Monrovia Neighborhood Watch

The Monrovia Police Department is looking for members of our community who want to be part of the Neighborhood Watch Program! If you are interested in getting involved please contact Community Policing Sergeant John Donchig at (626) 256-8020 or at jdonchig@monroviapd.org.

- Brad Haugaard 

A Moment in Monrovia History: Myrtle North of Foothill in 1900

Looking north on N Myrtle Avenue from White Oak (Foothill) c. 1900. See full details here. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's First Beach Volleyball Team Ends Season With a Win

The Monrovia Varsity Boys Beach Volleyball beat San Gabriel 2-1 in the season’s final league match on September 25th. The team came into the match-up with an 0-3 record, respectively, but were able to go out on a high note with exciting 3 set victories from the #3 pair Dillon Barnhart/Jesse Younge and #2 pair Tom Hover/Gunnar Keeling.

Head coach Marvin Fong said he’s excited to see how the team will grow after their first season. “This is the first team brave enough to try this new sport and they have laid the foundation for themselves to return next year and be even better but also have created awareness and excitement for the sport as well,” Fong said.

While the regular season is over, the Wildcats have their eyes on two postseason tournaments to get a winning streak going. They’ll be competing in the Inland Boy's Beach Volleyball League's Pairs Championship Tournament on Saturday, October 2nd and the IBBVL League Championship Tournament on Saturday, October 9th.

While it’s currently a high school club, Coach Fong hopes to get the team CIF sanctioned in the near future. Until then, they’ll prepare for the coming tournaments to get better for next season. “We are grateful to the City of Monrovia for allowing us to call Recreation Park our practice and competition home for our first season. Monrovia Boys and Girls Beach Volleyball programs are excited about the possibility of having beach volleyball courts built at Monrovia High School campus in the coming year,” said Fong.

For more information on the upcoming tournaments, please visit the Monrovia Wildcats Athletics page.

Photos: top, Monrovia High senior Jan Luke Caldito sets up junior Ken Tsuo; left, Freshman Jesse Younger serves.

Source: Monrovia Schools press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High Starts Beach Volleyball Team

Monrovia High School has started a beach volleyball team this year.

- Brad Haugaard

Community Bike Ride

All Ages Welcome. For more information call Aaron at 626-824-2673.

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Over La Canada - 60-15

Monrovia over La Canada, 60-15.  https://is.gd/58PPLQ

- Brad Haugaard

Wine Walk in Old Town - Oct. 9

Details: https://is.gd/9kNgZi

- Brad Haugaard

Clean Air Day Oct. 6 in Library Park

- Brad Haugaard

Power Outages Planned in Northeast Monrovia; Survey About Local Bus System

In his latest report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Dylan Feik reports: 

~ Southern California Edison has planned power outages in northeastern Monrovia to upgrade infrastructure, make improvements and repairs. The work area is between Foothill and Greystone from Canyon to Grand Ave. If you are going to have an outage you should have been notified. Outage times are:  Saturday, Oct. 2 (8 a.m. - 2 p.m.), Sunday, Oct. 3 (9 a.m. - 2 p.m.), Tuesday, Oct. 5 (8 a.m. - 2 p.m.), Thursday, Oct. 7 (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.). For questions, call SCE outage phone number at 888-759-6056.

~  Foothill Transit would like you to take a survey of the local bus system to help create a better service plan. Take the survey here: https://is.gd/urpjrC

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 40 More Cases, No More Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 8 p.m., 09/29/2021. Changes since 09/22/2021.

City of Monrovia: 3,936 cases (up 40), 82 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 442 cases (up 4), 1 deaths (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Memorial Hospital ICU at Capacity for More than a Year

NBC Los Angeles reports that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) says that 20 hospitals throughout the country have had full Intensive Care Units for more than a year. One of them is Monrovia Memorial Hospital (323 S. Heliotrope), in Monrovia, which has spent 59 weeks at or above its operational capacity. https://is.gd/AsX4uR

Not noted in the story is that Monrovia Memorial Hospital's operational capacity is four ICU beds, according to HHS. https://is.gd/5QByUM

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Sleeper Awakes, Sets Off Alarm; Six People Steal Lots of Perfume; Not a Bomb at Train Station; Safes Foil Burglars; Credit Card Stealing Device at ATM; Much More

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for September 23-29. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 423 service events, resulting in 73 investigations.

Trespassing – Suspect Arrested
September 23 at 2:56 a.m., an alarm company called police to report an alarm activation at a business in the 400 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and located a male suspect inside the store. Investigation revealed the suspect entered the store during business hours to find a place to sleep. He later woke up and activated the alarm while trying to exit the building. The suspect was arrested for trespassing.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
September 23 at 9:22 a.m., employees of a business in the 400 block of S. Myrtle called police regarding a theft suspect from a previous incident. The suspect had returned to the store. Officers contacted the suspect inside the business and found he was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was identified by multiple employees and was wearing the same clothing he wore during the first theft incident. He was arrested for the drug paraphernalia and his identity was forwarded to the handling detective of the previous theft case.

Residential Burglary
September 23 at 1:41 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of W. Hillcrest reported that sometime between 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. that day his residence was burglarized. A suspicious, newer-model Ford Explorer was seen in the area. This investigation is continuing.

Mental Evaluation
September 23 at 2:04 p.m., a male subject in the 300 block of S. Lincoln called police to report that his ex-girlfriend was suicidal and had taken an unknown amount of pills before driving off in her vehicle. An extensive search was conducted and she was located in the Huntington Oaks Shopping Center. She was in need of medical attention and made additional suicidal statements. It was determined that she needed to be evaluated by a mental health professional. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

Grand Theft
September 23 at 5:21 p.m., a loss prevention officer at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported a suspect had just stolen a drill from the business and fled on foot through the parking lot. Officers arrived and searched the area, but the suspect was not located. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
September 23 at 7:31 p.m., an officer patrolling the intersection of Cypress and Shamrock saw a vehicle commit a traffic violation. The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle kept driving for several blocks before stopping. Once contacted, the driver displayed symptoms of intoxication and a DUI investigation was conducted. The driver was ultimately arrested for DUI and held for a sobering period.

Grand Theft
September 23 at 8:31 p.m., employees at a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington called police to report a grand theft. Approximately half a dozen suspects had come inside the store and stole a large amount of perfume. The total loss has not been calculated yet. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
September 24 at 11:22 a.m., a caller reported a suspicious person in the 900 block of W. Foothill. Officers responded and contacted the subject. They recognized him from previous encounters, and an investigation revealed he had several no-bail warrants for his arrest. He was arrested for the warrants and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
September 24 at 3:11 p.m., the Monrovia Fire Department requested assistance from officers with an uncooperative female subject in the area of Primrose and Pomona. She was heavily intoxicated and it was determined she was unable to care for herself. She was arrested and held for a sobering period.

DUI Checkpoint – Suspects Arrested
September 24 at 7:00 p.m., the Monrovia Police Department set up a DUI checkpoint in the 200 block of E. Huntington. Three suspects were arrested for DUI and one suspect was arrested for an outstanding warrant. Seventeen drivers were issued citations for not having a valid license.

Assault Report
September 25 at 4:11 a.m., a clerk at a business in the 900 block of W. Duarte called police to report a fight between a male and female subject in front of the store. Officers arrived and contacted the female subject. The male had already left the location in a vehicle. It was determined that the female was the victim of an assault. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
September 25 at 12:38 p.m., a caller reported a driver slumped over in a vehicle in the 700 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. The subject displayed symptoms of intoxication and a DUI investigation was conducted. The suspect was ultimately arrested for DUI and held for a sobering period.

Resisting and Delaying Officers – Suspect Arrested
September 25 at 3:45 p.m., officers responded to a possible domestic violence incident in progress in the 500 block of W. Maple. They arrived and contacted two subjects. The subjects were uncooperative and the male subject refused to exit the home. After a few minutes, he decided to come out, however, he then ran from officers. He was detained and later arrested for resisting and delaying officers.

Outside Assist – Suspicious Package
September 25 at 3:59 p.m., officers responded to assist Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Metro with a complete shutdown of the Metro line and the adjacent streets near the Metro Monrovia Station platform. The shutdown was due to a suspicious package that was placed on the Metro line platform. Monrovia officers assisted in traffic control only. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department had canines and the bomb squad on scene. At approximately 6:15 p.m., the package was deemed safe and all streets were opened up shortly thereafter.

Vehicle Burglary – Suspect Arrested
September 25 at 11:44 p.m., a resident in the 800 block of E. Lemon called to report a female suspect attempting to break into her neighbor’s vehicle. Prior to officers’ arrival, the caller’s husband confronted the suspect, who then attempted to flee on foot. Officers arrived and detained the suspect. They discovered she used a tool to punch the vehicle’s door lock. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
September 26 at 7:42 a.m., the manager of a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington reported that two neighboring businesses appeared to have been burglarized sometime during the night. Officers arrived and found the front windows had been shattered. The investigation revealed that three male suspects entered the first business at 3:40 a.m., attempted to break open the office safe, but were unsuccessful. The suspects then went next door to another business and attempted the same thing, but were still unsuccessful. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
September 27 at 3:12 a.m., a vandalism incident was reported in the 1800 block of S. Myrtle. The victim reported that his work van was broken into over the weekend while parked in the 1800 block of S. Myrtle. Officers arrived and found the front passenger window was smashed. As of yet, the victim has not found anything missing. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
September 27 at 3:00 p.m., a resident in the 1000 block of E. Lemon walked outside his home and discovered the rear window on his car had been shattered for the third time in less than six months. No entry was made into the vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Attempt Fraud
September 27 at 4:15 p.m., an employee of a bank in the 200 block of S. Myrtle discovered a skimming device inserted into the credit card slot of their outdoor ATM machine. The device was removed. It is unknown if there are any victims to the attempt fraud. This investigation is continuing.

Assault – Suspect Arrested
September 28 at 12:42 a.m., officers were called to a business in the 400 block of W. Huntington regarding a battery that had just occurred. Officers arrived at the location and located the suspect walking away from the business. As the officer started to park his vehicle, the suspect threw a vodka bottle at the officer’s windshield. Additional officers arrived and detained the suspect. An investigation revealed the suspect had walked up to a drive-thru window and demanded food. When the victim refused to give him food, the suspect punched him in the face. The victim was able to positively identify the suspect. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
September 28 at 9:24 a.m., a resident in the 1300 block of S. Magnolia walked outside his home and discovered his car had been stolen sometime during the night. It was not where he had parked it on the street. He did not give anyone permission to take it. The vehicle was entered into the law enforcement stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
September 28 at 9:50 a.m., a caller reported two motorists collided into one another in the intersection of Mountain and Royal Oaks. Officers responded and found one driver was complaining of pain to her neck, so paramedics responded. The party found to be at fault was issued a citation for the driving violation.

Trespassing – Suspect Arrested
September 28 at 1:29 p.m., employees of a business in the 100 block of W. Palm reported a male subject on their property who has previously been warned to stay off the property or he would be arrested for trespassing. He habitually yells profanity at employees and chases them. Officers responded, located the subject, and arrested him for trespassing.

Grand Theft Auto
September 28 at 2:07 p.m., a caller reported someone had stolen his red pickup truck from the 700 block of W. Duarte, where he was doing work. The truck was taken within an hour of the owner reporting it. The truck contained construction tools in the bed. This investigation is continuing.

Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested
September 28 at 10:08 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 400 block of S. Myrtle regarding an intoxicated subject yelling at customers. When officers arrived, the suspect was confrontational with them and attempted to walk away. He was arrested and taken into custody. He was checked by fire personnel for level of intoxication. The suspect then told fire personnel that he wanted to go to a hospital for a checkup. He was taken to the hospital and was later released after sobering. He was returned to the Monrovia Police Department, where he retrieved his property.

Mental Evaluation
September 28 at 10:35 p.m., an officer responded to the 700 block of E. Huntington regarding a female adult having a nervous breakdown. The officer spoke with the subject's husband, who claimed his wife had been threatening suicide by wanting to jump out of their moving vehicle. The wife also stated to the officer that she wanted to harm herself. She was placed on a 72-hour hold and transported to a local facility for mental health evaluation and treatment.

Theft From a Vehicle
September 29 at 6:37 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 200 block of E. Olive. The victim called to report someone entered his unlocked vehicle and took a bag which contained a laptop computer. Investigation continuing.

Suspicious Person
September 29 at 8:18 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of S. Primrose called police to report a male subject in the laundry room facility at the location. He had been at the location all night and the resident wanted him to leave. When Officers arrived, he was walking away from the location. Officers have dealt with this subject many times. He was advised not to come back and a no-trespass authorization was completed.

Grand Theft Auto Recovered – Suspect Arrested
September 29 at 8:31 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle pass him at a high rate of speed. He caught up to the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop near Myrtle and Pomona. While he was walking up to the driver's front window to make contact, dispatch advised him it was a stolen vehicle. He detained the male driver and one female passenger until assisting officers arrived. The two were removed from the vehicle without incident. The driver was arrested and the passenger was identified and released. The victim came to the location to pick up his vehicle.

Fraud Report
September 29 at 4:53 p.m., a fraud incident was reported in the 2600 block of S. Myrtle. The victim reported that he received a notification from his computer security system. When he called them back, they requested his bank account information over the phone, which he gave them. He reviewed his banking account and saw there had been deposits made to his account. He was ordered to purchase gift cards and give the numbers to the person on the phone, which he did. He later realized he had been scammed and called police. The investigation is continuing.

Disturbing Subject
September 29 at 4:54 p.m., an employee from a business in the 100 block of W. Foothill called to report a male subject was outside at their tables, yelling and refusing to leave. Officers arrived and saw the subject, whom they recognized and have dealt with several times over the past couple days. He was advised to leave the location and not return. A no-trespass authorization was completed.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision / Stolen Vehicle Recovered
September 29 at 9:05 p.m., a resident in the 1700 block of Pilgrim Way called police to report a vehicle just collided into several parked cars and the driver was trying to flee on foot. Officers arrived and found an unattended vehicle on the resident’s front lawn. A computer check of the vehicle revealed it was reported stolen out of Las Vegas. Personal identifying items belonging to a local resident were found inside. During the investigation, the officer was able to identify a person of interest. A wanted person entry was put into the law enforcement system.

Dinner at Mayan Bar and Restaurant

Dinner tonight at the Mayan Bar and Restaurant, in the Aztec Hotel at Foothill and Magnolia. Got the Fish Fillet for $10 and a beer at the $4 happy hour price.   Very good and the back patio was pleasant in the early evening. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Simona Bradbury and the Founding of Immaculate Conception Church

Lewis Leonard Bradbury, the founder of nearby Bradbury who built the historic Bradbury Building in downtown Los Angeles, lived with his wife, Simona, for some time in their country home on land that later became part of Monrovia.

Bradbury married Simona Martinez, who was his housekeeper when he lived in Sinaloa, Mexico. Following his death in 1892 she managed his business ventures in California and Mexico and oversaw the completion of the Bradbury Building.

When she died, their children donated land in her name to build Immaculate Conception Church, the first Catholic Church in Monrovia. https://is.gd/0GE7b8

Photo from Monrovia Historical Society's Legacy Project.

Thanks to David Campbell for the tip.

- Brad Haugaard

Road to Camp Trask Now Open

The road from Canyon Park to Camp Trask - popular with hikers and bicyclists - has now been reopened. The sign at the bridge in the park saying that, "The area leading to the US Forest Service is closed until further notice" has been replaced with a sign saying, “US Forest Bobcat fire closure 1 mile ahead.”

The area beyond Camp Trask is Forest Service land, but the road leading up to Camp Trask belongs to the city of Monrovia.

At Camp Trask there is a sign threatening a fine of up to $5,000 for people crossing into the Forest Service area.

- Brad Haugaard 

Chief Loves People and Is Excited to Learn

Eight-year-old Chief loves people and can’t wait to find his perfect home! Chief enjoys playing with toys, and especially likes mental enrichment such as puzzle feeders and snuffle mats. His ideal adopter is someone who can let Chief go at his own pace with new people and environments, and who can give him lots of mental stimulation and playtime. Chief will do great with positive reinforcement training and is excited to learn lots of new things with you.

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. 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 and schedule an adoption appointment at pasadenahumane.org. Adoptions are by appointment only, and new adoption appointments are available every Sunday and Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Teacher of Year Honored; Lots of Interest in Music; District Hires Public Information Officer; Clifton PTA Raises $17,000

In his September report, Monrovia Schools Superintendent Ryan Smith writes: 

~ Monrovia Teacher of the Year Kristin Ford was recognized at LA County Office of Education's 40th Annual "Teacher of the Year" banquet. She is pictured above with her husband Troy and Assistant Superintendent Darvin Jackson.

~ Earlier this month the district held its annual Superstars of Music registration and orientation evening for parents and interested elementary school students. More than 500 parents and students from all five elementary schools attended, triple the usual number who attend.

~ Gustavo Olguin has been hired as the district's first Public Information Officer. He will "play an important role in increasing communication to our parents and families, community, and local news outlets about all the great things happening in our schools through press releases, social media, enhancements to websites, and other formats like short video stories, podcasts, etc."

~ Clifton Middle School PTA raised more than $17,000 through its Step It Up event. Funds will go to purchase library books, and to after-school enrichment - including arts programs, incentives to support the school's Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program, and more.

Source: Superintendent's Update: https://is.gd/OIGIYz

- Brad Haugaard

New Student Representatives to Monrovia School Board - Alexia Holt and Brianna Campbell

Brianna Campbell

Alexia Holt

Monrovia High School senior Alexia Holt and Canyon Oaks High School/Mountain Park Independent Study School junior Brianna Campbell will serve as Monrovia Unified’s 2021-22 Board of Education student representatives.

Holt and Campbell were administered the oath of office by Board President Maritza Travanti during Board of Education meetings on Sept. 10 and Sep. 22, respectively.

“Alexia and Brianna are exceptional additions to Monrovia’s Board of Education,” Travanti said. “Their interest in Board activities, as well as their academic success, make them the perfect representatives of Monrovia Unified students. On behalf of the Board, we welcome Alexia and Brianna to their new roles. We look forward to working with them to ensure the continued success of our students.”

In addition to serving as Associated Student Body President, Holt is a four-year varsity softball player and captain of the team. Her academic and athletic performances have earned her recognition as a Scholar Athlete, an honor awarded to athletes who maintain a grade point average of 3.5 and above.

After graduation, Holt hopes to attend UCLA, where she plans to apply skills learned as Board representative toward a degree in economics or business administration. She looks forward to expanding on her learning and ultimately building a career in management or a similar field.

“I’m really glad I was chosen to represent the students of Monrovia Unified,” Holt said. “A lot of students come up to me now to ask me questions and I get to address their concerns at Board meetings. I’m excited to learn about how the school board passes resolutions, and I think being the student representative is going to help me with public speaking and with my confidence in professional settings.”

Campbell is a successful participant in Monrovia Unified’s Early College Program and is a former member of Monrovia High School’s choir.

“I’m excited to be a student representative this school year,” Campbell said. “I think it’s going to be fun learning about the Board and its members, making my report and sharing what’s going on at school. This opportunity will help me develop my communication and professional skills.”

After high school, Campbell plans to pursue a business degree at UCLA or Cal State Fullerton and ultimately become a polygraph examiner for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Campbell is also experienced in dance and Taekwondo.

“At Monrovia Unified School District, we are dedicated to providing our students with the tools and resources they need to be ready for college, career and beyond,” Superintendent Dr. Ryan Smith said. “The success of these students characterizes them as World-Class Students, whose remarkable work ethic has helped them achieve great things in their academic and athletic pursuits.”

Source: Monrovia Schools press release

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: 1912 - Myrtle Bedecked With Flags for Monrovia Bargain Day

Monrovia Bargain Day, 1910, looking north on Myrtle from Olive. See full details here. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Bomb Threat at Train Station

Monrovia Police tweet 5:11 p.m. today (Saturday):

The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department is handling a bomb threat on the Monrovia Gold Line train platform. Please refer any questions to the LASD Temple City Station at (626) 285-7171.

- Brad Haugaard