Thursday, September 30, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of September 23 - September 29, 2010

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 526 service events, resulting in 123 investigations. Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:

Robbery September 23 at 6:27 a.m., an officer responded to Duarte and Myrtle regarding a robbery that had just occurred. A female victim reported that a male subject in his early 20's, thin build, buzzed haircut, no facial hair, and wearing a baggie gray sweatshirt exited a vehicle and punched her. The suspect grabbed her purse and got back into a black, four-door vehicle, possibly a Nissan Maxima, and fled southbound on Myrtle. The victim sustained a cut above her right eye. Investigation continuing.

Grand Theft September 23 at 12:54 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 700 block of West Duarte regarding a theft. The victim parked his motorized bicycle in front of his door in the evening, but failed to secure it. The next day, he went outside to go to work and found his bicycle was missing. He did not hear anything suspicious during the night.

Possession of a Controlled Substance - Suspects Arrested September 24 at 2:18 a.m., an officer observed a suspicious vehicle near a business in the 3000 block of Peck Road. As the officer approached the vehicle, the female passenger tossed a folded one dollar bill out the window. The officer retrieved the bill and found cocaine inside. Both female subjects were taken into custody, one for an outstanding warrant and the other for the possession of a controlled substance.

Assault September 24 at 2:41 p.m., an officer met with the victim of an assault who had come to the police station to file a report. The victim was in a wheelchair and was accompanied by a friend. The victim reported that he had been at a bar in 300 block of West Huntington on Friday, September 17. He said he had been drinking and that two subjects had assaulted him. He was driven to a hospital and admitted for injuries. The victim did not have much information to provide about the incident. Investigation continuing.

Residential Burglary On September 24 at 10:41 p.m., an officer responded to the 500 block of East Foothill regarding a residential burglary. Unknown suspects had entered the victim's residence and the victim's rear house through open bathroom windows. Once inside, the locations the suspects stole a television and power tools. The investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested September 25 at 2:34 a.m., an officer stopped a motorist at Evergreen and Mayflower for an unsafe turning movement. A subsequent investigation revealed the driver was intoxicated. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence.

Grand Theft September 25 at 10:41 a.m., an officer responded to the parking lot of a business in the 100 block of West Foothill regarding a theft. The female victim had pushed her shopping cart to her vehicle. As she opened the door of her car, a vehicle pulled up next to the shopping cart and a subject grabbed her purse from the cart and they fled in the vehicle. Investigation continuing.

Burglary September 25 at 3:56 p.m., a business in the 500 block of West Huntington reported a theft. An officer responded and determined a subject had walked into the store, grabbed a mesh shopping bag, selected three men's electric shavers and exited the store without paying. As the loss prevention officers exited the store, they saw the suspect getting into a burgundy Toyota Camry that fled the scene. Investigation continuing.

Possession of a Controlled Substance - Suspect Arrested September 26 at 3:55 a.m., an officer was on patrol and saw a suspicious vehicle parked on Ivy, south of Huntington. As he made contact with the occupant, he noticed the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. The suspect admitted to having marijuana and ecstasy pills in his vehicle and consented to a search of the vehicle. The officer located a small amount of marijuana and 16 tablets of Ecstasy that were concealed in the door panel of the vehicle. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto Recovery / Mental Evaluation September 27 at 8:52 p.m., dispatch received a call reporting that a mentally unstable, male subject had left a facility in Pasadena and was possibly in the Monrovia area, as his mother lives in Monrovia. He had gone to his grandparent's home in Arcadia, where he stole his grandfather's truck. His grandfather reported the truck stolen with Arcadia Police Department. Officers located the subject and detained him. They confirmed he had taken the truck without permission. He stated voices in his head told him to take the truck. The subject was taken to a hospital and held for mental evaluation. The truck was recovered and returned to the grandparents.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of September 16 - September 22, 2010

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 549 service events, resulting in 116 investigations. Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:

Residential Burglary September 17 at 1:39 p.m., an officer went to a residence in the 400 block of Park Rose regarding a burglary. The victim told the officer he had filing boxes with old checks, receipts and documents from an old business that no longer exits. The boxes were kept near his front door, which is kept open a lot. Someone apparently entered the residence and took the boxes. Nothing else was taken.

Residential Burglary September 17 at 3:10 p.m., a resident in the 500 block of West Foothill reported she had just returned home from work and someone had broken into her home. An officer responded and cleared the location. Entry was made through a side door. Some jewelry and old checks were taken, but the victim was unsure if anything else was taken. Investigation continuing.

Commercial Burglary - Suspects Arrested September 17 at 3:51 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington regarding a male and a female in custody for shoplifting. The officer determined the subjects had committed burglary; both were arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested September 18 at 1:08 a.m., an officer noticed a vehicle traveling south on Myrtle that was following another vehicle too closely. He noticed the driver was also swerving on the roadway. He stopped the driver and during the investigation, determined the driver was under the influence. The driver was arrested.

Domestic Violence / Battery on a Peace Officer September 19 at 2:28 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 00 block of Hidden Valley regarding a domestic violence incident in progress. When they arrived, the husband was attempting to restrain his wife, who was intoxicated and violent. As an officer entered the location, he was pushed by the wife. The officers were able to restrain the wife and she was taken into custody without further incident. The husband was bleeding and had sustained visible injuries. He did not desire medical treatment. The wife was not injured.

Recovered Stolen Vehicle - Suspects Arrested September 19 at 7:20 p.m., an officer on patrol located a stolen vehicle in the area of California, near Duarte. He followed the vehicle into a parking lot in Duarte. Additional Monrovia officers were requested to assist in a high-risk traffic stop. Two suspects were arrested and later interviewed. After investigation, the female driver was charged with grand theft auto and receiving stolen property. The male passenger was released, pending further investigation.

Mountain Lion Sighting September 20 at 10:20 p.m., police received the report of a mountain lion sighted in a backyard in the 700 block of Oakglade. Officers were able to direct it back into the hills.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of September 9 - September 15, 2010

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 596 service events, resulting in 105 investigations. Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:

Residential Burglary September 10 at 11:23 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residential burglary in the 800 block of Bonita. The suspects entered the apartment through an opening near a window air conditioner. Once inside, the suspects ransacked the apartment and then left through a window. Investigation continuing.

Vandalism September 11 at 1:45 p.m., the window of a white commercial Isuzu truck was broken out near Peck and Altern. A similar incident occurred involving a neighbor's vehicle recently where the damage appeared to be caused by a BB gun. Investigation continuing.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested September 11 at 11:04 p.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Duarte and Myrtle noticed a vehicle pull over to the side of the road. The rear passenger opened the door and began to vomit. The officer stopped to investigate and noticed the passenger had been drinking. During the investigation, the driver was determined to be under the influence, also, and was arrested.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested September 12 at 1:52 a.m., an officer was driving south on Myrtle and noticed a vehicle in front of him almost strike the curb. The officer stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver. During the investigation, the officer determined the driver was under the influence. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Petty Theft - Suspects Arrested September 12 at 1:50 p.m., loss prevention from a business in the 500 block of West Huntington called and reported subjects shoplifting in the store. Officers responded and detained the subjects as they exited through the doors. Loss prevention officers placed two of the subjects under private person's arrest for petty theft. They were taken into custody. One of the suspects was later released on a citation and the other held on an outstanding warrant.

Assault with a Deadly Weapon September 13 at 8:15 a.m., an officer responded to a middle school in the 200 block of East Palm regarding two juveniles involved in a fight. The investigation revealed that the two students had exchanged words on an internet site. The suspect saw a picture of the victim that appeared as though he was displaying a gang sign. The victim denied belonging to a gang, but the suspect sought him out. When the victim left school, the suspect approached the victim and assaulted him. The suspect was located and arrested.

Drunk in Public / Receiving Stolen Property - Suspect Arrested September 13 at 10:29 p.m., an officer responded to a call of an intoxicated subject on lower Myrtle. Officers located the subject and arrested him for drunk in public. The suspect was in possession of a stolen backpack, which was stolen from an elementary school earlier in the day. The suspect also had a no-bail warrant for his arrest.

Noise Disturbance - Suspect Arrested September 14 at 12:24 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of West Walnut complained that the occupants of a residence next to them where having a small, but loud, party and were preventing them from sleeping. Officers responded and quieted the group, warning them to keep the noise level down. The neighbor called back a short time later complaining of loud noise again. The officers returned to discover the group was quite loud again. The neighbor chose to make a private person's arrest of the responsible party and he was cited by the officer for violating the city's noise ordinance.

Vehicle Vs. Pedestrian Traffic Collision September 15 at 7:31 a.m., as a mother and son were walking north across Colorado in the 800 block, the mother was struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound at approximately 25 miles per hour. The driver claimed she did not see the pedestrian because of glare from the sun. The mother was transported to a hospital for treatment. She sustained a two-inch laceration on the back of her head, requiring stitches, and minor bruises and abrasions on both arms and elbows.

Burglary / Warrant - Suspect Arrested September 15 at 11:17 a.m., an officer responded to a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain regarding a shoplifter in custody. The subject entered the store carrying a book bag and proceeded to place two tools in the bag and exit the store without paying. The suspect admitted he entered the store with the book bag with the intention of taking the tools. He was charged with burglary and he also had an outstanding warrant, which was added to his charges.

Suicide September 15 at 4:16 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of El Sur regarding a medical assist. On arrival, they found a male subject sitting in a chair on the porch with a gunshot wound to his head. There was a revolver on the ground between his legs. The investigation revealed the subject had been unemployed for two years and was renting a room at the location. A neighbor reported hearing a large boom on Tuesday evening, which he believed was a vehicle backfiring or gunshot, but he did not call police. The death was determined to be suicide, due to a self inflicted gunshot wound.

Possession of Marijuana September 15 at 10:59 p.m., dispatch received a burglary alarm activation of a business in the 200 block of East Huntington. Officers responded and observed a black Honda Civic with two occupants directly in front of the location. As the officers approached, the vehicle sped away with no lights. The description of the vehicle was broadcast and officers located the car at Myrtle and Duarte. A traffic stop was completed and the female driver was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol. She was arrested for drunk driving and possession of marijuana in a vehicle. There was no evidence of attempt burglary at the business where the call originated; it was determined to be the cleaning crew that set off the alarm.

Felony Vandalism / Felony Evading / Assault with a Deadly Weapon on a Peace Officer - Suspects Arrested September 15 at 11:20 p.m., dispatch received a call of a suspicious vehicle with two male and two female occupants in the area of Myrtle and Montana. Officers arrived in the area, but did not locate the vehicle. At 11:51 p.m., an officer spotted the vehicle and followed it. The officer attempted a traffic stop but the driver failed to yield. A pursuit ensued through the cities of Monrovia, Arcadia, Pasadena and Sierra Madre. The Foothill Air Support helicopter responded and observed the suspect turning off all lights and parking on a small street in Arcadia.

Officers located the vehicle and confronted the driver and passenger. The female driver attempted to back away from the officers and pinned the vehicle against a tree. She attempted to drive the vehicle toward one of the officers and then rammed into one of the police cars. The suspects were taken into custody. Further investigation revealed the suspects had been tagging graffiti at several locations in the city. Investigation continuing.

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Stop Graffiti Bounty Program

One of the methods the Monrovia Police Department is using to combat graffiti in the community of Monrovia is the Stop Graffiti Bounty Program. If a citizen reports an incident of graffiti in the City of Monrovia that leads to the arrest of the suspect, the citizen will receive a $100 bill. Help keep Monrovia looking great!

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Tip of the Week

Computer Phishing

Phishing is a criminal activity in which people send phony emails to people and ask them to click on a link. These emails appear to come from reputable businesses: banks, insurance companies, social networking sites, etc. The emails give the reader a reason to click the link and log in to a personal account. When the person clicks the link, they are taken to a website that seems to be the real thing. However, the site is actually an exact replica run by web savvy criminals.

Once the victim logs on to the website, the criminals will have access to their user name and password. This allows the thieves to go to the actual site, log in as you, and steal any personal information you have stored, such as credit cards or bank account numbers. Phishing is a major problem, and the best way to avoid it is to always go directly to a website before entering your log in information, never clicking on a link in an email.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

New Power Poles Coming

I was one of the lucky ones who was woken up at 8AM Saturday by the guys from Henkels & McCoy to advise we are getting a new power pole.

The new poles are part of the upgraded electrical service work that SCE is doing on the street. Our feeder lines are being upgraded from 4K to 16K volts. The power poles will be increased from 45 feet to 50 feet as part of the upgrade.

H&M is currently digging new post holes for the power poles. The workers I spoke with couldn't give me an exact date to expect the new poles to be installed but opined it could be in the next week or so.

No date was given for the line upgrade but I was advised that power will be out for the duration of the change out of lines.

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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of September 2 - September 8, 2010

During the last seven day period, the Police Department handled 616 service events, resulting in 120 investigations. Following are the last week's highlighted issues and events:

Commercial Burglary / Forgery - Suspect Arrested September 2 at 12:12 p.m., a suspect entered a business in the 700 block of East Huntington in possession of fictitious money orders. The money orders were determined to be counterfeit and the suspect was detained. The suspect admitted that he knew the money orders were not real. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Outside Assist / Arcadia Police Department - Suspect Arrested September 2 at 1:35 p.m., Arcadia Police Department requested assistance for a vehicle that was not yielding at Chestnut and Monterey. A short pursuit ensued that ended in the 100 block of East Central. The suspect collided with another vehicle at Huntington and Ivy in Monrovia, no injuries resulted. Arcadia advised that the suspect was wanted for grand theft auto and evading. After the collision, the suspect exited the vehicle and ran into a nearby house. The occupants all exited, telling officers the suspect was inside. Perimeter containment was set up and numerous attempts to get the suspect to come out did not succeed.

Arcadia Police Department activated their SWAT Team and requested assistance from Pasadena Police Department for more SWAT resources. Residents in the immediate area were relocated to the community center during the incident. Officers on scene advised that a gun had been located in the car the suspect had been driving. Arcadia Police Department deployed their robotic vehicle, and after a short period of time, the suspect surrendered to officers without further incident at approximately 8:00 p.m. He was taken into custody by the Arcadia Police Department.

Strong Arm Robbery - Suspect Arrested September 2 at 3:31 p.m., a female juvenile subject was walking in the 500 block of West Colorado when she was approached by another female juvenile. The female demanded to know who she was and then quickly grabbed the victims iPod from her hands. The suspect then fled west on Colorado. A Sierra Madre police officer who was patrolling in Monrovia due to the above Arcadia incident, observed the female suspect near Ivy and Colorado. She stopped the suspect and detained her. The suspect was positively identified by the victim. The suspect was arrested and charged, then later released to her parents.

Suspicious Person / Warrant - Suspect Arrested September 3 at 10:26 a.m., a female caller reported a suspicious person at a park in the 700 block of East Lemon. The male subject was staring at kids at the park and acting strangely. An officer responded and attempted to contact the subject. The subject was uncooperative, used profanity toward the officer, and walked away. The officer called for assistance, as the subject continued to be uncooperative, and he was detained. The subject was determined to have an outstanding warrant. He was arrested and taken into custody. The suspect has a long history of police contact, mental health issues, and drug use.

Medical Assist September 3 at 12:28 p.m., officers were requested for a possible drowning victim at the high school. They arrived and found a young man who could not swim had jumped into the deep end of the pool. He had been helped out and was sitting on the pool deck coughing when officers arrived. Monrovia Fire Department paramedics arrived and took over the medical assist.

DUI Checkpoint September 3, from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., officers conducted a driving under the influence checkpoint. 1230 vehicles drove through the checkpoint. 42 were diverted into secondary inspection. Out of the 42 vehicles, 19 drivers were found to be unlicensed, 2 had suspended licenses, 7 citations were written for various violations, 3 misdemeanor arrests were made, and 17 vehicles were stored.

Vehicle Burglary September 4 at 7:56 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 1800 block of 6th Avenue regarding a vehicle break-in. The victim reported that he parked his vehicle the night before around midnight in front of the location. The windows were down about one inch. At about 7:40 a.m. the next morning, he returned to his vehicle and found it had been ransacked, the stereo and vehicle battery had been stolen. Investigation continuing.

Battery - Suspect Arrested September 5 at 5:20 p.m., the suspect in this incident was dropping off his child to his ex-girlfriend at a park in the 300 block of South Myrtle. He became involved in an argument with the victim, who is his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend. The suspect hit the victim and a fight ensued. The suspect was detained by several family members until police arrived. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Possession of Marijuana / Possession of Marijuana for Sale - Suspect Arrested September 5 at 11:19 p.m., an officer stopped a motorist for unsafe speed. When he approached the vehicle, he could smell marijuana coming from inside. The driver admitted to having marijuana in the vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in the officer finding marijuana, THC oil, approximately 2000 dollars in cash, and several organizers containing evidence of marijuana sales. The suspect claimed to be unemployed and did not provide a statement. She was arrested, but immediately bonded out of custody. Her money and cell phone were collected for evidence.

Receiving Stolen property - Suspect Arrested September 6 at 1:35 a.m., officers responded to a residential burglary. Prior to the officers' arrival, the victims confronted their neighbor, who they believed was the suspect. The victims recovered a small glass container from the suspect, which had been stolen from one of the victims. The suspect admitted that his friend went into his neighbor's house and took the glass container, and then hid the container in his room. The suspect was arrested and was later released to his parents.

Commercial Burglary - Suspect Arrested September 6 at 1:16 a.m., loss prevention officers from a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain called to report a burglary. Two suspects had attempted to use an empty hose cabinet to conceal merchandise. When one of the suspects went to check out in the garden area, he noticed he was being watched and abandoned the property. When the two suspects were confronted by loss prevention, they fled. One of the suspects was located trying to hide behind some plants. He was positively identified by the loss prevention officers. The other suspect is still outstanding. Investigation continuing.

Vehicle Burglary September 8 at 7:43 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 700 block of East Huntington regarding a suspicious silver vehicle with a broken window and its trunk open. A victim was located and reported his vehicle was broken into, but it did not appear anything had been taken. Investigation continuing.

Burglary - Suspects Arrested September 8 at 5:06 p.m., a loss prevention officer from a business in the 500 block of West Huntington reported two male subjects stealing merchandise. The loss prevention officer provided a license plate for the suspect vehicle and a description of the suspects. A DMV check of the license plate returned to a residence on Mountain Avenue in Duarte. Officers went to the residence and detained two subjects sitting on the porch of the residence that matched the suspect description. The stolen property was also found on the porch. The suspects were arrested and taken into custody.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Highlighted Activity - Week of August 26 - September 1, 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:

Firearms Submitted for Safe Keeping / Possible Court Order Violation August 26 at 12:58 p.m., a female subject called and reported her husband had been kicked out of the garage area where he was living in the 400 block of Alta Vista. She reported that there were several firearms there that he was not supposed to have because of a restraining order against him. Officers responded and the firearms were taken for safekeeping. Further action will be determined once all serial numbers have been checked and the court documents researched. Investigation continuing.

Vehicle Burglary August 26 at 6:06 p.m., a victim reported their vehicle broken into at a parking structure in the 500 block of South Myrtle. The loss was unknown. Investigation continuing.

Weapons Offence - Suspect Arrested August 27 9:32 p.m., an officer responded to a call of a male subject chasing a female in the area of Cherry & Magnolia. The officer located and detained both subjects. The officer questioned both subjects and obtained verbal consent to conduct a pat-down search. On the male subject, he found a loaded large capacity gun magazine and a modified knife blade. The officer obtained a written consent to search the suspect's home in an attempt to locate the gun belonging to the loaded magazine, but the gun was not located. The suspect was arrested for weapons offence. The female subject had not been harmed.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision On August 28 at 1:30 a.m., an employee of a business in the 100 block of E. Lime parked her vehicle in a public parking lot and went to work. When she returned to her vehicle, she discovered someone crashed into it, causing moderate damage to her rear bumper and driver's side rear corner panel. The suspect vehicle fled without making any attempt to notify the owner. Investigation continuing.

Felony Vandalism / Parole Violation / Driving Under the Influence - Suspects Arrested On August 28 at 9:04 a.m., officers responded to the report of a male suspect tagging the wall of a business in the 100 block of East Pomona. The witness saw the male suspect enter a light green Jeep Cherokee being driven by a female subject. The tagging was gang related. Officers responded and conducted a thorough area check, but did not locate the suspects or the suspect vehicle. Several vandalisms have occurred recently throughout the city, where gang related tagging with the same type of graffiti has been spray painted. Officers investigating the incidents had gathered enough witness information to learn the license plate number and description of the suspect vehicle, which matched the description in this incident.

Later that day at 7:21 p.m., an officer on patrol in the area of California and Central spotted the suspect vehicle used in the felony vandalisms. The officer conducted a traffic stop and contacted the female driver and male passenger. The male passenger had green spray paint on his hands which was consistent with the spray paint used in the vandalisms. The female driver was determined to be driving under the influence. The female suspect admitted to several of the vandalisms, but the male suspect chose not to provide any statements. Both suspects were arrested and charged for felony vandalism. The female was also charged for driving under the influence, and the male was found to be on parole, and a parole hold was obtained.

Solo Vehicle Traffic Collision / Power Outage On August 29 at 3:50 a.m., a motorist fell asleep at the wheel and collided into a power pole in the area of Duarte and Pilgrim. His Toyota Tacoma overturned and he received minor injuries. As a result of the collision, the power went out in the southwest area of the city. Edison was contacted, but it took several hours to restore power.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance / Possession of a Controlled Substance - Suspects Arrested On August 29 at 10:24 p.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Palm and Primrose saw two suspicious male subjects walking. The officer made contact with the subjects and observed symptoms of the subjects being under the influence of drugs. A subsequent investigation resulted in finding both suspects were in possession of methamphetamine. Both suspects were arrested.

Commercial Burglary / Conspiracy - Suspects Arrested On August 30 at 11:16 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain. Store security reported three female suspects attempting to steal merchandise. The females were detained exiting the store. One of the females admitted to going to the store to steal merchandise. Surveillance video shows the others suspects selecting items and passing them among themselves. Two of the three females detained had stolen property in their possession. They were charged with burglary and conspiracy.

Driving Under the Influence - Suspect Arrested September 1 at 9:57 a.m., an employee of a park in the 1200 block of Canyon Blvd reported a male and female in a vehicle drinking beer and throwing the cans out of the window. The vehicle was leaving the park area. An officer located and stopped the vehicle westbound on Hillcrest. The officer determined the male driver was driving under the influence and arrested him.

Possible Overdose September 1, Monrovia Fire Department requested an officer regarding a possible overdose at an apartment complex in the 700 block of South Myrtle. The subject takes numerous medications for a number of conditions and has been depressed due to a recent breakup. He was transported to a hospital for mental evaluation and treatment.