Pasadena: August 2008 Archives

A man dubbed the "Irreconcilable Differences Bandit" was sentenced to 13 years in state prison Friday for his role in 13 Los Angeles County Bank robberies, including a Jan. 4 heist at a Pasadena Bank of America branch, as well as a residential robbery.
Alan Freidbaum, 56, of New Jersey entered a guilty plea at Pasadena Superior Court and was immediately sentenced by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Teri Schwartz, a DA's office spokeswoman said.
He was also ordered to pay more than $38,000 in restitution to his victim's and the state's Victim's Restitution Fund.
Freidbaum earned his moniker by talking to one of the tellers he robbed about his divorce.
In addition to Pasadena, Freidbaum also robbed in Burbank, Encino, Glendale, Hermosa Beach, Los Angeles, Santa Monica and Torrance, officials said.
He was captured on June 5 after robbing a Wells Fargo branch in Glendale.
As part of a plea bargain agreement, other counts of burglary were dismissed.

Robert Hong pieced together a powerful account of Jennifer Avina-Ortega's last moments. The woman was shot to death Tuesday night standing at a pay phone in the 1800 block of East Villa. Police are releasing very few details about the case, implying they are close to catching the killer or killers here's an excerpt:

Shot in the back and bleeding profusely, Avina-Ortega crawled on the pavement and screamed out in Spanish in the moments before she died, witnesses said.

"Ayudenme!" - "Help me!" Avina-Ortega screamed. "No me quiero morir!" - "I don't want to die!"

Seconds after the gunfire, a witness, who declined to give her name, said she saw a car speed out of the parking lot adjacent the barbershop and a small market that is part of the same building.

Then a second vehicle drove past slowly, its headlights off. The windows were rolled down and it appeared the occupants were looking at Avina-Ortega as she lay on the sidewalk.

The car turned right on Villa, then drove through a red light at Allen Avenue and kept going, witnesses said.

According to Pasadena police that's the name of the city's second homicide victim in 2008.

Avina-Ortega, 20, was shot to death in the 1800 block of East Villa street, officials said.

Police who found her were responding to reports of gunfire and heard the plaintive wail of a woman crying out for help. She died before midnight at Huntington Memorial Hospital, police said.

Family and friends of Avina-Ortega Wednesday gathered near where she fell. A memorial was erected and theories about here death were bandied about. Police said they have no witnesses and no motive for the shooting.

 

 

Here's the photo caption:

Berlin Ortega writes a message on a memorial poster for her sister
Jennifer Ortega, "I Love You Jenny", in the parking lot of Linda Rosa
Market in the 1800 block of Villa Street in Pasadena, Wednesday,
August 20, 2008.  Jennifer Ortega was shot to death at about 10 p.m.
on Tuesday night in the parking lot of Linda Rosa Market. (SGVN/Staff
Photo by Walt Mancini/SXCity)

 

We've posted a story about a young Pasadena woman who was shot to death in the 1800 block of East Villa Avenue in Pasadena Tuesday night.

The woman's name was not released. She was taken from the scene of the shooting to Huntington Memorial Hospital where she was pronounced dead.

It is Pasadena's second homicide in 2008.

Osman Villalobos, 18, was stabbed to death at 1388 Iowa Ave. in Pasadena on Sunday, June 16. Villalobos had been stabbed during an argument with another man over a girlfriend. Police later arrested Pasqual Diaz, 22, on suspicion of murder. 

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From reporter Ruby Gonzales on the 211 beat in Whittier:

LA HABRA - A man arrested for allegedly robbing a La Habra bank last week is a former Pasadena police officer.

The FBI said it is also investigating if the man, 44-year-old Vincent Cantu of Whittier, could be the apologetic "Polite Bandit" who hit three local banks in 2006.

"There are similarities," said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller. She said the "Polite Bandit" robbed Banco Popular branches and the La Habra robbery was at a Banco Popular.

The bandit was seen with a gun during the 2006 heists and told victims he was sorry.

As of 8:20 p.m., the barricade situation in Pasadena continues.

Reporter Robert Hong reports from the scene that a man was holding a 9-year-old boy hostage and was reportedly armed with a shotgun.

Police heard gunfire coming from inside the home in the 1500 block of North El Molino Avenue, however officials did not believe anyone was injured.

The incident apparently began shortly before 5 p.m. after a woman called police to say she had gone to pick the boy up from the home and found the man armed with a shotgun.

Police negotiators were on scene trying to talk to the man.

Theres a report of shots fired in Pasadena.

"Are they shooting at us or are we shooting at them?" a dispatcher just asked.

No further details are currently available.

"The shots appear to be coming from the garage where that gentleman is," said an officer, locating the shots as coming from a back house."

A command post has been set up at Howard and El Molino.

*Latest report:

"There is a hostage inside"

** Pasadena police reports its bullhorn doesn't work, but a negotiator is being brought to the scene.

***"He may release the child," has been overheard on the scanner as negotiations continue