UPDATED: One teen killed, another wounded in Monrovia shooting


MONROVIA >> A Saturday night shooting in Monrovia left one teenager dead and another wounded, authorities said.
The shooting took place about 11:35 p.m. in the 100 block of West Cypress Street, just west of Myrtle Avenue, according to Deputy Kimberly Alexander of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Information Bureau.
Monrovia police first responded to reports of gunshots when they found the victims, Alexander said in a written statement.
“Both victims had been shot at least one time in the torso,” she said.
Paramedics pronounced one of the young men dead at the scene, officials said.
He was identified as 18-year-old Oscar Andrew Garcia of Monrovia, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner Lt. Larry Dietz said.
The second gunshot victim, described as 17 years old, was hospitalized in critical condition.
The shooter was described only as a Latino man in his 20s. Sheriff’s officials released no further details regarding the circumstances of the shooting.
Neighbors said the shooting in or just outside the detached garage of a back house, and involved more than 10 gunshots.
A pair of paramedic’s gloved marked the scene of the shooting on Sunday afternoon.
One neighbor, who did not want her identity published for fear of retaliation, said the two victims did not live at the home, but were visiting friends when the gunfire erupted.
The shooter entered the property through a rear fence, which leads to an alley running just south of Cypress Street.
The gunman immediately opened fire before fleeing back through the alley, neighbors said.
Saturday night’s double shooting is the latest in a spate of at least seven shooting in the Monrovia-Duarte area since January that have left four victims dead and another four wounded. Three suspects have been jailed in connection with one of the non-fatal shootings. The rest of the cases remain unsolved.
•Two women escaped injury, though a home and parked car were struck by gunfire, in a drive-by shooting in the 500 block of Maydee Street in unincorporated county area between Monrovia and Duarte on Friday night.
•A La Puente man was found shot to death inside a vacant home in the 2600 block of Calle Martos in Duarte on April 1.
•A man was wounded in a shooting in the 400 block of East Duarte Road in Monrovia on March 29.
•A 20-year-old man died in a shooting in the 400 block of Camino Real Street in the unincorporated county area between Duarte and Monrovia on March 18.
•A 39-year-old man was shot to death as he arrived home with his wife and children in the 2300 block of Bashor Street in Duarte on Feb. 18. A $10,000 reward has since been authorized in the case by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.
•A man was wounded in a drive-by shooting in the 2000 block of Goodall Avenue in the unincorporated county area between Monrovia and Duarte on Jan. 15.
•Two men suffered gunshot wounds in a shooting at Cresrfield Drive and Bloomdale Street in Duarte on Jan. 7. Three suspects have been arrested in connection with the shooting.
News of Saturday neight’s shooting brought longtime victims’ advocate Jeanette Chavez to tears.
Chavez lost her 16-year-old daughter, Sammantha Salas, in a shooting in the 2500 block of Peck Road in the unincorporated county area between Duarte and Monrovia that took place amid a spate of gang-violence that plagued the area in late-2007. Salas was slain with automatic gunfire as the walked from her father’s home to a nearby store with two friends. One of Salas’ friends was also wounded in the shooting.
Two cousins from Monrovia have since been sentenced to life in prison for the slaying.
Chavez has spent the past decade working with victim’s advocacy organizations, as well as on her own, to try to prevent other families from suffering similar tragedies.
“This is really taking a toll on me, and taking a toll on my heart,” she said of the recent violence. “It’s like a black eye for my daughter.”
Chavez said she addressed law enforcement and county supervisors at a Monrovia, Arcadia Duarte Town Council meeting on Wednesday regarding the issue of violence in the Monrovia-Duarte area. Two more shooting have occurred in the area since the meeting.
Chavez said she asked at the meeting about improving communications between the several law enforcement agencies that patrol the area, as well as how many deputies are assigned to the unincorporated county area between Duarte and Monrovia. But she said she did not receive satisfactory answers.
In response to the violence in the area in 2007 and 2008, Monrovia officials sought and obtained a gang injunction against two local street gangs in a 6-square-mile area encompassing portions of Monrovia and nearby unincorporated county areas.
But Duarte declined to join in the injunction, which Chavez said was the wrong decision.
“Shame on Duarte for not joining the gang injunction,” she said.
The sheriff’s Homicide Bureau is helping Monrovia police with the investigation into Saturday’s fatal shooting.
Anyone with information us urged to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to  at 800-222-8477.

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Women escape unharmed following drive-by shooting near Duarte


A home and a parked car were struck by bullets, but two women escaped injury, in a drive-by shooting on Friday night in an unincorporated county area between Duarte and Monrovia, officials said.
The gunfire was reported about 8:55 p.m. in the 500 block of Maydee Street, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Frank Ruiz said.
Two women were standing on a corner when a car drove by with three male occupants inside, the lieutenant said. Shots were fired from the passing vehicle in the direction of the women.
The women were not struck by the gunfire, Ruiz said. But a nearby house and car were pierced by bullets.
No further details were available.
Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s Temple Station at 626-285-7171. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Man shot in Monrovia

MONROVIA >> A shooting in a residential neighborhood in Monrovia left a man wounded on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
The wounded victim arrived at a house in Duarte about 5 p.m. and called for help, Monrovia police Lt. Patty Newton said.
He reported that he had been shot in the 400 block of East Duarte Road, across the city border in Monrovia, the lieutenant said.
Paramedics took the man to a hospital for treatment, she said. An update on his condition was not available.
Officers continued investigating at the scene Wednesday evening. Officials had not found physical evidence of the shooting, and no reports of gunshots were received in the area, Newton said.
Officials could no confirm initial reports from the scene that the suspect was a Latino man in his 50s, of short stature, with short black hair and a black backpack.
Anyone with information can reach the Monrovia Police Department at 626-256-8000. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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UPDATED: Duarte man killed in Saturday night shooting

A young father died following a suspected gang-related shooting in an unincorporated county area between Duarte and Monrovia late Saturday, authorities said.
Ray Chinchilla, 20, of Duarte died in the shooting, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner Investigator Rudy Molano said.
The fatal attack took place just after 9 p.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 400 block of East Camino Real Street, just east of California Avenue, according to Deputy Kimberly Alexander of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Information Bureau.
Officers responded to a report that a person had been shot when they encountered the victim, who had been shot in the “upper torso,” Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez said in a written statement.
Paramedics pronounced Chinchilla dead at the scene.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was walking north on Flagstone Avenue with another male and female, both Hispanics, when they were confronted on foot by two male Black adult suspects as they reached East Camino Real,” Navarro-Suarez said. “At least one of the suspects shot at the victims before fleeing the scene in a gray Honda.”
Two additional victims ran away and called 911, she said. They were not hurt.
No further description of the attackers and their car was available.
“The incident appears to be gang-related,” according to Navarro-Suarez.
No further details were available.
Friends and neighbors stopped by the site of the fatal shooting to leave flower and light candles in memory of Chinchilla. A Detroit Tigers baseball cap, a cross, a teddy bear and cans of Budweiser and Four Loco Gold also adorned the site.
Chinchilla lived nearby and leaves behind a young son, acquaintance Juan Banuelos, 17, said.
Others described Chinchilla as a kind and considerate man.
A woman passing by stopped at the memorial site to ask what had happened.
The news that a young man had been killed in a shooting brought her to tears. She explained that her son had been shot to death in the same neighborhood nine years ago.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
Saturday night’s deadly shooting was the second gun homicide in the area in a month, and the fourth shooting in the area in just over two months.
A 39-year-old Duarte man was gunned down in front of his wife and children as the family arrived home in the 2300 block of Bashor Street about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night, Feb. 18, exactly one month before Chinchilla’s fatal shooting.
Kirinda Lavar Morehead died at the scene of the shooting. No arrest have been made, and a $10,000 reward has been offered in connection with the case.
A 51-year-old man suffered numerous gunshot wounds to his legs, but survived, in a drive-by attack about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 16 in the 2000 block of Goodall Avenue, less than a mile from the scene of Chinchilla’s slaying on Saturday.
And two men were wounded in a Jan. 7 shooting at Crestfield Drive and Bloomsdale Street in Duarte. Investigators subsequently arrested three Pasadena men in connection with the shooting.
In Pasadena, bullets fired on Jan. 6 into a group of mourners gathered at Fair Oaks Avenue and Claremont Street at a vigil for a previous homicide victim claimed the lives of Antoine Dewayne Sutphen Jr. and Ormani Dajan Duncan, both 24 and from Pasadena, and left two other victims wounded.
The double-fatal drive-by shooting took place as a group of loved ones had gathered to remember 25-year-old Brandon Douglas of Pasadena, who was shot to death on the same spot on Dec. 22.
Investigators suspect gang violence is at the root of much of the violence. A spate of shooting in the Duarte, Pasadena and Pomona areas are believed to the result of an escalating feed between rival gangs.

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Man wounded in Monrovia drive-by shooting


MONROVIA >> A man is recovering from gunshot wounds to both legs following a drive-by shooting in a residential Monrovia neighborhood early Wednesday, police said Friday.
The shooting took place just before 1:20 a.m. in the 1300 block of South Alta Vista Avenue, Monrovia police Sgt. Sarah Covarrubias said.
Police responded to numerous reports of gunfire heard in the area when they encountered the victim, a man in his 30s, suffering from “multiple gunshot wounds to both legs,” the sergeant said. The injuries were not life-threatening.
The shots were believed to have been fired from a passing vehicle, she said. No suspect description was available, and the motive in the shooting remained under investigation.
Anyone with information was urged to contact Monrovia police at 626-256-8000. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Monrovia cell phone store robbed


MONROVIA >> A man fled with cash and cell phones after robbing a Monrovia wireless store late Thursday, police said.
The crime took place just before 8 p.m. at a cell phone store in the 900 block of West Huntington Drive, Monrovia police Lt. Heath Harvey said.
A man entered the store and demanded cash and phones from the lone clerk, the lieutenant said. No weapon was scene, but the robber claimed to have a gun.
The employee complied, and the robber made off with cash from the store’s registers, as well as about 10 cell phones, Harvey said. The clerk was unhurt.
A detailed suspect description was not available.
Anyone with information can reach Monrovia police at 626-256-8000. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Man and woman killed in Monrovia mobile home fire


MONROVIA >> A man and woman died following a fire at their Monrovia mobile home early Saturday morning, authorities said.
The fatal fire was first reported about 1:15 a.m. by a neighbor who went outside for a cigarette at the mobile home park at 1020 S. Mountain Avenue and noticed smoke emanating from a neighbors unit, Monrovia police and fire officials said. He called 911.
Believing his neighbors were still inside their home, the man tried to make his way into the burning mobile home but was pushed back by the heat and smoke, Monrovia Fire Department Capt. Michael Bailey said.
A Monrovia police officer who happened to be nearby arrived at the scene within a minute, Monrovia police Lt. Rob Wilken said. Firefighters soon followed.
After arriving on scene, “I was told by one of the Monrovia police officers that it was suspected the two people who lived there were still inside the structure,” Bailey said. “We made an effort in order to try and get them out.”
Found the male victim still alive inside the smoke-filled mobile home, officials said. He was treated and rushed to the Methodist Hospital in Arcadia, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The female victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
The identities of the victims were not available pending positive identification and notification of their family members, officials said. They were described as a man and a woman in their 60s or 70s.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation, but it was believed to be accidental in nature, Bailey said. Possible ignition sources being investigated included an electrical problem or a discarded cigarette.
Firefighters found no smoke detectors inside the mobile home, which was densely packed with belongings, Bailey said.
Saturday mornings fire was the second deadly fire reported in Monrovia over the past two weeks, and the third reported in the area.
A Monrovia man died following a 2 a.m. fire at his home in the 100 block of N. Canyon Boulevard, Monrovia fire Capt. Chris Huston said.
Firefighters responding to reports of a fire at a two-story home which had been converted into a triplex encountered a man outside the home suffering from burns, but trying to get back into the flaming structure, Huston said. It was determined the man was trying to rescue his pet cats from the home.
Paramedics took the injured man, who was in his mid-50s, to hospital where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
While extinguishing the fire, firefighters saved the two cats, as well as a turtle, from the home, Huston said.
Investigators determined the Canyon Boulevard fire was ignited by combustible materials left too close to an electric space heater, he said.
And in Pasadena, an elderly woman died in an 8 a.m. fire at her house in the 3000 block of Redwood Drive, according to Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian.
A neighbor suffered burns in an unsuccessful attempt to rescue the woman prior to the arrival of firefighters, she said.
A specific cause was not determined, but fire investigators noted numerous possible causes, including overloaded wiring, excessive use of power strips, an electric heater, an electric blanket, candles and smoking materials.

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Man wounded in shooting near Monrovia


A man turned up at an emergency room after being shot in an unincorporated county area between Monrovia and Duarte late Wednesday.
The shooting was first reported about 7:20 p.m. at Flagstone Avenue and Maydee Street, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Ronald Daily said.
No victim was initially found at the scene, but a man soon arrived at a local emergency room with a gunshot wound to his arm, officials said.
He had been with two other men when the group was fired upon by three other men in a white sedan, armed with a handgun, Daily said.
No further details were available as the investigation continued.
Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s Temple Station at 626-285-7171. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Man robbed at gunpoint in Old Town Monrovia Friday night


MONROVIA >> Two men robbed another man at gunpoint as he walked down an alley in Old Town Monrovia on Friday night, police said.
The victim parked his car near Lime Avenue and Canyon Boulevard about 10:45 p.m. and began walking west along an alley parallel to Lime Avenue, toward Myrtle Avenue, to meet some friends in Old Town Monrovia, Monrovia police Lt. Heath Harvey said.
As he neared Ivy Avenue, he was approached in the alley by two men, the lieutenant said.
One of the men brandished a handgun as they robbed the victim of his wallet, cell phone and other personal items, Harvey said. The victim was unhurt.
A detailed suspect description was not available, as both suspect’s faces were concealed behind the hoods of their jackets, according to Harvey. No getaway car was seen.
Anyone with information can reach the Monrovia Police Department at 626-256-8000. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Online transaction ends with robbery in Monrovia


MONROVIA >> A man arranged to sell a gold necklace online before being robbed of the jewelry by a group of men outside a Monrovia Taco Bell late Thursday, police said.
The crime took place just before 10:30 p.m. outside the restaurant, 140 W. Huntington Drive, Monrovia police Lt. Heath Harvey said.
The victim had used the online marketplace “OfferUp” to advertise a gold necklace for sale and a purported buyer responded to the ad, the lieutenant said. Both parties agreed to meet outside the restaurant to complete the transaction.
“The buyer looked at the necklace, asked the victims some questions and negotiated a price,” the lieutenant said. They settled on $100.
But before any money changed hands, three accomplices of the purported buyer then approached and joined in the conversation, Harvey said.
One of the accomplices pulled what the victim believed to be a shotgun-shaped pellet gun from his coat and all four ran off together with the necklace, Harvey said. The victim suffered no injuries.
Detailed suspect descriptions were not available.

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