CHP: March 2008 Archives

CHP officers may have saved a box full of kittens from burning to death in a flaming SUV in South El Monte near Rooks Road and Peck, officials said -- or did they.

SGV crack crime ace Brian Day is getting conflicting reports from Chippies at the SFS office and firefighters on duty at County Station 90.

Chippies are saying they saved the kats. Fire says the cats were in a box at the side of the road.

There are no witnesses, but we are hoping the Chippies who were on scene last night help get this all cleared up. Where are Ponch and John when we need 'em?

Yesterday, I asked to cover a press conference called by the CHP as part of their effort to find clues in the search for a killer who shot a woman to death on the 10 freeway late Wednesday night.

I worte a version of the story for the Tribune, which didn't appear in the newspaper-- but is online here.

That same version of the story was put in a common folder used at our sister paper the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Here's that version.

What's interesting to me (and my reason for sharing the stories) is to point out how news can vary from community to community -- even when those communities are only a few miles apart. The Pomona story absolutely needed the context of pointing out that two shootings occurred there in a short period of time. On the other hand, the story for SGVN didn't really need the context of Pomona, but is important because of the San Bernardino Freeway connection.

Here's the original photo caption:

California Highway Patrol commander Bill Siegl (cq) asks for the help of any witnesses to a freeway shooting on the eastbound San Bernardino (10) Freeway at White Avenue in Pomona at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday March 12, 2008.   The victim, Deborah Lynn Lepper, 54, of Montclair, died at an area hospital a few hours after the shooting.  Siegl is pictured at a press conference at the Baldwin Park CHP station March 13, 2008.(SGVN/Staff photo by Leo Jarzomb/SVCITY)