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Police have arrested an booked a 52-year-old woman on suspicion of commiting lewd acts with a 14-year-old student at Monterey Highlands Elementary School in Monterey Park.

Apparently the woman wasn't a teacher, but a staff member at the school. The act apparently occurred off campus.

Mildred Luna is a staff member at the school, police said. The allegations, stemming from an incident that reportedly occurred after school Feb. 6 at a location away from the school, was not reported until mid-April, police said.
Luna was arrested April 14, officials said.

I'll try to post more details later in the day if they come in.

During a 2007 remodeling of the presbyterian Church in Covina, workers uncovered several disturbing images of child pornography,

A subsequent FBI investigation led to a registered sex offender who was living at working at an auto repair shop in town.

The sex offender, Richard Welton, 47, is now behind bars in federal custody.

Here's the FBI docs from the case:

SAFE_-_Welton_arrest_warrant.pdf

SAFE_-_Welton_indictment.pdf

Welton has a long criminal history that includes making obscene phone calls from churches claiming to have abducted a young girl.

Police are responding en masse to Mentone Avenue, just south of Washington Boulevard. Not  a lot is clear at this point except that there is a "person down," there are possible reports of "shots fired," and police were asking for major backup in a hurry.

A command post was being set up, and officials were heard over the radio inquiring about the condition of a patient.

Radio traffic also indicated police may have been in foot pursuit of suspects.

*Here's what the California Fire Page has to say about the incident:

*Shooting* Mentone@Washington, Pasadena; Single vict down w/ gun shot wound, Large crime scene area, Violent crowd, PD command require arrest team setup and slug gun to scene; Live Scanner Traffic: tinyurl.com/LAFEED ; Red 2 and PPD Ch4 ###

Reporter Robert Hong is en route to the scene.

**4:51 p.m.: News wire reports are now indicating that this incident is an officer-involved shooting.

The Pasadena City College's newspaper reported Thursday that Head Football Coach Kenny Lawler remains on paid leave from the school while the administration continues to conduct an investigation.

The college is investigating how a GPS-wearing registered sex offender named Darryl "Slurp" Stephens was not only allowed to register at the college but was a starter on the football team.

Here's a portion of the story by PCC Editor Jeremy Balan:

According to school officials, the third-party investigation into his "policies and procedures" has concluded, but further action regarding Lawler's status at the college is unknown.

"Really nothing has changed, even though the investigation is completed. There has not been any decision made. At this point Kenneth Lawler is still on paid administrative leave and that's basically all I know at this point," Interim Dean/Athletic Director Beverly Tate said in a phone message on Tuesday.

Apparently the state has suspended payments to a home for registered sex offenders in Hacienda Heights. As a result several Megan's Law registrants will be transient for at least tonight, officials said.

The home in the 14300 block of Ansford Street in Hacienda Heights is near a group home at 14523 Ansford Street officials said. Several of the registrants were recently placed in the home.

All are fitted with GPS tracking devices, officials said.

Here's our story so far:

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A half-dozen convicted sex offenders may be sleeping on the streets as they are faced with the threat of eviction due to a bounced government check, an attorney said.

Attorney Mike Balmer, who represents one of the registrants living in the home, said a government-issued check bounced, causing the sex registrants living in the home in the 14000 block of Ansford Street to be evicted.

"There's nothing we can do about it," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Puchalski, of the Industry station. "As long as they don't commit a crime, we can't much help it if they are getting evicted."

California State Department of Corrections spokesman Gordon Hinkle said he could not immediately provide details of the situation, but said in general, "The state and corrections does not have a responsibility to provide housing for any parolee."

"It's something we do an a case by case basis," Hinkle said, "in the best interest of rehabilitation and public safety."

Balmer said the residents of the home were told to vacate by Friday evening.

Here's the story as written by Emma Gallegos this morning:

BALDWIN PARK - A man suspected of peering into a young girl's window and exposing himself to her was arrested this morning after police followed a trail of footprints, cigarette butts and other evidence leading to him.

Jason Francis Orefice, 31, was booked on suspicion of attempted burglary and indecent exposure following the 5:30 a.m. incident.

The girl reported that she woke up to see the silhouette of a man outside her bedroom window in the 14100 block of Olive Street . She told her dad, who went outside and found a man performing a sex act on himself near the window. He chased the suspect away and called police, Lt. David Reynoso said.

There were marks on the window showing that someone had attempted to break into the girl's room, Reynoso said. Police tracked the suspect's footprints, fresh cigarette butts and a pry bar that may have been used on the window to a residence one street north in the 14100 block of Masline Street, Reynoso said. They knocked on the door and found Orefice, police said. One witness positively identified Orefice, Reynoso said.

PASADENA - Police are searching for a man who groped a female student at Blair High School Friday.
The incident occurred about 8 a.m. on the third floor of the school's main facility, Pasadena police Lt. Alex Uribe said in a written statement.
The suspect, "approached a female high school student from behind and groped her buttocks and genital area," Uribe said.
The man ran away when the girl began to scream, he said.
The girl's screams attracted the attention of other students and school staff, but the suspect fled the area before anyone else saw him, Uribe said.
The suspect is described as a Latino man, about 25 years old, about 6 feet tall, of heavy build, with a shaved head and and unknown type tattoo on his right arm, Uribe said.
He wore a loose-fitting green shirt and baggy blue jeans, he added.
Police scoured the area but were unable to find the suspect, officials said.

This from Bethania Palma:

AZUSA -- A judge Tuesday dropped lewd conduct charges against a local substitute teacher, calling the accusations "implausible," officials said.
Virgil Cleon Harper, 66, of Azusa, faced nine counts of committing lewds with a child, stemming from allegations when he substituted for the fourth grade teacher at W.R. Powell Elementary School in Azus March 21.
A jury deliberated for three days before failing to reach a decision Monday. Seven jurors believed Harper was guilty while five believed he was not.

The District Attorney's office will not refile the case officials said.

The state's case against Virgil Cleon Harper went to a Jury Wednesday after both sides presented closing arguments.

Harper, a substitute teacher in Azusa, is accused of nine counts of sexual molestation involving youngsters in his classroom.

Our reporter Bethania Palma attended Wednesday's court session and interviewed Harper. These excerpts are from her story:

Deputy District Attorney Miji Vellakkatel<NO1>cq <NO>told the jury there was solid evidence Harper touched the 9-and-10-year-old boys and girls in a sexual manner.
"The truth lies in the evidence," he said. "He touched a total of 17 body parts that are sexual in nature.
The fourth graders had stated Harper touched genital areas, rear ends, breasts and thighs, Vellakkatel said.
Defense attorney Victor Salerno said the accusations were false and added they resulted from peer pressure and a "snowball effect."

<snip>

Harper said he had been a teacher and substitute teacher for years in various settings, including high schools and colleges. At one point he taught at Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
He also worked as an adjunct professor at APU and served on the city's architectural barriers commission.
Harper said he began teaching at grade schools about a year ago so he could get more hours.
He said if cleared of charges, he would not teach children again "unless there are cameras or another adult present."

This from staff writer Robert Hong:

A former teacher at Mayfield Senior School in Pasadena pleaded guilty today to possessing child pornography.

The illegal images were found on a computer belonging to 63-year-old David Hassler when authorities searched his home in November 2007, authorities said. He was among about 10,000 of people arrested in nationwide federal investigation into on-line child pornography.

Hassler, who pleaded guilty in federal court in downtown Los Angeles, could be sentenced to up to 10 years in federal prison.

This from staff and wire reports:

LOS ANGELES  -- An Altadena man made his first court appearance today on
charges that he molested two 9-year-old girls, including one of his students,
while he was working as a teacher about 20 years ago.

Mark Walter Sonnenburg, 53, is scheduled to be arraigned Oct. 20 on three
felony counts filed last Friday involving the two alleged victims, according to
Sandi Gibbons of the District Attorney's Office.

One of the girls was a student at Eagle Rock Montessori School,
where he taught at the time, Gibbons said.

He had more recently taught at The Walden School in Pasadena where he worked until March, according to a statement released by that
school.

"We have determined that these allegations do not involve any former or current
student from our school and are based on a time more than two decades ago,"
Walden School's statement says. "Prior to learning of the allegations, the
school never received any information, complaint or allegation of this kind
involving Mr. Sonnenburg -- before or during his tenure at the school."

The Walden School said it had been contacted by authorities during the last
school year, had been fully cooperating with the investigation and conducted
its own independent investigation.

Sonnenburg was arrested last Friday by officers from the Los Angeles Police
Department's Northeast Division. He has remained jailed since then in lieu of
$300,000 bail.

Here's what the state Sen. told PCC's Courier staff regarding Darryl "Slurp" Stephens:

"I'm a strong believer in second chances. If someone has served his time and is deemed worthy to reenter society, a public school should not prevent that person from obtaining an education," said Scott.

Scott was speaking in an interview after his appearance at the Faculty Flex Day.

The senator's comments came in the wake of revelations that "Slurp" a PCC wide receiver/tight end was on the PCC fottball team's roster while wearing a GPS ankle bracelet designed to track high risk sex offenders. 

Stephens had been convicted of rape and is listed on the state's Megan's Law Web site.

A Rowland Heights doctor is accused of sexually assaulting patients at a Whittier Hospital. he denies the charges. Here's our story so far:

WHITTIER - A doctor denied sexually assaulting patients during office visits.

Dr. Wazir Nadir Ali, 44, of Rowland Heights pleaded not guilty to five counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object and two counts of sexual battery by fraud at his Tuesday arraignment at Whittier Superior Court.

He will return to court Nov. 6.

The charges stem from an incident in 2005 and a second incident 2007 at a Bright Medical Associates facility on Whittier Boulevard in Whittier. Two women alleged Ali sexually assaulted them under the guise of a medical examination.

Ali resigned from Bright Medical last year.

Sheriff's booking records show he is out on bail.

A registered sex offender was playing football for PCC while wearing a GPS tracking device, according to a story by Jeremy Balan in the PCC Courier.

Darryl "Slurp" Stevens was kicked off the team after he was arrested on an assault charge, according to the article. Here's a sample:

A registered sex offender and member of PCC's football team, was arrested Sept. 2, the first day of school, on an assault charge after a fight with a female friend.

Darryl Stephens (also known as "slurp" to friends and teammates) has been on parole since April 4, 2005, for a charge of "assault to commit a specific sex crime," according to the California Department of Corrections. He was also wearing a GPS high-risk sex offender bracelet on his left ankle and was listed as a restrained person per a domestic violence order, according to the arrest report.

Stephens is now being held at Pitchless Detention Center in Castaic.

Photo by Daniel Lottes for PCC.