Recently in Valinda Category

VALINDA -- A 19-year-old man was stabbed to death early Sunday during a brawl between two groups of people, authorities said.
Steven Valadez, a La Puente-area resident, died at the hospital shortly after the melee, which occurred about 12:15 a.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 16200 block of Maplegrove Street, Detective Phillip Martinez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
At least three other people were injured during the fight, including at least one additional stabbing victim, according to witnesses and sheriff's officials.
Brian Pattison, 23, of Colton said he was hanging out at a friend's house with about nine other people, including Valadez, as a large party was going on two doors down.
"Their party jumped ours," he said, adding that about 30 people from the large party began attacking the 10 or so people congregated at the other home.
Someone in the larger grouped pulled a knife, and at least two members of the smaller group were stabbed.
Pattison said the larger group also threw bottles at the smaller group.
A woman who answered the door at the home where the large part was declined to comment Sunday.
Martinez said the brawl appeared to have originated as a fist-fight between two people, one from each group.
"One of them started getting the better of the other one, and were still trying to determine who that was," he said.
About 30 people from the larger party, which was an adult's birthday celebration, rushed over to the smaller group and a large fight erupted.
David Torres, 19, of Chino said he was in the smaller group and was struck in the head with a bottle during the confrontation, which he said was one-sided.
"Each person was being jumped by like six or seven people," he said.
The smaller group was made of people in their late teens and early 20s, Martinez said, while the larger group was mainly people in their 20s and 30s.
Pattison and Torres said they were concerned because they believed it took sheriff's officials about 30 minutes to respond to the call, however sheriff's officials said the response time was much quicker.
Sgt. Russell Boucher said dispatch logs show that eight minutes elapsed from the time the stabbing was first reported to the time the first deputy arrived on scene.
Friends said Valadez was a graduate of Workman High School and the bass player for a local hardcore rock band called, "Rumor Has It."
Pattison said Valadez was not the type to go looking for a fight.
"Anybody could get along with him," he said. "He might look big and tough, but he's the nicest guy."
Torres said he already missed his friend.
"Everybody liked Steven," he said.

VALINDA -- A man suspected of shooting his girlfriend's father and brother before shooting himself died early Thursday at the hospital, authorities said.
Bryan Ornelas, 21, was taken off life support at the request of family members about 12:30 a.m., Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Steven Katz said. He died just over a half an hour later.
Ornelas allegedly shot his girlfriend's father and brother Monday in the 16200 block of Benwick Street when they tried to intervene in a dispute Ornelas and his girlfriend were having over child custody.
He then led police on a chase to the 1600 block of Mullender Avenue, officials said, where he shot himself in the head.

This from late night cop reporter Ruby Gonzales:

EAST VALINDA -- Deputies responded to reports of gunshots Wednesday near Sunshine Park, but found no evidence of a shooting, authorities said.
The incident occurred about 8:20 p.m. on Deepmead Avenue near Altario Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said.
Two residents reported hearing five to six gunshots in the area, Sgt. Sonja Bracken said, however investigating deputies could find no victims and nothing that appeared to have been struck by gunfire.

INDUSTRY -- The Puente Hills Chili's restaurant is holding a benefit today to raise money for the family of a man who was shot to death last week during a confrontation near his home.
Father of four David Sua, 37, of Valinda died at the scene of the shooting Thursday after he confronted a man who threw a beer can at his family's car as he, his wife and his daughter were on their way to dinner, officials said.
The gunman, later identified as Jorge Zavala, 34, of West Covina, then fatally shot himself.
The benefit will be held at the restaurant, 17588 Castleton Street, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, family members of Sua said.
Fifteen percent of customers' total bill, excluding alcohol, will be donated to the Sua family when the customer presents a flyer.
The flyers will be available at Big O Tires in West Covina, 444 S. Vincent Ave., as well as at the restaurant on the day of the event.

Below are excerpts from a story running in Monday's San Gabriel Valley Tribune:

VALINDA -- Virginia Sua will never forget the day her husband died -- because she was there.
David Sua, 37, of Valinda was fatally shot Thursday in front of Virginia and one of the couple's four children after a confrontation with a gunman, who later turned the gun on himself.
The Suas were just a block away from their home when it happened.
"It's the worst feeling to watch someone you love pass away in front of you while you try so hard to save them," Virginia Sua said.
The gunman was identified as 34-year-old Jorge Zavala of West Covina, said Katalin Van Meter, an investigator with the Los County Department of Coroner. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
The confrontation between Sua and Zavala began when Zavala threw a beer can at the family's SUV while they were driving to dinner at the nearby Boca Del Rio restaurant on Hacienda Boulevard, Virginia Sua said.
David Sua got out of the car and confronted Zavala, who then retrieved a handgun from a nearby parked truck and fired a single shot.
Virginia Sua said she heard her husband arguing with the man, accusing him of firing the gun at him. Zavala argued he shot a round in the air. Zavala then placed the gun against his own head, Virginia Sua said.
The men continued to argue as they walked about 50 feet down the street, toward a wash area, she said.
Zavala was acting very strange, she said, and tried to hand David Sua the handgun several times, saying "'here, take it.'"
David Sua pushed Zavala to the ground twice, his wife recalled.
"I saw my husband step forward toward him, and then I heard the shot," Virginia Sua said.
The gunman then immediately shot himself in the head, she said.
Zavala's family members have said they do not believe Zavala would have shot David Sua if he did not feel threatened.
Virginia Sua said while she feels for Zavala's family, "It hurts to see the suspect made a victim."
"There was really no reason for him to take my husband away," she added.
David Sua, who was a construction worker by trade, leaves behind two daughters, ages 16 and 19, and two sons, ages 14 and 11.
He grew up in Azusa and graduated from Gladstone High School in 1990.
He loved football, Virginia Sua said, and was a fan of the Dallas Cowboys. David Sua also spent a lot of time with his family doing outdoor activities such as riding dirt bikes, camping and jet-skiing.
"He was a good dad," Virginia Sua said.

*Photo courtesy of the Sua family

From Tribune staff reports:

VALINDA -- A man threw a beer can at a passing car and then fatally shot a man in front of his family before he killed himself, police said Friday.
David Sua, 37, of Valinda was pronounced dead Thursday night at the scene of the shooting, along with gunman George Zavala, 34, of West Covina, according to officials and family members.
The shooting occurred during a confrontation between the two men about 8:30 p.m. at Samgerry Drive and Rimgrove Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Ed Hernandez said in a statement.
"The victim, David Sua, was driving to dinner with his family when the suspect threw a beer can at the Sua family's vehicle," Hernandez said. "Sua exited the car and confronted the suspect, who produced a handgun."
Nearby resident Ramona Hagen said she saw the shooting and tried to help Sua's wife and teenage daughter render aid to Sua, who seemed to have a pulse moments after the shooting. Zavala, she added, appeared to have died instantly.
She was outside smoking a cigarette when she heard what sounded like a gunshot, she said.
As she approached the corner, she heard the sound of men yelling, and heard Sua say, 'My kids were in the car,' she said.
"I heard (Sua's) wife say, 'He has a gun,'" she said.
The two men walked down the street with the SUV close behind.
"The man with the gun pointed it at him and pushed it at his chest," Hagen said.
"If you're not going to use it, put it away," Hagen recalled Sua yelling as he pushed the gunman to the ground.
The gunman got up and pointed the weapon a second time, but Sua pushed him to the floor again, she said.
After getting up again, Zavala cocked his gun and shot Sua in the chest before shooting himself in the head, Hagen said.
Zavala's family members said they do not believe he would have gotten into a confrontation if he did not feel threatened.
Ana Zavala, George Zavala's sister, set up a small memorial of candles and flowers, which was next to another memorial in remembrance of Sua.
"How do you know (George Zavala) wasn't the victim?" she asked. "It's unfair to blame him for something they don't know."
She doubts her brother got into a confrontation without being provoked or fearing for his own safety. She didn't know why he carried a gun.
"He was very loving, happy, and always there to help everybody," Ana Zavala said. "He was very outgoing and a provider for his family."
George Zavala's other sister, Vanessa Zavala, 18, described her brother as a "good person" but also mentioned that George Zavala had been getting in arguments with his wife since New Year's Eve.
Sua's family members were not available to comment, but one of the Sua family's neighbors, Mariana Romano, 54, said David Sua was a "good neighbor and good man."
"We are very sad," Romano said of her family. "We talk to their family and he is a good man."
Romano said Sua cared for his children and always worked on his truck.
Raul Santana said he had lived next to the Sua family for more than six years.
"He was a really nice man," Santana said. "Everybody loved him. He was a good father and husband. His family's nice, too."
"We're really going to miss him," Santana added. "Everybody is sad."
The communities along the 60 Freeway, often referred to as the Valinda Corridor, have been rocked by violence this year. Deputies since March have responded to about 30 shootings in the area, according to newspaper archives and statistics from the sheriff's Industry Station.
On Friday, a 17-year-old boy walking at 2:30 p.m. on the 17400 block of Tadmore Street in East Valinda was shot and wounded by men who drove up in a car, authorities said. The shooting was probably gang related, they said.
The shooting was about one mile south of Thursday's alleged murder-suicide.

EAST VALINDA -- A 17-year-old boy was shot and wounded Friday in a possibly gang-related attack in a residential East Valinda neighborhood, authorities said.
The teen was walking down the street about 2:30 p.m. in the 17400 block of Tadmore Street when he was approached by two male Latinos in a car, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Mark Lopez said.
One of the suspects shot him in the leg, he added.
The teen was airlifted to a local hospital but he is expected to be OK, Lopez said.
The two suspects appear to be gang members though deputies are still investigating the incident, officials said.
The shooting comes less than 24-hours after a murder-suicide that occurred about 8:30 p.m. Thursday at Samgerry Drive and Rimgrove Avenue.

VALINDA -- An attacker stabbed a man Wednesday as he rode a bicycle, authorities said.
The wounded man was flown to the hospital by helicopter, where he was expected to survive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said.
The incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. at Valinda Avenue and Doublegrove Street, the lieutenant said.
The victim, estimated to be 30, was riding his bicycle when the attacker got out of a black, 4-door vehicle and approached, Yokoyama said.
The assailant then pulled a knife and stabbed the bicyclist in the abdomen, he said.
The armed man was described as a Latino man of about 20 years old, standing 5 feet 9 inches to 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing about 210 pounds. He wore black pants and a light-colored shirt.
A motive in the attack was not clear, Yokoyama said, and the wounded man did not appear to be fully cooperating with police.

*The stabbing was the ninth violent attack since June 5 in the Valinda, East Valinda or La Puente areas. Officials have said much of the violence stems from disputes between the Bassett Grande, Puente Trece and El Monte Flores street gangs.
The area has seen eight shootings, three of them fatal, since early June.

A shooting Wednesday afternoon at Sunshine Park in Valinda caused Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina's office to issue a statement assuring residents that the county is doing everything it can to combat violence in the Valinda corridor.

EAST VALINDA - Deputies are looking for suspects who opened fire at three teens in a drive-by shooting Wednesday afternoon at a crowded park.

No one was injured in the shooting, which occurred about 3 p.m. at Sunshine Park, 515 S. Deepmead Ave.

Sheriff's Lt. Hiroshi Yokoyama said three teens were walking in the area of the park when a black Nissan, possibly an Altima, drove by.

"The front passenger started shooting at them," he said.

The teens, ages 16 to 17, fled. Yokoyama said the vehicle carried two to three men, and the shooter used a handgun.

Authorities said the park was full at the time, and the shooting prompted several people to call 9-1-1.

As a result of the incident, Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina said park programs have been canceled until further notice.

"We have worked very hard to create a safe, beautiful and user-friendly park," Molina said in a statement.

"I am outraged at today's act of violence at our park - a place our community considers a haven and where our children and families gather."

View Sunshine Park in a larger map

Here's the story as we know it. 

Ontiveros, a mechanic, was visiting his grandmother's home in West Valinda to do a brake job on his aunt's car, according to his wife, Monique Ontiveros .

His 9-year-old son was with him while his other four children, aged 4 to 11, were at home with their mother in Baldwin Park.

"He was a loving father, and would do anything for them. His daily routine was go to work, come home, be with kids, and on the weekend we would do the car club," Monique Ontiveros said.

Two men, described as Hispanic, drove by in a dark colored pick-up truck and fired multiple rounds at Ontiveros.

They yelled a gang insult and drove away, Wilson said.

The shooters are believed to be members of the Puente Trece gang, Wilson said.

EAST VALINDA -- An apparently gang-related running gunbattle was reported near Sunshine Park Sunday, however officials were unable to find anyone wounded from the shooting.
The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. at Altario Street and Deepmead Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Sonja Bracken said.
The shoot-out appeared to be between a group of four young men and another young man who was by himself, she said.
Authorities initially believed the incident was between members of the Hurley Street gang of East Valinda and the Duke gang of the West Covina area.
Deputies discovered bullet fragments in the street, but no gunshot wound victims were reported at area hospitals, Bracken said.
The shooting involved at least two guns, she said, however witnesses provided conflicting details about exactly how many guns were involved.

VALINDA -- One person was killed and another wounded in a shooting Thursday, authorities said.
It was the second double-shooting in the area in four hours.
The drive-by shooting occurred about 8:30 p.m. on Griffith Avenue near Fellowship Street, Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Arthur Scott said.
Both victims were believed to be male, however their ages were not immediately known, the lieutenant said.
One was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other suffered an apparently non-life-threatening wound to his leg, Scott said.
The suspect vehicle was described only as a dark-colored compact car, he said.
No further details were available.
It was not immediately clear of the shooting was related to a another shooting earlier in the day in West Valinda that left two men wounded.
Two men were standing on Judith Street near Millbury Avenue about 4:30 p.m. when a dark-colored car with four young men inside stopped.
Someone in the car yelled "East Side Bolen" -- the name of a local area street gang -- before the front passenger opened fire nine times, authorities said.
A man in his 30s was shot in the torso and hospitalized in critical condition, officials said. The other victim, a man in his 50s, was shot in the leg and listed in stable condition.
The two attacks occurred less than three miles apart.

LA PUENTE -- A 17-year-old paraplegic boy who fatally shot himself in what family members believe was an accident last month is due to be buried later this month after his organs were donated and used to save five lives, family members said.
Anthony Robert Chacon, known to friends and family as "Bobby," accidentally shot himself inside his home May 29 while playing Russian roulette, his aunt, Sandra Herrera said.
He died the following day at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Mario Sainz said. The officials cause of death was listed as suicide, though investigators confirmed the death appeared to have occurred during a Russian roulette game.
Chacon's mother, Veronica Palma, elected to donate her son's organs, Herrera said.
"Because he was a generous, kind-hearted person, my sister knew that's what he would have wanted," she said. "That's the kind of person my nephew was."
Chacon had been paralyzed from the waist down since December, when he was shot while attending a local party, family members and authorities said.
The constant medical care and assistance Chacon has required ever since took a toll on him and he became depressed in recent months, his aunt said.
Chacon's debilitation also took a toll on the family financially, Herrera said, and family members are now struggling to pay for his services.
He will be buried on June 21 at a private ceremony at the Pierce Brothers Mortuary in West Covina, Herrera said.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the burial fund can make donations payable to the Angel Pierce Brothers Mortuary, 2333 W. Merced Avenue, care of funeral director Mike for the Bobby Chacon fund.
Herrera said she remembers Chacon as a "very giving and loving young man" who loved jet skiing and wakeboarding behind a family boat during vacations prior to the December shooting.
"Bobby was part of our close-knit family," Herrera said. "We will never be the same without Bobby. We will miss him so much."