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Metallic Balloons Caused Monrovia Power Outage - Hopefully Fixed by 3:30 P.M.

Southern California Edison is now reporting that the power outage in north Monrovia caused by metallic balloons should be fixed by about 3:30 p.m. today. It is affecting about 460 customers.

- Brad Haugaard

Power Outage in North Monrovia

Southern California Edison reports that there are power outages in parts of north Monrovia affecting about a thousand customers. It is still analyzing the problem. One resident reported a loud explosion, as if a transformer blew out. https://goo.gl/MUxo2e

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Armed Robbery; Racing Cars on Huntington; Car Hits Pedestrian; ID Theft; Domestic Violence x 3

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for March 24-27. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Grand Theft Auto Recovered / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspects Arrested
March 24 at 1:06 p.m., an officer observed a vehicle that appeared suspicious. It was driving slowly in the 200 block of W. Colorado and making unusual turns. The driver eventually stopped abruptly and motioned to the officer to pass. The officer pulled in behind the vehicle and ran a license plate check, which revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen out of West Covina and had been used in a carjacking. There were three occupants in the vehicle; a male and female were taken into custody and a third female subject fled, but was not located. Drug paraphernalia was found on the male driver of the vehicle. The two suspects were arrested. The male suspect was later released to the West Covina Police Department on the grand theft auto charges.

Domestic Violence
March 25 at 2:41 p.m., police responded to the 100 block of N. Fifth regarding a domestic violence incident. A male and female that have been living together for 11 years were involved in an argument. During the argument, the male subject punched the female subject in the head and then pushed and shoved her, causing visible injuries. The male subject fled the area prior to police arrival. An Emergency Protective Order was obtained. The investigation is continuing.

Traffic Offense / Speed Contest – Suspect Arrested
March 25 at 6:23 p.m., an officer observed two vehicles that were racing each other on Huntington Drive. The officer was able to stop one of the vehicles. He contacted the driver, who admitted to racing the other vehicle. A police helicopter searched for the second vehicle, but it was not located. The suspect that was detained was arrested and later released on a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Injury Traffic Collision – Vehicle Versus Pedestrian
March 25 at 9:16 p.m., officers were dispatched to Mayflower and Evergreen regarding a pedestrian who was struck by a vehicle. Investigation revealed the pedestrian was walking south on Mayflower in a marked crosswalk at Evergreen. A vehicle was traveling south on Mayflower and made a left turn onto Evergreen. The driver did not see the pedestrian in the crosswalk and struck him. The victim landed on the hood of the vehicle, rolled off and struck his head on the pavement. He was taken to a hospital with serious head trauma. The victim was later listed in stable condition and is expected to survive his injuries.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
March 26 at 2:14 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle commit a vehicle code violation traveling north on Peck at Live Oak. The officer conducted a traffic stop and contacted the driver. After further investigation, the officer determined the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol. The suspect was arrested, held for a sobering period and later released with a citation to appear in court.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
March 26 at 2:18 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and conducted a traffic stop on Mountain at Central. Investigation revealed the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol. The suspect was arrested, held for a sobering period and later released with a citation to appear in court.

Traffic Collision / Felony Driving Under Influence – Suspect Arrested
March 26 at 2:58 a.m., officers were dispatched to the intersection of Huntington and Ivy regarding a solo vehicle traffic collision. The investigation revealed the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol, lost control of his vehicle and struck the curb in the intersection. A passenger in the suspect's vehicle was injured during the collision and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The suspect was arrested for felony DUI and held pending his court appearance.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
March 26 at 10:37 a.m., an officer responded to the 200 block of W. Cherry regarding a domestic dispute. When officers arrived, the female victim told them she was involved in an argument with her boyfriend. She reported that he choked her, hit her and threw keys at her, causing visible injuries. The suspect was still at the location and was uncooperative. The suspect was arrested for domestic violence and taken into custody.

Identity Theft – Suspect Arrested
March 26 at 7:40 p.m., officers were on patrol in the area of Primrose and Pomona when they heard a woman screaming. The officers located a male and female involved in a verbal altercation. A consent search of their vehicle resulted in the discovery of a notebook that belonged to the male suspect. The notebook was found to contain personal, identifying information from multiple victims. The suspect was arrested for identity theft and held until his court appearance.

Robbery / Canyon and Colorado
March 26 at 10:48 p.m., a victim called police and reported he was robbed at gunpoint by four male subjects at Canyon and Colorado. The victim stated the suspects were all wearing blue bandanas and all had semi-automatic handguns. The suspects ransacked the victims vehicle and stole his wallet and skateboard. The suspects fled south on foot, but were not located after an extensive search. Later, the victim called and stated he found his wallet in a nearby alley. During the robbery, the suspects made statements about belonging to a local street gang. The investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence
March 27 at 10:39 a.m., a female and male who are boyfriend and girlfriend were in an argument in the 400 block of Duarte Road. The boyfriend began hitting and kicking the girlfriend. She sustained numerous visible injuries, but did not want paramedics to treat her. She also refused a Protection Order. The boyfriend fled the location prior to police arriving. A wanted person entry was issued in the law enforcement system for the suspect. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
March 28 at 1:04 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 400 block of Duarte Road for an alarm call at a business. The officer arrived and found a large window had been smashed with an unknown object. The business owner checked the location and found that nothing had been taken. The investigation is continuing.

Suspicious Package Briefly Halts Train Service to Monrovia

Trains temporarily bypass Monrovia after suspicious package discovered. Rice cooker? http://goo.gl/87Liuq

- Brad Haugaard

Man Robbed at Gunpoint | Trader Joe's Recalls Chocolates

~ Man robbed at gunpoint of wallet and skateboard in Monrovia Saturday night. http://goo.gl/sMyRhp

~ Monrovia-based Trader Joe's has recalled its Chocolate Orange Sticks and Chocolate Raspberry Sticks because they may contain milk, which is not listed as an ingredient. http://goo.gl/FISZ24

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Mayor Posts Sign Supporting Bernie Sanders

On Facebook yesterday evening (March 27) Mayor Tom Adams posted a picture of a campaign sign apparently supporting presidential candidate Bernie Sanders:

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Black Angus


Dinner at Black Angus on Huntington the other night. Got a 12 ounce ribeye steak with baked potato soup and a Caesar salad for $25.99, and a large beer for $8.45. Very good!
- Brad Haugaard

Art Class for Children at Monrovia Library

Free introductory drawing and painting class at Monrovia Library for children 5-12, Wednesday, March 30, 3-4 p.m. in the Library Community room. Call 256-8274 for details.

3-D Printing Comes to Monrovia's Clifton Middle School


Clifton Middle School got a 3-D printer from Pasadena-based New Matter, through its education grants program. (Note: New Matter is a sister company to my own company and designed and built the printer, its first production model.) http://newmatter.com/#!/education

- Brad Haugaard

Restaurants Coming to Monrovia

Pam Fitzpatrick reports that the closed Le Gourmand restaurant on Myrtle is reopening as the "Myrtle Street Cafe," and a restaurant called Press Cafe will open in the Paragon building. http://goo.gl/GhC8xX

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Missing Girl Found; Bike Rear-Ended; Store Catches Robbery Suspect; Stealing Hammers; Fighting; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for March 21-23. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 415 service events, resulting in 93 investigations.

Critical Missing Returned
March 21 at 6:31 p.m., detectives were contacted by the grandmother of a critical missing female juvenile. The granddaughter had taken her vehicle without permission. The grandmother reported that the missing juvenile had returned home. She was instructed to come into the station and contact an officer. Both subjects came into the police station as requested. The juvenile was counseled and taken out of the missing persons system.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
March 21 at 11:56 p.m., an officer witnessed a driver rearend a subject riding a bicycle with a utility trailer attached to the back of his bike. The rider was thrown to the pavement. The driver drove about 100 yards and stopped. When the officer pulled up to the scene, the driver fled. Monrovia Fire Department responded immediately, along with additional officers to assist the injured bicyclist. The officer was able to catch up to and stop the suspect driver at Duarte and Magnolia. The driver was arrested for felony hit and run. The bike rider was taken to a hospital with minor injuries.

Robbery – Suspect Arrested
March 22 at 1:01 p.m., a male adult suspect entered a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain and concealed merchandise on his person. Loss prevention personnel detained the suspect and asked him to return the merchandise. The suspect agreed to return the merchandise if loss prevention would let him leave. Loss prevention told the suspect that would not happen and the suspect tried to flee with the merchandise. The store employee and the suspect struggled in front of the store on the ground until officers arrived. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody without further incident.

Burglary
March 23 at 1:26 a.m., officers responded to a burglary alarm at a school in the 900 block of E. Lemon. Upon checking the campus, officers discovered someone had broken into a school room. A rock had been thrown through a classroom window and an iPad was stolen, along with other miscellaneous items. The investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting/Providing False Information – Suspect Arrested
March 23 at 9:31 a.m., a male adult suspect attempted to steal two flashlights from a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain. He was detained by store loss prevention personnel. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody, as he had no identification. His prints returned later under a different name than he provided to officers. The crime of providing false information to an officer was added to his charges.

Shoplifting/Warrant – Suspect Arrested
March 23 at 2:12 p.m., a male adult suspect walked into a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain with the intent of stealing two hammers so he could sell them. He walked out of the store and was followed by loss prevention. The suspect was detained by officers at Mountain and the 210 Freeway. He was also found to have an outstanding felony burglary warrant. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
March 23 at 5:23 p.m., a commercial burglary was reported at a business in the 500 block of E. Lime. One of the offices in the building was left unlocked overnight. An unknown suspect entered the business and removed a laptop computer from an office area. The investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
March 23 at 7:21 p.m., an officer was on patrol in the area of Chestnut and Ivy when he heard a subject yelling at people in the area. He contacted the subject, who had been drinking. The subject was determined to be too intoxicated to care for himself and was arrested for public intoxication. He was held for a sobering period.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
March 23 at 7:29 p.m., an officer stopped a vehicle in the 400 block of E. Olive for a vehicle code violation. A computer check of the driver revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested for the warrant and taken into custody.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
March 23 at 8:35 p.m., staff at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington called police to report a theft of electronics that had just occurred. The suspect exited the store with the stolen merchandise and went into another business. Officers arrived, waited for the suspect to exit the store and detained him. The stolen property was recovered and the suspect was arrested.

Battery – Suspect Arrested
March 24 at 2:18 a.m., officers responded to the report of disturbing subjects at a parking lot in the 400 block of W. Maple. Officers located two brothers that had been drinking and were fighting. One of the brothers was arrested for battery and taken into custody.

Tours of Historic Monrovia With City Historian Steve Baker

Four one-and-a-half hour historic tours of Monrovia with Monrovia Historian Steve Baker. $50 each; proceeds benefit the Monrovia Historical Society. Each tour limited to 20 people. Tickets at Community Center (119 W. Palm) or contact Historical Society at 256-3423. Tours are:

- June 18, 1 or 3 p.m. Tour 1: Northwest Monrovia. Homes of Monrovia's founders, etc.

- July 17, 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. Tour 2: Northeast Monrovia. Grand estates of early residents, fruit orchards, tuberculosis sanitariums, Canyon Park, etc.

- Aug. 13, 1 or 3:30 p.m. Tour 3: Southeast Monrovia. Homes of Wild Rose, Monrovia airport, Route 66, Live Oak Cemetary, etc.

- Oct. 16, 11 a.m. or 2 p.m. Tour 4: Southwest Monrovia. Site that became Monrovia High, Mayflower Village (Cowtown), dairy, train station, etc.

- Brad Haugaard

AeroVironment Drones Guide Through Antarctic Ice

The Coast Guard is trying out drones made by Monrovia-based AeroVironment to scout routes through the Antarctic ice for ice breakers, a job that has been done by helicopters and satellite imaging. http://goo.gl/aFeUog

- Brad Haugaard

Have a Spa at Home - Class at Monrovia Library

Moms' Night Out, Thursday, April 21 at 7 p.m. at the Library Community Room. Join host Kate Garland to discover ways to have simple spa time at home using therapeutic grade essential oils. Natural skin care tips, safe and gentle detox baths, foot massages for pain relief, improve memory and concentration, tips for better sleep and more energy, and more. Free, and you don't have to be a mom. Class size is limited. Please register at: http://tinyurl.com/z4cgz54 . For more information call 256-8274.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Officers to be Honored

Monrovia Police Officer David Andrew, Officer Brian Cofield, Officer John Donchig, School Resource Officer James Ruano, and Police Services Representative Evelyn Ruedas will be honored at the Police Department's Annual Awards Ceremony in the Monrovia City Council Chambers on Thursday, March 24 at 5 p.m. A reception will follow immediately after the event in the Police Department Community Policing Room, and everyone is welcome. Source: City Manager Oliver Chi's weekly report: http://goo.gl/qVi1Qy

- Brad Haugaard

Construction About to Start on New Monrovia Apartment Building

Architect's rendering of new apartment building.

Construction should begin on an apartment project at the southeast corner of Fifth and Huntington "within the next month or so," City Manager Oliver Chi wrote in his latest weekly report ( http://goo.gl/qVi1Qy ). It will replace the former self-storage facility with a "four-story, 154-unit apartment complex, along with a small 1,340 square foot commercial space at the north corner of the building."

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Congresswoman Proposes Federal Overlay Over Part of City


Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents a sliver across the top of Monrovia, has proposed an expansion of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument to include an even larger chunk of Monrovia. The map above shows the border of Monrovia in black. The green part is already part of the national monument, red is the proposed expansion area for the monument, and blue would be for a proposed San Gabriel Mountains National Recreation Area. In his weekly report ( http://goo.gl/qVi1Qy ), City Manager Oliver Chi said the city has informed Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (who represents most of Monrovia and who co-sponsored the bill with Chu) that the city wants to be excluded from any national recreation area. He adds that "Napolitano’s staff reached out to the City to let us know that the NRA Bill is still sitting in committee and that there does not seem to be any interest by the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands – or by the House of Representatives for that matter – to consider the NRA Bill in 2016." Note: Chi politely refrains from mentioning that Chu introduced this measure, but she did: https://goo.gl/tNl5bC

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Baseball Over South Pas

Monrovia baseball victorious over South Pasadena. http://goo.gl/I4Qn2f

- Brad Haugaard

Women's Soccer Calls Up Monrovia Teen

U.S. women's soccer calls up Monrovia teen Ashley Sanchez. http://goo.gl/5HgJ9m

- Brad Haugaard

Meet Author Attica Locke at Monrovia Library


Meet author Attica Locke Saturday, April 16 at 2 p.m. at the Library Community Room as she talks about her latest novel, Pleasantville. Locke is the author of the national bestseller, "The Cutting Season" and "Black Water Rising." She is currently a writer and producer on the Fox drama, Empire. Books available for purchase at the event.

- Brad Haugaard