Monthly Archives: January 2017

Caught on camera: Man and woman sought in El Monte convenience store robbery

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EL MONTE >> Police are asking the public’s help in identifying a tattoo-faced man and woman who took customers hostage during an armed robbery at an El Monte convenience store over the weekend.
The crime unfolded just after midnight on Sunday at Circle K, 5202 Peck Road, El Monte police Sgt. Richard Luna said.
“Both (robbers) came in armed,” he said.
The male gunman demanded money from the clerk as his female accomplice pointed her handgun at two customers who tried to leave and forced them to stay in the store during the robbery, the sergeant said.
After obtaining cash from the employee, the suspect fled from the store and were last seen running south toward Hemlock Street, police said.
Police described one of the robbers as a Latino man of about 35 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 140 pounds, with a mustache, a “soul patch” goatee and a eagle tattoo on the right side of his face. He wore a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants and gray tennis shoes, and carried a black-and-gray semi-automatic handgun.
The second robber was a Latina woman of about 17 or 18 years old, 5 feet 2 inches to 5 feet 4 inches tall, 110 to 120 pounds, with gray hair and blue eyes. She wore a hooded sweater and gray pants and she carried a chrome semi-automatic handgun.
Anyone with information is asked to contact El Monte police at 626-580-2114, or via email at tips@empd.org. Tips may also be submitted anonymously online to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.
“Both suspects are considered armed and dangerous,” Luna added.

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PHOTO/VIDEO courtesy of the El Monte Police Department

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San Gabriel man accused of long-term sexual abuse of child

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SAN GABRIEL >> Police arrested a 37-year-old San Gabriel man on Tuesday after learning of allegations that he had sexually abused a young female relative over the past five years, officials said.
Jcelso Celestino Ombao was booked on suspicion of continuous sexual abuse of a child, as well as other sex-crime related felonies, according to San Gabriel police Lt. Brian Kott.
Police launched their investigation just before 2 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report from staff at Temple City High School that a 15-year-old female student had been the victim sexual abuse, the lieutenant said.
“During the initial investigation, the victim divulged to officers that she had been sexually abused by an adult male family relative on a frequent and repeated basis within the family home for approximately the past give years,” Kott said in a written statement.
The alleged crimes took place at several home throughout the region, where the family had lived, as well as in San Gabriel in recent months.
Police arrested Ombao and obtained a warrant to search the family home, Jott said. “Evidence was collected that corroborated the victim’s account.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact San Gabriel police at 626-308-2828. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Coyote attack prompts trapping, euthanization in Glendora

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COYOTES

GLENDORA >> Officials in Glendora have contracted with a company to trap and euthanize coyotes venturing close to neighborhoods after three of the animals attacked a mastiff as its owner walked it on a leash on Tuesday morning, authorities said.
The attack took place about 8:15 a.m. as a woman was walking her dog near Elderberry Drive and Snapdragon Lane, in the La Colina Estates housing development tract on the site of the former Monrovia Nursery, Glendora city officials said in a written statement.
“A Glendora resident was walking her mastiff on a leash when a coyote attacked the dog seemingly without reason,” according to the statement. “Shortly after the initial attack, two other coyotes joined in. The coyotes were fended off by the resident who threw rocks at the three coyotes and a witness who assisted by clapping her hands and yelling at the coyotes.”
The dog was treated for “minor puncture wounds” to its neck and expected to make a full recovery, officials said. It was to be examined by a veterinarian and quarantined as a precaution pending the result of blood tests.
“As a result of this incident occurring in broad daylight, with a large pet and with a human in close proximity, the City of Glendora has decided it is necessary to take reactive action,” the statement said.
City officials have hired a professional trapping company to trap and euthanize coyotes, in compliance with state law.
“The traps are designed so that they will not harm unintended wildlife,” the statement said. “The traps (were deployed Tuesday) in the area of the incident and in locations as determined by the trapping company professional opinion.”
Anyone who spots a coyote, or any other wildlife, posing an imminent threat is urged to call 911. To report sightings, the Glendora Police Department can be reached at 626-914-8250.
Officials offered some tips to help residents be good neighbors to their coyote neighbors living in the foothills:
• Never feed coyotes or any other wildlife
• Keep pets and pet food indoors. If feeding outside, feed pets during the day, for no more than an hour, and remove the food and water bowls after.
• Stay close to pets when taking them outdoors and always keeping them on a leash, especially from dusk through early morning
• Remove fallen fruit from the ground
• Bag food wastes such as meat scraps or leftover pet food
• Keep trash in containers with tight-fitting lids
• Use “hazing” techniques to shoo away coyotes, such as standing tall, yelling and waving arms while approaching the coyote; using a whistle, air horn, bell or other device; banging pots or pans together; stomping your feet; using a water hose, pepper spray or throwing objects at the coyote.
• Never run away from a coyote
More information regarding wildlife in Glendora is available online at www.ci.glendora.ca.us/residents/living-with-wildlife.

PHOTO: ***STAFF FILE PHOTO***A pair of coyotes along the roadway in the Angeles National Forest on Saturday July 5, 2003. (Keith Durflinger/San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group)

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Classes cancelled Monday at Valley View Elementary School in Duarte; K-rails continue to hold in Fish fire impact area

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DUARTE >> Officials cancelled Monday classes at a Duarte elementary school at the center the Fish fire impact area, which was threatened by mudslides and flooding Sunday as a storm dropped inches of rain over the Southland on Sunday afternoon.
School will be cancelled Monday at Valley View Elementary School, 237 Melcanyon Road, according to city and Duarte Unified School District officials.
Mud piled up high alongside roadside K-rails guarding the surrounding neighborhoods, but continued to hold Sunday afternoon, despite a heavy downpour Sunday morning, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Sgt. James Long said.
“So far, everything is holding, and there’s been really very minor mudflow activity,” Duarte spokeswoman Karen Herrera said.
Mandatory evacuations remained in effect for the Fish fire impact area, affecting 180 homes.
•Map: Fish fire impact area
An evacuation center capable of taking in both people and pets has been set up by city and Red Cross officials at the Duarte Community Center, 1600 Huntington Drive. It is scheduled to remain open so long as the city’s Red Alert, and corresponding mandatory evacuation orders, remain in effect.
“Very few” people made us of shelter, Herrera said.
The majority of residents of the affected area chose not to heed evacuation orders, but to shelter in place instead, she said.
Voluntary evacuation orders were also issued for neighborhoods in the Colby fire impact area in Azusa, authorities said.
A Flash Flood Warning was to remain in effect in the area through 6 p.m. Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

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PHOTO by Watchara Phomicinda

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Voluntary evacuations issued in Glendora’s Colby fire impact area

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GLENDORA >> Anticipated heavy rain on Sunday prompted officials issued voluntary evacuation orders for neighborhoods near the Colby fire impact area in Glendora on Sunday.
Those choosing to evacuate may go to the Glendora Teen Center at 241 W. Dawson Ave., Glendora police officials said in an alert.
Rain-related parking restrictions are also in effect in the affected area, and residents were told to remove vehicles, trash bins or any other obstructions from the streets.
•Map of Colby fire impact area
Additional information regarding the Colby fire impact area is available online at www.ci.glendora.ca.us/residents/colby-fire-information.

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UPDATED: Man killed, another wounded in Azusa shooting

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AZUSA >> One man died and another was wounded after they were shot inside a car in Azusa early Sunday morning, authorities said.
Killed was Alexander Salazar, 21, of Azusa, Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner Investigator Rudy Molano said.
The shooting was reported at 1:22 a.m. in a residential neighborhood in the 600 block of North Alameda Avenue, according to Deputy Lisa Jansen of the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Information Bureau.
Following reports of gunfire heard in the area, deputies found a four-door Lexus sedan had crashed into a parked car, Lt. John Corina of the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said.
Salazar, a documented member of the Azusa 13 street gang, was shot in the head, he said. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.
The passenger, a 20-year-old Fontana man, was treated for a gunshot wound to his hand.
Further details regarding the circumstances of the shooting, including a suspect description, remained unknown Sunday afternoon, according to the lieutenant. The surviving victim did not appear to be fully cooperating with investigators, and no other eyewitnesses had been found, he added.
Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, which is assisting Azusa police in the investigation, at 323-890-5500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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Incoming storm prompts mandatory evacuations in Duarte’s Fish fire impact area

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FISHmap

DUARTE >> Authorities issued mandatory evacuation orders for homes below the recent Fish fire burn area in Duarte Sunday morning as a powerful storm threatened to drop as much as 6 inches of rain in the area, prompting fears of mudslides and flooding.
The evacuation orders are to take effect at 7 a.m. as the city activated a Red Alert for the impacted neighborhoods, which surround Valley View Park and Valley View Elementary School, city officials said in a written statement.
The evacuation zone includes portions of Deerlane Drive, Melcanyon Road, Brookridge Road, Mountaincrest Road, Greenbank Avenue and Bettyhill Avenue. Police and Community Emergency Response Team volunteers went door-to-door Saturday night notifying residents of the evacuations.
•Fish fire burn area map
The storm is expected to reach the area around 9 a.m.
“Although the timing could fluctuate, the heaviest rainfall is expected between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., and between 4 to 6 inches in total rain is expected,” according to the city statement.
“Widespread, heavy downpours could cause mud and debris flows more extensive than Friday’s on Melcanyon Road and adjacent streets, which resulted in over 2,800 cubic yards of mud.”
Rates of up to an inch of rain per hour are predicted, which is well above the threshold authorities say can trigger mudslides. And the denuded hillsides are already saturated with water from the previous days’ rain.
The Duarte Community Center at 1600 Huntington Drive will open as an evacuation center at 7 a.m., officials said. It will remain open as long as mandatory evacuation orders are in place.
City officials urged evacuees to take with them any medicines or other items they will need for a minimum of 48 hours. Meals will be provided at the evacuation center, and county animal control officials will also be on-hand to tend to evacuees’ pets.
“Please note, residents under mandatory evacuation orders will not be allowed back into their homes until the orders are officially lifted by Duarte public safety officials,” the statement said. “Residents that refuse to evacuate must be prepared to shelter in place until evacuation orders are lifted.
Residents of the Fish fire impact area can pick up filled sandbags at the corner of Brookridge and Opal Canyon roads. Unfilled sandbags are also available at Los Angeles County Fire Station 44, 1105 Highland Avenue.
“If you feel conditions are unsafe to evacuate, move to the highest safe place in your residence and shelter in place,” according to the statement.
Residents of the affected neighborhoods were also directed to remove all vehicles, trash bins or other obstructions from the street before evacuating, or they will be removed by authorities.
Updated information will be posted the city’s website, Twitter account and Nixle page, officials said. The sheriff’s Temple Station can be reached at 626-285-7171.
The Fish fire ignited in June and scorched more than 2,500 acres of vegetation before being extinguished by firefighters.

Fish fire impact area map courtesy of the city of Duarte.

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Trees topple again at Penn Park in Whittier

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WHITTIER >> Heavy rains on Friday afternoon toppled two large trees at Penn Park in Whittier, just over a month after a massive tree toppled onto a wedding party at the same park, killing the mother of the bride and injuring seven other people, officials said.
A park bench was crushed at Penn Park, 13950 Penn Street, when a eucalyptus tree and an oak tree fell during the storm, but no injuries were reported, Whittier police Lt. Bryan Ellis said.
Another tree also fell at Murphy Ranch Park, 16200 Las Cumbres Drive, during the storm, Whittier City Manager Jeff Collier said. Both parks were closed until further notice. And other trees fell on private property throughout Whittier, as well as Los Angeles County, during the storm.
And with more heavy rain expected on Sunday, city officials also closed the picnic areas of Palm and Parnell parks, which are surrounded by tall trees, as a precaution, Collier said.
“We’ll have to be monitoring the soil conditions,” he said. “The ground is just so saturated.”
Another toppled tree fell onto Portada Drive on Friday.
Penn Park reopened earlier this month after it was closed following the fatal incident on Dec. 17, which claimed the life of 61-year-old Margarita Mojarro of San Pedro.
An arborist inspected the trees at Penn Park before it was reopened to the public, officials said.
All of the trees that fell on Friday appeared to have uprooted and tipped over, rather than snapped at their trunks, Collier said.
“The trees, we feel, are in good, stable condition,” he said. “We’ve just had so much water in such a short time.”
Officials were at Penn Park inspecting the fallen eucalyptus tree when the oak tree gave way, Collier said.
“While we were standing there, we could here a popping sound,” he said. “It just went over. The soil couldn’t hold the tree.”
With more rain on the way, Collier encouraged residents to take precautions to protect their homes and businesses from the deluge by making sure drains are open and taking any other necessary measures to mitigate potential damage.

PHOTO courtesy of Andrew Luera

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Alhambra karaoke club cited for serving alcohol without license

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ALHAMBRA >> Police cited workers at an Alhambra karaoke club Friday night after undercover officers investigating complaints from the public found the business was serving alcohol without a liquor license, authorities said.
The bust took place at K100 Karaoke Box, 7 N. 3rd Street.
Police had received complaints from the community that the business was serving booze without a license from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Alhambra police officials said in a written statement.
“The complaints also include that intoxicated patrons loiter on residential streets and cause disturbances to sleeping residents and are revving loud car engines and exhausts,” according to the statement.
Undercover officers visited the business Friday evening to investigate.
“The undercover officers were served liquor by staff at the business, even though the business did not have an ABC license,” the police statement said.
Police and code enforcement officials cited the employees and plan to conduct follow-up visits to ensure compliance with the law.

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Man and woman sought in Pasadena stereo shop robbery

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PASADENA >> A man and woman used a screwdriver to rob electronic components from a car stereo shop in Pasadena on Thursday afternoon, police said.
The crime took place about 3:30 p.m. at Joys Sound, 849 N. Lake Ave., Psadena police Lt. Mark Goodman said.
A man and woman, both in their 20s and both wearing dark clothing, entered the store together, he said.
As the man distracted the clerk by asking him about merchandise, the woman reached over the counter and grabbed stereo installation kit, according to the lieutenant.
“The clerk contemplate giving chase to the suspects, however, (the man) blocked the door and brandished a screwdriver while (the woman) got into a dark-colored sedan,” he said.
The male robber then joined the woman inside the car, which sped out of sight.
Anyone with information can reach the Pasadena Police Department at 626-744-4241. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

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