Bandit sought in Glendora bank robbery

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> A man carried out a robbery at a Glendora bank branch on Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The crime took place shortly before 5:20 p.m. at the Bank of America, 843 E. Arrow Highway, Glendora police Lt. Rob Lamborghini said.
A man entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash, he said. The robber fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. No weapon was seen.
Officers searched the area but did not find the culprit, Lamborghini said. A description of the robber was not available.
No further details were available Saturday.
Anyone with information can reach the Glendora Police Department at 626-914-8250. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Elderly Alta Loma man dies after crash on 210 Freeway in Glendora

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> An elderly Alta Loma man died Thursday morning following an apparently minor three-vehicle crash on the 210 Freeway, authorities said.
The man’s identity was not available pending positive identification and notification of family members, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner officials said. California Highway Patrol officials initially described the victim as a 76-year-old Alta Loma man.
The 10:27 a.m. crash on the westbound 210 Freeway, east of Bonnie Cove Avenue, did not appear to involve violent forces, officials said. It was unclear whether the man may have suffered a medical emergency.
He was at the wheel of a 2003 GMC Envoy when traffic began slowing ahead, CHP Officer Rodrigo Jimenez said in a written statement.
A 2003 Dodge Ram being driven by a 69-year-old Claremont man failed to slow in time and rear-ended the GMC, Jimenez said. The impact pushed the GMC forward into the back of a Ford F-150 pickup truck traveling in front of it with a 53-year-old San Dimas man driving.
“The vehicles began to move to the right shoulder after the collisions, when for unknown reasons, the GMC Envoy continued to the right up the dirt embankment,” Jimenez said. “The GMC Envoy then continued back to the left across all traffic lanes and collided with the center divider wall where the vehicle came to rest.”
The driver of the Ford and another good Samaritan found the driver of the GMC unresponsive and performed CPR, officials said. Paramedics soon arrived and took over treatment as they took the man to Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in Glendora, where he was ultimately pronounced dead.
The two other men involved in the crash suffered no injuries, Jimenez said.
The incident remained under investigation. Anyone with information can reach the CHP’s Baldwin Park-area office at 626-338-1164.

Coyote attack prompts trapping, euthanization in Glendora

Posted on January 25, 2017 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> Officials in Glendora have contracted with a company to trap and euthanize coyotes venturing close to neighborhoods after three of the animals attacked a mastiff as its owner walked it on a leash on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
The attack took place about 8:15 a.m. as a woman was walking her dog near Elderberry Drive and Snapdragon Lane, in the La Colina Estates housing development tract on the site of the former Monrovia Nursery, Glendora city officials said in a written statement.
“A Glendora resident was walking her mastiff on a leash when a coyote attacked the dog seemingly without reason,” according to the statement. “Shortly after the initial attack, two other coyotes joined in. The coyotes were fended off by the resident who threw rocks at the three coyotes and a witness who assisted by clapping her hands and yelling at the coyotes.”
The dog was treated for “minor puncture wounds” to its neck and expected to make a full recovery, officials said. It was to be examined by a veterinarian and quarantined as a precaution pending the result of blood tests.
“As a result of this incident occurring in broad daylight, with a large pet and with a human in close proximity, the City of Glendora has decided it is necessary to take reactive action,” the statement said.
City officials have hired a professional trapping company to trap and euthanize coyotes, in compliance with state law.
“The traps are designed so that they will not harm unintended wildlife,” the statement said. “The traps (were deployed Tuesday) in the area of the incident and in locations as determined by the trapping company professional opinion.”
Anyone who spots a coyote, or any other wildlife, posing an imminent threat is urged to call 911. To report sightings, the Glendora Police Department can be reached at 626-914-8250.
Officials offered some tips to help residents be good neighbors to their coyote neighbors living in the foothills:
• Never feed coyotes or any other wildlife
• Keep pets and pet food indoors. If feeding outside, feed pets during the day, for no more than an hour, and remove the food and water bowls after.
• Stay close to pets when taking them outdoors and always keeping them on a leash, especially from dusk through early morning
• Remove fallen fruit from the ground
• Bag food wastes such as meat scraps or leftover pet food
• Keep trash in containers with tight-fitting lids
• Use “hazing” techniques to shoo away coyotes, such as standing tall, yelling and waving arms while approaching the coyote; using a whistle, air horn, bell or other device; banging pots or pans together; stomping your feet; using a water hose, pepper spray or throwing objects at the coyote.
• Never run away from a coyote
More information regarding wildlife in Glendora is available online at www.ci.glendora.ca.us/residents/living-with-wildlife.

PHOTO: ***STAFF FILE PHOTO***A pair of coyotes along the roadway in the Angeles National Forest on Saturday July 5, 2003. (Keith Durflinger/San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group)

Voluntary evacuations issued in Glendora’s Colby fire impact area

Posted on January 22, 2017 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> Anticipated heavy rain on Sunday prompted officials issued voluntary evacuation orders for neighborhoods near the Colby fire impact area in Glendora on Sunday.
Those choosing to evacuate may go to the Glendora Teen Center at 241 W. Dawson Ave., Glendora police officials said in an alert.
Rain-related parking restrictions are also in effect in the affected area, and residents were told to remove vehicles, trash bins or any other obstructions from the streets.
•Map of Colby fire impact area
Additional information regarding the Colby fire impact area is available online at www.ci.glendora.ca.us/residents/colby-fire-information.

Glendora selects first female police chief

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> City officials on Wednesday selected San Pablo Police Chief Lisa G. Rosales to take the reins of the Glendora Police Department as first female chief in the department’s 106-year history.
Rosales has 30 years of law enforcement experience, city officials said in a written statement. A former Glendora resident of 19 years, she served with the Pasadena Police Department from 1987 to 2014, before being selected to head the San Pablo Police Department in 2014.
She replaces former Police Chief Tim Staab, who retired last month of 33 years of service to the Glendora Police Department.
Rosales will begin her duty in Glendora on Feb. 6. Capt. Joe Ward is serving as interim chief in the meantime.
Prior to her career in law enforcement, Rosales grew up in Highland Park and worked as a substitute school teacher.
“Her interest in police work was the result of two friends who in 1977 were kidnapped and murdered around her quiet hometown area. The victims were killed at the hands of the “Hillside Strangler” who terrorized the Los Angeles area in the late-1970’s with the killing of 10 women,” according to the statement.
“While in the teaching field, Rosales somehow knew she had to do more to help people and families in the community terrorized by violent crime,” the statement said. “She was hired by the Pasadena Police Department who sponsored her to attend Rio Hondo Police Academy.”
Rosales has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Diego, as well as Masters in Public Administration from the University of La Verne. She is a graduate of the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College Program.
She worked in positions including patrol, detective bureau and administration as she rose through the ranks of law enforcement, officials said.
The selection was made during Wednesday night’s City Council meeting.
Upon accepting a the position as San Pablo’s police chief in 2014, she kept her home in Glendora with plans to return one day, according to the statement.
The Glendora Police Department, with 54 sworn officers and 45 non-sworn employees, is larger that the San Pablo Police Department, which is comprised of 55 officers and 24 civilian employees.
City Manager Chris Jeffers welcomed her back to the community.
“Her desire to contribute and live in Glendora has come true, and we are very fortunate to have her wealth of experience and leadership become part of the Glendora Police Department,” he said.

PHOTO courtesy of the San Pablo Police Department

Glendora man accused of selling heroin near high school in Covina

Posted on January 8, 2017 by Brian Day

COVINA >> Police jailed a Glendora man Sunday on suspicion of selling heroin at an apartment building across the street from a high school in Covina, officials said.
Christopher Michael Strohl, 30, was booked on suspicion of possession of heroin for sales, as well as an existing traffic warrant, following his 9 a.m. arrest at an apartment complex in the 1000 block of West Cypress Street, across the street from Northview High School, according to Covina police officials and Los Angeles County booking records.
Officers had received complaints of drug dealing in the area when they spotted Strohl, who appeared suspicious, standing in a carport, Covina police Sgt. Antonio Zavala said.
They soon realized the man, later identified as Strohl, had an outstanding traffic warrant, he said.
While searching the suspect, officers discovered 9.8 grams of heroin, as well as a small amount of methamphetamine, the sergeant said.
The heroin had an estimated street value of $1,000, he added.
Strohl was being held in lieu of $65,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in the West Covina branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

PHOTO courtesy of the Covina Police Department

Wanted San Dimas man arrested after pursuit through Covina

Posted on January 2, 2017 by Brian Day

COVINA >> Police on Sunday jailed a San Dimas man on suspicion on outstanding robbery and drug smuggling warrants, and were investigating his possible connection to an armed robbery in Glendora early Saturday, after he led Covina police on a high-speed chase before being captured by a SWAT team and a K-9, authorities said.
Bryan McMaster, 46, was ultimately booked on suspicion of felony evading of police, as well as warrants for robbery and smuggling drugs into the Glendora Police Department’s jail, Covina police Sgt. Antonio Zavala said.
Detectives were also looking into the possibility McMaster was responsible for a Saturday morning armed robbery at a CVS Pharmacy in Glendora, Covina and Glendora police officials said. A concrete link was yet to be established.
The chase began after an officer spotted the wanted man about 9:30 a.m. in a car in the parking lot of the Park Inn, 1211 E. Garvey Street, Zavala said.
McMaster refused to pull over, initiating a chase that reached speeds of more than 100 mph on surface streets, the sergeant said. After leading police on a chase for about three miles, McMaster abandoned his car and continued fleeing on foot after driving into a cul-de-sac on Bender Avenue, just north of Navilla Place, in an unincorporated county area just outside of Covina.
A SWAT team was summoned to search for the suspect, as he was presumed armed and dangerous, according to Zavala.
SWAT officers, aided by Covina police K-9 Jarno, found McMaster hiding in a shed behind a vacant home nearby about noon, he said.
McMaster was treated for minor dog bite injuries and booked into jail, Zavala said.
His wife, who was riding as a passenger during the pursuit, was also being detained for questioning Sunday afternoon, he added.

Gunman robs Glendora pharmacy

Posted on December 31, 2016 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> A masked gunman robbed a CVS Pharmacy in Glendora early Saturday, police said.
The crime unfolded about 7:50 a.m. at the pharmacy at 435 E. Arrow Highway, Glendora police Lt. Rob Lamborghini said.
A man entered the store disguised with a hooded sweatshirt, a hat, sunglasses and a surgical mask. He stood about 5 feet 8 inches tall.
He brandished a handgun as he demanded money from an employee, ultimately obtaining several hundred dollars, according to the lieutenant.
The robber was last seen running toward the side of the business, Lamborghini said.
Detectives were working to obtain surveillance camera footage of the crime to examine for clues.
Anyone with information can reach the Glendora Police Department at 626-914-8250. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Police checkpoint planned in honor of Glendora man fatally struck by alleged DUI driver last year

Posted on December 15, 2016 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> Police in Glendora are planning to screen drivers for sobriety and valid licenses during a checking on Friday night, officials said.
The checkpoint will be held from 7 p.m. Friday to 2:30 a.m. Saturday at an undisclosed location within Glendora, Glendora police officials said in a written statement.
Friday night’s checkpoint is being dedicated to longtime Glendora resident Joaquin Sepulveda, 65, who was fatally struck by an alleged drunken driver while riding his motorcycle at Foothill Boulevard and Galanto Avenue on Dec. 13, 2015, police said.
Sepulveda was badly hurt in the collision and succumbed to his injuries on Feb. 2 at a hospice care center, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.
This weekend’s checkpoint is being funded by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, through the California Office of Traffic Safety.

PHOTO of Joaqin Sepulveda courtesy of the Glendora Police Department

SWAT team hunts for burglary suspect in Glendora

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Brian Day

GLENDORA >> A SWAT team scoured a Glendora neighborhood Friday afternoon in search of a possible armed burglary suspect who fled from officers, officials said.
All three suspects initially ran, but two of them were quickly apprehended as officers responded to reports of a burglary in the 900 block of Fuschia Avenue, Glendora Police Chief Tim Staab said.
The third suspect eluded capture and ran into the surrounding neighborhood, the chief said.
Officers discovered a loaded gun inside a stolen car the alleged burglars had been using, Staab said.
Suspecting the fleeing suspect may be armed, police summoned the Foothill Special Enforcement Team to take over the scene. The team is a regional SWAT team comprised of officers from the Glendora, Monrovia and La Verne police departments.
Officials conducted a yard-to-yard search for the outstanding suspect, but called it off when he had not been found eight hours later, officials said.

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