Category Archives: Montebello

Montebello police jail man on suspicion of ID, car theft

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MONTEBELLO — Police jailed a man on suspicion of identity theft, auto theft and possession of stolen property after responding to a report he was using a fraudulent credit card to stay at a hotel.
Jiessi Abiram Alvarado, 19, was being held without bail at the Montebello Police Department’s jail pending his initial court appearance, according to county booking records.
Officers responded to the Hilton Garden Inn, 801 Via San Clemente, shortly before 7 a.m. after employees reported he was renting a room with a fraudulent credit card, Montebello police Sgt. Ismael Navarro said.
After meeting with Alvarado, the sergeant said, officers found he also had documents related to identity theft in his possession, as well as an allegedly stolen car. Other items believed to be stolen were discovered inside the car.

UPDATED: Kidnapping reported at Montebello shopping mall

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UPDATE: Police say the alleged victim was found safe and the suspect arrested in Pico Rivera Wednesday afternoon.
MONTEBELLO — Police Wednesday sought a man and a pregnant woman after the man kidnapped the woman from her workplace at a Montebello shopping mall, authorities said.
Christian Javier Caicedo-Paredez, 22, of Pico Rivera was suspected of kidnapping a 20-year-old Pico Rivera woman, who is seven months pregnant, Montebello police Lt. Luis Lopez said.
The incident was first reported about 10:45 a.m. at the Panda Express restaurant at the Shops at Montebello, 2134 Montebello Town Center Drive, Sgt. Ismael Navarro said.
Police believed the man and woman either were or had been involved in a dating relationship, Lopez said.
Caicedo-Paredez showed up the restaurant, presumably wanting to talk to the woman, Lopez said. But she didn’t want to talk to him.
“He jumped over the counter,” the lieutenant said.
After a brief exchange of words, Caicedo-Paredez pushed her out the back of the store and through the parking lot, Lopez said.
At one point, he knocked her down to the ground,” he said. The abductor ultimately forced the woman into his car.
Family members of the woman had not heard from her Wednesday afternoon, Lopez said.
Detectives were interviewing friends and family members of Caicedo-Paredez and the alleged victim in hopes of learning more about the circumstances of the apparent kidnapping.
“We’re concerned for her safety,” Lopez added.
The alleged kidnapper and victim were last seen driving away from the mall in a black, 2010 Toyota Corolla with a California license plate of 6MYN850, officials said.
“The suspect should be considered armed and dangerous,” police said in a written statement.
Anyone with information is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately.
PHOTO of Christian Caicedo-Paredez courtesy of the Montebello Police Department

Montebello police K-9 dies

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MONTEBELLO — A necropsy report showed a Montebello police dog died when a weakness in his lung caused it to collapse without warning, police said Thursday.
A veteran of the police department for over four years, Ozzy died April 11. The Belgian Malinois worked patrol and was also used to detect narcotics.
With Ozzy’s help, Montebello police have seized drugs with an estimated street value of over $1 million and recovered more than $3.8 million in cash from drug traffickers, Lt. Luis Lopez said. 
In his time with the department, Ozzy’s alerts led to the seizure of over 4500 pounds of marijuana, 129 kilos of cocaine, 62 pounds of methamphetamine and two pounds of heroin.
“Ozzy was a great asset to the community that he worked hard to protect. He will truly be missed by the community and the police department,” Lopez said.
Police said the council and the community were aware of the dog’s death last month but no press release was done then.
Ozzy died of “spontaneous pneumothorax”.
Pneumothorax is the medical term for an accumulation of air in the pleural space, the area between the chest wall and the lungs, according to the site petMD.com 
One type is called spontaneous pneumothorax and isn’t caused by trauma. As petMD pointed out, spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in the absence of some underlying lung disease or is associated with lung disease.
The K9 handler, Cpl. Steve Sharpe, was on his way to training with Ozzy on April 11 when he noticed the dog was breathing abnormally, according to Lopez.
Sharpe drove Ozzy to the Montebello Dog and Cat Hospital.
During the examination, Lopez said Ozzy took a turn for the worse and went into full respiratory arrest. He said the dog was unable to be revived and died in his handler’s arms.
Ozzy had over 400 deployments as both a patrol dog and a cross trained narcotics detection dog. He found six suspects who were hiding from the police.
“Another 17 suspects peacefully surrendered to K9 Ozzy – after giving a warning that Ozzy was about to be used to search for them,” Lopez said.
Ozzy’s death has left the police department with one dog.
- Ruby Gonzales

72-year-old Montebello man denies murdering wife

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EAST LOS ANGELES — A 72-year-old man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge that a strangled his wife at the the couple’s Montebello home last month, authorities said.
Baghdo Hayrapetyan denied the murder of 63-year-old Anahit Hayrapetyan in East Los Angeles Superior Court, officials said. He was ordered to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court May 22 for a preliminary hearing setting.
The husband is accused of choking his wife to death May 5 at their apartment in the 2000 block of West Whittier Boulevard, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials.
Police found him suffering from self-inflicted stab wounds, investigators said, and he was hospitalized with major injuries, delaying the trial process.
A motive in the slaying has not been released.
According to county booking records, Baghdo Hayrapetyan was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

Public call for help renewed in 2002 slaying of Schurr High School sophomore

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MONTEREY PARK — It was more than nine years ago that 15-year-old Schurr High School sophomore Brenda Sierra left for school and never returned. 
Still, detectives continue turning up new information in the case and family members have not given up on finding justice for the slain girl and her killers.
Sierra, an East Los Angeles resident, left for a friend’s house on her way to Schurr High School in Montebello on the morning of Oct. 18, 2002, Lt. Dave Coleman of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said. She was kidnapped from the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue in East Los Angeles.
The next day, her body was found beaten to death in the Valley of Enchantment area of Crestline in San Bernardino County. Police believe her murder was a message to the community from gangs not to cooperate with police…

UPDATE: Montebello teacher charged with sex crimes pleads not guilty

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EAST LOS ANGELES — A female Montebello high school Spanish teacher accused of having sex with two underage boys while they were students pleaded not guilty Thursday, authorities said.
Gabriela Cortez, 42, of Montebello is charged with six counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said in a written statement.
The Roosevelt High School teacher is accused of having sex with two then-16- and 17-year-old students between January of 2009 and November of 2010. The alleged victims are now adults.
She entered her not guilty plea in Los Angeles Superior Court, and was ordered to return April 11 for a preliminary hearing setting, court officials said.
Cortez is free on $140,000 bail, records show.

Masked man robs Montebello gas station

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MONTEBELLO — A man wearing a ski mask and brandishing a handgun got away with about $3,000 after robbing a gas station Monday night.
Montebello police Lt. Andy Vuncanon said the masked robber walked into the Arco station at 1761 Paramount Blvd. at 9:15 p.m.
He pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded money. After the clerk handed over the money from the cash register, Vuncanon said the robber walked around the counter and demanded more cash.
The gunman was last running east toward Paramount Boulevard. He was described as about 20, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 140 pounds and wearing a ski mask, dark clothing.
- Ruby Gonzales

Two jailed after woman confronts burglars in Montebello

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MONTEBELLO — Police arrested two men Thursday after a woman arrived home to find them burglarizing her house, police said.
Daniel Riperto, 21, of Pico Rivera and Claudio Cereceres, 26, of Las Vegas were booked on suspicion of robbery shortly after the 10:30 a.m. incident in the 1300 block of Bluff Road, Montebello police Lt. Mike Flores said.
A woman arrived home to find her front door damaged and one of the men standing in front of her home while talking on a cell phone, the lieutenant said.
Just then, a second man came running out of her side yard carrying property from her home, Flores said.
She confronted the man and tried to grab some of her belongings back, but was unsuccessful, he added.
The man carrying the property got into a Ford Mustang and drove off, while the man with the cell phone ran away, police said.
A short time later, officials spotted a Mustang matching the description of the one used in the robbery containing two men in Pico Rivera, Flores said. The men got out of the mustang and into a second car, at which point police pulled it over and detained the men — later identified as Riperto and Cereceres.
Property taken from the Bluff Road home was found inside the second car, Flores said.
According to county booking records, both suspects were being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and were due for arraignment Monday in East Los Angeles Superior Court.

Woman allegedly strangled by husband in Montebello identified

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MONTEBELLO — Authorities Wednesday identified a 63-year-old woman allegedly strangled to death by her husband at their apartment in a senior citizens’ complex earlier this week.
Anahit Hayrapetyan was pronounced dead at the scene after rescuers found her unconscious and not breathing shortly after 11 a.m. Monday at the couple’s home in the 2000 block of West Whittier Boulevard, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s and coroner’s officials.
She appeared to have been strangled, however an autopsy had not been completed Wednesday, coroner’s Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
Her husband, 72-year-old Baghdo Hayrapetyan, was found at the scene suffering from self-inflicted stab wound and hospitalized in critical condition, sheriff’s officials said.
He was booked on suspicion of murder Tuesday afternoon at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center jail ward, according to county booking records.
A motive in the alleged killing was not released.
Baghdo Hayrapetyan was being held in lieu of $1 million bail and was scheduled for arraignment Thursday in East Los Angeles Superior Court, records show, though it was unclear if his medical condition would allow the hearing to go forward.

UPDATED AGAIN: East LA high school teacher, Montebello resident, suspected of sex with students

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MONTEBELLO — Montebello police arrested a female Roosevelt High School Spanish teacher from Montebello late Wednesday on suspicion of carrying on sexual relationships with two boys while they were her students, authorities said.
Gabriela Cortez, 42, of Montebello was arrested about 6 p.m. Wednesday and booked on suspicion of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor, according to Montebello police officials and county booking records.
Both of the victims are now adults, police said. Cortez teaches at Roosevelt High School in East Los Angeles, which is operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District.
The relationships took place between 2008 and 2010, Montebello police Lt. Luis Lopez said, while the victims were between the ages of 16 and 17.
Both former students were believed to have been involved in “long-term” relationships with the teacher, Lopez added.
One of the men came forward Feb. 15 and reported the alleged misconduct, launching an investigation, the lieutenant said.
“It appears that the first victim, it was on his mind,” Lopez said. It was not immediately clear of the arrest of six other LAUSD teachers in the past month on suspicion of molesting students played a role in his decision to come forward.
Police informed the school of the investigation the day the allegations were made, and the district “took immediate action,” removing Cortez from contact with students.
Detectives were able to corroborate the information provided by the first victim, Lopez said, and the investigation further revealed a second young man who also is believed to have been involved in a sexual relationship with Cortez.
School officials first learned of the first student’s allegation from his family on the evening of Feb. 14, said Patrick Sinclair, spokesman for the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools — a coalition of 22 LAUSD schools and the City of Los Angeles designed to turn around low-performing campuses. Roosevelt High is part of the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools.
Officials were prepared to place her on administrative leave the following day, “but she called in sick,” Sinclair said.
When she returned to work Thursday, she was immediately placed on administrative leave, “pending the investigation,” he added.
Once police arrested Cortez Wednesday evening, “Then we moved in full force to inform the entire school community as to what’s going on,” Sinclair said.
Parents received recorded phone calls regarding the arrest in both English and Spanish, he said, and students were sent home with bilingual letters Thursday afternoon.
A parent meeting will be held later this week, Sinclair said.
“All of the students from her classes have been pulled out and talked to,” Sinclair said. Counseling was offered as well, he said.
She has taught at Roosevelt High School since 1994, Sinclair said, and began her teaching career with the LAUSD in 1988 at Soto Street Elementary School.
According to county booking records, Cortez was released from jail Wednesday night after posting $140,000 bail.
She could not be reached for comment Thursday.
She was scheduled to appear March 22 for an arraignment in East Los Angeles Superior Court, officials added.
There was no indication that other victims were involved, Lopez said, “However, it’s always a possibility.” 
Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call Montebello police Detective Andrade at 323-887-1255.
PHOTO of Gabriela Cortez courtesy of the Montebello Police Department.