Deputies jailed a San Gabriel man Tuesday after uprooting two marijuana grow houses in Hacienda Heights valued at about $5 million.

Zhichi Xu, 42, was arrested on suspicion of possession of marijuana for sales in connection with the indoor pot-growing operations, which were discovered about 7 a.m. just over two miles apart in the 3300 block of Glenmark Drive and the 14800 block of Rockhill Drive, according to Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. Raymond Enriquez.

“Inside of both homes, elaborate marijuana grow systems were discovered and more than 1,400 marijuana plants in various stages of growth were recovered,” the sergeant said in a written statement.

In addition, the homes had been wired to steal their electricity from Southern California Edison, officials said. The utility estimated the value of the stolen power in at more than $125,000.

Sheriff’s Narcotics Bureau investigators also served a search warrant at Xu’s home in the 1300 block of Elm Avenue in San Gabriel, where money and “other evidence” were recovered, Enriquez said.

Investigation determined that Xu, “was the person responsible for operating and financing the marijuana grow houses,” he added.

According to county booking records, Xu was released from jail early Wednesday after posting $100,000 bail. His initial court date was not available.

BOOKING PHOTO of Zhichi Xu courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

NOTE: This story has been corrected to clarify the tournament is to be held on Aug. 20.

Representatives of his office could not be reached for comment late Sunday night.

Before becoming Commerce Secretary, Bryson served as chairman and chief executive officer of Edison International, the parent of Southern California Edison, from 1990 to 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce website. He has also served as president of the California Public Utilities Commission and chairman of the California State Water Resources Control Board.
On Thursday, Bryson gave the commencement address at Pasadena Polytechnic School, where several of his daughters went to school.

ALHAMBRA — Jury deliberations are to begin today in the second trial of an Alhambra man accused of killing his girlfriend, a San Gabriel woman, in 2007, officials said.

A jury last year could not reach a verdict last year in the trial of Isaac Campbell, 37, prompting a re-trial. The previous jury hung 10-2 in favor of convicting Campbell of the Aug. 12, 2007 slaying of 31-year-old Liya “Jessie” Lu, whose body was found about a month after she disappeared, hidden inside a trash can Campbell left at a friend’s house in Arcadia.

Closing arguments in the re-trial were completed Wednesday, and the case was to go to the jury this morning.

Prosecutors have alleged that Campbell killed Lu at his apartment, while the defense has argued that Campbell merely discovered Lu’s body, panicked and handled the situation badly.

Because of the condition of Lu’s body when it was ultimately found inside a trash can covered with kitty litter, coroner’s investigators were never able to determine an official cause of death.

SAN GABRIEL — Police jailed a San Gabriel man on suspicion of shining a laser at a Pasadena police helicopter and possession of cocaine after striking a helicopter crew member in the eye with a laser beam, causing him to be hospitalized for evaluation, police said Friday

Rafael Juarez, 23, was booked on suspicion of discharging a laser at an aircraft and possession of a controlled substance following Thursday’s 9:30 a.m. incident, Pasadena police officials said in a written statement.

“A Pasadena police officer was injured by a laser struck while flying over the City of San Gabriel,” the statement said. “The helicopter crew was not wearing their protective eyewear at the time of the attack; however, they identified the suspect’s location and worked with San Gabriel police ground units to contain the area.”

Officers found and arrested Juarez without a struggle near San Gabriel Boulevard and Broadway, police said.

The officer was not seriously injured, police said.

According to county booking records, he was being held in lieu of $25,000 bail and was due for arraignment Tuesday in Alhambra Superior Court.

SAN GABRIEL — Sheriff’s deputies will work as servers as a San Gabriel restaurant Tuesday to raise money for the Special Olympics during a “Tip-A-Cop” event.

Deputies from the sheriff’s Temple Station will take up serving trays and collect tips for charity from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Clearman’s North Woods Inn, 7247 Rosemead Blvd., organizers said in a written statement.

All of the tips deputies receive will got to the Special Olympics Southern California.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to come and enjoy our huge portions and give back to the community,” said North Woods Inn General Manager Richard Selvik. “Tip-A-Cop night is always a fun evening for employees, the (deputies) serving and the customers who attend.”

For more information, contact the restaurant at 626-286-3579, or visit www.clearmansrestaurants.com.

ALHAMBRA — The second murder trial for an Alhambra man accused of killing his girlfriend and hiding her body in a trash can in Arcadia is scheduled to begin Friday, officials said.

Isaac Campbell, 37, is charged with the Aug. 12, 2007 slaying of Liya “Jessie” Lu, 31. of San Gabriel.

An Alhambra Superior Court deadlocked late last year 10-2 in favor of convicting Campbell of murder, and prosecutors elected to re-try the case.

Though the trial is scheduled to begin Friday, Deputy District Attorney Steve Ipsen, who is prosecuting the case, said he expects the proceedings to get off to a slow start.

Officials Friday will probably only set a date for jury selection, he said, which will likely be next week.

Campbell is accused of killing Lu in his apartment.

He then hid her body in a trash can which he stored at a friend’s home in Arcadia, authorities allege. The friend notified police after discovering Lu’s remains.

The defense argued during the first murder trial that Campbell did not kill Lu, but rather merely discovered her body and handled the situation badly. He was arrested in Minnesota.

Coroner’s officials were never able to determine exactly how Lu died.

According to county booking records, Campbell was being held in lieu of $1,025,000 bail.

PHOTO of Isaac Campbell: courtesy

SOUTH SAN GABRIEL — Sheriff’s homicide detectives are looking into the “suspicious death” of a man discovered dead in a motel room Sunday, officials said.

The dead man was initially described as a Latino man in his 40s, and the discovery was reported about 10:30 a.m. in the 1600 block of Del Mar Avenue, in the unincorporated county area of South San Gabriel, officials at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Headquarter’s Bureau said in a written statement.

No information regarding the circumstances under which the body was found were released.

LAS VEGAS — A San Gabriel man faces up to 360 years in prison and $4.5 million in fines for defrauding La Vegas casinos out of more than $1 million, authorities said.

De Rong Shang, also known as Jason Shang, 50, was convicted Tuesday in federal court of 1 count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and 17 counts of mail fraud, U.S. Attorney’s officials said in a written statement. He was ordered to return to court for sentencing July 16.

Shang, along with co-defendant Yuli Eaton, 47, of Redlands, who pleaded guilty before trial, used recruits to obtain casino credit marker in the scam, officials said.

Shang would give the recruits money to open bank accounts, which they would in turn use to obtain credit from casinos, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The recruits then played baccarat, using a technique called “rolling the chips” to make it look as if they were losing money while, in reality, they were actually just hiding them and transferring them to co-conspirators.

“In actuality, they gave the chips to Shang, who cashed them in,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement. “The recruits then left Nevada or the country, and were paid a small percentage of the total amount of credit under their names, generally $300 per $10,000 line of credit.”

When the casinos tried to collect the money they were owed from the recruits’ bank accounts, officials said, it was discovered the accounts had been either drained or closed.

Shang was due back in court for sentencing July 16.