Highlighted Activity for the Weekdays of September 16-18, 2013

Grand Theft Auto

September 16 at 3:47 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 200 block of North Mountain.  The vehicle, a 1971 Austin Mini Cooper, was parked in front of the victim’s home.  All keys are accounted for and no one had permission to use or take the vehicle.  The investigation is continuing.

Suspect in San Gabriel Valley Schools, Mall, & Hospital Threats Arrested by Five-Agency Team

On September 17, the collaborative efforts of the Arcadia, Covina, and Monrovia Police Departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department resulted in the identification, location and capture of the suspect who phoned in criminal threats to school campuses and hospitals in the San Gabriel Valley this past week.  See Press Release for more details.

Driving Under the Influence / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Destroying Evidence – Suspect Arrested

September 18 at 1:02 a.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Shamrock and Huntington observed a driver throw a can of beer out the window of his vehicle.  The officer stopped the vehicle and an assisting officer on the passenger side of the vehicle saw the female passenger attempt to hide a methamphetamine pipe in her hand.  When the officer attempted to take the glass pipe, she threw it on the ground and broke it.  Through investigation, the driver was determined to be under the influence and was arrested.  The female passenger was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia, destroying evidence and resisting arrest.

False Personation / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Possession of Stolen Property / Warrants – Suspect Arrested

September 18 at 8:07 a.m., police responded to at hotel in the 900 block of South Fifth Avenue regarding a subject who had checked in using fictitious identification.  The clerk recognized the subject as a patron they had problems with in the past.  A check of the payment method revealed the subject’s reservation had a stop payment on the account and the clerk wanted the subject removed.  Officers noticed the identification presented by the patron appeared altered.  

Officers contacted the subject in his room.  The subject gave the officers a different name then the one on the identification he presented to the clerk.  The officers located drug paraphernalia and stolen mail in the subject’s room.  A computer check of the suspect revealed he also had two outstanding warrants for his arrest; he was arrested and taken into custody.   

During the booking process, the suspect was recognized by a detective as the suspect in two cases he was in the process of filing with the District Attorney’s office for warrants.  All of the charges will be added together and presented to the District Attorney for filing.

Injury Traffic Collision

September 18 at 9:33 a.m., a traffic collision with injuries involved was reported on Huntington Drive at Magnolia.  A driver heading east on Huntington ran a red light at Magnolia.  The vehicle struck a pedestrian and a vehicle traveling north on Magnolia.  Another driver traveling east on Huntington failed to stop for the same red light and drove into the crashed vehicles.  Three people were taken to area hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries.

Tip of the Week

School’s Open - Drive Carefully

The Monrovia Police Department and the Automobile Club of Southern California (AAA) are reminding drivers to be aware when school is open and to “Pay Attention, Slow Down, and Watch for Children.”

The Police Department has placed posters sponsored by AAA in and around our schools in Monrovia to remind motorists to slow down in school zones and watch for children.  According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling at a reduced school zone speed of 25 mph is nearly two-thirds less likely to be killed compared to a pedestrian struck by a vehicle traveling just 10 mph faster.  School zone speed limits are in place to save lives. 

In addition to slowing down, AAA offers the following advice for motorists to keep children safe as they navigate their way through school zones:

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Ditch distractions - Research shows that taking your eyes off the road for just two seconds doubles your chances of crashing.

Stay alert - Don’t rush into and out of driveways. Expect pedestrians on the sidewalk, especially around schools and in neighborhoods.

Stop at stop signs - It sounds obvious, but research shows that more than one third of drivers roll through stop signs in school zones or neighborhoods.

Watch for bikes - Children on bicycles are often unpredictable; expect the unexpected.

Brake for buses - A recent National Association of State Directors of Pupil Transportation Services survey showed that over 75,000 vehicles pass stopped school buses on a typical day, with more than three percent passing on the right. Not only is it dangerous, it’s against the law.

Plan ahead - Leave early for your destination and build in extra time for congestion. If possible, modify your route to avoid school zones.