Elderly good Samaritan helps deputy wrestle violent suspect into custody in Duarte


DUARTE >> An 81-year-old good Samaritan helped a deputy wrestle a combative wanted felon into custody in Duarte earlier this week, officials said.
Officials from the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Temple Station thanked the citizen, a local man who wished to remain anonymous, for his help in Tuesday’s arrest in a written statement.
Michael Rodriguez, 24, was booked on suspicion of battery on a deputy, vandalism and resisting arrest, and was also being held on a pre-existing warrant, Sgt. Jose Carbajal said. An additional charge of escape may also be sought by prosecutors.
Deputy Joshua Lambert stopped Rodriguez about 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday after spotting him riding a bike with an open container of alcohol at Huntington Drive and Highland Avenue, Sgt. Jose Carbajal said.
The deputy then placed Rodriguez, un-handcuffed, in the back seat of his patrol car, officials said.
“A warrant check revealed the suspect had a no-bail felony warrant for a weapons violation,” according to the statement. “When the suspect realized he was being arrested, he became enraged, kicked out the rear passenger side window and climbed out of the patrol vehicle.”
The deputy began fighting with the suspect in an attempt to prevent is escape. The 81-year-old good Samaritan was driving by when he saw the struggle, stopped his car and got out to help.
“The citizen grabbed the suspect around the neck and told him, ‘Relax and let him handcuff you. Just relax,’” according to the statement. “The suspect continued to struggle. The three of them fell to the ground where the deputy and the citizen held the suspect in place until assisting deputies arrived a short time later.”
Fellow deputies then arrived and helped take the suspect into custody. The deputy suffered only bumps and bruises, Carbajal said. The good Samaritan was unhurt.
In addition to being thanked by the station as a whole, Deputy Lambert personally expressed hi gratitude to the good Samaritan.
“If it hadn’t been for (the citizen) stopping to help me, it could have got real ugly. That guy did not want to go to jail,” Lambert said.

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Teen accused of graffiti vandalism in front of Covina police station


COVINA >> Police arrested a West Covina teen Wednesday hours after he scrawled graffiti on a flagpole and newly installed parking meter dispenser outside the Covina Police Department, officials said.
The teen had gone to the Covina Police Department, 444 N. Citrus Ave., for unrelated business about 9 a.m. and decided to scrawl graffiti with a marker on the flagpole and parking machine as he left, Covina police Lt. Ric Walczak said.
After noticing the damage, police reviewed station surveillance cameras, which had captured the crime on video, he said.
Investigators identified the teen and arrested him about 9 p.m. Wednesday, the lieutenant said.
He was cited for vandalism and released to his parents pending his initial court appearance.

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Vandals smash car windows in Covina, including van used for charity bread deliveries

COVINA >> Vandals smashed the windows of three vehicles in a Covina neighborhood late Wednesday or early Thursday, damaging not only the vehicles, but also an elderly local couples decade-old effort to help feed the needy.
Residents alerted police shortly after 8 a.m. that the windows of a minivan had been shattered in the 300 block of North Shadyglen Drive, and a car and pickup truck had also had windows smashed out around the corner in the 1000 block of East Ruddock Street, Covina police Sgt. Trevor Gaumer said.
One of the damaged vehicles was a 1996 Dodge Caravan owned by Lillian Grana and her husband, Phillip. The couple refers to the minivan as their “bread truck,” as they keep and maintain it solely for the purpose of making bread deliveries to seniors and the needy .
“I just can’t believe people would do something like that,” Lillian Grana said. The minivan’s rear windshield was smashed, along with two windows on the passenger side.
Several times a week, the couple loads up the “bread van,” as well as there personal vehicle, with unsold bread from area grocery stores and brings then to Covina’s senior center, where they are among the 120 members, she explained. Whatever remains, the couple drops off at local food pantries.
“We’ve been doing this for more than 10 years,” she said.
While the van is insured, the policy has a $500 deductible, which Lillian Grana said the couple cannot afford.
And it’s the minivan’s special purpose that has the couple shaking their heads over the senseless vandalism.
“If it was just us and our car, we’d say, ‘It’s an old car anyway, we’ll dump it.’ But it affects so many people.”
it effects so many people.
Police have seen cases in the past where vandals — often teenagers — go on vandalism sprees with BB guns or slingshots. It was unclear how the windows were shattered in the vandalism reported Wednesday.
No additional cases had been reported recently, Gaumer said. Officers were advised to keep an eye out in case the vandalism spree continued.
“We’re hoping this isn’t the start of a new trend,” Gaumer said.

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30 vehicles damaged in Pasadena air gun vandalism spree


PASADENA >> Police are seeking a suspect or suspects who used a BB or pellet gun to damage about 30 cars late Friday window in a vandalism spree in a residential neighborhood, authorities said.
Most of the vehicles had windows shattered when the unknown vandal or vandals used the 1200 block of N. Mar Vista Avenue as an air gun shooting gallery about 8:45 p.m., Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said. The window of a business in the 300 block of East Orange Grove Avenue was also broken by an airgun.
The BBs or pellets were fired from a passing vehicle, described only as white, Clawson said.
Investigators continued seeking witnesses and any surveillance camera footage from the area that may provide clues, he added.
At least a dozen other incidents of large-scale BB or pellet gun vandalism sprees have been reported in the west end of Pasadena in recent months, Clawson said. It was not clear Saturday whether the series of incidents were related.

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Man smashes 27 large window panes at Alhambra courthouse

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ALHAMBRA >> A seemingly mentally disturbed man smashed tens of thousands of dollars worth of windows at the front of Alhambra Superior Court Saturday afternoon, police said.
Twenty-seven 3-foot-wide by 12-foot-tall window panes were destroyed in the vandalism, Alhambra police Lt. Jennifer Wiese said. The man told police he was upset over a pending court case, and also that he was hearing voices.
Police received an anonymous call about 3:20 p.m. from a witness reporting a man was smashing windows at the courthouse, 150 W. Commonwealth Avenue, Wiese said.
As officers exited the police station, which sits across the street from the courthouse, “We could hear windows breaking,” the lieutenant said.
The man complied with officers’ orders to lie down and surrender, the lieutenant said. Officials took the man for psychiatric evaluation and treatment of cuts to his arms suffered while smashing the windows with a trash can and a rock.
Police planned to seek a felony vandalism charge against the man. It was unclear whether drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.

PHOTO – courtesy

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Tires of 22 vehicles slashed inside Pasadena parking structure

PASADENA >> A vandal or vandals slashed the tires of 22 vehicles parked in a Pasadena parking structure early Wednesday, police said.
The tire-slashing spree was first reported about 3:30 a.m. at a parking structure in the 200 block of South Raymond Avenue, according to Pasadena police Lt. John Luna.
“A parking structure security officer observed 22 vehicles on the first two levels of the parking structure had flat tires that appeared to be punctured,” he said.
The targeted vehicles each had between one and all four tires flattened, Luna added.
No suspect information was available. The investigation was ongoing.

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Transient accused of window smashing spree in San Gabriel

SAN GABRIEL >> A transient is accused of a vandalism spree in which he damaged at least three cars and a home early Tuesday, officials said.
Police booked Alexander Valenzuela, 31, on suspicion of multiple counts of felony vandalism following the incident, which unfolded about 1 a.m. in the area of Pine and Marshall streets, San Gabriel police Lt. Fabian Valdez said.
Officers first headed to the neighborhood after a motorist reported a glass bottle had been hurled at his car as it passed by, the lieutenant said.
Police interviewed the driver and detained Valenzuela, who was still nearby, Valdez said.
As officers continued investigating, a second caller reported that a brick had smashed the window of a nearby home, Valdez said. Officers ultimately found two other cars in the area with shattered windows.
At least one surveillance camera captured images of Valenzuela in the area at the time of the vandalisms, Valdez added.
Once at the San Gabriel Police Department’s jail, Valenzuela assaulted two officers, inflicting minor injuries to one, Valdez said.
Due to his “erratic” behavior, authorities suspected he was either intoxicated or mentally ill, he said.
Valenzuela was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending a scheduled arraignment Thursday in Alhambra Superior Court, records show.

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