Recently in Sierra Madre Category

One man is dead and two other people are injured following solo-car crashes in unincorporated San Marino and Sierra Madre Thursday morning:

SAN MARINO -- A man died at the scene of a crash Thursday after a pickup truck crashed into a pole, authorities said.
The incident was first reported just after 11:30 a.m. on Huntington Drive at Sunnyslope Avenue, just east of San Gabriel Boulevard, in an unincorporated county area near San Marino, California Highway Patrol Officer Krystal Carter said.
The dead man was appeared to be about 40 years old, she said.
Another man in the truck was hospitalized with injuries considered moderate to major, officials said.
The circumstances of the crash, which were being investigated by the Altadena office of the CHP, were not immediately available, Carter said.

SIERRA MADRE -- A man crashed his car into a tree Thursday and was hospitalized in critical condition, police said.
The crash occurred about 10:30 a.m. in the 400 block of North Grove Street, Sierra Madre police Capt. Larry Giannone said.
The man, a Downey resident estimated in his late 30s, was badly hurt but was expected to survive Thursday afternoon, the captain said.
It took firefighters about an hour to free the injured man from the mangled Toyota Matrix, Giannone said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, he added.

SIERRA MADRE -- Prompted by the first rain of the season, emergency and city officials met with a small group of Sierra Madre residents Wednesday to take steps to protect their homes and loved ones from mudslides and debris flows that threaten the community in the wake of last year's Santa Anita Fire.
While the Station Fire is is not affecting the hillsides near Sierra Madre, concerns remain because the hillsides are still unstable from the Santa Anita Fire, which started in April 2008 and scorched a little less than 600 acres above the foothill community, Sierra Madre Director of Public Works Bruce Inman said. The hilldsides are not expected to stablize for another three to five years, he said.
Because of limited resources and staff, he said, residents are encouraged take measures to protect their homes and loved ones in the event of major slides.
"We don't have the resources and staffing to provide relief to individual residents," Inman said. "You need to prepare and protect your own property.
Furthermore, he said, because of the Station Fire, county resources will likely be spread thin should the region receive significant rain.
Inman said residents should not be lulled into complacency by the amount of new growth on the hillsides above Sierra Madre, as the ground remains unstable.
The both city and county officials have taken steps since last year to strengthen the community against mudslides and debris flows, Inman said, but added there will undoubtedly be mud during the rainy season.
A system of green, yellow and red flags throughout the city keep residents posted on the current threat level, officials explained. Green flags were posted Wednesday.
A three stage warning system is used by Sierra Madre to warn residents of the threat level posed by mudslides.
A green flag is erected when officials receive word that there's an 80 percent or greater chance of rain, Inman explained.
A yellow flag indicated mudslides have occurred, but are relatively minor, he added. At this level, residents are asked to move their cars from canyon roads to make room fir emergency vehicles.
The final flag, red, indicated a significant mudslides have occurred, Inman added. Parking is prohibited during a red flag warning on all canyon streets, and mandatory evacuation will be ordered.
Should calls for evacuations come, Sierra Madre Volunteer Dire Department Chief Steve Heydorff encouraged residents to heed them.
"When we do ask you to leave, you need to leave. It could be a while for us as a fire department to get up there."
Those preparing to evacuate should make plans for pets, as well as make sure to have seven days worth of supplies on hand, Sierra Madre Police Chief Marilyn Diaz said.
She also advised residents to look out for elderly or disabled neighbors who may need help during an emergency.
Officials referred residents to mudslide preparation information available on-line through the county Department of Public Works at www.ladpw.org.
During Wednesday's rainfall, no issues with mudslides or debris flows in Sierra Madre were reported, Inman said.
The cause of the Santa Anita fire was never officially confirmed, Heydorff said, however investigators suspected a discarded cigarette was to blame.
Robert D. K. White, 56, of Sierra Madre said he he believed the city was doing everything in its power to prepare for the looming threat of mudslides and debris flows.
"We have a fantastic staff here in the city," he said. "They're our friends out there watching out for us."

SIERRA MADRE -- Officials rescued an apparently sick or injured bear Thursday that had barricaded itself underneath a Sierra Madre home, authorities said.
The incident began about 5 p.m. at a home on Olive Tree Lane, north of Grandview Avenue, police and search and rescue officials said.
"It's a first for us," Sale said. "In my 32 years with the team, I've never done a rescue on a bear."
After being tranquilized by an official from the California Department of Fish and Game, members of the Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team improvised a harness and a rope and pulley system to pull the bear out from the home's crawl space, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team member Dick Sale said.
The female bear of about 175 pounds was taken to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Pasadena, he said.

As seen by Larry Wilson, our public editor:

Sign at the counter at beantown on baldwin in sierra madre says it's no longer accepting $100 bills after rash of counterfeit 100s were passed in the town ...

We're checking on it

The Daily Racing Form reports that trainer Julio Canani was arrested in Sierra Madre Sunday on suspicion of DUI.

Canani's horse  3-year-old The Pamplemousse, won Saturday and is considered a top 3-year-old contender with Kentucky Derby aspirations.

Art Wilson profiled Canani in a piece that discusses some of the trainer's superstitions:

Ridden by veteran Alex Solis, whose son, Alex II, is part owner of the colt, The Pamplemousse went gate to wire as the 1-2 favorite to win the 1 1/8-mile race on Pro-Ride by six lengths in 1:47.86 - the fastest running of the Sham in its nine-year existence.

"Listen, time only counts to get out of jail," colorful winning trainer Julio Canani said. "So whatever happens, slow track or fast track, it's life."

The Pamplemousse, who lost his first two starts last year before breaking his maiden in his first try around two turns at Hollywood Park on Dec. 14, has won three of five lifetime.

*Here's what the Sierra Madre PD is saying about the arrest:

Canani, 70, was arrested for vehicle code violations, according to Sierra Madre police Capt. Larry Giannone.

"When officers made contact they further determined he was driving under the influence," Giannone said.

Canani did not pass a field sobriety test that contained "standard exercises," Giannone said.

The trainer was taken to the Pasadena City Jail, booked and released on $5,000 bail with a promise to appear on May 6.

The Kentucky Derby will be run on May 2, so that gives him plenty of time to get back to town.

Sheriff's homicide detectives are in Sierra Madre this evening to investigate an officer involved shooting that resulted in a man being seriously wounded, officials said.

The shooting occurred in the 200 block of West Sierra Madre Boulevard at 3:36 this morning.

According to the sheriff's department a Sierra Madre police officer on patrol early Friday recovered a stolen Nissan Murano. it had been reported missing in Pacifica, a town in Northern California.

The officer had the vehicle towed to a garage at the police department. When the officeer opened the locked car, he was confronted by a suspect who had been hiding under a blanket in the rear of the Murano.

The cop fired and shot and wounded the suspect.

The suspect was only identified as a 46-year-old man. He was struck in the upper body and taken to the hospital, officials said.

The officer was not injured, officials said.

The Sierra Madre emergency alert system is flying a green flag today -- which means the city is in Stage One alert mode for potential mudslides.

The system alerts residents to mudslide danger on local hillsides. It grew out of a wildfire last spring that destroyed several acres fo brush in the foothills just above the tiny San Gabriel Valley community.

Here's what a Green Flag means, according to the site:

The City's state of emergency level is now at Stage One: GREEN FLAG--Activated under a prediction of 80%--100% chance of precipitation. Affected residents should get "READY" for potential evacuation. This includes keeping a close watch on weather forecasts.

Here's some city links of interest:

Weather

Emergency Blog

Mud Safety Info

Going through old clip files today, I decided to pull two ratty envelopes. The first was labeled Crime, Murder, 1967. The second was Crime, Murder, 1967.

Here's a short crime story from May 2, 1968:

'HIPPIE HOUSE'

Monrovian Fatally Shot in Scuffle

A Monrovia youth was shot to death Wednesdat during a fight at a Sierra Madre "hippie" house and police have arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Fatally wounded in the shooting was George D. Corbin, 19, of 1315 S. Mountain Avenue. He was shot in the upper chest with a .22 caliber pistol.

Booked by Sierra Madre police on charges of murder and assault with intest to commit murder was Bruce Allan Lewis, 535 Brookside Lane, Sierra Madre.

Police said Corbin was pronounced dead at St. Luke Hospital in Pasadena shortly after the shooting.

Another youth -- Michael Fulsom, 19, of 735 E. Beckville St., Duarte -- was shot in the right hand during the scuffle at the Brookside Lane house. He was transported to the County  Hospital prison ward in serious condition.

Detectives said Corbin and four friends, including one girl, were at the Brookside Land house when a fight erupted.

Corbin and Duncan J. Demming Jr., 21, also of 535 Brookside Lane apparently started fighting and Lewis joined in the scuffle.

Fulsom was later booked on several outstanding traffic warrants and Demming was charged with possessing marijuana.

Police said the "hippie" house was in the Sierra Madre Canyon area, whoch used to be an artists colony."

 

Reporter Caroline An encountered these two dogs on Woodland Avenue Saturday as she was reporting on the Sierra Madre mudslides. An told me she didn't even notice the dogs at first, but was instead "transfixed" by some nearby spring flowers.

Here's her description of the photo:

Two lovely, cuddly dogs kept watch on Woodland Avenue Saturday morning. One of the streets affected by mudsliudes and hail that occurred Thursday. 

Things are still sticky in Sierra Madre. Fred Ortega reports:

Officials at Sierra Madre City Hall declared a state of emergency and planned to seek state and federal assistance to cope with mudslides flowing through neighborhoods that had been assaulted by wildfires less than a month ago.
"At this point the mud has not flowed into people's homes," said Sierra Madre City Manager Elaine Aguilar, who added voluntary evacuations had been declared for residents along Woodland and Skyland drives.
But many ignored the evacuation requests and chose to stay and weather the torrential rains that fell on the area Thursday and Friday, hoping that the runoff from the denuded hillsides would be contained to the streets.
John Stillman said at one point Thursday the mud had reached up to the hood of his white Honda Accord in front of his Skyland Drive home. Down the street, a neighbor's pool was flooded with the brown, sticky stuff.
"I hardly got it out," said Stillman of his car. He chose to stay put as city crews worked until early Friday using a skip-loader to clear the mud flows in front of his home.

As the mud continues to slide down a couple of Sierra Madre streets, reporter Fred Ortega gets busy reporting the news.

Photographer Leo Jarzomb shot this picture Friday May 23, amid the freak late spring rain storm that's pelted the region.

Those guys cleaning the streets are inmates. Fred's the guy with the umbrella.

At least three streets in Sierra Madre have been evacuated as a precaution against flash flooding and mudslides, officials report.

The streets are Skyland Drive, Woodland Drive and Lotus Lane, officials said. An Emergency Operations Center has been opened. Evacuees will be taken there.

As with the last month's Sierra Madre/Santa Anita/Chantry Flats fire, there are several bloggers watching what's going on at Mt. Baldy. And today's apparent flare up 

The Fire, officially dubbed the "Bighorn Wildland Fire"  has burned 310 acres and is about 10 percent contained, according to Inciweb.

From the Blogs:

"Ashes in the sky"

US Forest Service updates from My Murrieta (?)

Still "out of control"