Man robbed at gunpoint in Arcadia

Posted on March 4, 2017 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> Two gunmen robbed another man of his backpack as he walked through Arcadia late Thursday, officials said.
A man in his mid-30s was walking about 10:35 p.m. in the 700 block of Fairview Avenue, just west of Baldwin Avenue, prior to the robbery, Arcadia police Lt. Toy Nakamura said.
Two men, both brandishing handguns, approached the victim and demanded his backpack, the lieutenant said. The victim turned over his back, which contained some money and a cell phone. He was unhurt.
Police described both robbers as black men of about 5 feet 7 inches tall, of thin build, wearing all-dark clothing.
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.

UPDATED: Elderly Temple City woman who vanished while grocery shopping in Arcadia found safe

Posted on February 23, 2017 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> A en elderly Temple City woman who went missing while grocery shopping in Arcadia on Wednesday was found safe and sound on Thursday, polcie said.
Juiyun Hu, 79, disappeared about 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Arcadia Supermarket, 645 W. Duarte Road, Arcadia police Lt. Roy Nakamura said.
She was grocery shopping with her husband and son when she became separated from them, he said. Her family was unable to find her and reported her missing.
A surveillance camera at the store captured video of Hu appearing possibly disoriented as she walked out of the store with a shopping cart.
After reaching out to public to seek, Police in Alhambra found and recognized Hu in their city, Sgt. Tony Juarez. She was unharmed and reunited with her family.

Hesperia man arrested following Arcadia home burglary

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> Police jailed a Hesperia man Saturday as he fled the scene of a home burglary in Arcadia, officials said.
Refugio Roy Gomez, 51, was arrested in connection with the 7:53 p.m. break-in at a home in the 900 block of Sunset Boulevard, Arcadia police Sgt. John Bonomo said in a written statement.
Officers responding a burglary alarm encountered a man, later identified as Gomez, running from the side yard of the home, according to the sergeant.
“A foot pursuit began, but the suspect soon surrendered to officers and was taken into custody,” he said.
Police recovered items from the suspect believed to have been stolen from the home.
According to Los Angeles County booking records, Gomez was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in the Pasadena branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

BOOKING photo of Refugio Roy Gomez courtesy of the Arcadia Police Department.

Arcadia firefighters free woman who accidentally handcuffed self

Posted on February 2, 2017 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> A woman had to be freed by firefighters after locking herself in handcuffs last week, officials said.
Firefighters responded to the Arcadia Police Department, 250 W. Huntington Drive, on Thursday after a woman arrived at the police station to seek help, according to Arcadia Fire Department logs.
The woman, “had placed a pair of privately owned handcuffs on her wrists but did not have a key to unlock them,” according to the log. “Fire personnel used extrication tools to remove enough metal material to access the lock with a small screwdriver.”
The woman required no further assistance once freed from the handcuffs, officials said.
The incident was not the first time in recent memory that a local resident have required help from authorities to free them from self-placed handcuffs.
A man arrived at the Alhambra Police Department just over a year ago on Nov. 20 of 2015 with a similar problem.
“While trying out his new handcuffs for his new job, the subject placed the handcuffs around his wrists and secured them,” Alhambra police said via their Facebook page. “It was then determined that the handcuff keys were not compatible with the type of handcuffs he had.”
After confirming the man’s story, “the subject was freed fro mhis own arrest and happily sent on his way,” the statement said.

GPS tracker hidden amid cash leads officer to Arcadia restaurant burglary suspects

Posted on January 20, 2017 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> Police arrested four suspects in an Arcadia restaurant burglary earlier this week after a GPS tracking device hidden amonf the stolen cash led officers straight to them, authorities said.
The burglary took place early Tuesday at a restaurant in the 1000 block of South Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia police spokesman Tom Le Veque said in a written statement.
“They smashed the glass on the front door, disabled a CCTV camera, and made off with the cash drawer,” he said. The four suspects then fled in a car.
Unknown to the burglars, however, a GPS tracking device was hidden amid the cash in the register.
“The GPS device led officers to the four suspects, parked in their getaway vehicle on Peck Road in El Monte,” according to Le Veque.
Arrested were Draynesha Lanette Williams, 19, Rahmiko Ahnaz Harris, 18, Jordan Eleese Hayes, 19, all of Long Beach, as well as 17-year-old boy, according to Arcadia police and Los Angeles County booking records.
All three adult suspects were released from jail pending the legal process after posting $20,000 bail each, records show.

PHOTO: [left to right] Draynesha Lanette Williams, 19, Rahmiko Ahnaz Harris, 18, Jordan Eleese Hayes, 19, all of Long Beach. (Courtesy, Arcadia Police Department)

Arcadia sporting goods store robbed

Posted on January 9, 2017 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> Police are seeking a crook with a comb-over who robbed an Arcadia sporting good store late Sunday.
The crime took place about 5 p.m. at REI, 214 N. Santa Anita Ave., according to Arcadia police Sgt. Jimmy Trabbie.
“A man walked up to the cashier and presented a demand note,” he said in a written statement. “There was no weapon seen.”
After obtaining an undetermined amount of cash, the robber left the store and fled the area in a black Mitsubishi SUV, police said.
He was described as a Latino man between 28 and 30 years old, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, of thin to medium build, with a mustache and black, combed-over hair.
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.

Brothers arrested in connection with Arcadia burglary

Posted on January 6, 2017 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> Police jailed two brothers on Thursday as they fled from an alleged home burglary in Arcadia, officials said.
Jayshawn McKnight, 27, of Los Angeles and parolee Javon McKnight, a 30-year-old transient, were booked on suspicion of residential burglary, Arcadia police Sgt. Kirk Pedersen said in a written statement.
Officers responded to a burglary alarm about 10:30 a.m. in the area of Santa Anita and Grandview avenues, at the northern end of town, officials said.
As police were investigating the break-in, several witnesses reported seeing two men running through nearby yards.
Arcadia police, aided by their counterparts in the Sierra Madre police department, set up a search perimeter and soon arrested the McKnight brothers in connection with the burglary, Pedersen said.
Javon McKnight, who is already on parole following 2015 convictions for burglary and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, was being held without bail pending his initial court appearance, according to officials and Los Angeles County Superior Court and booking records.
Jayshawn McKnight was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, records show.

Arcadia woman killed by alleged DUI, hit-and-run driver identified

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> Authorities have released the identity of a 77-year-old Arcadia woman who was killed by an alleged drunken, hit-and-run driver while crossing Baldwin Avenue last week.
Fang Qiaorui died at a hospital following the collision, which took place about 9:45 p.m. on Dec. 14 on Baldwin Avenue near Arcadia Avenue, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said. An autopsy was pending.
She was struck by a Ford Explorer Sport Trac pickup truck, which fled the scene after striking her, Arcadia police Sgt. Dan Crowther said.
But witnesses provided police with a description of the truck, including its license plate number. Investigators quickly found and arrested Alex Danilo Cerna, 51, at his home in Pasadena, the sergeant said.
Cerna pleaded not guilty to charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and hit-and-run on Friday in the Pasadena branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court, records show.
According to court and booking records, Cerna was released from custody Monday after posting $100,000 bail. He’s schedule to return to court Jan. 12 for a preliminary hearing setting.

Masked man robs woman in Arcadia

Posted on December 18, 2016 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> A masked man robbed a senior citizen of her purse in Arcadia on Sunday morning, police said.
The crime was reported about 8:05 a.m. in the 400 block of West Naomi Avenue, Arcadia police Lt. Tom Cullen said in a written statement.
A Hacienda Ieghts woman in her 60s was walking down the street when she noticed a man wearing a black mask get out of an SUV and approach her, Cullen said.
“The victim tried to run away, but she fell,” he said. “The suspect picked up the victim’s purse and returned to his vehicle. The suspect vehicle left westbound on Naomi Avenue.”
Cullen said the woman was not injured.
Police described the robber as a Latino man between 30 and 40 years old, heavyset and about 5 feet 8 inches tall. “He wore a black long-sleeve shirt and dark pants. He fled in an older-model, small, white SUV with tinted windows.
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.

Pasadena man accused of DUI, hit-and-run in death of Arcadia woman denies charges

Posted on December 16, 2016 by Brian Day

ARCADIA >> A Pasadena man accused of fatally striking an elderly woman with his pickup truck in Arcadia while drunk, then fleeing the scene, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges filed in connection with the collision, authorities said.
Prosecutors filed charges of vehicular manslaughter and hit-and-run against Alex Cerna, 51, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said.
He was at the wheel of a Ford Explorer Sport Trac pickup truck when it struck a 77-year-old Arcadia woman at Baldwin and Arcadia avenues, according to Arcadia police Sgt. Dan Crowther.
The succumbed to her injuries at a hospital. Her identity was not released Friday pending notification of her family, coroner’s officials said.
The driver fled the scene, but witnesses provided police with a description of the hit-and-run truck, including its license plate number, Crowther said.
Police found and arrested Cerna at his home in Pasadena a short time later, Crowther said. They determined he was under the influence of alcohol.
Cerna was being held in lieu of $80,000 bail pending his next court appearance, scheduled on Jan. 12.
Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to call the Arcadia Police Department at 626-574-5151. Anonymous tipsters can call L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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