for heat-related injuries, officials said.
But the weather was also cooperating in some respects, Donovan said.
Humidity levels were reasonable and an expected increase in wind in the afternoon was less significant than anticipated.
“It’s still a primarily fuel and topography driven fire,” the chief added.
Donovan commended the firefighters.
“The firefighters are doing hard work up there, and they’re doing an excellent job of protecting homes,” he said.
Animal control officials were called to the scene of the fire about 4 p.m. after firefighters spotted a bear, McLain said. The animal control officers shooed the bear away.
The first firefighters who responded to a 9-1-1 call reporting the fire encountered “light smoke with fire burning uphill,” Donovan said.
Residents said firefighters arrived and began attacking the fire very quickly, but it continued to quickly spread through the heavy fuels as it worked its way toward the east.
Within a matter of hours, what began as a narrow pillar of smoke rising from the foothills spread into a haze that obscured the San Gabriel Mountains.
The fire burned within 60 feet or so of Fred Bowden’s Crescent Drive home. Though he said he was concerned, he never thought his house was in serious danger.
He said he took his pets to his office and was ready to make a hasty retreat if he had to, but was confident firefighters had the situation under control.
“Monrovia Fire did a good job. I was impressed,” Bowden said.
At the outset of the fire “the flames were about 50 feet high,” said Bowden’s brother-in-law Paul Pollack. “They jumped on this thing fast. They did a hell of a job.”
A group of residents living along Crescent Drive, near the fire’s origin, decided to make the best of the situation.
They set up lawn chairs and gathered food in the front yard of Terry Blank, who had a closer-than-comfortable front-row view of the fire.
“I’m pretty calm,” she said. “I don’t panic.”
Neighbors brought over some food and drink, and Blank whipped up some snacks as the neighbors gathered for a sort of fire-watching block party.
But it wasn’t all fun, said Blank’s daughter, as the fire still seemed to pose a potential threat to some homes farther to the east.
“We have longtime friend’s up there,” she said.
Evacuees needing a place for their pets were invited to drop them off at the Pasadena Humane Society, which is at 361 S. Raymond Ave. in Pasadena and can be reached at 626-792-7151, or the Wonder Ranch Dog Ranch in Monrovia, which is at 220 Taylor Street and can be reached at 626-205-2501. The Wonder Dog Ranch has offered to board both dogs and cats.

PHOTO by Sarah Reingewirtz

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Pico Rivera man convicted of teen’s murder

PICO RIVERA – A jury Friday convicted a 53-year-old Pico Rivera man of shooting a 19-year-old man to death, then burying the body in his Pico Rivera backyard, officials said.
A Norwalk Superior Court jury found Robert Redd guilty of second-degree murder for the July, 2011, slaying of Joseph Rubalcaba of Pico Rivera, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Brandon Wong said. The jury also found true three sentence-enhancing special allegations that Redd used a gun in the killing, that he intentionally fired the gun and that he intentionally fired the gun causing great bodily injury or death.
Rubalcaba had been staying with Redd on and off for about two months prior to his slaying, Wong said.
After he disappeared on or about July 18, worried family members went looking for him, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s and district attorney’s officials. They visited Redd’s home in the 8500 block of Pico Vista Road, knowing that Rubalcaba visited often, and discovered human remains buried in a shallow grave in Redd’s backyard.
An autopsy determined he died from a single gunshot wound to the head, coroner’s officials said.
Redd claimed he killed Rubalcaba in self-defense because the young man had threatened to kill him, Wong said.
Wong said he argued to the jury that Redd likely killed Rubalcaba because of a personal dispute, and had become “fed up” with the young man hanging around his home.
Redd was expected to receive 40 years to life in prison when he returns to court May 9 to be sentenced by Judge Raul Sahagun, the prosecutor added.

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Hacienda Heights church arson suspect ordered to stand trial

POMONA – A judge Thursday ruled there is sufficient evidence to order a parolee accused of torching the sanctuary of a Hacienda Heights church sanctuary to stand trial for the alleged crime.
After listening to a summary of the evidence during a three-day preliminary hearing, Pomona Superior Court Judge Robert Martinez ordered Gregory Yusuke Shiga, 35, of Hacienda Heights, back to to court for a hearing on May 2, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said.
He’s accused of setting an April 16, 2011, fire that destroyed the sanctuary of St. John Vianney Catohlic Church, 1345 Turnbull Canyon Road. Several other church-owned buildings were also destroyed in the blaze, which caused an estimated $6.5 million worth of damage.
A motive in the alleged arson has not been released. No one was hurt in the fire, though several church personnel who present on the church campus at the time.
Shiga is to be tried on all four charges with which he has been charged, which include aggravated arson, arson of a structure, possession of flammable material and second-degree burglary, officials said.
If convicted as charged, he faces a minimum sentence of 10 years to life in state prison.

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Massive water main leak floods Monrovia streets

A massive water main rupture flooded Monrovia street, damaged a business and threatened homes as it gushed thousands of gallons of water per minute for about two hours early Friday, authorities said.
A Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority crew was digging around the 16-inch water main along California Avenue, just north of Duarte Road, about 8:30 a.m. when the pipe ruptured, Monrovia police Sgt. Dan Verna said. The crew was carrying out ongoing construction work related to the Gold Line California Avenue, just north of Duarte Road, as part of ongoing Metro Gold Line route construction.
Police were conducting traffic control for the construction project and were present when they pipe burst, and the water began gushing, “like a tidal wave,” the sergeant said.
At its peak, 2,000 to 2,5000 gallons of water per minute flooded from the pipe, Monrovia Department of Public Works Deputy Director Mark Carney said.
Earlier estimates of the amount of water spilling from the water main relayed via police were significantly higher.
The water initially rose above curbs and covered the front yards of several nearby homes, officials added. The water flowed south down California Avenue and east along Duarte Road.
An iron working business in the 400 block of E. Duarte Road was flooded with about six inches of water, Monrovia police and fire officials said. The full extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
Officials used sandbags and fire houses to redirect the water away from the threatened homes, Monrovia Fire Department Battalion Chief Ron Pelham said.
Firefighters and public works crew members managed to stop the flow of water just after 10:30 a.m.
Workers then began draining the remaining water from the pipe and the 4-foot deep, 10-foot-wide hole in which the broken water main sat.
Until that was completed, it was not clear how extensive the damage to the pipe was, or how long it would take to repair, Carney said.
MTA and Monrovia DPW crews were working together to repair the water main as quickly as possible, he added.
“Everybody will be here until it’s fixed,” Carney said.
During the two hours in which water was flowing from the large pipe, some Monrovia residents experienced decreased water pressure, but few were believed to have completely lost water service, Carney said. The vast majority of the city’s water pressure was restored once the leak was stopped, leaving only a handful of businesses to the west of California Avenue without water.
While the water main, which draws it’s water from underground wells, is a significant line supplying water to the city, but not it’s only one, Carney said. A second 16-inch water main, which was not damaged, also runs beneath California Avenue, as well as others elsewhere in the city.
Duarte Road between Shamrock and Myrtle avenues, as well as California Avenue between Monrovista and Pomona avenues, remained closed Friday afternoon as cleanup and repair work continued.
The cause of the rupture had not been determined Friday afternoon, Metro Gold Line officials said..
“We know that the line is 60 to 70 years old,” Metro Gold Line CEO Habib Balian said in a written statement. “An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the rupture.
The main was not believed to have been struck by construction equipment, Metro Gold Line spokeswoman Lisa Levy Buch said.

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