245: September 2008 Archives

Here's some stories we've been following over the weekend:

1. BALDWIN PARK -- City Councilman Anthony Bejarano was arrested late Friday on suspicion of being intoxicated in public.

2. VALINDA -- A Duarte man was jailed on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence Saturday following a crash that killed a 61-year-old Valinda man.

3. PASADENA -- A 16-year-old girl was shot in the leg Saturday while congregating with a group of other young women in front of an apartment building.

4 .BALDWIN PARK -- A 17-year-old boy showed up at a local hospital Sunday after he was stabbed but refused to tell police the details.

5. IRWINDALE -- A truck driver was robbed and shot Saturday as he dropped his truck off at a business at the end of his work day.

6. PASADENA -- A woman was arrested Sunday after allegedly attacking her boyfriend with a "The Club" steering wheel lock and vandalizing his car after discovering him at a motel with another woman.

A scorned woman allegedly used a popular auto theft prevention device Sunday to take out her frustrations on her apparently cheating boyfriend and his car.

Leina Marie Butler, 38, of Altadena was arrested after police say she used "The Club" steering wheel lock to smash the windows out of her 31-year-old boyfriend's car and then went after him.

The woman apparently tracked her beaux to a motel in the 2800 block of East Colorado Boulevard Sunday morning where she found him with another woman.

She began attacking his car, but when he came outside, she turned her rage toward him, allegedly striking him in the temple and arm.

He was hospitalized with moderate injuries including a cut to his head.

Butler was booked on suspicion of spousal abuse and is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

An arrest has been made in connection with the stabbing death of a woman whose family found her body in her minivan after police released it to them.

Joseph Orta, 35, of Azusa, who at least one family member has said he suspected from the outset, was charged with the murder of Eileen Ponce-Orta, 22, of Covina Friday.

According to an uncle of Ponce-Orta, Orta had a romantic interest in Ponce-Orta.

Orta is a relative of of Ponce-Orta's husband, Nicholas Orta.

Nicholas Orta reported his wife missing on Valentine's Day, and her minivan was found the following day abandoned at Pomona Superior Court.

Without performing a thorough search, police released the van to relatives, who then discovered Ponce-Orta's body inside.

Joseph Orta has been in jail since Feb. 16 when he was arrested on a parole violation stemming from a conviction for attacking his step-father with a deadly weapon in 2002.

After six months worth of investigating, detectives presented their case to the district attorney's office.

Investigators are continuing to search for a 25-year-old San Gabriel Valley man who allegedly attacked a woman Sunday and forced her into the trunk of her own car before she escaped by jumping out of the car as it sped down the 57 Freeway.

The man's name was known, sheriff's officials said, but was not released Monday as officials continue to investigate. Detectives also declined to release information on the victim's car, which the suspect may still be driving.

The victim, a 21-year-old area woman, was also not named.

She left a party in unincorporated Covina with the man when officials believe he struck her in the head with a blunt object, knocking her unconscious.

She woke up in the trunk of her own car and was able to get it open, then jumped from the trunk as the car continued at freeway speed on the 57 Freeway, north of the 60 Freeway in the Walnut area.

Officials said the woman suffered severe road rash, but no critical injuries.