Delivery driver accused of stabbing customer in Covina during argument over late pizza

Posted on January 3, 2016 by Brian Day

COVINA >> An argument over a late pizza escalated into a stabbing when a pizza delivery driver slashed the customer late Saturday, police said.
The alleged attack unfolded about 11:30 p.m. at a home in the 600 block of North Mangrove Avenue, Covina police Sgt. Ryan Davis said.
The suspect, a driver for Dominos Pizza, delivered a pizza to the home and became involved in an argument with the customer, a man in his 20s, who claimed the pizza was late, the sergeant said.
The argument turned into a fight, during which the delivery man slashed the customer in the neck, wrist and hand with an unknown sharp object, Davis said.
Paramedics took the wounded man to a hospital for treatment of wounds described as significant, but non-life-threatening, he said.
Officers found and arrested the suspect, 31-year-old Michael Parker of Glendora, at the Domino’s Pizza shop on Glendora Avenue in Covina, Davis said.
Parker was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and released from custody Sunday morning pending a court appearance after posting $30,000 bail, records show.

BOOKING PHOTO of Michael Charles Parker, 31, of Glendora courtesy of the Covina Police Department.

Man arrested for battery on students at Alhambra school campus over tossed candy cane

Posted on December 12, 2015 by Brian Day

ALHAMBRA >> An Alhambra man jumped a fence onto a school campus to confront and assault two students after accusing them of throwing a piece of candy cane at his truck, police said.
Jonathan Torres, 26, was booked on suspicion of trespassing on school grounds and battery on a student several hours after the incident, which unfolded just before noon at William Northrop Elementary School, 409 South Atlantic Blvd., Alhambra police Sgt. Jerry Johnson said. The school instructs kindergarten through eighth grade.
Torres arrived at the school to pick up a preschool-age student, Johnson said.
“As he pulled into the parking lot, some kids who were on campus — junior high school students — either accidentally or on purpose threw a piece of candy cane at his truck,” the sergeant said. Torres became enraged.
“He ends up going over a fence, on campus, and confronts this group of junior high school students,” “He spits at them, shoves them and curses at them.”
A teacher who saw what happened told the man to leave the campus, and he fled in his truck, Johnson said.
Campus police determined the suspects identity and contacted him by telephone, he said. Torres agreed to return to the campus, where he was arrested shortly after 2:40 p.m.
The two students listed as victims in the incident were “shaken up,” but uninjured, Johnson said.
The sergeant said the school was placed on lockdown for about 15 minutes, before police were able to confirm the suspect had left the campus.

VIDEO: Suspect sought in bizarre liquor store rampage, attack in Santa Fe Springs

Posted on November 12, 2015 by Brian Day

SANTA FE SPRINGS >> Police are seeking a man caught on surveillance camera trashing a Santa Fe Springs liquor store and attacking the clerk with a coffee mug earlier this week after the clerk refused to let the man use his cell phone, officials said.
The bizarre rampage, which was caught on surveillance video, took place about 7:50 p.m. Monday at Bruce’s Liquors, 12623 Imperial Highway, Whittier police Officer John Scoggins said in a written statement.
•VIDEO: Suspect attacker Santa Fe Springs liquor store clerk
The suspect walked up to the clerk, a man of about 60 years old, and asked to use his cell phone, the officer said.
“When the clerk refused, the suspect went into a rage and destroyed the cash register and several other items on the counter,” Scoggins said. “He then picked up a porcelain mug and threw it, striking the clerk in the head.”
The clerk was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries, police said. The attacker fled and remained at large Thursday.
Police described the attacker as a white or Latino man in his 20s, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, gray jeans and black Adidas tennis shoes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Whittier police Detective Rob Wolfe at 562-409-1869. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

VIDEO/PHOTO courtesy of the Whittier Police Department

Men rob woman in Walnut; fleeing suspect leaves shoes behind

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Brian Day

WALNUT >> Two men robbed a woman of her purse at a Walnut shopping center Saturday, but one of them left deputies a clue in the form of his shoes, which fell off his feet as a ran from the crime scene, officials said.
The crime took place about 4:30 p.m. in front of a strip mall in the 20700 block of Amar Road, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Bruce Yoell said.
Two men pushed a woman and grabbed her purse, he said. The woman was unhurt.
As the robbers ran north from the area, one of them robbers lost his shoes, Yoell said.
Deputies watched over an apartment complex to the north of the shopping center, where the robbers were last seen, the sergeant said. They summoned a search dog to sniff the suspect’s shoes and try to follow the scent left by the barefoot robber, Yoell said.
But deputies called off the search about 8:50 p.m., he said. The suspects were not found, and the investigation continued.

Police: Reported chemical attack at Santa Fe Springs social office was hoax

Posted on September 11, 2015 by Brian Day

SANTA FE SPRINGS >> A Santa Fe Springs social worker who told police she was attacked with a caustic chemical last month made the story up, police said Thursday.
Mary Quinones reported to police that a man and woman had thrown an unknown caustic chemical on her on the afternoon of Aug. 19 outside her workplace at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services office, 10355 Slusher Drive, Whittier police Officer John Scoggins said.
Few detailed were initially available regarding the alleged attack, officials said. Quinones was treated for burns to her arms.
“The Whittier Police Department conducted a thorough investigation into the facts in this case and determined that the assault did not occur,” police officials said in a written statement. “It was also determined that no other person was responsible for the injuries sustained by Quinones.”
Prosecutors at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed a misdemeanor count of filing a false police report against Quinones Thursday, Scoggins said.
She had not been arrested prior to the case filing, officials said. An arraignment date was yet to be scheduled.
Quinones age and city of residence were not available Thursday, nor was a motive in the alleged hoax.

UPDATED: ‘Bizarre’ crash caught on camera in Rowland Heights

Posted on September 5, 2015 by Brian Day

ROWLAND HEIGHTS >> A woman is accused of intoxicated driving after she abruptly stopped her car along a major street, abandoned the vehicle and allowed it to careen into opposing traffic in a “bizarre” crash captured in a video that emerged this weekend, officials said.
The crash, which took place about 3:45 p.m. Tuesday along Harbor Boulevard between Vantage Point Drive and Pathfinder Road, was recorded by a dashboard camera in a video that quickly went viral after being uploaded to YouTube late Friday by user UlikeUC Here. By Saturday afternoon, the video had been viewed more than 170,000 times.
As depicted in the video, titled, “Bizarre Accident,” a woman was at the wheel of a silver Hyundai Sonata heading downhill along the major thoroughfare when car suddenly came to a screeching halt. The driver exited the car and walked away casually, allowing the Hyundai to continue rolling out-of-control.
The Hyundai crossed over a center divider and into opposing traffic lanes, where it collided with an SUV. Another SUV then became caught up in the wreck as well before the driverless Hyundai continued to the side of the road and struck two trees along the sidewalk, according to Officer A. Stubblefield of the CHP’s Santa Fe Springs area office.
The drivers of the other two vehicles involved in the crash reported only minor injuries, officials said.
The driver of the Hyundai, 22-year-old Jasmine Lacey, of San Bernardino, was taken to an area hospital for “a non injury-related reason” before CHP officers arrived on scene, Stubblefield said.
“(Lacey) was later contacted and identified at St. Jude Medical Center facility and, after investigation of the traffic collision, was arrested for DUI,” he said.
But Lacey was released from custody early Saturday due to insufficient evidence to support a criminal complaint, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Police help wrangle large runaway lizard in Irwindale

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Brian Day

IRWINDALE >> Police helped a teenager wrangle his pet, 3-foot-long lizard after it escaped from its yard Saturday afternoon for the second time in recent weeks.
A neighbor first called police about 11 a.m. to report what they described as a Komodo dragon loose in the neighborhood along Nora Avenue, just north of Cypress Street, Irwindale police Sgt. Armando Lopez said.
While officers did not find a Komodo dragon, which is the largest lizard species on Earth and known for highly toxic saliva, they encountered an very “well-fed, 3-foot-long iguana,” Lopez said.
And the officers recognized the runaway reptile as the same one they had helped capture after a previous escape July 24, the sergeant added.
The officers contacted the teenage boy who owns “Peppy” the iguana, who came and picked him up.
Lopez said the large lizard did not cause any problem during Saturday’s foray.
“He just hisses a little when you get close,” he said.

PHOTO of “Peppy” the iguana, taken July 24, 2015, courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department.

Man accused of stealing money from friend’s wallet in front of police during Covina traffic stop

Posted on June 27, 2015 by Brian Day

COVINA >> Police stopped a driver for a traffic violation but ended up arresting his passenger after an officer spotted the suspect stealing money from his friend’s wallet during the traffic stop early Saturday, officials said.
Victor Hugo Rojas-Salgado, 22, of Rowland Heights was arrested on suspicion of petty theft following the unusual incident, which unfolded about 1:45 a.m. in the 200 block of West College Street, Covina police Sgt. Gregg Peterson said.
Two officers stopped a car, suspecting the driver may have been intoxicated, the sergeant said. The driver was ultimately found to be sober, but was issued a ticket for a traffic violation.
But while one officer spoke with the driver outside the car, Rojas-Salgado helped himself to $20 from his friend’s wallet and placed it in his pocket, Peterson said. Rojas-Salgado apparently didn’t realize the second officer was watching.
The officer asked the driver if his passenger should be taking money, and arrested Rojas-Salgado after the driver told them his friend did not have permission.
Rojas-Salgado was released with a misdemeanor citation, Peterson said.

PHOTO – Courtesy of the Covina Police Department

Pico Rivera man accused of pellet gun attack on utility workers

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Brian Day

PICO RIVERA >> A man shot at two gas company employees with what ultimately turned out to be a pellet gun Wednesday as they performed work at his mother’s Pico Rivera home, authorities said.
Deputies arrested Raul Zardenetta, 68, of Pico Rivera on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following the bizarre, unprovoked attack shortly after 8:30 a.m. at a home near Arma Street and Acacia Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Alex Villanueva said.
Two Southern California Gas Company employees were performing work at the home of the suspect’s elderly mother prior to the incident, the lieutenant said.
For unknown reasons, Zardenetta appeared with what was later determined to be a pellet gun and began shooting at the workers, who fled from the home, Villanueva said. Neither was struck by the projectiles, which they believed at the time to be bullets, rather than airgun pellets.
Deputies evacuated nearby homes before ordering Zardenetta to come out and surrender, Villanueva said. The suspect complied and was taken into custody without a struggle.
According to county booking records, Zardenetta was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending a scheduled arraignment Wednesday in Downey Superior Court.

Man smashes 27 large window panes at Alhambra courthouse

Posted on May 2, 2015 by Brian Day

ALHAMBRA >> A seemingly mentally disturbed man smashed tens of thousands of dollars worth of windows at the front of Alhambra Superior Court Saturday afternoon, police said.
Twenty-seven 3-foot-wide by 12-foot-tall window panes were destroyed in the vandalism, Alhambra police Lt. Jennifer Wiese said. The man told police he was upset over a pending court case, and also that he was hearing voices.
Police received an anonymous call about 3:20 p.m. from a witness reporting a man was smashing windows at the courthouse, 150 W. Commonwealth Avenue, Wiese said.
As officers exited the police station, which sits across the street from the courthouse, “We could hear windows breaking,” the lieutenant said.
The man complied with officers’ orders to lie down and surrender, the lieutenant said. Officials took the man for psychiatric evaluation and treatment of cuts to his arms suffered while smashing the windows with a trash can and a rock.
Police planned to seek a felony vandalism charge against the man. It was unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.

PHOTO – courtesy

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