Commercial Fire at Mountain and Huntington - Person in Custody

There’s a large fire at a commercial building near the northwest corner of Mountain and Huntington. Fire units from several local jurisdictions are there. A person of interest was taken into custody. Photo by Kevin Sullivan. t.ly/NbTN

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: The Brother of Monrovia Founder William Monroe

F.M. Monroe. Brother of W.N. Monroe, who came from Shelbina, Missouri. He built the house at 257 N. Magnolia and went into the livery business with E.F. Armstrong.. From the Myron Hotchkiss collection. See full details here.

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

Halloween Decorations On Ocean View

Two houses on Ocean View Avenue (746 top and 826 bottom) have gone all out for Halloween. Ocean View is a block above Foothill between Shamrock and Mountain. 

- Brad Haugaard 

New Art on Display at Community Center - Artist Reception Sunday

The works of a new set of artists (Carol L Curtis, George Liang, Emily Sunez, and Joan Whitenack) are on display at the Community Center (119 W. Palm) and an artists' reception will be held Sunday, Oct. 23, from 2-5 p.m. with live music and refreshments from Rivanis Baking Company and Wine of the Month Club.  Cast your vote for People's Choice among the student artwork on display from Clifton and Santa Fe middle schools, bid on members' artwork from and tickets to "The Music of Queen" next summer at the Pasadena Pops. 

- Brad Haugaard

School Board: Lower Enrollment, Resolution Favoring $75 Million Bond Measure; Higher Developer Fees

At its next meeting (t.ly/mDDP) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Receive a report showing district enrollment is continuing to decline, down by 97 students this year, compared to a loss of 105 students in 2021-22. However, this is better than expected as the district had expected to lose 23 more students than it actually lost. t.ly/YltC

~ Consider a resolution supporting Measure MM, a $75 million bond that would cost property owners 3 cents per $100 of assessed value. It would be used to "fund school upgrades and repairs to help keep educational facilities safe, clean, and in good condition and support educational technology and facility upgrades for 21st century learning." t.ly/YltC

~ Consider a first reading of a board policy regarding higher developer fees for commercial and residential construction to "finance the construction or reconstruction of school facilities needed to accommodate increased student enrollment resulting from new development." t.ly/z-X4

- Brad Haugaard

Free Compost and Mulch at City Yard Tomorrow, Oct. 22

 - Brad Haugaard

Bulky Item Drop-Off Throughout Monrovia, Tomorrow, Oct. 22

- Brad Haugaard

Toxic Waste Drive-Through in Monrovia, Oct. 29

Free household hazardous waste and electronic waste drive-through Saturday, October 29, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to the Monrovia Public Works Yard at 600 Mountain Ave.

- Brad Haugaard

Workshop on Low Water Gardening Oct. 29

Learn about native drought tolerant landscape, plants, design, water rebates, and proper irrigation techniques for your yard at "No Drought About It," on Saturday, October 29th, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Monrovia Community Garden at the corner of Colorado and Magnolia. Sponsored by Food ED.

- Brad Haugaard

Musical Matilda Oct. 27-Nov. 5 at IFGF Church

Centre Stage Inc. and IFGF Church (147 W Palm) will host the live musical, Matilda, between Thursday, October 27, and Saturday, November 5. For information and tickets: t.ly/6oga

- Brad Haugaard

Register Now for Nov. 18 Community Prayer Breakfast

 

Register here (t.ly/wMqe) for the 56th annual Community Prayer Breakfast, with Pastor Eric Eichinger of Our Savior Lutheran Church. For more information, please contact Britney Lopez at 358-1159 or at bl@monroviacc.com.

- Brad Haugaard

Make a Difference Day Tomorrow, Oct. 22

Register here (t.ly/Fwd-) or in person at 7 a.m. tomorrow in Library Park. 

- Brad Haugaard

Weekly Monrovia Coronavirus Count: 24 New Cases, No New Deaths

Coronavirus cases from LA Department of Public Health as of 12 p.m., 10/19/2022. Changes since 10/12/2022.

City of Monrovia: 10,674 cases (up 24), 109 deaths (unchanged)
Unincorporated Monrovia: 1,139 cases (up 2), 5 deaths (unchanged)

- Brad Haugaard

California Native Plant Sale Nov. 12

The San Gabriel Mountains Chapter of the California Native Plant Society will hold a native plant sale at the Monrovia Historical Museum (742 E. Lemon) on November 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. California native plants and wildflower seeds appropriate for gardens in the Los Angeles basin will be available, including plants for attracting birds and butterflies to your home garden. Knowledgeable chapter members will be on hand to answer questions. t.ly/1Q-9

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Fatal Rollover Accident at Magnolia and Olive; Drunks in Abundance; Rock Thrown Through Church Window; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for October 13 – 19. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 355 service events, resulting in 75 investigations.

Domestic Violence
October 13 at 1:07 a.m., a call was received from an unknown location regarding a female subject in their medical facility who was reporting she was a victim of domestic violence. An officer arrived, but the victim refused to cooperate. This investigation is continuing. 

Active Shooter Call (swatting)

October 13 at 12:00 p.m., a caller in an unknown location reported an active shooter in a school in the 800 block of W. Colorado. The caller stated approximately 10 students were injured. All MPD units responded and quickly realized this had the appearance of a swatting call, but there were reports of a student who possibly had a gun. The school was placed on lockdown and each building was searched and cleared. No student on the campus had a gun. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 14 at 12:37 a.m., a caller in the 1100 block of S. Fifth reported a male subject near the door of their apartment complex who appeared to be trying to get into the lobby. Officers arrived and found the subject nearby. During a pat down search, officers located drugs. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Fatal Traffic Collision
October 14 at 7:54 p.m., units responded to Magnolia and Olive regarding a rollover traffic collision involving two vehicles. Officers arrived on scene and discovered a female occupant had been ejected from one of the vehicles and was unresponsive. Officers administered AED and CPR until MFD arrived. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 14 at 10:45 p.m., officers in the area of Magnolia and Olive were at the fatal collision when a vehicle drove through the crime scene tape. Officers confronted the driver, who displayed symptoms of being under the influence of alcohol. Further investigation revealed the driver was intoxicated. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 14 at 10:27 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of W. Foothill regarding an intoxicated subject. Officers located the subject and determined he was unable to care for himself. He was arrested for being drunk in public and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Runaway Juvenile
October 14 at 10:18 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of N. Myrtle regarding a runaway juvenile report. The female juvenile got into a fight with her mother and left the house. Officers checked locations she frequents and were unable to locate her. She was entered into the system as a missing person. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 15 at 10:42 a.m., officers were in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle and saw a subject that he recognized as being wanted for a felony vandalism. A computer check confirmed he was wanted. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Trespass / Drug Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 15 at 6:55 p.m., a resident in the 600 block of E. Lime reported someone in her yard. Officers arrived, found the subject on the property, and contacted him. He was found to be in possession of drugs. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Shoplifting / Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 15 at 7:30 p.m., a caller in the 100 block of W. Foothill reported a male subject stealing alcohol. Officers arrived and detained the subject outside the store with the stolen property. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 15 at 8:19 p.m., a caller in the 400 block of W. Duarte reported a couple yelling in the streets. Officer arrived and detained the male subject as the female ran away. The male subject was in possession of drugs. He was arrested and issued a citation.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
October 15 at 8:41 p.m., the victim in the area of Duarte and Myrtle reported someone just hit his vehicle and fled the scene. The victim was able to get a license plate of the suspect's vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Drug Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 16 at 12:02 a.m., a caller in the 300 block of S. Myrtle reported a subject screaming in the alley. Officers arrived and detained a subject who was in possession of narcotics. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 16 at 12:51 a.m., an officer was flagged down in the 400 block of S. Myrtle about an intoxicated male subject. An investigation revealed that the subject had committed a battery, but the victim refused to prosecute. The subject was arrested for drunk in public and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Vandalism
October 16 at 9:37 a.m., employees in the 300 block of W. Huntington called and reported an unknown suspect broke numerous planters. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
October 16 at 3:05 p.m., a witness in the 100 block of California called from inside a church to report that a male suspect threw a rock through a window and fled. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
October 17 at 2:17 a.m., a caller in the 500 block of E. Olive reported her live-in boyfriend used force to keep her from calling the police. Officers arrived and determined a domestic battery occurred. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft Auto
October 17 at 6:19 a.m., a victim in the 1800 block of S. Peck called to report her vehicle was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
October 17 at 8:01 a.m., a business in the 500 block of W. Duarte reported someone broke a window and stole a lottery box. Officers arrived and reviewed the surveillance footage. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 18 at 1:48 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle commit a vehicle code violation in the area of Huntington and Mayflower. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was contacted. A DUI investigation revealed the driver was under the influence. A computer search revealed the driver had three prior DUI convictions. The driver was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Commercial Burglary
October 18 at 11:02 a.m., a caller reported her storage unit in the 100 block of E. Lime, was broken into and items were taken. This investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
October 18 at 11:02 a.m., a caller reported her storage unit in the 100 block of E. Lime, was broken into and items were taken. This investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
October 18 at 3:17 p.m., a witness in the area of Duarte and California reported a motorist collided into the railroad crossing arms and left the scene. Officers responded and secured the scene. Metro and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were notified and they responded. This investigation is continuing.

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision
October 18 at 7:14 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Lemon and Shamrock after a citizen heard the collision. Officers arrived and discovered two vehicle collided and one of the parties were complaining of injuries. Officers detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage on the injured party and she was transported to a local hospital where blood was drawn. The investigation is continuing.

Municipal Violation
October 19 at 12:25 a.m., officers were patrolling the 700 block of E. Lemon and noticed a subject in the park after hours. The subject was arrested, cited and released in the field.

Drug Activity
October 19 at 2:49 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 1600 block of S. Myrtle when he noticed a subject in the park after hours. The subject was detained and found to be in possession of drugs. The subject was arrested, cited and released in the field.

Fraud
October 19 at 10:01 a.m., a caller in the 1800 block of S. Peck called to report her vehicle had been stolen Monday and now her credit cards, which were left inside the vehicle, are being used in other cities. A report was taken. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
October 19 at 10:02 a.m., an employee in the 300 block of W. Huntington called to report a vandalism. The caller stated that when he arrived to work he noticed plants that were in large decorative vases had been tipped over and broken. Surveillance footage revealed it was a subject walking west on the sidewalk that tipped them over. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
October 19, 2022 at 12:06 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 400 block of E. Duarte regarding a traffic accident involving a vehicle and a bicyclist. The bicyclist apparently failed to yield to oncoming traffic and was struck by the vehicle. The bicyclist had slurred speech and showed signs of being intoxicated. He was transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. The investigation is continuing.

Wanted Person
October 19, 2022 at 8:52 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of S. Fifth regarding two subjects trying to break into a vacant unit in the building. Officers arrived and detained the two subjects. One of the subjects stated he knew the owner and had permission to be there and force the door open since he did not have the key. Computer checks revealed one of the subjects had a federal warrant, he was taken into custody.

The Monrovia State of the Schools Address

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Domenico’s

Dinner at Domenico’s, on the south side of Huntington just east of Magnolia. The long-time Monrovia restaurant has been lightly remodeled. Got the ravioli with a side salad (not shown ‘cause I ate it) for half off the regular price of $25.95 and a beer for $7.95.  Very nice.

- Brad Haugaard 

County Increases Reward Ten Times For Information About Murder of Terry Alford in Monrovia

Today, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger that extends a $10,000 reward in exchange for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the murder of Terry Alford. On Jan. 29, 2021, Alford was shot multiple times in front of a residence in Monrovia while visiting his family.

“There needs to be accountability for this tragic loss of life,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “The shooting took place almost two years ago and law enforcement agencies remain dedicated to find the individuals responsible for Terry’s murder. I hope extending this $10,000 reward will encourage someone to come forward so that justice is served. Terry’s wife and children deserve closure.” 

According to law enforcement officials involved in the investigation, Alford was on the front porch when four male suspects approached the residence. At least two of the suspects shot him multiple times. Law enforcement investigators believe the shooting was gang related and intentional, but presume Alford was not the intended target. 

If anyone has information about this incident, they are encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at (323)-890-5617 or the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at (800) 222-TIPS (8477) or lacrimestoppers.org.

Source: Supervisor Barger press release

- Brad Haugaard

Founder of Unity Center Honored

 The plaque, just outside the Foothill Unity Center, says:

JOSEPHINE ANDERSON
FOUNDER OF THE FOOTHILL UNITY CENTER

The Foothill Unity Center was founded in 1980 by Josephine Anderson in a borrowed church closet in Monrovia. She was in charge of Immaculate Conception CatholicChurch's food program in the late 1970's when she realized that those needing food were going from church to church seeking help. Feeling that this was both ineffect; and wasteful, she rallied the leaders from local churches to solve this problem.

Mrs. Anderson was a strong and able leader who created and built what has become one of the best-known and effective organizations in Monrovia and the San Gabriel Valley. Over the years, the Foothill Unity Center has become a major source of food, health services and crisis assistance for thousands of low-income families. It is a multi-service agency serving as the region's primary provider of integrated services that help individuals and families move out of poverty and reach economic stability. In addition to her work at the Foothill Unity Center, Mrs. Anderson worked with the Monrovia Centennial Committee in the 1980's to develop a Child Care Consortium.

Mrs. Anderson was a humble and courageous leader who never failed to assist anyone regardless of their needs. She followed her intuition and did not regret breaking societal rules to help others. She changed the status quo and paved the way to help numerous individuals.

Dedicated October 15, 2022
Donna Hargett, Artist

- Brad Haugaard 

Trunk or Treat at First Presbyterian Church Oct. 29

Trunk or Treat Oct. 29 at First Presbyterian Church, at the corner of Myrtle and Foothill.

- Brad Haugaard