Monrovia Police: Kidnapping for Reconciliation Unsuccessful; Robbery; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for May 1-4. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Stolen Vehicle
On May 1 at 12:28 a.m., an employee from a business in the 300 block of West Maple parked his car on the street, leaving the doors unlocked and the key in the ignition. When he returned to the vehicle, it was gone. The car is a silver, 2014 Prius with paper plates. The investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
On May 2 at 8:41 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 100 block of East Lemon regarding a burglary. Unknown suspect(s) broke out the glass front door, went directly to the pharmacy and took Codeine, then fled back out the front door. The investigation is continuing.

Stolen Vehicle Recovered – Suspect Arrested
On May 2 at 9:22 a.m., dispatch received information about a vehicle in the 100 block of West Lemon. A computer check revealed the vehicle was stolen out of Monrovia. An officer completed a grand theft auto report and broadcast the vehicle information. An officer on patrol was actively looking for the stolen vehicle and saw three subjects, one of them was hiding behind a vehicle in a parking lot in the 100 block of West Lime Avenue. The officer observed a set of keys, a gas card, and a gift card on the ground where the subject was hiding. The keys were to the stolen vehicle. The suspect admitted to taking the vehicle and to the theft of the cards. The suspect was arrested.

Kidnapping – Suspect Arrested
On May 2 at 7:26 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Chestnut and Monterey on the report of a kidnapping that just occurred. Several witnesses called dispatch to report an adult male suspect forced an adult female into his vehicle. A description of the suspect and his vehicle was provided. Officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the suspect or victim. Approximately two hours later, the victim called police to report the incident. The victim said her ex-boyfriend forced her into his vehicle and brought her to his residence in an effort to reestablish their relationship. The victim was able to negotiate her release and left unharmed. She went home and called the police. Officers went to the suspect's residence in the 400 block of South Alta Vista and arrested him. The suspect claimed the victim entered his vehicle under her own volition. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglary
On May 2 at 8:13 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 900 block of West Huntington. The victim parked her vehicle in a business parking lot and locked and secured her vehicle, but left her purse on the floorboard. When she returned to the vehicle, she found the right front passenger window was smashed and her Coach handbag was stolen. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
On May 2 at 10:27 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 100 block of North Magnolia. The reporting party is a neighbor who was house sitting for the victims, who were out of town. The suspect(s) forced entry to the home through the front door. The house was ransacked, but the loss cannot be determined until the victims return home. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
On May 2 at 10:57 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 400 block of Concord on the report of a residential burglary. The suspect(s) forced entry to the victim's home through the front door. The house was ransacked and property was stolen. The victim will conduct an inventory of her missing property. The investigation is continuing.

Suspicious Subject / Theft From a Vehicle / Recovered Stolen Property – Suspect Arrested
On May 3 at 10:25 a.m., dispatch received a call reporting a suspicious person using a hose at a residence in the 500 block of West Colorado. An officer contacted the subject, who claimed he knew the resident who lived in the back of the location. Due to the subject’s suspicious actions, officers searched the subject and found a credit card in a woman's name. The subject claimed the credit card belonged to a female friend and he was holding on to it until he could return it to her. Attempts to locate the female were unsuccessful. The credit card was held as property under observation and the subject was released. Later in the shift, the officer was able to contact the owner of the credit card. She discovered her purse, which contained her credit card, had been taken from her unlocked vehicle. Officers were able to relocate the suspect and arrested him for possession of the stolen credit card. The suspect told the officer the location of the purse and the purse was recovered.

Robbery
On May 3 at 5:25 p.m., officers were dispatched to a business in the 100 block of West Foothill regarding a robbery. A male Hispanic suspect in his mid-twenties who had concealed merchandise on his person was confronted outside the store by loss prevention. The suspect threatened the loss prevention officer with a knife and ran. Officers arrived and conducted and area search, but the suspect was not located. The suspect was identified and the investigation continued. On May 5 at 1:00 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 300 block of South Myrtle recognized the robbery suspect. The suspect saw the officer and ducked down in an attempt to hide behind another subject. He then ran in the front entrance of the library. Containment was set up and officers entered the library to conduct a search for the suspect. The suspect attempted to run from officers, but was quickly taken into custody and arrested.

Vehicle Burglary – Suspects Arrested
On May 3 at 10:34 p.m., a resident in the 800 block of West Walnut called police to report two suspects he contacted inside his vehicle, which was parked in the street. The victim confronted the suspects, who returned his property and fled. The suspects were detained by officers in the 900 block of South Fifth. They were identified by the victim and arrested.

Monrovia Assembly Member's Anti-Dumping and Vandalism Bill Approved

An anti-dumping and vandalism bill by Assembly Member Chris Holden, who represents Monrovia, has been approved by the Assembly. AB 1767 would increase the maximum fine for dumping, vandalism or destroying property on Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy properties to $1,500 and increase the fine for infractions to not more than $750.

Source: Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Sweater Trees

I don't believe I've ever seen sweaters for trees before, but now I have. They're at 244 N. May.

-B rad Haugaard

Mountain Avenue at Duarte Road About to be Closed for Construction

Detour routes.

Mountain Avenue at Duarte Road are about to be closed for rail line construction.

Details:

- May 9 at 9 p.m. to May 11, 2014 at 5 p.m.: The intersection of Mountain Avenue and Duarte Road will be fully closed to through-traffic in all directions and motorists will be detoured around the closure. At 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 11, Duarte will re-open to one lane in each direction. Mountain will remain closed from the center of Duarte north through the railroad crossing for approximately five months.

- Phase 1, May 12 through October 2014: Mountain will be closed to through-traffic from the center of Duarte north through the railroad crossing. Duarte will remain open, one lane in each direction for eastbound / westbound through-traffic.

- Phase 2, October through Early 2015: Mountain will be closed to through-traffic from the center of Duarte south through the intersection. Duarte will remain open, one lane in each direction for eastbound / westbound through-traffic.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus Auto Team Participates in High-Mileage Contest

Citrus Automotive and Physics Eco-marathon (CAPE) Owls participated in the 2014 Shell Eco-marathon Challenge, to see which student-built vehicle could travel the farthest distance using the least amount of energy. Citrus College serves Monrovia. The Owls ranked 27th out of 41 in its category. Its Citrus EV8 reached a high of 186.13 miles per gallon. The team, composed of seven students, was one of 126 student teams from across North, Central and South America to compete at the eighth annual global competition, which took place April 24-27 at the Discovery Green Park in Houston.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia to Shopping Convention; Girl Scouts 'Realign'; Fundraisers

~ Monrovia will attend a major shopping center convention, ICSC, in Las Vegas in an effort to attract more businesses to the city, according to City Council member Becky Shevlin.

~ According to a Girl Scouts representative speaking at the Monrovia Coordinating Council, the Girl Scouts is "realigning on volunteers." She said the economy is difficult and it is hard to pay staff. 

~ Monrovia's Foothill Unity Center, helping low-income families, will get 10 percent of all proceeds at Paco's Mexican Restaurant (on Foothill just over the border in Arcadia) on May 27, 3-9 p.m. 

~ Monrovia's Centre Stage will hold a block party in Library Park on May 17, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pancakes, live entertainment, etc. 

~ If you put food out by your mailbox this Saturday the postal delivery person will pick it up and it will be given to Foothill Unity Center. 

- Brad Haugaard

Baseball: Monrovia Loses to San Marino :-(

Monrovia High loses to San Marino in boy's baseball, 5-3. http://goo.gl/PStp4w

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Golf - Third Place in League

Monrovia High golf beat Temple City in the season finale to finish the season with a record of 5 and 5, good enough to tie for third in the Rio Hondo League. http://goo.gl/QIVT9M

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Senior VP Leaving, Releasing 'Certain Claims' | Peter Pan | Gold Line Yard

~ AeroVironment is losing Senior VP and Chief Operating Officer, Thomas Herring, who is getting $215,000 and some other benefits, and he has "agreed to customary provisions relating to non-disparagement, cooperation and the release of certain claims."

~ The play, Peter Pan, at Monrovia High tonight and tomorrow at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 5 p.m. Tickets available at the door. .

~ Walls are going up at the Gold Line maintenance yard in Monrovia. Photo: http://goo.gl/wsXyf9

- Brad Haugaard

Missing Kitty; Monrovia Fire Chief on NBC News; Evensong at St. Luke's

~ This kitty missing since April 15, from Jasmine and Lime. Eight months old, small, solid grey. One gold and one green eye. Looks crosseyed. Has a chip. Any info, email emmaghumphrey@gmail.com or call or text: (323) 804.0646.

~ Monrovia Fire Chief Chris Donovan will be featured on NBC Nightly News this Sunday as part of an Ann Curry special filmed in Monrovia in late February during the rain and mud flow, according to Public Information Officer Alexis Backofsy. She said the program should run Sunday at 5:30 p.m., unless some breaking news delays it.

~ The choir of St. Luke's Episcopal Church - 22 S. California Avenue at Foothill Boulevard - along with guest singers, will present for Evensong a free public performance of Henry Purcell's "Declare His Honour" on Sunday, May 18, at 4 p.m. An offering will be taken, and a wine and cheese reception will follow.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Council: Plastic Bag Ban; Federal Control of Hillsides; Etc.

At its May 6, 7:30 p.m. meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/01ZFSa ), the Monrovia City Council will ...

~ Consider banning plastic grocery bags. "No store shall provide any customer a plastic carryout bag." And, "This prohibition applies to bags provided for the purpose of carrying away goods from the point of sale and does not apply to produce bags or product bags" ( http://goo.gl/EnrRdu ). Comment: I believe this is a needless butting in to the lives of Monrovians. I think the notion that plastic bags are a bigger problem than other forms of waste is not seriously defensible.

~ Discuss proposed Legislation by Congresswoman Judy Chu designating various areas within the San Gabriel Valley as a National Recreation Area. The Monrovia staff report indicates that the proposed NRA boundaries seem to indicate that it would incorporate all of the Hillside Wilderness Preserve, Monrovia Canyon Park, likely some residential homes, Monrovia water and utility infrastructure, Monrovia fire access roads, and Monrovia Fire Station 103 ( http://goo.gl/hRfPiB ). Comment: Why, oh why, would we ever want to give the federal government control over city land - or even nearby non-city land?

~ Consider leasing up to 25 vehicles to replace current vehicles within the Public Works fleet. http://goo.gl/WpWsoF

~ Also, at 4:30 p.m. there will be a study session on the Draft Community Wildfire Protection Plan and Station Square Transit Village Public Improvements. http://goo.gl/uerfHJ

~ And at 6:30 p.m. there will be a closed session for labor negotiations and new city manager discussion. http://goo.gl/0pvi9a

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Monrovia Pizza Company

Lunch at Monrovia Pizza Company, at the corner of Mayflower and Duarte. Got two pepperoni slices and a drink for $5. Good deal and tasty. 

- Bead Haugaard

Coming Up: Monrovia Firefighter's Breakfast; Mother's Day Home Tour (Including Aztec)

~ Monrovia Firefighters Association Annual Pancake Breakfast, Saturday, May 10, 7-11 a.m. Kids under 3 eat free. Fire station 101, 141 E. Lemon. Proceeds to charity. http://goo.gl/KEAVR6

~ Monrovia Historical Preservation Group 32nd Annual Mother's Day Home Tour, including the Aztec Hotel, Sunday, May 11 (Monrovia Chamber of Commerce office is selling tickets). http://goo.gl/2lK55u

- Brad Haugaard

Swap Produce at Monrovia's Library Park

Swap produce this Saturday, May 3, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. in Library Park (at the corner of Lime and Myrtle). Pictures from previous Produce in the Park gatherings: http://goo.gl/40iLvy

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Attempted Boyfriend Strangling; Drugs; Alcohol; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 28-30. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 433 service events, resulting in 83 investigations. 

Theft From an Unlocked Vehicle
On April 28 at 8:40 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 200 block of East Greystone. The victim parked her vehicle in her driveway at approximately 10:00 a.m. She left her vehicle unlocked. When she returned to her vehicle at 10:30 p.m., she found her right passenger door ajar, and her jacket and a notebook were missing from the vehicle. The investigation is continuing. 

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
On April 28 at 1:13 p.m., an officer responded to a business in the 400 block of West Chestnut regarding a disturbing subject who would not leave. The subject was located and was determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance. He also had an outstanding warrant. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
On April 28 at 1:49 p.m., an officer on patrol observed a homeless person in the area of Lemon and Primrose. The subject was perspiring heavily, walking fast, and kept looking back at the officer. The officer contacted the subject and determined he was under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested. 

Criminal Threats / Battery – Suspect Arrested
On April 29 at 3:53 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of West Duarte regarding the reporting party’s grandson, who was causing a disturbance. The officer determined the subject had made criminal threats and pushed his friend. The disturbing subject was arrested and taken into custody. 

Commercial Burglary – Suspect Arrested
On April 29 at 8:45 p.m., a commercial burglary was reported at a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain. The female suspect entered the location pushing a stroller with an infant inside. She selected merchandise and placed it on top of the stroller. She put her sweater over the top of the stroller, concealing the merchandise. She then walked out of the store without paying for the merchandise and was detained by store loss prevention. The suspect was arrested for burglary and taken into custody. 

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
April 29 at 10:38 p.m., a disturbing subject was reported at a business in the 1100 block of East Huntington. An officer arrived and learned an argument had taken place between several subjects. Most of the subjects left before the officer arrived, but one of them was located in the parking lot. Upon contacting the subject, the officer determined he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He arrested the subject for public intoxication. The subject was later released on a citation after sobering. 

Commercial Burglary – Suspect Arrested
April 30 at 6:23 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington on the report of a shoplifter in custody. The female suspect entered the store and selected merchandise, which she placed in her cart. She then went into the fitting rooms. While in the fitting rooms, she concealed some of the merchandise in her purse. She was detained by loss prevention after exiting the store without paying for the merchandise in her purse. The suspect was arrested for burglary and taken into custody. 

Public Intoxication / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
May 1 at 1:49 a.m., an officer was patrolling the area of Myrtle and Lemon when he observed a group of suspicious subjects loitering. The officer contacted the subjects and determined one of them was extremely intoxicated. He was uncooperative and verbally abusive toward officers. He was arrested for public intoxication and taken into custody. 

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
May 1 at 4:47 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 1400 block of South Magnolia on a domestic violence investigation. The officer’s investigation revealed the female subject involved in the incident was the aggressor. She attempted to strangle her live-in boyfriend, and the victim sustained fingernail scratches on his neck. He declined medical treatment. The officer arrested the female suspect for domestic violence. 

Credit Card Fraud Case Solved – Suspect Arrested

On June 12, 2013, a male subject entered a business in the 1600 block of South Mountain and attempted to use three forged credit cards with the stolen account information of three victims embedded in the cards. Loss prevention had been given a tip that the suspect would be coming in to commit the crimes and a loss prevention officer was able to observe and photograph the suspect in the act of committing the crime. He was also able to photograph the suspect’s vehicle and license plate.

Patrol personnel took the report of the incident and began an initial investigation. Initially, the victim’s could not be identified; however, with determination, a detective eventually located all of the victims and obtained what was needed to proceed against the suspect.

Working with another law enforcement agency, the suspect was identified and apprehended. The handling detective took the case to the District Attorney’s office for review, and the charges of burglary and attempted theft by means of fraudulent use of credit cards was obtained. This is a good example of collaborative effort and persistence by the investigators involved.

Monrovia Man Shot at in Whittier

Masked man takes shot at Monrovian sitting on a swing in Whittier. http://goo.gl/TUkKlp

- Brad Haugaard

Windy Day in Monrovia?

Possible "strong and damaging" Santa Ana winds will affect the San Gabriel Valley through early afternoon today, according to the National Weather Service. http://goo.gl/RG1fGh

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Canyon Park, Preserve Closed Because of Fire Danger

Monrovia's Canyon Park and the Hillside Wilderness Preserve will be closed through Thursday, May 1 because of high fire danger. Details: http://goo.gl/sD9Btv

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Bella Sera Restaurant Re-Opening

Monrovia's Bella Sera Trattoria, at 422 S Myrtle, is reopening on May 8 with a grand opening from 5-7 p.m. The restaurant, under new ownership, will serve "authentic Italian cuisine with only the freshest ingredients" and "new, bold flavors and signature dishes."

Guests at the grand opening will be treated to complimentary appetizers and drinks to provide a taste of the options Bella Sera has to offer. The restaurant will also be selling $5 raffle tickets at the event and accepting donations to benefit AbilityFirst ( http://www.abilityfirst.org ), an organization serving people with autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, and other developmental and physical disabilities. It will also donate 10% of the proceeds the restaurant has for the opening day to AbilityFirst.

Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Education Bill by Monrovia's Assemblyman Approved by Committee

A bill by Assembly Member Chris Holden to expand pathways for high school students who want to pursue college courses or career tech classes was approved today in Assembly Education Committee on a vote of 4 to 0. AB 1451 Concurrent Enrollment would expand and encourage opportunities for high school students who are capable of advanced scholastic or vocational work to enroll in community college courses. It would also encourage students who need help passing the California High School Exit Exam and students who traditionally do not attend college but would like to see if it's the right path for them.

Source: Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard