Recently in Rowland Heights Category

If this doesn't make you sick, it should.

A nine-year-old boy, playing with his friends, was shot in the legs Wednesday night by some cowards prowling an alleyway in Rowland Heights. Here's Brian Day's story from overnight:

 

ROWLAND HEIGHTS - A 9-year-old boy was shot and wounded in both legs as he played in a yard Wednesday night, authorities said.

The shooting was reported at 8:22 p.m. in an alley just west of the 2000 block of Sierra Leone Avenue.

The boy was expected to survive his injuries, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mike Browne said.

A group of children were playing in a yard in the alley when two men opened fire with a shotgun or rifle, sheriff's Sgt. Mario Estrada said.

Browne said the shooting appeared to be "unprovoked."

The shooters were described as two Latino men between 16 and 18 years old with shaved heads, they were wearing white T-shirts and black pants, Browne said.

 

 

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- Sheriff's officials asked the public's help Wednesday in finding a 77-year-old Rowland Heights woman who went missing Tuesday.
Fung Kwai Yew was last seen about 5 p.m. walking near her apartment in the 18000 block of Colima Road, Los Angeles County sheriff's officials said in a written statement.
She suffers from short-term memory loss and takes medication for high blood-pressure, officials added.
Yew is described as 4 feet, 10 inches tall and about 90 pounds. She has grey hair and brown eyes.
She speaks Cantonese and was last seen wearing a brown sweater, a brown shirt, black pants and black shoes.
Family members have grown concerned about her, authorities said, and anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau, Missing Person's Detail.

PHOTO of Fung Kwai Yew courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- Coroner's officials asked for the public's help Wednesday in identifying a transient who died shortly after he was found unconscious on a Rowland Heights street last month.
The man, currently listed as John Doe 100, was found about 11:25 p.m. June 21 in front of 1025 S. Nogales Street, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner's Chief of Operations Craig Harvey said.
The cause of death was not available Wednesday pending further examination, coroner's Lt. Jerry McKibben said, however the death was initially believed to be natural.
The man was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital where he died just over an hour later, Harvey said.
The body is described as that of a Latino man estimated to be in his mid-50s, standing about 5 feet 3 inches tall and weighing about 130 pounds, officials said. There were no scars or tattoos.
He had brown hair, brown eyes and had a mustache and beard. He was wearing several bracelets and bands, as well as a women's watch.
Other transients in the area knew by the names "Ciriaco" and "Tio."
Anyone with information is asked to call coroner's Investigator Daniel Machian at (323) 343-0754.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- Three men used a handgun to rob a smoke shop of cigarettes and cash Wednesday, authorities said.
The robbery occurred about 7:30 p.m. at the Colima Smoke Shop, 19705 Colima Road, Suite 7.
About $1,500 worth of cigarettes and an undisclosed amount of cash was taken in the crime, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Mike Browne said.
Two robbers entered the store while a third acted as a getaway driver, he said. One of the robbers was armed with a chrome-colored revolver.
One of the robbers was described a black man standing about 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, wearing a long-sleeve dark-colored shirt and dark-colored pants, Browne said.
Another robber was a Latino man standing about 6 feet tall and wore a long-sleeve green shirt and dark-colored pants, he said.
No description of the driver was released.
The robbers were last seen driving west on Colima Road in a black SUV, Browne said.
No injuries were reported.

Neal Williams would have been 29 today. 

Last year was hard. I've said this before, I know, but the pain of losing a child is like a primal scream. It feels like a piece of your very soul has been ripped out and there is no comfort or solace for that kind of pain. Time may dull the edge of it a bit, but you will live with the pain of your loss for the rest of your life. There is no "getting over it". You can come to accept that loss and make it a part of who you have become, so that you can move ahead in life. But, you always feel sorrow that your child is gone.

We're working to verify these stories now. Just thought I'd share some of the mail. First a car crash Sunday in Rowland Heights:

There was a car crash on May 17th, 2009, Sunday. My fiance was behind the car when it got hit by an suv, the car flipped over and landed in Joe's Crab Shack. My fiance saw the car flipped upside down and he saw the passenger with their eyes open and blood everywhere. He was sure they had passed away, and has been pretty tramatized about it. I've been looking everywhere on the internet to see if it was reported and I havent found anything. I was wondering if you will be reporting it? or is there anywhere that they might where I can find it. I just would like to give him some peace of mind and me as well. Thank you so much :) It happened in Rowland heights by the Puente Hills Mall. 

Next, a stabbing in Highland Park (also Sunday):

There was a stabbing in Garvanza Park near the corner of Avenue 64 and Meridian last night (Sunday, the 17th) at approximately 6 pm.  The small park was full of families at that time and I believe the stabbing victim has since succumbed (based on the memorial that now stands in the park). There was a heavy LAPD presence in the park just after the slaying.
As I have seen no mention of this incident in the media anywhere, I thought I'd bring it to your attention.

Questions about the Mongols motorcycle gang:

I've recently become aware that they're making a film about William Queen's book, "Under and Alone."
After reading the book, I began to wonder how The Mongols got to be what they are today. I knew one of them, very briefly, 30 years ago, and he and his friends were not like the book described at all.
I read the article in the SGV Tribune and, although they weren't boy scouts, Tony Vodnik's description was more what I remember. 
He may be able to answer some questions for me.
If you have a way I can contact him via email, and can share that info with me - or forward this to him, I'd appreciate it.

Finally, a drive-by in Rowland Heights:

I was told by a friend that there was a drive by shooting in Rowland Heights last week.
I wanted to make sure of those facts. I saw a deputy sheriff so I asked him if there was
in fact a drive by shooting in Rowland Heights. He said yes there was one.
Why isn't there any mention of it on your site or in the Newspaper?

Care to chime in on any of these incidents? 

INDUSTRY -- The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control suspended the liquor license Thursday of a local restaurant where a 19-year-old boy was allegedly served alcohol before being involved in a fatal car crash last year, authorities said.
A notice indicating the suspension has been posted at Joe's Crab Shack, 1420 S. Azusa Avenue, ABC spokesman John Carr said in a written statement.
The restaurant allegedly served then-20-year-old Elias Munoz of La Mirada on March 2, 2008, before he became involved in an alleged street-racing crash that killed his passenger, 20-year-old Ondrea Alvarez of Bellflower on Pathfinder Road in Rowland Heights.
"The suspension means the restaurant cannot sell alcohol for the next 35 days," Carr said in the statement. "In addition, the alcohol beverage license could face a possibly revocation anytime in the next two years if a similar violation occurs."
Munoz has been charged with drunken driving and murder in connection with March 2, 2007 crash along with co-defendant Brian Galvez, 22, of Rowland Heights, whom Munoz was allegedly racing.
Galvez is also accused of drunken driving and leaving the scene of a crash, officials said.
A waiter at the restaurant, 22-year-old Theron Miles, has been accused of serving alcohol to minors, ABC officials said.

Looks like crime in the Valley soared over Easter Week. Shootings in La Puente, Rosemead and a guy in West Covina beat and sliced up his wife, according to the cops.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS - The Walnut/Diamond Bar sheriff's station's "Gifts for Guns" program this weekend was a success, officials reported, with more than 240 guns collected.

Included in the cache of exchanged weapons were several assault weapons and illegal guns, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Mario Estrada said. "It was very successful," he added.

The collection took place Friday and Saturday at parking lot at 19725 Colima Road.

Those who turned in most weapons received $100 gift cards from local vendors, while assault weapons fetched a bounty of a $200 gift card.

ROWLAND HEIGHTS -- The first day of the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff's Station's "Gifts for Guns" programs was a success Friday, officials said, as more than 105 guns were collected.

The event was held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. at a parking lot at 19725 Colima Road, near Fairway Drive.

Those who turn in handguns, rifles and shotguns received $100 gift cards from local vendors.

Assault weapons fetched $200 in gift cards.

The program will continue Saturday at the same location from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

People turning in guns remain anonymous, and no questions are asked.

The San Dimas Sheriff's Station plans to hold their own gifts for guns program on Saturday, April 25*.

 

A man convicted of slaying two coeds in Rowland Heights back in the 1980s bought his way off Death Row by confessing to the killing of a seven-year-old Northern California girl in the early part of that decade.

Wayne Harvey Smith, 61, will spend the rest of his life in prison. Here's a link to Brian Day's story (and the top portion):

ROWLAND HEIGHTS - A serial killer convicted of two Rowland Heights murders in the 1980s avoided the death penalty after he confessed to slaying a seven-year-old Northern California girl, officials and family members said Friday.

In order to avoid execution for the 1983 shooting death of 18-year-old Stacy Belcher of Rowland Heights, Wayne Harvey Smith, 61, cooperated with investigators and admitted to killing a 7-year-old girl in Weaverville in 1980, Trinity County sheriff's Detective Bryan Ward said. He will not be prosecuted in that case.

"I'd rather have seen the death penalty," Stacy Belcher's father, Charles Belcher, said, "but the fact that this other family has closure, that makes it worthwhile."

 

POMONA - A woman accused of slashing her husband two death with a sword and smothering their two young children as they slept in their Rowland Heights home in 2007 entered a not guilty plea in court Tuesday, officials said.

Manling Tsang Williams, 29, appeared for her second arraignment at Pomona Superior Court, court officials said.

She is due back in court March 5 for a "status hearing," in which prosectors and defense attorneys will meet to determine if they're ready for trial, Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Jane Robison said.

A trial date is scheduled to be set April 15, she added.

She allegedly stabbed her husband, 27-year-old Neal Williams, 97 times with a sword.

The couple's two sons, Devon, 7, and Ian, 3, were smothered to death with a pillow in their beds, prosecutors allege.

According to court records, Manling Williams is being held without bail.

This comes from Jan Williams, whose son and grandsons were killed last summer at their home in Rowland Heights. Manling Williams, wife and mother of the victims, is awaiting trial for slayings, and could face the death penalty. Here's Jan's commentary:

Jan Williams, whose son and grandsons were killed last August at their home in Rowland Heights, will be participating in a rally supporting Marcy's Law, described as a bill of rights for victims of violent crimes. The press conference will take place outside the condo where Neal, Devon and Ian were slain. Here's the top of the press release:

As children prepare to go house to house "trick or treating" on Halloween Friday, a Los Angeles man will be traveling across Los Angeles and Orange County from murder scene to murder scene. He will not be gathering candy, but stories of murder.  The man is a local criminal prosecutor who worked with Broadcom billionaire Henry Nicholas to give victims rights by co-writing  Prop 9, the "Victims Bill of Rights". The prosecutor, a local Deputy District Attorney, "Marsy's Law" in memory of Nicholas's murdered sister, is on the November 4, 2008 ballot.

Press Conferences/ "Yes on Prop. 9" Tour of Murder Scenes  (Oct. 29, 30, 31)
Over the three day period there will be a series of press conferences featuring the prosecutor who wrote Marsy's law and the victims stories that inspired the changes in the law. Family members of murdered victims will tell not only the story of the murder, but the story of how they were re-victimized by the criminal justice system. The pilgrimage will begin on Wednesday October 29, 2008 in Malibu at the scene of 20 year old Marsy's brutal shotgun murder and end in Orange County, with victims right leaders who inspired  the writing of Prop 9.