Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Police activity on the street

MPD has gone door to door in the neighborhood asking people in the NW corner about an incident that took place on Saturday evening.

In short police are treating what happened as a potential kidnapping to cover bases. Could be simple prowling or mistaken observation according to the MPD officer I spoke with, but they are investigating as if it were the worst case as a precaution.

What happened is there was a caterer at an event on the street. Around 10PM they started to pack up to leave. The caterer and her 11 yo daughter were bringing things to their truck parked in the street. As they approached the truck the daughter thought she saw someone in the back of the truck and screamed. The mother, had her back to the truck and was 10 feet from the daughter turned but saw nothing. The girl was very insistent that there was someone in the back of the truck.

The police were called at that time and questioned those at the party what happened. They then went around the street on Sunday evening to ask who heard the scream and if we saw anything. (We neither heard the scream nor saw anything).

What this does remind us is that there is always the potential for prowlers and we have had them on the street in the past going through our parked cars and trucks. It pays to keep things locked and not kept in vehicles. If you want it put it out of sight and lock it. Same goes for our homes, the street is usually pretty quiet but still lock it when you are going to be away. Never know when the next prowler will be on the lose.

Hat tip to MPD for being so thorough in spite of so little evidence.


Monday, August 30, 2010

Coyotes on the Street this morning (8/30)

A pair of coyotes were spotted on the west side of the street travelling north towards the end of the street. Chances are they were on the prowl for food.

It is wise not to leave food out for our pets as that serves as temptation for the coyotes. Additionally it pays to keep an eye on our pets as cats and small dogs are known to be food sources for these wild animals as well.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of August 19 - August 25, 2010

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 536 service events, resulting in 96 investigations. Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:

Felony Theft - Suspect Arrested August 19 at 4:13 p.m., a subject attempted to conceal cough medicine and beer in his waistband and exit a store in the 300 block of West Huntington without paying for the items. He was detained by loss prevention. An officer responded and determined the suspect had a prior conviction for theft with time served. He was booked for felony petty theft with priors.

Peeking / Prowling - Suspect Arrested August 20 at 5:55 p.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 100 block of North Alta Vista regarding a prowler. A neighbor heard noises outside. She looked out and observed a male subject in his 20's looking into the window of her neighbor's home. She yelled at the subject and he ran toward to the street. Another neighbor observed the suspect run out to the street and go directly to a residential treatment center, where he entered a side window. Through investigation, it was determined the suspect is a convicted felon on parole. A photographic line-up was completed and positive identification was made. Parole was contacted and they agreed to issue a parole hold for the violations. Night watch officers and the Special Enforcement Team went to the treatment center and arrested the suspect.

Battery - Refusal to Prosecute August 20 at 9:21 p.m., officers were dispatched to a park in the 300 block of South Myrtle. An adult male victim was attacked by three to five other adult males in their twenties. The suspects then ran westbound toward Alta Vista. The victim sustained moderate lacerations and abrasions to his face and was treated at the scene by Monrovia Fire Department paramedics. The victim did not desire prosecution and was not willing to participate in identifying the suspects. The victim also refused to be taken to a hospital.

Domestic Violence - Suspect Arrested August 22 at 8:55 p.m., an officer responded to a domestic violence in-progress call. When he arrived, he located the suspect, who became combative and would not comply with the officer's commands. Additional officers were requested to help subdue the suspect and he was taken into custody. The victim had left the scene and had driven to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Office in East Los Angeles to report the incident. The victim went to the hospital for treatment. She sustained a fractured nose, bruising to her left eye and multiple abrasions to her left leg.

Vehicle Burglary August 23 at 6:14 a.m., an employee of fitness center in the 700 block of East Huntington reported a vehicle burglary. Someone had broken into one of their member's vehicles by breaking the front passenger window. A GPS navigation system, sunglasses and a black lunch bag were stolen. Investigation continuing.

Residential Burglary August 23 at 7:22 a.m., officers responded and took a report from a contractor who is doing work at a residence in the 600 block of Hacienda. He left his tools in the residence and secured the property on August 20. When he returned to the residence after the weekend, he found his tools had been stolen.

Outside Assist / Carjacking - Suspect Arrested August 23 at 9:40 a.m., Los Angeles Sheriff's Department deputies and their airship were following a carjacking suspect who was entering the City of Monrovia. They requested our assistance, as they were getting ready to conduct a high-risk stop on the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped at Montana and Magnolia. Monrovia officers assisted with traffic control during the stop. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.

Brush Fire August 23 at 12:28 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of North Canyon reported possible live wires down in the area of Canyon and Ridgeside. Several other calls reported other downed wires in the area. One resident reported an actual fire at the entrance to Canyon Park. Monrovia Fire and Police personnel responded. Canyon Park was shut down and several hikers near the waterfall were advised and evacuated. Fire helicopters dropped water and put out the fire within approximately 30 minutes. Hot spots flared, but were being dealt with, and fire personnel remained on scene until the evening.

Assault with a Deadly Weapon - Suspect Arrested August 23 at 1:15 p.m., during the brush fire incident, a resident who lives on Ridgeside insisted on making his way home and attempted to drive by fire and police personnel. The resident refused to stop at the direction of fire personnel and hit a fireman and an Edison worker with his vehicle. The resident was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and was taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglary August 23 at 5:10 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 200 block of Fig on a vehicle burglary report. The victim had parked and secured his vehicle in front of the residence. When he returned to his vehicle he found someone had broken into it. There were no signs of forced entry, but the stereo amplifier and speakers had been taken from the trunk. Investigation continuing.

Grand Theft Auto August 25 at 2:53 p.m., an officer responded to the 200 block of Kruse on the report of a stolen vehicle. The victim parked his vehicle in a business parking lot and went inside. When he returned to his vehicle a few hours later, it was missing. There were no signs of forced entry and the owner can account for all of the keys. The vehicle is a 1992, beige Honda Accord. Investigation continuing.

Commercial Burglary - Suspect Arrested August 25 at 4:07 p.m., loss prevention at a business in the 500 block of West Huntington had a female in custody for shoplifting. An officer responded and determined the female suspect detained had committed burglary and she was arrested and taken into custody.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of August 12 - August 18, 2010

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 529 service events, resulting in 117 investigations. Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:

Driving Under the Influence Check Point August 13 from 7:30 p.m., to 1:00 a.m., Monrovia officers conducted a DUI Checkpoint in the 800 block of East Huntington. The officers checked for DUI drivers and valid driver's license. They issued 3 citations for suspended license, 10 for no driver's license, 5 miscellaneous citations and 9 vehicles were stored.

Commercial Burglary August 14 at 3:02 p.m., officers responded to the 500 block of West Huntington regarding store security attempting to apprehend a male subject who was observed removing tags off items and then fled the store with the stolen merchandise. The subject fled in a burgundy Honda Civic. The vehicle came back registered outside of the city. Investigation continuing.

Domestic Violence - Suspect Arrested August 15 at 12:00 a.m., officers responded to the 800 block of West Walnut regarding a male victim, who reported his wife was throwing things at him. The wife jumped on him from behind and scratched his neck and arms. Officers determined the female to be the primary aggressor and arrested her for spousal abuse.

Burglary / Petty Theft with a Prior - Suspects Arrested August 15 at 1:01 p.m., officers responded to the 500 block of West Huntington regarding two females detained for petty theft. An officer determined one female committed a burglary and the other petty theft. They were arrested and transported to Monrovia jail. A computer check revealed the female had a prior conviction for theft of an access card with time served. She was then charged with petty theft with a prior.

Felony Battery - Suspect Arrested August 15 10:44 p.m., officers responded to 1400 block of Alamitas regarding a family disturbance. When Officers arrived at the location they found a daughter assaulting her mother outside of the location. The mother informed officers her daughter is on probation and arrived home intoxicated. The mother video taped her daughter to have sufficient evidence for the Probation Officer. The video taping caused the daughter to become very upset and began hitting and biting her mother. Monrovia Fire Department arrived and transported the mother to the hospital for her injuries. The daughter was arrested and transported to the hospital for medical clearance and later transported to Eastlake Juvenile Detention Center where she will be housed pending her court date.

Armed Robbery August 16 at 3:50 p.m. officers responded to a business in the 300 block of West Huntington regarding an armed robbery. The reporting party was a very frightened young female who was unable to give a detailed description of the suspects. She stated two male suspects entered the business and one selected a pack of t-shirts and they both went to the cashier. While there, the suspect with the pack of t-shirts removed a gun and pointed at her demanding that she give him all the money. She opened the cash register and the suspect grabbed the money. The owner was in the rear storage area and went to the front to find out what was going on. He tried to keep the one suspect from grabbing the money and was punched in the face by the second suspect. The owner was knocked to the floor and sustained a bruise and abrasion on the left side of his face. The suspects walked out and got into an awaiting car parked on Magnolia and got into the rear seat. There were two other male suspects in the vehicle. The vehicle drove south on Magnolia out of sight. The vehicle was described as a 1991-1992 grey Ford Thunderbird. Investigation continuing.

Residential Burglary August 16 at 3:54 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of Melrose called reporting her house had been ransacked. She did not enter her residence and waited until police arrived. Officers responded and cleared the residence. Investigation continuing.

Residential Burglary August 17 at 11:24 a.m., a victim called to report a burglary that occurred within the past hour. The residence is in the 900 block of El Dorado and victim shares this house with a female who at one time was his girlfriend. The victim is in the process of evicting her but she still has keys to the property. According to the victim, someone broke into his small safe and stole about $1,500 in coins. The victim suspects his former girlfriend stole the coins, since there were no signs of forced entry. Investigation continuing.

Vehicle Burglary August 17 at 2:05 p.m., officers responded to the 300 block of Madison regarding a vehicle burglary. Witnesses provided the barest descriptions. Officers set up containment and failed to locate the suspect. Investigation continuing.

Criminal Threats - Suspect Arested August 18 at 12:06 p.m. officers responded to the 500 block of East Lemon regarding a family disturbance. The victim's girlfriend lives with the victim and his family does not approve of the relationship. The girlfriend's father followed the victim home and wanted to know where his daughter was. The father then threatened the victim, stating he was going to kill him. The father was arrested and taken into custody.

Shots Fired August 18 at 9:30 p.m. officers responded to shots fired near Prospect and Canyon. While the officers were trying to locate the source of the shots, additional shots rang out. Officers on scene were able to narrow the scope of the search. There were no complaints of inhabited dwellings being shot and no one was arrested.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of August 5 - August 11, 2010

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 561 service events, resulting in 113 investigations. Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested

August 6 at 10:59 p.m., an officer noticed a vehicle traveling west on Foothill from Alta Vista without any headlights on. The vehicle was stopped and during the investigation, the driver was determined to be under the influence. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance - Suspect Arrested

August 7 at 12:27 a.m., an officer observed a suspicious person at the corner of Myrtle and Huntington. He stopped the subject and determined the subject to be under the influence of a controlled substance. The subject admitted to using methamphetamine at a friend's house. The subject was arrested.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested

August 7 at 1:50 a.m., an officer noticed a vehicle traveling west on Lime from Myrtle, which is a one-way street for eastbound traffic. The driver was stopped and determined to be driving under the influence. The driver was arrested.

Residential Burglary - Suspect Arrested

August 8 at 2:50 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 200 block of West Cypress regarding a residential burglary in progress. A neighbor witnessed a 15 Year old juvenile smash a window to the rear of the residence and take a pair of sunglasses. The suspect left the location prior to officers arriving, but was stopped at Primrose and Cypress by the officers. Further investigation revealed the suspect lives across the street from where the burglary occurred. The suspect admitted to taking the sunglasses and was arrested. The suspect has no prior arrests or gang association.

Prowling / Receiving Stolen Property / Petty Theft with a Prior - Suspects Arrested

August 10 at 3:23 a.m., an officer was patrolling in the 500 block of West Olive when he observed two male subjects walking, who were possibly gang members. When the subjects saw the police car, they immediately began to run. Assisting units arrived and set-up containment. A yard-to-yard search was conducted. One suspect was found hiding in a side yard of a residence. The suspect was arrested for prowling and receiving stolen property. An officer that was en route to conduct the theft investigation observed the second suspect in the area of Mayflower and Walnut. The suspect was detained and arrested without incident. Both suspects were booked for prowling, receiving stolen property, and petty theft with a prior conviction. The investigation revealed the property was stolen from two vehicles in the 900 block of West Walnut.

Burglary - Suspect Arrest

August 10 at 9:31 a.m., an officer went to a business in the 1100 block of South Fifth regarding locks that were cut from five storage units. The storage unit renters had been contacted, and only one had property stolen, a notary embossing seal. The victim that had her notary seal stolen reported that she had been contacted by Monterey Park Police Department and advised they had a subject in custody for possession of burglary tools, and he was in possession of the stolen notary seal.

Burglary

August 10 at 12:18 p.m., an officer went to a residence in the 200 block of West Lemon regarding a garage break-in. The victim reported two bicycles, an electric sanding machine and tools taken from the garage sometime during the night. Investigation continuing.

Vehicle Burglary / Delaying and Obstructing a Peace Officer - Suspect Arrested

August 11 at 3:30 a.m., an officer saw a suspicious subject inside a parked vehicle on Alta Vista, south of Cypress. The subject exited the vehicle carrying a backpack. The officer made a u-turn and the subject walked out of sight to the rear of an apartment complex on Alta Vista. Officers set up containment of the area and a search was conducted with negative results. Approximately an hour later, an officer still patrolling in the area saw the subject near Alta Vista and Montana. The subject ran to the rear of an apartment complex. Containment of the area was established and a search was conducted. The subject was located and subsequently arrested for vehicle burglary and delaying and obstructing a peace officer.

Stolen Vehicle

August 11 at 10:44 a.m., a victim came into the police station to report his vehicle was stolen. A week ago he had left the keys with his uncle while he was out of town. Several days later his uncle was going to use the vehicle, but noticed the vehicle was missing. The stolen vehicle was a blue, 1987 Honda Accord. The vehicle was taken from the carport in the 800 block of West Duarte Road.

Suspicious Circumstances

August 11 at 12:54 a.m., a manager of the apartment complex in the 100 block of Montana came into the police station to report suspicious activity. He stated that he saw two subjects who live in the complex, exit a pearl white Escalade truck, unload several items, and put them inside one of the subject's apartment. There were two other subjects in the vehicle the manager did not recognized. Officers were aware of a burglary report that was taken a week earlier with the same description. Investigation contuining.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of July 29 - August 4, 2010

Suspicious Circumstances / Burglary July 30 at 4:38 a.m., police received a call from the front desk of a hotel in the 900 block of South Fifth Avenue reporting a subject breaking into one of the second story rooms. Officers arrived and spoke with the victim. She stated she had been asleep and awoke to a noise coming from the window. When she went to investigate, she saw a male subject attempting to climb onto the second story railing. She was half asleep, didn't think much of it and went back to bed. She then heard the window open and saw the suspect's foot enter the room. She ran to the window, yelled at the suspect and was able to get the window closed. She had the front desk call police. Officers conducted an area check but were unable to locate the suspect. The male suspect is approximately 20 years old, 5' 8", 170 pounds, brown hair, wearing a white t-shirt, jeans, and dark colored knit cap. There was another male suspect wearing a bright color soccer jersey who may have helped the suspect climb onto the railing. Investigation continuing.

$100 Graffiti Bounty Rewarded On August 2, an employee of a recreation center in the 500 block of South Mountain received $100 cash reward from Monrovia Police Department's Graffiti Bounty Program. The employee witnessed and reported vandalism in progress at the center on July 13, 2010. The employee was rewarded the $100 bounty for reporting the vandalism which led to the arrest of a juvenile suspect.

Attempt Burglary - Suspect Arrested August 2 at 1:50 a.m., an officer responded to the report of a male suspect attempting to gain entry into a room at a hotel in the 900 block of West Huntington. The victim was inside the room when he heard noises at the door. The victim looked through the peephole and saw the suspect on the other side of the door, attempting to gain entry with a pry tool. The victim made his presence known by banging on the inside of the door. The suspect fled from the hotel and was immediately apprehended by responding officers. The suspect also had an outstanding no-bail warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Irwindale Police Department Outside Assist / Grand Theft Auto - Suspect Arrested August 3 at 3:19 p.m., an officer responded to Central and Myrtle to assist Irwindale Police Department with containment of a suspect. Irwindale police officers pursued a grand theft auto suspect from Azusa onto the 210 Freeway. The vehicle crashed on the freeway just before Myrtle and continued off the freeway onto Central. The two suspects exited the vehicle and ran. The suspect that was driving the stolen vehicle was apprehended by Irwindale officers. Containment was set up in the area were the second suspect was seen, but he was not located. The driver of the vehicle was arrested for grand theft auto and had several outstanding warrants for his arrest.

Riverside Sheriff's Outside Assist / Domestic Violence / Attempted Murder - Suspect Arrested August 4 at 2:36 a.m., dispatch received a request for assistance from the Riverside Sheriff's Department. Earlier in the evening, they handled a domestic violence incident where a man assaulted his girlfriend with a knife, beat her, and strangled her to the point of her losing consciousness. They learned the suspect was possibly at a residence in the 400 block of East Lemon in Monrovia. Monrovia officers responded to the location and detained the suspect. The suspect was transported to the Monrovia Police Station, where Riverside deputies interviewed the suspect and subsequently arrested him for attempted murder.

_______________________________________________________________

Quiet week in terms or residential or auto burglary crimes. Remember if you want to keep it, lock it tight at night.