Monthly Archives: February 2016

UPDATED: Sheriff’s patrol car involved in crash in Covina

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COVINA >> No significant injuries were reported after sheriff’s patrol car and a black sedan collided in a Covina intersection Sunday afternoon, officials said.
The collision took place about 1:50 p.m. at Covina Boulevard and Citrus Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Jorge Chavez said.
The deputy involved in the crash, who is assigned to the sheriff’s San Dimas Station, was taken to a hospital as a precaution, but she did not appear to have suffered any significant injuries, Covina police Sgt. Tom Tardif said. A man at the wheel of the other car — a Chevrolet Monte Carlo — was also hospitalized as a precaution, but appeared OK.
Tardif said witnesses relayed that the Monte Carlo drove through a red light as it headed south on Citrus Avenue, colliding with the patrol car, which was heading east on Covina Boulevard.
The deputy was not using of the patrol car’s emergency lights or siren when the crash occurred, Chavez added.
A photograph of the crash aftermath showed the patrol car with moderate front-end damage, and the black sedan with moderate damage to the passenger side.
No citations or arrests had been made as the investigation continued, Tardif said.

PHOTO courtesy of John Recendez

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Victims of triple-fatal 5 Freeway crash in Commerce identified; Whittier man accused of murder

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CITY OF COMMERCE >> A Whittier man is accused of three counts of murder in connection with an alleged street racing crash on the 5 Freeway in Commerce early Saturday that killed a UPS driver, the son of a homicide detective and a young woman, authorities said.
Initially booked on suspicion of manslaughter, David Lockhart, 35, was being held on suspicion of three counts of murder Sunday, according to California Highway Patrol officials.
Lockhart was racing another car when he lost control of his Dodge Challenger on the southbound 5 Freeway near Triggs Street in Commerce just after midnight Saturday, striking a UPS truck and sending the big rig hurling over the center median and into opposing traffic lanes, CHP Officer Doris Peniche said. The UPS truck struck a Nissan sedan, shearing off the tops, as well as a Ford Explorer. The big rig burst into flames.
In addition to the three people killed, two other occupants of the Nissan were hospitalized with major injuries, and two more people suffered minor injuries in the crash, officials said.
The deceased young man and woman, both Santa Clarita teens, who were reportedly returning from a visit to Disneyland in a gray Nissan. Both were passengers.
0229_NWS_WDN-L-5FATAL-FOLOLos Angeles County coroner officials identified one of the victims from the Nissan as 18-year-old Brian Lewandowski.
Lewandowski was the son of Lt. Victor Lewandowski of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, who investigates homicides throughout Los Angeles County, sheriff’s officials said.
“Brian was an incredible young man and every parent’s dream for a son,” the Lewandowski family said in a written statement. “We are absolutely devastated by our loss. Our hearts go out to the other victims and their families and our prayers are for the survivors’ recovery. We are very thankful for the love and support of family and friends throughout this time.”
In addition to his father, Brian Lewandowski is survived by his mother, Jocelyn Lewandowski, and two brothers, sheriff’s officials said.
LITTLEFIELDThe young woman killed while riding in the Nissan was identified by her parents as 19-year-old Michelle Littlefield, a student studying business at College of the Canyons and an employee at Six Flags Magic Mountain, according to media reports.
The third victim was identified on a Teamsters Local 396 Facebook page as 52-year-old Scott Treadway of Mira Loma who had been with UPS for 30 years.
5FATAL-FOLO2“The Teamsters Local 396 Executive Board, Staff and Membership send our heartfelt condolences to the Family of our dear, departed Brother Scott Treadway, who we lost suddenly, in a tragic feeder accident last night. Scott was admired and loved by his friends and co-workers at UPS. We are still trying to come to grips with this horrible loss,” the organization posted. “We love and miss you Brother!”
Fellow teamsters held their meeting Sunday, “under such difficult circumstances,” in honor of Treadway, who worked out of a Cerritos UPS facility, according to the union chapter.
“The members honored Scott’s memory by sharing their thoughts and memories regarding Scott’s remarkable legacy as a UPS Teamster Brother,” Teamsters Local 396 wrote online.
The Dodge Charger Lockhart was allegedly racing, as well as it’s driver, had not been found Sunday, officials said.
Both directions of the 5 Freeway remained closed in the area of the crash through Sunday morning as officials made repairs to the damaged road surface and barriers, according to Caltrans and CHP officials.
According to county booking records, Lockhart was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles pending his arraignment hearing, scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Anyone with information regarding the crash was asked to contact officers Fonseca or Flores of the CHP’s East Los Angeles area office at 323-980-4600.
— City News Service contributed to this report.

PHOTOS: Crash scene [ABOVE] courtesy of Caltrans; Photo of Brian Lewandowski, 18, of Santa Clarita [2nd FROM TOP] courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; Photo of Michelle Littlefield, 19, of Santa Clarita via Facebook; Photo of Scott Treadway, 52, of Mira Loma via Teamsters Local 396 Facebook page.

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Teen sought in alleged rape in Pasadena

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PASADENA >> Police are seeking a 16-year-old boy in connection with the alleged rape of a fellow teenager in Pasadena over the weekend.
The crime occurred Friday night at a home in the area of Penn Street and Summit Marengo Avenue , but was not reported until Saturday afternoon, Pasadena police Lt. John Mercado said.
The suspect and victim had been friends prior to the attack, Mercado said.
Police described the suspect, who remained at large Sunday, as black, 6 feet 4 inches tall, 175 pounds, with black braided hair and brown eyes. His identity was not available.
The victim delayed reporting the crime to police out of fear, Mercado said.
Anyone with information can reach Pasadena police at 626-744-4241. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Man wounded in San Gabriel stabbing

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SAN GABRIEL — A man showed up at the San Gabriel Police Department for help after being stabbed in the chest at a nearby liquor store Saturday morning, authorities said.
The wounded victim drove to the police station, 625 S. Del Mar Ave., just after 9 a.m., San Gabriel police Sgt. Brian Sagocio said.
By chance, San Gabriel firefighters happened to be at the station to use it’s gasoline pumps and were able to immediately begin treating the man, he said.
The man had suffered a stab wound that punctured one of his lungs, officials said.
After undergoing surgery at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, “It looks like he’s going to make it,” Sagocio said.
The victim told investigators he was inside of his car near a liquor store just north of the police station, at Del Mar and Angeleno avenues, when he was stabbed by to male attackers, the sergeant said.
He managed to drive to the police station, just over 400 feet away, to seek aid.
The victim, who was believed to have gang ties, did not appear to be cooperating with investigators, Sagocio said.
The motive and circumstances of the attack remained under investigation Saturday night, he said. No further details were available.

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Two men wounded Saturday in separate Norwalk shootings

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NORWALK >> Two separate shootings in Norwalk Saturday left two men wounded, but expected to survive, authorities said.
Deputies received reports about 4:15 a.m. that a person had been shot at Adoree Street and Dalwood Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Robin Limon said.
Officials found no victim at the scene, but were soon informed that a gunshot victim had been brought to a local hospital, the lieutenant said.
The victim, a 45-year-old Norwalk man, told investigators he had been driving down the street when he was flagged down by someone, Limon said.
“The victim said he remembered being hit in the head and shot,” she said. He was being treated for a gunshot wound to his back that did not appear to be life-threatening.
No suspect description was available, nor were further details regarding the circumstances of the shooting.
A little more than 10 hours later, and about 2 miles away, authorities received another report of gunfire in the area of Clarkdale Avenue and Walnut Street, Limon said.
Deputies found a Norwalk man in his 20s in an a nearby alleyway suffering from a gunshot wound to his ankle, she said.
The injured man did not cooperate with investigators, and no further details were available. His wound was also no considered life-threatening.
The motives in both shooting remained under investigation, however sheriff’s gang detectives were tasked with the cases, Limon said.
The violence came after a fatal shooting Wednesday that left a Norwalk man dead at outside a 7-Eleven Store at Alondra Boulevard and Studebaker Road, as well as a fatal deputy-involved shooting of a Norwalk man at the same intersection on Thursday. Anyone with information on the non-fatal shootings can reach from the sheriff’s Norwalk Station at 562-863-8711. Anyone with information on the fatal shooting or the deputy-involved shooting can reach the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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UPDATED: 3 killed in 5 Freeway crash in Commerce blamed on alleged street racer from Whittier

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CITY OF COMMERCE >> A Whittier man was street racing when he triggered a fiery six-vehicle crash that claimed three lives and left two other people seriously injured on the 5 Freeway in Commerce early Saturday, authorities allege.
Dealio Lockhart, 35, is accused of vehicular manslaughter in connection with the 12:01 a.m. wreck on the southbound 5 Freeway, just north of Triggs Street, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Doris Peniche.
Two men and one woman died in the crash, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner officials said. Their identities were not available Saturday.
5FATAL2Both directions of the 5 Freeway remained shut down through Saturday afternoon and were expected to remain off-limits through Sunday morning as officials investigated the scene and cleared the wreckage.
Lockhart was at the wheel of a Dodge Challenger in the No. 2 lane, “while racing a Dodge Charger travelling in the No. 1 lane,” Peniche said in a written statement.
He tried to pass a slower moving vehicle when he lost control and struck the side of UPS tractor-trailor driving in the right-hand lane, the officer said.
“The impact caused the tractor trailer to lose control and collide into the center median and then became airborne, hitting a gray Nissan and shearing the top of the Nissan off,” Peniche said.
The truck continued out of control, coming to rest on top of a red Ford Explorer that had been heading northbound on the 5 freeway, according to the CHP.
“The tractor-trailer immediately became engulfed in flames,” Peniche said.
Debris from the collision also struck a Chevrolet Tahoe and Chevrolet Silverado in northbound traffic lanes.
The driver of the burned truck was pronounced dead at the scene, along with a man and woman who were inside the badly mangled Nissan, according to CHP and coroner officials.
Two other people were hospitalized at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with “major” injuries as a result of the crash, Peniche said. Two other people were reportedly treated for minor injuries.
The Dodge Charger Lockhart was allegedly racing and its driver, were not found.
According to county booking records, Lockhart was being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
He has no prior criminal history listed in Los Angeles County Superior Court records.
The freeway was expected to remain closed through Saturday night, or even Sunday morning, as workers carried out barrier repairs and repaved the damaged roadway, Caltrans officials said.
Anyone witnesses, or anyone with information is asked to contact the CHP’s East Los Angeles area office at 323-980-4600.

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PHOTOS courtesy of Caltrans

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What would you do? Teen finds $5,000 in envelope in Industry, turns it in to sheriff’s department

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INDUSTRY >> An honest teenager found about $5,000 in an envelope outside an Industry bank branch late Friday and turned it in to the sheriff’s department, officials said.
The 17-year-old boy was walking through the parking lot of East West Bank at the Puente Hills Mall, 1680 S. Azusa Ave., when he spotted a bag lying on the ground, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Arthur Scott said.
The teen found an envelope inside the bag which contained about $5,000, officials said. The bank was closed for the day, so the boy turned the money over to sheriff’s officials.
Capt. Tim Murakami, who heads the sheriff’s Industry Station, commended the teen’s character.
“We have great kids growing up in the area,” the captain said via Twitter.
The rightful owner of the found money can reach the sheriff’s Industry Station at 626-330-3322.

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Community rushes to aid of Whittier’s “Tricycle Man” after crash; More than $12,000 raised in less than a day

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WHITTIER >> For decades, Danny Martin has shared his love for the Whittier community by waving to all from his unmistakable tricycle, fitted with an American Flag and a signs exalting Jesus Christ.
And the community returned the sentiment over the weekend after the locally-renowned “Tricycle Man” had his cycle destroyed in a collision with a car, raising more than 12 times the $1,000 goal of an online fund set up by a friend to help Martin and his family within less than one day.
Martin, 57, was involved in a collision with a vehicle just before 9 a.m. Friday at Whittier Boulevard and First Avenue, Whittier police Lt. Bryan Ellis said.
He was crossing the street when he was struck by a car making a left turn, Ellis said. The cause remained under investigation, but the collision was being investigated as an accident. Martin was treated for injuries not believed to be serious.
But the accident left Martin without his three-wheeled conveyance, friend Shaun Witsoe explained on the fundraising website he organized at www.gofundme.com/kfrepqas. The initial goal was $1,000.
But by Saturday morning, more than 380 donors had contributed more than $12,000.
“$1,000 will go towards his new bike and the rest will go to him and his family to help with medical bills and anything else that the family may need,” according to the website.

Dan Martin, 51, of Whittier, left, rides his new adult-sized tricycle with friend Troy Silva, inside Orchard's Fresh Foods, during Martin's 51st birthday celebration, at Orchard's Fresh Food Market in Whittier, Thursday, August 6, 2009. Dan Martin a professional motorcross rider in the seventies, was injured and is now partially paralyzed. Martin rides his bike everyday to Orchard's Fresh Foods. The owners of Orchard's Fresh Foods helped raise money to buy a new bike for Martin's for his 51st birthday. (Correspondent photo by James Carbone/SWCITY)

Dan Martin, 51, of Whittier, left, rides his new adult-sized tricycle with friend Troy Silva, inside Orchard’s Fresh Foods, during Martin’s 51st birthday celebration, at Orchard’s Fresh Food Market in Whittier, Thursday, August 6, 2009. Dan Martin a professional motorcross rider in the seventies, was injured and is now partially paralyzed. Martin rides his bike everyday to Orchard’s Fresh Foods. The owners of Orchard’s Fresh Foods helped raise money to buy a new bike for Martin’s for his 51st birthday. (Correspondent photo by James Carbone/SWCITY)

Witsoe posted a video thanking the community for their support after the fund climbed past $$8,000.
“So god bless you all, because Danny’s going to have a very big surprise,” he said, adding that he planned to keep the fund open for a week.
Witsoe reported that Martin was out of the hospital, and even back on the road on a donated bike by Friday afternoon.
“He is strong and will not be kept down!” the friend wrote. “I can’t wait to show him all the support he has been shown with your donations. We will get him a new bike!”
A former professional motorcross racer, Martin was left comatose and partially paralyzed in a 1981 motorcycle crash.
Martin made an astonishing recovery after doctors told his family he would never walk or talk again.
He has since become a local fixture, riding miles each day around Whittier on his flag-adorned tricycle, waving to all those he passes and raising spirits.
Donors left not only monetary contributions, but also words of encouragement on the website.
“Thanks for all the waves. May God bless you today and always,” commented Sharon Kotoff.
“God Bless you, Danny! You make Whittier a little bit brighter everyday,” Chris MeMaster Sneddon wrote.
“Danny, Thank you for always brightening up our day,” Griselda Cedeno added.

PHOTO [TOP] of Danny Martin from Facebook.

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50-pound tortoise stolen in Covina

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COVINA >> Police are seeking a 50-pound tortoise stolen from a Covina backyard Friday.
The pet reptile — valued at about $450 — was reported missing about 9 p.m. in the 1500 block of East Adams Park Drive, Covina police Lt. Ric Walczak said.
Its owner arrived home to find the side gate leading to the backyard open and the tortoise gone, officials said.

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Covina man killed in crash between motorcycle, city truck identified

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COVINA >> Coroner’s officials have released the identity of a 21-year-old Covina man killed Thursday when his motorcycle collided with a city truck.
David Antonio Hernandez died at the scene of the crash, which took place just after 2 p.m. along San Bernardino Road at Prospero Drive, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner Investigator B. Kim said.
An autopsy determined Hernandez died from “multiple blunt force trauma,” and the death was ruled accidental, Kim said.
The rider was heading east on San Bernardino Road when his Harley-Davidson Sportster collided with a city-owned Ford F-250 pickup truck being driven by a 54-year-old Covina Department of Public Works employee, California Highway Patrol Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said.
The truck was heading north on Prospero Drive at San Bernardino Road when the two vehicle collided in the intersection, officials said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, Jimenez said.

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