Weekly Coronavirus Count: 730 Cases, Up 21; No New Deaths
City of Monrovia: 730 cases (up 21), 37 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 80 cases (up 3), no deaths
Glen Park at Monrovia: 2 cases (unchanged), no deaths
- Brad Haugaard
Burned and Unburned
With the air reasonably clear the difference between the burned and unburned areas can be clearly seen.
Monrovia Police: Shoplifter Waves Machete; Hits Police Car, Runs, Gets Caught; Attempting to Steal from Police Car; Etc.
[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for September 10-16. - Brad Haugaard]
During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 351 service events, resulting in 66 investigations.
Robbery
September 10 at 9:19 p.m., a robbery was reported at a business in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle. A male suspect entered the business and selected two bottles of wine. He appeared to be standing in line to pay for the items, but then ran out the exit doors. Once outside, he realized he was being chased by an employee. The suspect then retrieved a machete from a suitcase he was holding and waved it several times at the employee. The suspect then fled on foot. Officers arrived and checked the area, but the suspect was not located. This investigation continuing.
Injury Traffic Collision
September 11 at 6:10 p.m., an officer responded to an injury traffic collision in a business parking lot in the 100 block of W. Foothill. A driver was backing her vehicle out of a parking stall and struck a pedestrian. Officers arrived and saw the pedestrian had sustained abrasions to his right knee and elbow. The pedestrian was treated by paramedics from the Monrovia Fire Department and transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Hit and Run Traffic Collision
September 12 at 1:46 a.m., a vehicle traveling eastbound through the 100 block of E. Lime struck a parked police vehicle and continued driving away. Shortly after the incident, officers responded to a medical call and found the subject involved in the hit and run. The subject was incoherent and having a medical emergency. He was treated by paramedics from the Monrovia Fire Department and transported to a local hospital.
Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
September 12 at 11:15 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of Melrose reported seeing a male subject stumbling along the sidewalk who appeared to be intoxicated. Officers responded and located the subject at Primrose and Foothill. He had fallen into a bush, picked himself up and fell against a wall. Officers contacted him and found he was so intoxicated he could not care for his own safety. He was arrested for public intoxication and held for a sobering period.
Battery
September 12 at 3:53 p.m., a battery incident was reported at a business in the 3200 block of S. Peck. The victim reported that he was shopping at a vehicle parts store when he got into an argument with another customer. The argument led to the victim getting struck by the suspect, who fled the area. Officers arrived and searched for the suspect, but could not locate him. This investigation is continuing.
Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
September 12 at 11:06 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of W. Foothill regarding an intoxicated subject harassing customers inside a business. The subject was contacted and found to be too intoxicated to care for his own safety. He was arrested and held for a sobering period.
Traffic Stop / Pursuit
September 13 at 2:02 a.m., an officer patrolling the area of Mountain and Central saw a vehicle fail to stop for a solid red light. A vehicle traveling north on Mountain had to swerve to avoid colliding with the suspect vehicle. The suspect vehicle failed to yield as the officer attempted a traffic stop and fled onto the 210 Freeway. California Highway Patrol officers continued pursuing the vehicle. The driver eventually pulled over and fled on foot. This investigation is continuing.
Mail Tampering
September 13 at 6:42 a.m., officers responded to the 300 block Elfwood regarding suspects tampering with mail. A male and female were seen in a 4-door, white vehicle loitering near the mailboxes. After the subjects left, a resident found mail on the ground next to the mailboxes belonging to residents in El Monte. This investigation is continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
September 13 at 8:22 a.m., officers responded to the report of a vehicle window smash in the 400 block of W. Duarte. A passerby saw the broken window and called police. The owner of the vehicle said he left a new stereo sitting on the seat in plain view and was going to have it installed today. While he was away from the vehicle, someone smashed the window and took the stereo. The officers saw a couple subjects sitting on a couch in a nearby parking lot. The officers contacted them and noticed the stolen stereo sitting behind the couch. This investigation is continuing.
Injury Traffic Collision
September 13 at 11:49 p.m., a traffic collision was reported at a parking garage in the 200 block of W. Pomona. A pedestrian was walking inside the parking garage and was struck by a vehicle at slow speed. Officers arrived and determined the pedestrian had sustained minor injuries. The pedestrian was treated by paramedics from the Monrovia Fire Department.
Commercial Burglary
September 14 at 3:07 a.m., the owner of a business in the 600 block of W. Huntington was contacted by his alarm company advising there was a window break at the location. He logged into his business cameras on his phone and saw a suspect inside stealing lottery tickets. He called police. Officers arrived at the location, but the suspect had already fled the area. This investigation is continuing.
Theft / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
September 14 at 3:29 a.m., while officers were handling a call in the 600 block of W. Huntington, a subject waited for officers to walk away from their units. He then reached in and was going through the officer's bags attempting to take items, when another officer coming from the rear happened upon the crime in progress. The suspect was arrested. During a search incident to arrest, he was also found to be in possession of multiple controlled substances.
Vandalism
September 16 at 12:12 a.m., a witness saw a male subject break a window in the 100 block of E. Colorado and called police. Officers responded, but the suspect had already left the area. This investigation is continuing.
Theft
September 16 at 2:31 p.m., a business owner in the 100 block of E. Chestnut called to report that sometime during the night someone had stolen a catalytic converter from one of the vehicles parked on his property. Officers arrived and conducted an investigation. This investigation is continuing.
Theft
September 16 at 3:13 p.m., a theft was reported at a business in the 2600 block of California. A large shipment of E Cigarettes had been set outside the business and was waiting for pickup by a customer, but someone else arrived and took the boxes. Officers arrived and collected video surveillance showing a suspect loading the boxes into his vehicle. This investigation is continuing.
Burglary
September 16 at 6:09 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 1600 block of S. Mountain. The victim parked his vehicle at 8:30 a.m. that morning and left his vehicle. When he returned at 6:00 p.m., he noticed his trunk had been opened. The door locks had been tampered with and a duffel bag containing baseball equipment had been stolen. This investigation is continuing.
Lunch at Nano Cafe
Free Flu Shots at Monrovia Church on Oct. 3
First Evangelical Church, Arcadia - which, despite its name, is in Monrovia - will provide free flu shots on Oct. 3. Details: https://is.gd/8UMmTb
Neighbors Express Thanks to Firefighters, Police
- Brad Haugaard
Mopping Up the Fire - You May See Spots of Smoke or Fire - Not to Worry
"Due to the hot spots that remain in the foothills, the Evacuation Warning remains in effect for residents of Monrovia."
- Brad Haugaard
No School - Virtual or Otherwise - For Rest of This Week - Bad Air
School Superintendent Dr. Katherine Thorossian wrote to parents that, "Given the perilous air quality, we are dismissing students from school through the end of this week. We understand the burden placed upon families during these continued crises and hope that this offers some level of relief.
"To support the health and well-being of our staff members during this time of crisis, we are closing all our facilities through Friday, Sept. 18, and asking all staff members to stay home. Unfortunately, that means that we will not be distributing meals on Friday, as originally scheduled. We apologize for this disruption in service."
Why no distance learning?
School Board President Rob Hammond writes that, " It is the environment the students are learning in. If a classroom were full of smoke and unhealthy to breath in we would not want a student in that environment. Now the student's home is their classroom. If the air is not healthy it can cause many disruptions to learning. Frequent headaches, watery eyes, and a host of respiratory problems all contribute a less than desirable environment whether it is virtual (at home) or on campus. Student safety and welfare will always be our guiding principle.
- Brad Haugaard
Fire Crews Monitoring Hills, City Declares Smoke a Threat
He added, "We do not predict a large amount of fire activities in Monrovia today, however residents may see smoke coming from Monrovia Canyon Park and Spanish Canyon as crews mop up the area."
Also, Monrovia has declared smoke as a dangerous threat, especially for those with preexisting conditions such as chronic heart and lung disease (i.e. asthma, emphysema and COPD).
The city has attempted to purchase air purifiers to loan out to vulnerable people, but they are out of stock and the city has been unable to acquire them. Feik said, "We encourage those who have air conditioning to turn them on and keep windows closed. It is also recommended, for the most vulnerable population, to wear masks indoors."
- Brad Haugaard
Planned Power Outages Postponed
Spanish Canyon Controlled Burn Should End Tonight
Spanish Canyon Controlled-Burn Working Well; Bad Liars
City Manager Dylan Feik reports that much of the action today is in saving Mt. Wilson, but in Monrovia, he said, fire crews will continue to control-burn Spanish Canyon. "The team made great progress last night and they will continue in their efforts today," he said.
Feik added that you'll notice an increase in smoke, and if you live around Norumbega you'll see a heavy presence of fire crews there to support the Spanish Canyon operation.
Feik said that at the "Resident Only" roadblock, drivers are being stopped and asked where they live. "I live right there on that corner," was the most common response," one officer said. When the officer asked the name of the street, people just turned around and left.
- Brad Haugaard
Fire Advances to South
Fire Moving South; Firefighters Aim to Protect Communities
From City Manager Dylan Feik: "With the fire slowly burning down Spanish Canyon towards the Monrovia Canyon Park, the priority will remain to protect the communities south of the fire by continuing strategic firing operations and utilizing fixed wing aircraft. The Spanish Canyon area is thick with heavy brush, tall trees and is located in an area where burning is visible. To combat the fire, dozer lines and retardant were put into place and strike teams are assigned to the ridge line to monitor the fire as it slowly burns downhill. As fire crews are working at the very top of the Spanish Canyon, residents will see an increase in flames, smoke and fire activities.
- Brad Haugaard
Sally: First Place In Loving and Sweet Category
Sally has been described by her foster parent as one of the most loving and sweet dogs you will ever meet. This two-year-old dog is young and likes to play with toys, but most of the time she's very calm and just wants to snuggle up with her head in your lap. She's very well-behaved, does great on walks and in the car, and is even great with kids. Sally has been a wonderful companion and work-from-home buddy for her foster parent during quarantine, and is ready to bring that same energy to a forever home!
The adoption fee for dogs is $140. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines.
New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.
View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org and make an appointment for a virtual adoption consultation. Adoptions are by appointment only.
Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.
- Brad Haugaard
Bobcat Slowly Coming Down Spanish Canyon
City Manager Dylan Feik Reports:
Along the eastern edge of the Bobcat Fire, there is an active fire pushing up and over the ridgeline near the northeastern corner of Spanish Canyon. As the fire begins to burn, it will back down the canyon in a slow-backing position, similar to what was seen in Monrovia Canyon Park earlier this week. The fire is moving from the eastern ridge of Spanish Canyon and down into the canyon towards the helipad.
Throughout the day, the Incident Command Team has made the decision to bring in extra aircraft to combat the fire and lay fire retardant along dozer lines surrounding Spanish Canyon. In addition to the aircraft, residents of Monrovia, Duarte and Bradbury will see an increase in smoke, flames and firefighting activities during this time. Please know, the fire is beginning at a point high up the mountain but will be backing downward slowly and in a controlled manner. As we move into the evening, the fire will get closer to the foothill communities.
- Brad Haugaard
You Can Water Your Lawns Now!
'Great News,' Firefighters Now Cleaning Up Spot Fires, Checking for Flare-Ups
City Manager Dylan Feik shared the "great news" that "firefighters are working in the hills to clean up fires, suppress any remaining flames and watch for flares and startups until the hot areas begin to cool."
However, he added, "flares may occur as the hills are still smoking and embers could ignite residual fires. Call 9-1-1 if you see a new fire ignite."
"The evacuation warning remains in effect and residents should remain prepared for evacuation if unexpected weather and fire conditions require."
- Brad Haugaard