Monthly Archives: March 2017

Suspect jailed in fatal shooting of 8-year-old Pomona boy

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POMONA >> Police have made an arrest in the fatal shooting of 8-year-old Jonah Hwang in Pomona last month.
Following more than a month of investigation in the wake of the Feb. 20 shooting at a home in the 1100 block of West 11th Street, police announced the arrest of Sengchan Houl, 35, in connection with Hwang’s slaying.
The drive-by attack took place as Hwang and his family were dinner guests at the home of another family, according to Pomona police Lt. Eddie Vasquez.
“The Pomona Police Department’s Homicide Unit has been actively investigating Jonah’s murder since that day’s events,” police said in a written statement issued late Sunday. “Today, the Police Department is announcing the arrest of a suspect in this case.”
Officers took Houl into custody without a struggle in an unincorporated county area near Pomona shortly after 11:490 a.m., according to police and Los Angeles County booking records.
A motive in the deadly shooting has not been disclosed.
No further details regarding the arrest were released Sunday.
“Detectives are still actively working this case and we are not releasing any additional information at this time,” according to the police statement.
Gunshots struck the same home in January, resulting in no injuries, and again on Saturday morning, police said.
Police planned to hold a conference Monday afternoon to provide additional details on the investigation.
According to county booking records, Houl was being held in lieu of $2 million bail pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in the Pomona branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

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Police: Whittier teen brandishes gun at man who confronted him for smoking marijuana at Alhambra Park

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ALHAMBRA >> Police chased down and arrested a teenage boy from Whittier after he brandished a loaded, stolen handgun at a man who confronted him about smoking marijuana at Alhambra Park on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Police responded to the park, 500 N. Palm Ave., about 2:35 p.m. after receiving a report of the incident, Alhambra police Cmdr. Jennifer Wiese said.
A man noticed the young suspect smoking marijuana at the park and confronted him about it, the commander said.
Undaunted, the teen lifted his shirt to display a handgun in his waistband, according to Wiese.
The teen ran when officers arrived at the park, but was soon captured nearby, Wiese said. It appeared he surrendered once he realized police had brought a K-9 to the scene to aid in the apprehension.
The .40-caliber pistol the boy was carrying had a loaded, high-capacity magazine and had been reported stolen in 2012, Wiese said.
He was booked on suspicion of numerous weapons charges including possession of a stolen handgun, possession of a concealed handgun in public, possession of a loaded handgun in public, possession of a high-capacity magazine and possession of a handgun by a minor.
Wiese said the teen was also on pronation for robbery, and is accused of violating the terms of his supervision.
Although voters legalized recreational marijuana for adults in California last November, it remains illegal to use or possess for those under 21 years old, and smoking the plant in public remains prohibited.

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Handicapped space violation in Irwindale leads to arrest of wanted ex-con, seizure of drugs and gun

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IRWINDALE >> Police arrested an ex-con with drugs, a loaded handgun and an active arrest warrant after approaching him for illegally parking in a handicapped stall outside an Irwindale convenience store early Saturday, authorities said.
James Matthew Doke, 31, of Duarte was ultimately booked on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, heroin possession and possession of methamphetamine for sales, according to Irwindale police Sgt. Rudy Gatto. He was also being held on a warrant for violating the terms of his “Post-Release Community Supervision” felony probation under AB 109 guidelines.
The alleged inconsiderate parking violation first drew the attention of an officer about 3:20 a.m. to an ARCO gas station and ampm minimart at 16000 E. Foothill Blvd.
“During the course of the officer’s investigation, the officer found that the subject had an active ‘no bail’ warrant for his arrest,” Gatto said in a written statement.
After detaining Doke in connection with the warrant, “It was subsequently found that the suspect was in possession of a loaded semi-automatic handgun, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana,” Gatto said. “It was also found that the subject was a convicted felon.”
Police took Doke into custody without a struggle.
In addition to small amounts of heroin and recently-legalized marijuana, officers seized about 10 grams of methamphetamine, along with “paraphernalia that would be indicative of narcotics sales,” Gatto said.
Doke’s extensive criminal history dates back to age 19, Los Angeles County Superior Court records show.
He was convicted of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, and forging an officials government seal in 2004. A charge of check fraud was dismissed.
Doke was convicted of being under the influence of drugs in 2005, as well as auto theft and resisting or obstructing police in 2006, records show.
He pleaded “no contest” to a charge of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer in 2011, while a charge of auto theft with a prior auto theft conviction was dismissed.
Doke was again convicted of resisting or obstructing police in 2011. A charge of possession of a stun gun by a convicted felon was dropped.
In 2013, Doke was convicted of auto theft with a prior auto theft conviction, and his probation was revoked for a violation later the same year.
He was arrested once more on Nov. 17, 2016, for violation his AB 109 felony probation. He received a sentence of 40 days in jail, but was released after 10.
Officials filed another allegation of violating his felony probation in October of 2016, but Doke failed to appear in court, resulting in the warrant on which he was being sought at the time of his arrest on Sunday morning.
Under AB 109, also known as the “California Public Safety Realignment” of 2011, those convicted of crimes deemed, “non-serious,” “nonviolent,” and “non-sexual,” can be supervised by county probation departments, rather than the more stringent oversight of state parole agents.
In determining eligibility, the law considers only convicts’ most recent conviction — in the case of Doke, auto theft — and not prior offenses. And critics of the legislation, such as the Association of Deputy District Attorneys in Los Angeles, have pointed out that crimes including assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer are considered to be a nonviolent offenses for the purposes of AB 109.
According to Los Angeles County booking records, Doke was being held without bail at the Glendora Police Department’s jail pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in the West Covina branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.
The law, as well as others aimed at meeting a federal mandate to reduce overcrowding in California prisons, has come under renewed scrutiny from critics in recent weeks after Whittier police Officer Keith Boyer was shot to death on Feb. 20, allegedly by a gang member with a lengthy criminal history who had been in and out of jail five times in the eight months prior to the deadly shooting.

PHOTO: Police arrested a wanted ex-convict and seized this handgun, along with methampetamine, heroin and marijuana, after approaching a Duarte man for illegally parking in a handicapped parking space outside an ampm minimart at 16000 E. Foothill Blvd. in Irwindale on Sunday, March 26, 2017. (Courtesy, Irwindale Polcie Department)

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Man and woman critically injured in West Covina crash

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WEST COVINA >> Paramedics rushed a man and woman to a trauma center in critical condition after their car struck a tree along Amar Road in West Covina early Saturday, officials said.
The crash took place about 9:30 a.m. on eastbound Amar Road, just west of Temple Avenue, West Covina Fire Department Assistant Chief Brian McDermott said.
Firefighters had to cut the man and woman free from the wreckage of their sedan before flying them to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center by helicopter, McDermott said. Officials encountered no additional patients.
The cause and circumstance of the crash were being investigated by the West Covina Police Department, but no one at the department was available to provide information Saturday morning or afternoon.

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Police: Woman robs man who tried to give her money outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena

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PASADENA >> A woman asked a man for dollar and then robbed him of his backpack when he tried to grant her request outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Friday night, authorities said.
A 54-year-old Monrovia man was walking around the stadium, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, just before 8:30 p.m. when a woman on a bicycle stopped to talk to him, Pasadena police Lt. Mark Goodman said.
“The suspect asked the victim of he had a dollar to spare,” the lieutenant said.
The man was willing to help, but the woman apparently was not satisfied with his generosity.
“When the victim opened his backpack, the suspect grabbed the backpack out of the victim’s hands and fled on her bicycle,” the lieutenant said.
A good Samaritan followed the woman in a car and called 911, he said. Officers soon found the suspected robber, arrested her and recovered the victim’s backpack.
Goodman said Lucy Bermudez, 28, of Pasadena was booked on suspicion of robbery. According to county booking records, she was being held in lieu of $76,000 bail pending her initial court appearance.

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Fontana man carjacked in Pasadena

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PASADENA >> A gunman carjacked a Fontana man of his rental car in a residential neighborhood in Pasadena on Friday afternoon, police said.
The victim, a 23-year-old man, was sitting in the rented car at Hurlbut Street and Jane Place about 4:25 p.m. when the carjacker approached on foot and brandished a handgun, Pasadena police Lt. Mark Goodman said.
“The suspect demanded the victim exit the vehicle. The victim got out of the vehicle, at which time the suspect got in and drove away,” according to Goodman.
The stolen car was a cream-colored, 2017 Hyundai Accent. Police described the carjacker as a black man of unknown age, about 6 feet tall, of thin build, with dreadlocks in his hair and wearing all black clothing.
Anyone with information is urged to contact 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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Teen arrested, armed man sought following San Gabriel liquor robbery

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SAN GABRIEL >> Police arrested a teen who stole alcohol from a San Gabriel supermarket and fought with security guards who confronted him on Friday, but a man who pulled a gun on the security guards in an attempt to help the teen escape remained at large, authorities said.
The series of events began about 12:10 p.m. when a suspect, ultimately found to be a 16-year-old boy, snatched some alcoholic beverages from the Hawaii Supermarket, 120 E. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel police Sgt. Rebecca Gomez said.
Two loss prevention officers chased after the teen as he fled south down Del Mar Avenue, she said. They caught up with him in the 200 block of West Norwood Place, and they began to struggle, according to the sergeant.
A man emerged from the residential neighborhood, pointed a silver-colored handgun at the security guards and ordered them to let the young thief go, Gomez said.
Both the man and teen ran off, and officers set up a search perimeter with help from neighboring police departments.
Officers found the teen hiding behind a trash can with help from a police dog within an hour, Gomez said. He suffered minor bite injuries while being taken into custody. The allegedly stolen booze was recovered in the area.
The gunman was not found. He was described as a white or Latino man in his late-20s, of thin build, wearing a black shirt and red-and-black pants.
Gomez said the teen was examined at a hospital and taken to juvenile hall on suspicion of robbery.
Anyone with information can reach the San Gabriel Police Department at 626-308-2828. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Woman killed, another jailed following Pico Rivera hit-and-run

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PICO RIVERA >> Deputies jailed a Pico Rivera woman on Friday morning after she fatally struck a bicyclist on Rosemead Boulevard, then fled the scene, hours earlier, authorities said.
Berta Ramirez, 21, was booked on suspicion of hit-and-run involving a death about 10:20 a.m., Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Noe Garcia said.
The bicyclist, a woman whose identity has not been released, was riding her bike on Rosemead Boulevard south of Rex Road at about 2 a.m. when she was hit, Sgt. Wilson Wong said in a written statement.
The victim, whom the coroner’s office believes was in her 30s, was taken to a local hospital where she died of her injuries, according to Ed Winter, assistant chief of Operations at the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
The involved car was described as a dark gray, a 2003-2007 Honda Accord with damage to its front end.
As the investigation continued, deputies patrolling in South Whittier pulled over a “blueish-gray” 2005 Honda Accord for traffic violations shortly after 10 a.m. at Pioneer Boulevard and Saragosa Street, sheriff’s officials said. Ramirez was at the wheel.
“During the investigation, the deputies noticed extensive damage to the front end of the vehicle. It was determined the vehicle matched the description of the vehicle involved in the fatal hit-and-run traffic collision which occurred early in the morning,” Wong said. “Based on further investigation, suspect Ramirez was booked at the Pico Rivera Sheriff Station.”
Deputies obtained a blood sample from Ramirez, which will be analyzed as part of the investigation.
Ramirez was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending her initial court appearance, records show.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Pico Rivera Station’s Detective Jose Marquez at 562-949-2421.
Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

— Brian Day and Sandra Molina

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FBI, police release video showing man suspected of tossing explosive into Pasadena Cheesecake Factory, $20K reward offered

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PASADENA >> Police and FBI officials released surveillance video on Friday depicting a man suspected off tossing a homemade explosive device into a crowded Pasadena Cheesecake Factory restaurant last month and offered a $20,000 reward for information in the case.
No one was hurt during the bizarre incident, which took place just after 6 p.m. on Feb. 2 at the restaurant at 2 W. Colorado Blvd. But the unexplained attack left nerves on edge, and investigators continue seeking the man responsible.
The FBI offered a $20,000 reward for information leading the arrest of the person or people responsible for the incident, said Deidre Fike, assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office.
Investigators have been gathering clues, interviewing witnesses and following leads since Feb. 2, but the case remains unsolved.
“As we have exhausted those leads, the FBI is offering a reward up to $20,000 for any information that leads to tips and information that identifies the individual or group involved in this act,” Fike said.
To that end, authorities released surveillance camera video footage from a Ralph’s grocery store at 320 W. Colorado Blvd., where Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said the suspect went immediately after the “homemade pyrotechnic device” was tossed into the restaurant. The footage shows a bearded man with a pigeon-toed gate walking through the store.
The video, “captured images of the suspect wearing a white T-shirt and carrying dark clothing, originally worn at the time of the incident,” Sanchez said.
The suspect is later seen discarding the black item of clothing in a trash can. The garment was not recovered, Sanchez said.
Police have described the suspect as a possibly Latino or Middle Eastern man of about 6 feet tall, with a heavy beard, wearing all-black clothing.
Sanchez said investigators had conducted surveillance on another man who turned out not to be involved.
Officials declined to describe the recovered explosive device in detail. It was unclear whether it had detonated to its full potential, or malfunctioned. The device caused only minor damage inside the restaurant.
Mayor Terry Tornek previously said the device was more akin to a firecracker than a bomb.
And the intent of the man who lobbed the device also remains unknown.
“The truth of the matter is we don’t know, and our evidence will take us where we need to be. If it was an elaborate prank, that’s what the evidence will show. If it was something greater than that, we have extraordinary investigators in the FBI and the Pasadena Police Department.”
Between the reward and the clear video footage, Fike said investigators were optimistic that new information will come to light.
“We believe that once this video is released, it will lead to tips coming in that will support the investigation, she said.
“Until we really identify who the individual is, determine the motive for this action and have an opportunity to interview him and any associates, we really don’t know,’ Fike said.
“We have no reason right now, we have no evidence to believe it was a terrorist attack. But again, we do not know the motive, and that’s why we’re reaching out to the community,” she said.
Once the suspect has been identified and interviewed, “We’ll follow the facts from there.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact the FBI’s Los Angeles tip line at 800-225-5324. Tipsters can remain anonymous, Fike said.

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Sylmar man dies after being rear-ended on 2 Freeway in La Canada Flintridge

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LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE >> A 66-year-old Sylmar man died late Wednesday after the car he was riding as a passenger in was rear-ended by another vehicle on a freeway transition road in La Canada Flintridge, authorities said.
The crash took place shortly after 6 p,m, on the northbound 2 Freeway connector to the westbound 210 Freeway, according to California Highway Patrol logs.
The victim who died was riding as a passenger in a 2015 Volkswagen Jetta being driven by a 38-year-old Sylmar man, CHP officials said in a written statement. The Jetta was stopped behind traffic on the transition road.
“A (2015) Subaru Outback was approaching the Jetta from behind at a speed greater than 35 mph when the driver suddenly swerved to the left as he collided into the rear of the Jetta,” according to the statement. Thirty-five mph is the posted speed limit on the transition road.
“The impact from the collision caused the Jetta to spin in a westerly direction, where it collided into the rear of a stopped (2015) Honda CRV,” the statement said.
Both the driver and passenger of the Jetta were taken to Huntington Hospital in Pasadena for treatment, officials said. The passenger succumbed to his injuries a short time later. The driver suffered injuries described as moderate.
The 25-year-old Woodland Hills man at the wheel of the Outback suffered minor injuries, according to the CHP. The driver of the CRV was unhurt.
No arrests were made as the crash remained under investigation by the CHP’s Altadena-area office. Intoxicated driving was not initially suspected to be a factor.
Anyone with information can reach the CHP’s Altadena-area office at 626-296-8100.

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