Man sought following suspicious encounter with girl in Alhambra

ALHAMBRA >> Police on Friday released a sketch of a man they are seeking following a suspicious encounter with a 13-year-old in which he tried to get her to get in his car last week.
The incident took place about 2:30 p.m. on March 22 as the victim was walking in the 800 block of Westminster Avenue, Alhambra police officials said in a written statement. The girl was walking to a friend’s house from Emery Park Elementary School.
A man approached in a black sedan and began asking the girl a series of questions,
“The subject asked the victim if she was lost, if he could help her, and ultimately asked the victim if she wanted to go with him,” according to the statement. “The child did not respond to the questions and walked up to the friend’s house without additional comments or contact from the male adult. The suspect re-entered the vehicle and left the area.”
The suspicious man was described as Latino, 50 to 60 years old, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, with dark-but-graying hair and a dull beard. He wore blue denim pants and a gray flannel shirt.
His car was a black sedan, possibly a Toyota, with ha 6- to 10-inch dent on the trunk. It had wires sticking out of a hole in the trunk area.
A second person, described only as a Latina woman over 40 years old, was also riding in the car as a passenger, officials said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Alhambra police Sgt. Elizalde or Detective Montano at 626-570-5157. Tips may also be submitted anonymously online to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

SUSPECT SKETCH courtesy of the Alhambra Police Department/Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

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Arcadia’s police dog, Zoli, to get bullet-proof vest

ARCADIA >> The Arcadia Police Department lone K-9 will be patrolling the city with a new bullet- and stab-resistant vest, thanks to an anonymous donor and non-profit group dedicated to keeping four-legged law enforcement officers safe.
Zoli, a not-quite-2-year-old German shepherd-Belgian Malinois mix partnered with Officer Josh Foulks, will receive his new gear in eight to ten weeks, Arcadia police officials said in a written statement.
The vest is being procured by an anonymous donor, through the national nonprofit organization Vested Interest in K9s. It will be embroidered with the phrase, “Born to love — Trained to serve — Loyal always.”
Zoli joined the Arcadia Police Department in November, becoming the department’s first K-9 in 12 years. He is cross-trained for both suspect apprehension drug detection.
Vested Interest in K9s is a charity organization founded in 2009 and based in Taunton, Massachusetts, with the mission of providing bullet- and stab-resistant vests to police dogs throughout the Unites States.
The vests, which are custom made Armor Express in Central Lake, Michigan, are valued at $1,795 to $2,234 each, Arcadia police officials said. Through Vested Interest in K9s, $1,050 must be raised for each vest supplied.
The organization has distributed more than 2,400 K9 vests in all 50 states, including many to San Gabriel Valley law enforcement agencies.
Eligible dogs must be actively employed by a U.S. law enforcement agency, certified and at least 20 months old. Both new applicants and dogs with vests that have passed their five-year expiration dates can participate.
For more information, visit Vested Interest in K9s at www.vik9s.org.

PHOTOS: [ABOVE]: Arcadia police Officer Josh Fouls and K-9 Zoli, courtesy. [BELOW] File courtesy photo – Monterey Park Police K-9 Robin, with handler Agent Peter Palomino, received a protective vest in June of 2015 as a donation from nonprofit organizations Vested Interest in K9s Inc. and the Animal Health Foundation of Lake Forest.

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Two shootings reported in Norwalk early Friday

NORWALK >> No injuries were reported following two separate shooting within a mile of each other in Norwalk early Friday morning, authorities said.
The first shooting took place about 2:30 a.m. in the 16000 block of Flallon Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Jaime Alvarez said.
Deputies responded to reports of gunfire heard in the area and found several spent 9mm bullet casings in the street, he said. But there were no signs of victims or property damage.
About 30 minutes later, a man in his 50s was walking at Hayford Avenue and Horst Street when a newer-model, black Chevy Silverado pickup truck approached, the sergeant said.
An attacker inside the truck, described only as male, whistled at the man before firing two shots in his direction, according to Alvarez. The victim was not struck, and the truck sped away.
No further details were available.
Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s Norwalk Station at 562-863-8711. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Pasadena man sentenced for armed robberies

PASADENA >> A Pasadena man arrested in connection with a series of five armed robberies at Pasadena-area businesses in late-January and early-February received a four-year prisons sentence this week, officials said.
Terry Wayne Wilson, who turned 22 on Tuesday, pleaded “no contest” on Wednesday to two counts of robbery, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said.
Police arrested him Feb. 5, capping off the series of robberies that took place at three sandwich shops and a pizza parlor in Pasadena, as well as a shoe store in unincorporated East Pasadena, that took place in the span of just over a week between Jan. 27 and Feb. 4.
At a scheduled preliminary hearing setting on Wednesday in the Pasadena branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court, Wilson pleaded “no contest” to two counts of second-degree robbery under a negotiated plea arrangement, Ardalani said. Four additional counts of robbery were dismissed.
“He was immediately sentenced to four years in state prison,” she said. “The defendant was also ordered to pay $2,714 in restitution.
The string of armed robberies took place Feb. 27 at a Subway sandwich shop in the 3000 block of Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena; Jan. 28 at Subway locations in 2300 block of East Colorado Boulevard and the 1700 block of East Washington Boulevard in Pasadena; Feb. 1 at a Dominos’s Pizza in the 1900 block of East Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena; and Feb. 4 at a Shoe City in the 200 block of Rosemead Boulevard in unincorporated East Pasadena, according to Pasadena police and Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials.
There were two victims in the first robbery, resulting in the six counts of robbery initially filed by prosecutors, authorities said.
Police identified Wilson as the suspect in the crimes and arrested him in Pasadena Feb. 5.

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Traffic stop in Pasadena leads to bust of alleged ID theft ring


PASADENA >> What began as a traffic stop for failing to display license plates late Wednesday led to the recovery of a stolen car, the seizure of a cache of alleged identity theft-related materials and netted three arrest, authorities said.
The bust took place about 7 p.m. after an officer pulled over a car for having no license plates at Peoria Street and Raymond Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said.
“Further investigation revealed the car was stolen,” he said.
A search of the car turned up “numerous instruments of ID theft,” including credit card readers, computers, fraudulent tax returns and documents in the names of other people, according to Hettema.
Police jailed Philip Laurel Marmolejo, 28, of Pasadena and Noelia Gaeta, 39, of Duarte on suspicion of crimes including identity theft, the lieutenant said. Joseph Anthony Camerano, 30, of Pasadena was being held on a parole violation stemming from a previous conviction.
None of the defendants are strangers to jail cells, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.
Marmolejo pleaded “no contest” to a single count of ID theft in March of 2016, while another ID theft charge, two counts of burglary and one count of grant theft by credit card fraud were dismissed. He was sentenced to a year in jail, but released less than four months later in June of 2016.
He was also convicted of being under the influence of drugs in 2010, and of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in 2007, court records show.
Gaeta also has a lengthy criminal history, including convictions for false personation of another person, vehicle theft and driving on a suspended license in 2015, being under the influence of drugs in 2014, petty theft in 2013 and possession of stolen property in 2011.
Camerano, who remains on parole, was convicted of vehicular manslaughter and felony hit-and-run in 2009. Charges of murder and attempted murder were dismissed. He received a prison sentence of 17 years. It was not clear Thursday when he was paroled.
Camerano was also convicted of burglary in 2005.
According to county booing records, Marmolejo was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, while Gaeta and Camerano were being held without bail.

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Woman pulled from car, beaten, robbed in Pasadena


PASADENA >> Two men pulled a woman from her car, beat her and robbed her of her cell phone in Pasadena early Thursday, authorities said.
The violent robbery unfolded about 1:20 a.m. as the victim, a 24-year-old Pasadena woman, was sitting in her parked car at Lake Avenue and Washington Boulevard, Pasadena police Lt. Pete Hettema said.
“The victim was sitting inside her parked car inside a parking lot when the two suspect approached the driver side of her car,” Hettema said. “The suspects opened the driver side door and pulled the victim out.”
The men demanded money as they began beating the woman, the lieutenant said. They ultimately fled with only the woman’s cell phone.
Hettema said the woman suffered cuts to her face and back pain, but declined medical treatment.
A detailed description of the attackers was not available. They were last seen running south along Lake Avenue.
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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Whittier man accused of molesting boy at Arcadia gym

ARCADIA >> Police jailed a Whittier man Monday on suspicion of molesting a boy in the shower of an Arcadia gym, officials said.
The incident was reported just before 10:40 a.m. on March 20 at 24 Hour Fitness, 125 N. First Ave., according to Arcadia Police Department logs.
Police said the man first initiated a “sexually suggestive conversation” while in the spa with the boy.
“When the victim left to take a shower, the suspect followed him and groped him,” according to the log.
Police found and arrested Rodolfo Delgadill Cruz, 47, of Whittier on suspicion of child molestation, according to Arcadia police spokesman Tom LeVeque and Los Angeles County booking records.
Cruz pleaded not guilty to a charge of committing a lewd or lascivious act on a child under 14 years old on March 23 and is scheduled to return to the Pasadena branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court for a preliminary hearing setting on April 20, court records show.
In the meantime, he was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles.

PHOTO: Rodolfo D. Cruz, 47l, of Whittier, (Courtesy)

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Police impersonators sought in failed Arcadia robbery


ARCADIA >> Police are seeking two men who tried to rob another man while impersonating Arcadia police officers earlier this month.
The crime took place about 6:30 p.m. on March 10, Arcadia police spokesman Tom LeVeque said.
The victim was sitting at a bus stop near Baldwin and Camino Real avenues when a black Ford Crown Victoria, the same type of car often used by police, approached him through a parking lot while illuminating him with its headlight, Arcadia police officials said in a written statement issued Thursday.
“Two subjects got out of the Crown Vic, shining a spotlight from the passenger side at the man,” according to the statement. “The two subjects approached the man telling him they were with Arcadia PD and to stand up.”
Both police impersonators lifted their shirts to display some sort of badge affixed to their waists, police said.
“One subject began to “pat down” the man and removed his wallet and cell phone. The subject looked through the wallet but as an unknown person walked by, the subjects ran back to the Crown Vic, leaving the wallet and phone.”
There was no money inside the wallet to steal, police added.
The would-be robbers were last seen driving west along Huntington Drive.
Police described the counterfeit cops as two Asian men of medium build, with short dark hair, wearing dark clothing and windbreakers. One was 25 to 30 years old, while the other was 19 or 20. They remain at large.
The impersonators told the victim they were armed, though no weapons were seen.
Arcadia police have not received any reports of similar incidents, officials said.
“If our officers are in plain clothes conducting enforcement, they will be readily identifiable, most often wearing marked raid jackets, shirts, or vests, and if not immediately involved with police action, will show their identification,” according to the police statement. “All of our unmarked police vehicles are also equipped with blue-(and)-red emergency lighting.”
Anyone with information can reach Arcadia police at 626-574-5151. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Man shot in Monrovia

MONROVIA >> A shooting in a residential neighborhood in Monrovia left a man wounded on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The wounded victim arrived at a house in Duarte about 5 p.m. and called for help, Monrovia police Lt. Patty Newton said.
He reported that he had been shot in the 400 block of East Duarte Road, across the city border in Monrovia, the lieutenant said.
Paramedics took the man to a hospital for treatment, she said. An update on his condition was not available.
Officers continued investigating at the scene Wednesday evening. Officials had not found physical evidence of the shooting, and no reports of gunshots were received in the area, Newton said.
Officials could no confirm initial reports from the scene that the suspect was a Latino man in his 50s, of short stature, with short black hair and a black backpack.
Anyone with information can reach the Monrovia Police Department at 626-256-8000. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Azusa man jailed following pursuit in stolen car


AZUSA >> A wanted Azusa man remained behind bars in lieu of more than half a million dollars bail on Wednesday after leading police on a pursuit in a stolen car earlier in the week, authorities said.
Ricardo Angel Guzman, 36, was booked on suspicion of possession of a stolen car, evading police, drug possession and driving on a suspended license following the chase, which took place just after 9:30 p.m. on Monday, Azusa police Lt. Michael Bertelsen said. He also had three outstanding arrest warrants.
The incident began when someone called police from a residential neighborhood in town to report seeing a suspicious vehicle, the lieutenant said.
“On arrival, (officers) attempted to contact two occupants of the vehicle,” Bertelsen said. “The driver sped away. A pursuit followed.”
The driver, later identified as Guzman, led officers on a chase through city streets for about 20 minutes, according to Bertelsen. A woman was riding in the car as a passenger.
Officers soon determined the car had recently been reported stolen in Ontario, he added.
At one point, the car ran into a dead end on Kirkwall Road. But the driver drove through the adjacent Valleydale Park, 5525 N. Lark Ellen Ave., and continued the pursuit, Bertelsen said. The car also briefly sped toward an officer as he was sitting in a patrol car blocking traffic.
The car ultimately came to a stop in the 300 block of South Louise Avenue, where the Guzman exited the car and ran, but was soon apprehended, according to the lieutenant. The female passenger was detained at the scene and treated for an existing medical condition, but was not arrested.
Guzman was booked into the Azusa Police Department’s jail, where he was being held in lieu of $620,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Thursday in West Covina branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

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