Police plan checkpoint in Azusa

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AZUSA — Police plan to screen motorists for sobriety and valid driver licenses during a checkpoint Saturday, officials said.
The checkpoint will be held during the evening hours at an undisclosed location within Azusa, Azusa police Cpl. Dean Brewer said in a written statement.
“The primary purpose of the checkpoint will be to detect and arrest intoxicated drivers, but license violations will also be enforced,” Brewer said.
Saturday’s operation is part of law enforcement efforts throughout the state to beef up DUI enforcement through the summer months, he added.

Detectives investigate death of 1-year-old boy in Baldwin Park

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BALDWIN PARK — Sheriff’s homicide detectives were called in to investigate after a 1-year-old boy died at a hospital after being reported unresponsive at a home Wednesday, authorities said.
Officials responded to a call about 10:50 a.m. reporting the child was unresponsive at a home in the 3700 block of Downing Avenue, Baldwin Park police Lt. David Reynoso said. Sheriff’s officials initially described the child as female.
They boy was rushed to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, according to police and Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials.
Further information was not available as the investigation remained in its early stages, Reynoso said.
Detectives from the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau were handling the investigation.

Bear and cubs break into Monrovia home, help selves to cat food

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MONROVIA — A large bear and two cubs forced their way into a home Tuesday, helped themselves to cat food and made a large mess before ultimately scampering back into the wilderness, authorities said.
The four-legged burglars showed up shortly before 12:40 p.m. at a house in the 800 block of Ridgeside Drive, Monrovia police Sgt. Dan Verna said. No one was home at the time, and the incident was reported by a neighbor.
“A very large female brown bear broke out a window,” Verna said. “The female bear and two cubs entered the home through the opening and ate cat food. They made a large mess and exited out the same window.”
The bears lingered in the neighborhood, so officers used a bean bag gun to shoo them back into the forest, the sergeant said. The mother bear ran back to the wilderness, but the cubs became startled and climbed a nearby tree.
When the bear realized her cubs were not behind her, “The mother returned and took a position to guard her cubs at the base of the tree,” Verna said.
Monrovia Animal Control officials, as well as U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials, were summoned to take charge of the situation, Verna said.
Officials asked everyone to leave the area so the cubs would come down from the tree, Verna said. Once left alone, the cubs descended and returned to their forest with their mother.
The incident lasted about three hours.

Price tagged in Whittier donation jar robbery; suspect held on $50,000 bail in $2 heist

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WHITTIER — Police arrested a man Tuesday after he stole a charity donation box containing about $2 from the Rocky Cola Cafe in Uptown Whittier, then pushed a witness who chased after him, authorities said.
Zachary Price, 20, of Whittier was booked on suspicion of robbery after an officer found him several blocks away, hiding in the bed of a pickup truck with the ill-gotten pocket change strewn all around him, Whittier police Lt. Steve Dean said.
The crime took place about 10 a.m. at the restaurant on Greenleaf Avenue at Philadelphia Street, Dean said.
Price entered the diner and snatched the donation jar, Dean said.
As the thief fled, a witness chased after him, he said. It was not clear if the good Samaritan was a restaurant employee or a bystander.
When the pursuer caught up with Price, the suspect pushed him and dropped the donation jar, but retained the small amount of change that had been inside, Dean said. He then escaped from the witness.
But a responding police officer found Price hiding in the bed of a pickup truck parked in a carport in the 6700 block of Milton Avenue, the lieutenant said. He apparently dropped the change as he hopped into the truck, as it was scattered all over the truck bed.
Price was arrested without a struggle, Dean added.
He is no stranger to the Whittier Police Department jail, as he has been arrested by Whittier officers four times in the past three months on suspicion of misdemeanor drug offenses and trespassing, according to police and Los Angeles County court records.
Following Tuesday’s arrest, records indicated Price was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.

Shooting leaves blood, shell casings and mystery in Altadena

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ALTADENA –
Deputies responding to calls about shots fired Tuesday found shell
casings and blood but no victim or shooter.
Lt. Elisabeth Sachs said callers reported hearing six to seven shots
on Stonehurst Drive and Lincoln Avenue at 11:25 p.m.
A white car was seen leaving the location, she added.
Sachs said deputies discovered three shell casings and a small amount
of blood on the street.
They also checked local hospitals and no gunshot victim has turned up, she said.
- Ruby Gonzales

Shooting reported in Pasadena

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PASADENA — Police responding to reports of a shooting Sunday found a car with a bullet hole in it, but no shooting victims, officials said.
Officers responded to reports of “shots fired” just after 2:50 p.m. in the 500 block of North Marengo Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said.
They found no one injured, but a parked car had been struck by gunfire, the lieutenant said. Investigators initially suspected the car was not the target of the shooting, but was struck by a stray bullet.
No injured people were discovered in the area or at hospitals an hour after the shooting, he added.
A beige, full-size, possibly 1990s-model Chrysler sedan was being sought as a possible suspect vehicle, Clawson said. The investigation remained in its early stages.

Woman accused of stabbing boyfriend in Azusa, both arrested

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AZUSA — Police arrested an Azusa woman Saturday on suspicion of stabbing her boyfriend, who also ended up going to jail after receiving treatment due to a pre-existing domestic violence warrant, officials said.Valerie Ortega, 19, was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following the 7:30 a.m. stabbing in the 500 block of East 8th Street, Azusa police Sgt. Andy Sutcliffe said.Though he was also arrested, authorities withheld the name of the alleged stabbing victim because he was considered a victim of the stabbing, the sergeant said. He was described as a 19-year-old Azusa resident. He was treated for a minor stab wound to his chest and a “more serious” injury to his left hand,” he added.Officers received a report that a woman had stabbed her boyfriend and was leaving the scene in a white Honda Accord, Sutcliffe said.“Responding officers stopped the Honda a short distance away and found Valerie Ortega riding in the back seat with blood stained clothes and shoes,” Sutcliffe said. “She also carried a folding knife in her pocket.”Meanwhile, other officers searching for the stabbing victim found him at a nearby apartment, police said.“When officers arrived, a bleeding 19-year-old male fled from the door of his apartment and led officers on a short foot pursuit before being detained,” Sutcliffe said. It was then learned he had an outstanding warrant for domestic violence.“Officers believe the reason he ran from officers was to avoid being arrested for the warrant,” Sutcliffe said.After being treated for his injuries, the man was booked into jail, where he was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.Ortega was released from jail Saturday afternoon pending her initial court appearance after posting $30,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Body found in car in Glendora shopping center; foul play not suspected

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GLENDORA — Foul play was not initially suspected Sunday after a man’s body was found inside a car in a shopping center parking lot, authorities said.
The body of the man, initially described as a Glendora resident in his 40s, was discovered about 11:15 a.m. in the parking lot of the Diamond Ridge Shopping Center in the 1300 block of West Gladstone Avenue, Glendora police Lt. Rob Lamborghini said.
The man had gone missing and worried family members went looking for him when they spotted his car and called police, the lieutenant said. Responding officers found the body inside.
An official cause of death was under investigation by the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner, Lamborghini said, however the death appeared to be natural, and foul play was not suspected.
The body appeared to have been there for several days, he said.

Motorcyclist fatally struck by pickup truck, car on 10 Freeway in Pomona

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POMONA — A 19-year-old Apple Valley man died early Saturday after being struck by two vehicles after his motorcycle became disabled on the 10 Freeway, authorities said.
The name of the man was not released pending confirmation that his family had been notified, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Joyce Kato said.
The crash was reported about 12:30 a.m. on the westbound 10 Freeway, just east of Towne Avenue, California Highway Patrol Officer Charles Perez said in a written statement.
The motorcyclist’s 2009 Suzuki motorcycle became disabled in the No. 2 lane of the freeway prior to the collision, the officer said.
“The motorcyclist dismounted his motorcycle and while standing in the No. 2 lane, was struck by an approaching Toyota pickup truck,” Perez said.
“The collision threw the motorcyclist into the No. 3 lane where he was struck again by an approaching Hyundai Sonata,” he said. Paramedicspronounced him dead at the scene.
A 25-year-old Azusa man who was driving the pickup truck and a 47-year-old Maywood woman who was driving the Hyundai were not injured, officials said.
After the truck and car struck the motorcyclist, two other cars collided with each other as they maneuvered to avoid the motorcyclist, Perez said. Neither driver was injured.
The cause of the crash was being investigated by the Baldwin Park office of the CHP.

Pasadena police officers injured, brothers arrested following scuffle

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PASADENA — Two brothers are accused of felony resisting arrest after injuring two police officers during a fight late Friday, officials said.
Raymond Malone, 19, of Pasadena and Ashton Malone, 20, of Altadena were jailed following the incident, which occurred just after 10 p.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 1500 block of North Raymond Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said.
Two officers were patrolling when they spotted a man, later identified as Raymond Malone, riding a motor scooter without a helmet, the lieutenant said.
“They observed the vehicle code violation and attempted to conduct a traffic stop on him,” he said. “He ignored the officers and rode down a driveway. The officers ran down the driveway after him.”
Raymond Malone struggled with the officers, and his brother soon joined in the scuffle, Clawson said.
One officer suffered a shoulder injury and another suffered injuries to his shoulder and elbow before the brothers were subdued, he said. The brothers were not injured.
According to county booking records, Raymond and Ashton Malone were being held in lieu of $25,000 bail each pending their initial court appearances.