Cat found with head and paws wrapped in tape outside Baldwin Park animal shelter

BALDWIN PARK — A 2-year-old cat appeared traumatized but was expected to survive after being discovered with its head and paws wrapped in duct tape inside of a box left in the parking lot of an animal shelter, officials said.
The male domestic medium hair cat was discovered shortly before 9 a.m. in a lower-level parking lot at the Baldwin Park office of the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control, DACC spokeswoman Evelina Villa said. Officials have since named him “Amigo.”
A worker spotted the box abandoned in the parking lot and went to take a closer look, officials said.
“Inside the box, an animal control officer was shocked to find the cat gasping for air,” DACC officials said in a written statement.
Officials removed the tape from the animal’s head and paws, and the cat appeared to be doing well physically, Villa said.
“He’s a little bit overwhelmed,” she added. “He was fearful at first, but he’s opening up a little. We’re just happy he’s okay.”
An investigation was ongoing into who bound and left the animal in the parking lot, Villa said.
“I can’t imagine why someone would do this to a cat,” DACC Director Marcia Mayeda said. “Animal cruelty is heartbreaking, intolerable and usually a precursor to human violence.”
Because of the ordeal Amigo had been through, he was not to be adopted immediately, Villa explained.
He would first be rehabilitated and placed into a foster home, she said. “When we feel he’s ready, we’ll adopt him out.”
Anyone interested in adopting Amigo can send an email to animalinfo@animalcare.lacounty.gov to be notified when the cat is ready for permanent home.
Updates on Amigo’s recovery will be posted on the Baldwin Park DACC’s Facebook page, facebook.com/CountyofLosAngelesAnimalCare, or follow the shelter on Twitter, @LACoAnimalCare.

PHOTOS courtesy of the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control.

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CSULA evacuated due to bomb threat

Authorities evacuated Cal State University, Los Angeles Thursday following telephone bomb threats that were ultimately determined to be unfounded, authorities said.
The threat came in the form of two phone calls received by El Monte police between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., El Monte police Sgt. Roger Cobian said.
CSULA officials began evacuating the campus about noon, CSULA Paul Browning said.
In addition the college’s own Department of Public Safety, Los Angeles police, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s bomb squad officials and Los Angeles County firefighters responded to the scene, officials said.
Detective Mike Cofield of the Sheriff’s Arson-Explosives Detail said bomb squad members swept the campus with explosive-sniffing dogs.
But the search was called off about 2:30 p.m., LAPD Officer Christopher No said.
“Nothing was found.”
But school administrators still decided to cancel classes for the remainder of the day, CSULA spokesman Paul Browning said, adding that students were notified of the situation via social media and text alerts.
“It was a very calm and successful evacuation,” Browning said, adding that the evacuation was also announced over the school’s loud speaker.
Students first gathered in the quad, but then were asked to leave campus, Browning added. Many stood in groups on the outskirts of campus waiting for the “all clear.” The student dormitories were the first areas to be declared safe at about 1:45 p.m.
Sophomore Amy Gonzalez, 19, said she was in her dorm room when campus safety officers knocked at her door and told her she needed to evacuate.
“At first I just though it was a drill, but then when I saw the bomb squad and all the helicopters, I knew it was real,” she said.
“It was shocking,” Gonzalez said. “We are just college students, why would someone want to bomb us?”
Both threats were phoned in from pay phones within El Monte, Cobian said. One was in the 11200 block of Garvey Avenue, while the other was made from the 3800 block of Peck Road, he added.
Officers searched the area but found no possible suspects, police said.
Both calls were made by a person with what sounded like a male voice, Cobian said.
But whether the calls were made by the same person, “It can only be assumed, because of the closeness in timing and proximity.”
The first call stated that a bomb had been placed at CSULA, as well as “Cal Berkeley” – a reference to the University of California, Berkeley, Cobian said.
Police notified officials at the northern California school as well, he added.
The investigation was being spearheaded by the LAPD, officials said.
After moving about 10 feet in her car in a 30-minute time span as she tried to leave the campus, CSULA student Veronica Arroyo left her vehicle in the parking lot to exit the school on foot.
“I thought it was the safest and most intelligent thing to do,” she said.
Arroyo described the scene as “chaotic.”
Just after noon, academic adviser Jimmy Solis, of Whittier, heard a fire alarm as he worked in the campus library.
He and fellow staff proceeded to their designated areas as practiced in fire drills.
“We waited about 15 minutes in our specific location until campus police told us to evacuate the area because the campus was closed,” Solis said.
He returned to the library to gather his belongings, along the way telling people what campus police had told him.
Solis was able to leave the grounds in his car because he always parks near an exit.

– Brian Day, Lauren Gold, Sandra Molina

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Suspect arrested after Tempe City stand-off

TEMPLE CITY – A man surrendered to El Monte police Thursday after spending several hours holed up inside a Temple City home, authorities said.
Juan Gonzalez, 37, of Temple City was arrested on suspicion of spousal abuse an assault with a deadly weapon, according to El Monte police Sgt. Roger Cobian.
The incident began around 9 a.m. When El Monte police officers went to the 9500 block of Woodruff Avenue in search of the domestic violence suspect, Cobian said.
Gonzalez went inside a home and refused to come out, prompting a stand-off that continued for about three hours, Cobian said.
A SWAT team was summoned to the scene, and Gonzalez ultimately surrendered without a struggle.
Further details of the alleged domestic violence, which took place late Wednesday in El Monte, were not available Thursday afternoon, police said.

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Man who sawed through own arms at West Covina Home Depot expected to survive

WEST COVINA — A man who used handsaws to cut both his arms to the bone last week inside a Home Depot is expected to survive and retain his arms, authorities said.
The man, whose identity was not released because he is not a criminal suspect, was described as being in late 30s or early 40s, West Covina police officials said.
But a week after the bizarre and grisly incident, investigators still did not know why the man entered the hardware store, picked up coping saws and began sawing through his own arms, Lt. Jerry Pearman said.
The incident, which is being treated as an attempted suicide, was reported about 12:20 p.m. April 19 at the Home Depot, 2220 S. Azusa Avenue, officials said.
Witnesses did not report hearing or seeing anything unusual before they noticed the man pick up coping saws, a total of three, and start cutting into his flesh, Cpl. Rudy Lopez said.
Though initially hospitalized with extremely serious injuries, the wounded man had since been stabilized, Pearman said. It also appeared that doctors had been successful in reattaching his arms.
He was expected to be sent for psychiatric evaluation once released from the hospital, Pearman added. It was not clear Wednesday whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.
Off-duty Pasadena Fire Department Capt. Art Hurtado, who happened to be at the store, rushed to the man’s aid, officials said.
His quick response likely prevented even more serious injury or death, Pearman said.

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Metallic balloons blamed for Whittier power outage

Metallic balloons are blamed for a transformer explosion and power outage Wednesday, officials said.
The outage began just before 10:40 a.m. when the balloons struck a power line along Earlham Drive, east of Painter Avenue, according to Whittier police and Southern California Edison officials.
Nearly 2,800 customers initially lost power, though several hundred saw power restored within seconds, SCE spokeswoman Nancy Rodriguez Casanova said.
Jen Juarez, who lives around the block south of Earlham Drive, was inside her parked car when she saw about three mylar balloons hit the electrical lines above the southern corner of Painter Avenue and Earlham Drive.
“I heard an electric something, and I saw the balloons hit the lines, and one line fell on my car,” she explained.
Juarez, who is pregnant, ran out of her car.
“I was scared,” she said.
She added that an Edison worker at the scene told her she should have stayed in the car.
“He told me I could’ve died,” she said.
That incident hit close to home, as she was friends with Joel Ramirez, who died in November 2011 when he picked up a downed power line at his Whittier home.
Jenna Bishop, who lives on Earlham Drive, was in the shower when she heard a loud noise coming from outside.
“First the power went out, then it tried to come back on, and I heard a metal grown,” she said. “I don’t know any other way to describe the noise.”
Gil Hodges, who lives nearby, said he heard, “a very bizarre thump.”All but 183 customers had power restored within the hour, she said.
All customers were expected to have their electricity back on by 6 p.m., according to Edison.
Metallic balloons can damage power lines when they come into contact with the utility equipment, Rodriguez Casanova explained. Anyone who sees such a balloon stuck against a power line is advised not to touch it, but to call SCE or 9-1-1 immediately.

– Sandra Molina and Brian Day

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UPDATE: Whittier-area doctor not guilty of molesting patients

A jury late last week acquitted a Whittier physician accused of inappropriately touching female patients during medical exams, authorities said.
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said Steve Vouis, 67, was acquitted Friday on three counts of sexual battery by fraud.
Vouis was originally charged with six molestation counts involving five victims, however three of the charges were dismissed by the judge after the jury failed to a reach a verdict, deadlocking heavily toward acquittal, said his attorney, Jennifer Keller.
“He’s pleased and relieved, but his life has been really ruined by this,” Keller said.
“His practice that he spent the last 30 yeas building is destroyed,” the attorney said. ““He’ll never get his good name back. It’s not possible for it to have a truly happy ending, but we’re truly grateful that the right thing happened in court.”
Authorities said the alleged molestations occurred between 2007 and 2009 at his offices in Whittier and La Mirada. Three women testified at Vouis’ preliminary hearing that the doctor inappropriately touched them during breast or gynecological examinations.
Devoted colleagues and patients supported Vouis throughout the legal process, Keller said.
She said she did not know if he would again be able to open a practice, adding that, “There’s many patients who hope he will.”
Keller declined to comment on why she believed the five women made allegations against Vouis in the first place.
Evidence presented at trial showed two of them had already filed civil suits against the doctor, she said.
Another one of the accusers has been receiving benefits from the county due to her alleged status as a crime victim, Keller said. But the woman did not make her accusation until more than three years after the alleged incident, after other victims had accused Vouis of misconduct during examinations.
But despite being cleared in the eyes of the law, the doctor’s life is forever changed, Keller said.
“This has taken an enormous toll on him,” she said. “It’s a really sad situation, because he is an innocent man.”
Vouis’ trial began March 21 in Norwalk Superior Court.
Whittier police arrested Vouis March 17, 2010, after learning of allegations. He pleaded not guilty the at an arraignment the following day and was released on $125,000 bail pending trial.

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Convenience store robbers escape with only snacks in Rosemead

ROSEMEAD — A group of armed robbers demanded cash from a convenience store clerk early Wednesday, but ultimately fled with only snack chips, officials said.
The robbery took place about 6:05 a.m. at 7-Eleven, 8147 Arroyo Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Edward Godfrey said.
Three suspects entered the store, one of them brandishing a black pistol, the lieutenant said. One of them demanded money from an employee.
Before obtaining and money, however, the men apparently became startled by an approaching customer and fled, Godfrey said. They helped themselves to some chips as they left.
Godfrey described the robbers as three Latino men between 20 and 25 years old, and 5 feet 10 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall. One wore a black hooded sweat shirt and blue plaid shorts, another wore a black hooded sweat shirt and dark pants and the third wore a gray hooded sweat shirt and gray plaid shorts.
They got into a getaway car described as an older-model, four-door car with its rear license plate painted over, Godfrey said. A driver was waiting in the car, which was last seen westbound on Arroyo Drive.

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One killed, six injured in Azusa crash; beer bottles found inside car

AZUSA — A young man died and six others were injured in a four-vehicle wreck in Azusa late Sunday, officials said.
The crash took place shortly after 8 p.m. at Baseline Road and Citrus Avenue.
Those injured were inside three of the vehicles, described as a compact car and two mid-size sedans, according to Battalion Chief Jim Enriquez.
“Our first arriving unit found three vehicles, with victims trapped in two,” he said.
The dead man, who appeared to be in his early 20s, was a passenger in the compact car, Enriquez said. The driver, a 20-year-old man, was flown by helicopter to a trauma center after being freed from the wreckage by firefighters.
There were beer bottles inside the young men’s car, and investigators were looking into the possibility of drunken driving, Azusa police Cpl. Randy Schmidt said.
A 45-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy inside one of the sedans involved in the crash were all hospitalized with apparently moderate injuries, Enriquez said.
But rescuers rushed the man — who had been riding in the back seat of the sedan — to a hospital by helicopter as a precaution to to the violent nature of the crash, he said. “It took us about 45 minutes to dismantle the vehicle to get to him.”
The second sedan involved in the crash contained a 45-year-old man and a 12-year-old boy, Enriquez said. Both suffered injuries believed to be minor.
The fourth car in the crash sustained minor damage, and no injuries to occupants were reported, according to police and fire officials.
Anyone with information can reach the Azusa Police Department at 626-812-3200.

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Death of Whittier College student remains a mystery

WHITTIER — The cause of death of a Whittier College student athlete found dead in her off-campus apartment last week remained unknown Sunday following an autopsy, coroner’s officials said.
Alyssa Sialaris was discovered unresponsive by her roommate shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday in the 5800 block of Painter Avenue, according to Whittier police and Los Angeles County Department of Coroner officials.
There were no obvious signs of trauma, and nothing to suggest how she died, officials said.
An autopsy was carried out Sunday, but Sialaris’ cause of death was not determined pending further tests, coroner’s Lt. Jerry McKibben said. Those tests would likely take six to eight weeks to complete.
She had no known medical problems and had no known history of substance abuse, coroner’s Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
Investigators did not suspect foul play, Whittier police officials said.
News of Sialaris’ death sent shock waves through the community at Whittier College, which she was expected to graduate from with academic distinction next month.
A San Jose resident before attending Whittier College, Sialaris was majoring in kinesiology and nutrition science. She was an accomplished athlete in volleyball and track-and-field. Among other honors, she was named an NCAA All-American in both sports.

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Two teens wounded in Covina shooting

COVINA — Two teenagers were wounded, but expected to survive, men were wounded but expected to survive following a shooting late Saturday, police said.
A 16-year-old boy and an 18-year-old man were struck by gunfire in the 7:05 p.m. attack in the 1100 block of North Conwell Avenue, just north of Covina Boulevard, Covina police Sgt. Gregg Peterson said.
One of the victims was struck in both legs, while the other was wounded in the mid-torso, the sergeant said. Police declined to say which victim suffered which injury, citing the ongoing investigation.
They were standing near their parked car when shot, police said.
Police responded to a report of gunshots and found evidence of a shooting, but found no victims or suspects, Peterson said.
A short time later, the two wounded teenagers showed up at an area hospital, he said.
A silver Dodge Charger with after-market rims was seen leaving the area, officials said, however further suspect information was not available.
The wounded young men were believed to have gang ties, and the shooting initially appeared to be gang-related, Peterson said.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Covina police Detective Ryan Davis at 626-384-5620, or 626-384-5808.

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