A Bear on the Street this Morning

The Acs family, who live where the street forks spotted a bear on their security camera this morning at 8AM. It meandered up the street and out of sight before they could get out to see where it was or call MPD/Animal Control.   Remember we're in bear territory, not vice versa so be alert and if you see one get inside and call MPD and Animal control.

On the topic of wild critters. Kathleen still sees the odd coyote on the street when she leaves for the train.  Don't keep food outside for pets as that attracts coyotes and makes this their hunting territory.

Highlighted Activity for October 13-15 2014

Warrant / Receiving Stolen Property / Petty Theft / Theft of Mail – Suspect Arrested
On October 14 at 5:19 p.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Madison and Foothill observed a male subject on a bicycle acting suspicious. The officer watched as the subject was looking into parked vehicles and then looking around to see if he was being watched. The subject was contacted and found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest. A search of the subject’s backpack revealed bank checks and identification with someone else’s name on them. The checks and identification were found to be stolen. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.
Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
On October 14 at 5:48 p.m., a male subject called police to report his wallet was stolen from his unlocked car in the 600 block of West Foothill. The investigation is continuing.

Tip of the Week

Bears in Your Backyard! Bear Safety Event 

A community informational meeting on bear safety will be held on October 23, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. in the Monrovia Library Community Room at 321 S. Myrtle Avenue. This Informational meeting is sponsored by Assemblyman Chris Holden, and representatives from the Monrovia Police Department, the Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Athens Services will be there to present information and answer any questions or concerns on living with wildlife in Monrovia.

Highlighted Activity for the Weekend of September 4-7, 2014

Commercial Burglary – Suspect Arrested
On September 4 at 4:41 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington regarding a male suspect running out of a store with a stolen pair of shoes. An officer saw the suspect running and entering a yard in the 500 block of West Maple.
The officer gained a vantage point from a two story building near the location and was able to see the suspect hiding on a roof top. The Pasadena Air Support helicopter also spotted the suspect and directed officers to him. The suspect was taken into custody without further incident and the stolen property was recovered.
Mountain Lion Sighting
On September 4 at 8:17 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of Norumbega called police to report seeing two small mountain lions, approximately 5 to 6 months old. The mountain lions went into some bushes and out of sight. An officer responded and checked the area, but was not able to locate the animals.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
On September 5 at 2:28 a.m., an officer stopped a motorist near Fifth and Foothill for a traffic violation. The female driver was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol; she was arrested and taken into custody.
Residential Burglary / Grand Theft Auto
On September 6 at 9:44 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 400 block of West Walnut on the report of a residential burglary. The victim left her home at 7:30 a.m. and returned at approximately 9:30 p.m. to discover her vehicle was stolen from  The garage and her home had been ransacked. The victim reported cash and a video game station were stolen from inside the home. The suspect gained entry by smashing a rear window of the residence. The investigation is continuing.
Public Intoxication / Open Container / Violation of City Ordinance – Suspect Arrested
On September 7 at 11:55 p.m., an officer was on patrol in the 300 block of South Myrtle when he observed a female subject sleeping in the park after 10:00 p.m. when the park is closed. There was a sprinkler spraying her with water, but she was still asleep. The officer approached the female to see if she was alright. It took several attempts of nudging to wake her. There was an open and half empty bottle of alcohol in a backpack next to her. The female was determined to be drunk in public and was arrested for the violation, as well as for being in the park after closing and having alcohol in the park.

Highlighted Activity for the Weekdays of January 20-22, 2014

Commercial Burglary – Suspect Arrested

January 20 at 2:04 p.m., loss prevention personnel from a business in the 500 block of West Huntington called police to advise they had a male suspect in custody for theft.  Officers arrived and discovered the subject had no identification and would not provide his name.  He was arrested for the theft and for establishing his identity.  At the police department he provided a name and was eventually identified and found to be on parole.

Petty Theft / Warrant – Suspect Arrested

January 20 at 8:13 p.m., loss prevention from a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain called police to report a subject had taken merchandise and left the store without paying for it.  The same subject was seen in the parking lot looking into vehicles.  Officers responded and detained the subject.  The male subject attempted to discard an item as the officers were detaining him.  The object was found to be a Garmin GPS device. 

As the officers were detaining the suspect, a customer of the business approached the officers and said someone had entered his unlocked vehicle and took his Garmin GPS.  The victim saw the Garmin device the suspect had discarded and said it belonged to him.  The suspect admitted he had stolen the GPS and it was returned to the victim.  The suspect was also found to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest.  He was arrested and taken into custody.

Elder Abuse / Criminal Threats / Barricaded Suspect – Suspect Arrested

On January 21 at 1:13 a.m., a 71-year-old female called police for help because her mentally ill, 51-year-old son had physically abused her the day before, causing injuries, and he was currently yelling, incoherently, and banging on the walls of their home.  She was afraid he was going to hurt her or himself.  When officers arrived, the male subject barricaded himself inside his bedroom, blocking the door.  Officers could see him through his bedroom window, pacing back and forth, holding a large ice pick, and he had a knife holstered to his belt.  The subject yelled at officers and told them to enter the bedroom so he could kill them with the ice pick.  He also said he had a gun in the bedroom and was going to shoot the officers.  The subject has a prior history of physical violence, physical violence toward officers, and weapons violations, so the regional Foothills Special Enforcement Team was requested to assist in apprehending him.

The Foothill Special Enforcement Team responded to the location.  The suspect tried to exit a bedroom window to accost officers outside and was quickly taken into custody by Special Enforcement Team officers.  No one was injured in the incident and the suspect was arrested.

Vehicle Burglary

January 21 at 6:50 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 700 block of East Huntington Drive.  The victim parked and went into a business at the location.  When she returned to her vehicle, she found the passenger window shattered and her purse and cell phone were missing.  The items were visible from outside of the locked vehicle.  The investigation is continuing.

Theft of Batteries From Cable Relay Boxes

January 21, in the afternoon, two cable service providers called police to report their cable relay boxes had been broken into and the batteries had been taken.  The thefts occurred in the 300 block of East Walnut and the 100 block of E. Greystone.  The investigation is continuing.  The Monrovia Police Department is seeking the publics help and requesting that anyone who sees any suspicious persons or activity near this type of cable relay box in your neighborhoods please call police and report it right away.

Resisting and Delaying a Peace Officer / Warrants – Suspects Arrested

January 21 at 4:50 p.m., police received a call reporting a subject with an outstanding warrant for his arrest was in the area of Fifth and Huntington.  The caller provided a vehicle description and the location of the suspect.  Officers responded and located the vehicle.  The suspect was seen at a nearby business and fled on foot when he saw the officers.  An officer went in foot pursuit of the suspect, who fled across Huntington drive through four lanes of traffic.  As officers attempted to detain him, the suspect resisted, but was eventually taken into custody without further incident.  The suspect’s girlfriend was located in the same parking lot and was also found to have an outstanding no-bail warrant for her arrest.  Both suspects were arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism / Graffiti in Progress – Suspect Arrested & Graffiti Bounty Rewarded On January 22 at 2:48 a.m., a caller reported a female subject spray painting something on a wall.  Police responded and located the suspect and the spray paint can.  The suspect had sprayed graffiti on the wall.  The suspect was positively identified.  She was arrested and taken into custody.  The caller was given the $100 Graffiti Bounty cash reward for reporting the graffiti, which led to the arrest of the suspect.

Tip of the Week

Living With Wildlife in Monrovia

The foothills above Monrovia are occupied by wildlife:  bears, coyotes, deer, mountain lions, and bobcats.  Sometimes these wild animals venture out of the foothills and into residential neighborhoods.  Most of the time, the wildlife comes and goes without notice.  Occasionally, wildlife ventures down into the city and becomes a potential danger to humans.  Police will respond when called to a wildlife sighting, and in most incidents, the primary goal is to allow the animal to leave the area and return back to the foothills.  In most incidents, the officer’s presence, use of vehicles, horns, beanbag rounds, is sufficient to encourage the animal to leave the area.  To discourage wildlife from coming down into Monrovia neighborhoods, residents need to keep food, trash and water sources out of reach of wildlife.   

The Department of Fish and Game offers tips on dealing with wildlife.  They also offer good information on how to respond when faced with an actual encounter with wildlife.  Click on the links to the brochures provided by the Department of Fish and Game that deal specifically with mountain lions, black bears, and other wildlife.  More and more, people and wildlife are occupying the same geographical areas; learn how to live responsibly with the wildlife around your neighborhood.  

Highlighted Activity for the Weekend of April 18-21, 2013

Possession of a Counterfeited Seal / Burglary – Suspect Arrested

On April 18 at 10:53 a.m., officers responded to a bank in the 200 block of South Myrtle regarding a fraud report.  A male Asian suspect had obtained a fraudulent Chinese passport in another person’s name.  He then accessed that person's checking account, deposited a fraudulent check into the account and withdrew $500 cash from the ATM.  After withdrawing the money, he entered the bank and attempted to withdraw more cash from this account that did not belong to him. 

The bank recognized the man as a wanted suspect from other incidents that have occurred all over Southern California, the last one in Sierra Madre.  They immediately called police, who responded and apprehended the suspect.  The account holder did not know the suspect.  Both the bank and the account holder desired prosecution.  The Chinese Consulate was notified, as well.  The suspect was arrested for possession of a counterfeited seal and burglary.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Possession of Burglary Tools / Warrants – Suspects Arrested

April 18 at 2:11 p.m., officers were in the area of Monrovia Canyon when they observed two suspicious male subjects driving a white Lexus.  They followed the vehicle and it was stopped in the 800 block of West Foothill.  Through investigation, the driver was determined to be in possession of two methamphetamine pipes and burglary tools.  The passenger had two outstanding warrants for his arrest; both warrants are for possession of stolen property.  The bail amount on one of the warrants was $100,000 and the other was a no-bail warrant.  Both subjects were arrested and taken into custody. 

Cell Phone Violation / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested

On April 18 at 7:30 p.m., an officer stopped a distracted driver who was taking on her cell phone while driving in the 100 block of Stedman Place.  His investigation revealed the driver was lost and looking for a friend’s house.  The driver was also determined to be driving under the influence and was arrested.

Grand Theft Auto

On April 19 at 6:43 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of Royal Oaks went outside his house and discovered his vehicle had been stolen.  The vehicle is a white, 1999, Ford E-150 Van.  He last saw his vehicle at 8:30 p.m. the night before.  The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision – Vehicle vs. Pedestrian

On April 19 at 12:53 p.m., a female subject ran out into traffic in the 400 block of South Fifth Avenue, chasing after her dog that was off leash.  The dog was struck by a vehicle traveling 25-30 miles per hour and the female was sideswiped, causing visible injuries to her right leg.  The female subject was taken to a hospital and her dog to an animal hospital.  The female sustained abrasions only, but unfortunately, her dog did not survive its injuries.

Mental Evaluation

On April 19 at 8:15 p.m., a subject was taken to a hospital for medical issues and a 72-hour hold for mental evaluation.  The subject managed to escape from the hospital and a local search conducted by Arcadia Police Department met with no results.  After being notified by the hospital that the person had escaped, investigation revealed the suspect had an ex-girlfriend that lived at a residence in the 300 block of West Palm in Monrovia.  Officers went to the location and located the subject there.  He had kicked the door to the residence open to enter it.  He was taken back into custody and taken back to a hospital for treatment.

Bear Incident

On April 21 at 7:04 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 300 block of North Mayflower regarding a bear problem.  The homeowner went outside and left the rear sliding door open.  Two bears went into the house through the open screen door and wandered around the interior of the home.  When the homeowner went back into the house, she encountered an adult female bear and her cub.  The bears exited the residence, breaking out through a glass front window.  They headed north, back up into the hills.

Coyotes on the street 10/5/11

Coyotes in a pack of 3 were scavenging and hunting on the street the evening of 10/5/11 between 10:30 and 11:30PM.  MPD was called when they started making noises and it sounded as if something was being killed.

I was just coming home from a concert downtown when I spotted them on my driveway.

In talking with the responding MPD officer it was learned that coyotes are a problem here.  There are a few common sense things to do to prevent them from coming on the street.  First and foremost is to not leave pet food out at night.  Secondly don't allow small animals out at night unless you are with them as that is a potential food source, especially when they are travelling in a pack.

When you do spot a coyote stay safe and call MPD.  Call their Animal Control during the day at (626) 256-8000.  Or call them at night via their Cell Watch line  626-357-2355.

MPD issues Coyote Warning in Robo-dial

For those of you who don't have a local number on a land line you missed out on an important "robo-dial" recorded message from Monrovia PD this afternoon, Saturday 1/31 around noon.

The gist, and pardon the paraphrase;

" Good afternoon, this is a Public Safety Announcement from the Monrovia Police Department.  Monrovia Animal Control has identified 2 coyotes that have lost their natural fear of humans.  They are found around the Grand Avenue Park and wander several blocks in all directions.

Monrovia Police Department asks that you watch your surroundings at all time.  MPD asks that you watch your small children and animals at all times when they are outdoors.

Monrovia Police Department and the California Department of Fish and Game are working together for a resolution.

If you have any additional questions or concerns please contact the Monrovia Police Department at: 626-256-8000"

Julie and I talked about this very issue earlier this week after Joey and I had spotted a coyote on the street around 8PM.  She had learned from Laurie Cohen she had seen a coyote also on that Saturday.  Things like not leaving food out for pets, bringing the small pets indoors at night, and in particular keeping close eye on the kids when they are out is needed.

As always, share what you know with us.  We'll do the same.  Be safe all!

Coyote on the street Friday evening 1/23

Shortly after 8PM I was coming back from the Y with Joey.  We spotted an animal, looked like a dog walking from Roberto's through Julies yard into the street.  At first we were worried it might be someones dog on the loose.  Imagine our surprise when it crossed our headlights and we saw it was a coyote.

We stopped and backed up to keep an eye on it as it went across the Chan's yard between their house and the pink house.  When it hit the dead end it took of running, first to the Cohen's yard and back up towards the Birkholz.  We followed it a bit but it was running hard as it went around the street across yards.  We lost sight of it after the Valentines yard.  Given the speed it was running I suspect it kept going for a while longer.  Had it gone into someones back yard we would have alerted the neighbor and animal control.

Its just a reminder the wild animal problem we have been experiencing around town the last several months.  Coyotes are looking for food.  The will eat whatever food you leave out for your pets, or worse your pet if they are small enough.  Best way to keep them from hanging around don't put food out.  Keep an eye on your small pets  when they are out.