Unity Center looking for food distribution volunteers

Foothill Unity Center is looking for food distribution volunteers to help serve more than 600 Monrovia-area households each week. Volunteers are needed Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Kids Craft in the Canyon, Aug. 22

Canyon Park will host Kids Craft in the Canyon on Saturday, Aug. 22. Park Naturalists will help participants explore nature and create art at Canyon Park. No registration required; first come, first served. Snacks will be provided.

- Brad Haugaard

Leadership Academies return this fall; registration open

Monrovia Area Partnership (MAP) is hosting adult and youth leadership academies this fall, a seven-week program designed to build informed community leaders. The Adult Leadership Academy meets Thursday evenings, Sep. 17 through Oct. 29, 7 to 9 p.m., at various city facilities. The Youth Leadership Academy is open to students in grades 6 to 12 and meets Wednesday afternoons, Sep. 16 through Oct. 28, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Registration is open, here. For more information, contact MAP at map@monroviaca.gov or 932-5563.

- Brad Haugaard

Trader Joe's plans to rebuild its headquarters on Shamrock

The city has received a pre-application for redevelopment of Trader Joe's corporate headquarters at 800 S. Shamrock Ave. The proposal calls for demolition of the existing building and parking lot and construction of a two-story headquarters totaling approximately 95,969 square feet, plus a parking structure. The headquarters would continue to house Trader Joe's national offices, including administrative space, training facilities, and a tasting kitchen. The project is in the early stage and residents will have opportunities for public input, including a neighborhood meeting. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Earthquake preparedness workshop at Monrovia Library, Sep. 12

Monrovia Historic Preservation Group and the Monrovia Fire Department will host a free earthquake preparedness workshop on Saturday, Sep. 12, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the Library's Community Room. Guest speaker Margaret Vinci from Caltech will be joined by representatives from several utilities, the Red Cross, and others. RSVP here, as space is limited. Lunch will be provided.

- Brad Haugaard

Six Monrovia Unified schools earn California PBIS state recognition

Six Monrovia Unified schools have earned 2025–2026 California PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) State Recognition from the California PBIS Coalition, which honors campuses that foster safe, nurturing, and inclusive learning environments. Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy and Mayflower Elementary School received Gold Recognition, while Monroe Elementary, Plymouth Elementary, Wild Rose School of Creative Arts, and Clifton Middle School received Silver Recognition.

- Brad Haugaard

Coming Up in Monrovia

Monrovia Fire & Rescue training in Canyon Park, Aug. 18, 20, 22

Teen Game Hangout at the Library, Aug. 21

Sensory-Friendly Morning for Neurodivergent Children at the Library, Aug. 22

Kids Can Turn Nature Into Art at Canyon Park, Aug. 22

Free emergency preparedness training for families, Aug. 22 and 29

Pop-up Makerspace for Teens at the Library, Aug. 26

Community Center trip to Lavender Nights Festival planned for Aug. 29

Music Trivia & Karaoke at the Library, Aug. 29

San Gabriel Valley Choral Company Holding Auditions Sept. 1 and 15

Monrovia Police DUI checkpoint, Sep. 4

Manga Munchies: Make Chicken Katsu at the Library, Sep. 5

Veterans Movement & Stretch Class at the Library, Sep. 8

Food ED Green Care Day, Sep. 12

Free wildfire insurance webinar, Sep. 17

Rotary Casino Night and Speakeasy, Sept. 19

Fountain to the Falls 10K Run/Walk, Sep. 19

Monrovia Guild of Children’s Hospital to hold fundraiser, Oct. 3

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at King’s Wok

Dinner at King's Wok, in the shopping center at the corner of Magnolia and Huntington. Got the Combo C and a drink for $13.88, chicken, shrimp, and noodles. Tasty, reasonably priced, and enough for a second meal.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Indecent exposure at store windows; Man walks in underwear; Woman drugged and assaulted; Missing man found in Vegas; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for August 13 – 19, 2026. 418 calls for service, 84 investigations, 1 mental evaluations, 9 traffic collisions, 33 arrests. - Brad Haugaard]

AUGUST 13

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested

At 9:52 a.m., an employee from a business in the 1500 block S. of Myrtle reported a shoplifting incident in progress. Officers arrived and located the suspect nearby, still in possession of the stolen property. A computer search revealed the subject had multiple warrants for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested

At 2:26 p.m., while patrolling the 100 block of E. Pomona an officer saw a suspicious subject and contacted the subject. An investigation revealed she was in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Shoplifting

At 4:11 p.m., an employee from a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a shoplifting incident. The suspect was gone prior to officers' arrival. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence / Court Order Violation – Suspect Arrested

At 4:46 p.m., a disturbance was reported in the 700 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and made contact with a male and female subject. An investigation revealed the female subject was restrained from the male subject. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism

At 7:09 p.m., a vandalism was reported in the 1300 block of S. Myrtle. Officers arrived and located graffiti on a wall. A removal request was submitted. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspects Arrested

At 7:36 p.m., officers were dispatched to a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington regarding two subjects who shoplifted and exited the store. Officers arrived and located two suspects nearby. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Shoplifting – Suspects Arrested

At 7:47 p.m., a shoplifting incident was reported at a store in the 700 block of E. Huntington. Officers arrived and located two female subjects leaving the store with items that were identified as stolen merchandise. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Municipal Code Violation – Suspects Arrested

At 11:22 p.m., officers patrolling the 200 block of S. Myrtle saw two subjects sleeping in a park after hours, in violation of a municipal code. Officers made contact with the subjects. They were arrested and taken into custody.

AUGUST 14

Theft

At 9:18 p.m., a theft was reported in the 500 block of Diamond. This investigation is continuing.

Assault with a Deadly Weapon – Suspect Arrested

At 10:04 p.m., a fight was reported in the 300 block of S. Myrtle. Officers arrived and determined the suspect threw a drink at the victim's vehicle and later returned to do more damage. The victim confronted the suspect and the suspect struck the victim multiple times with a weighted object, causing injuries. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Municipal Code Violation – Suspects Arrested

At 10:17 p.m., an officer patrolling a park in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle observed three subjects in a park after hours. The officer made contact with the subjects and determined they were in violation of a municipal code. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Rape – Suspect Arrested

At 11:31 p.m., a victim in 700 block of W. Huntington reported that she had been drugged and sexually assaulted by a male subject. The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment. The male subject was located at a later time. He was arrested and taken into custody.

AUGUST 15

Trespass – Suspect Arrested

At 1:05 a.m., a caller in the 100 block of E. Lime reported a man refusing to leave a business entrance. Officers arrived, contacted the man, and later arrested him after he still refused to leave.

Theft

At 12:30 a.m., a caller in the 800 block of W. Duarte reported multiple package thefts. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested

At 12:01 p.m., an employee from a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a shoplifting incident. Officers arrived and located the suspect in a parking lot. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Vandalism

At 12:51 p.m., a victim in the 1800 block of Peck reported that sometime overnight, his vehicle was vandalized. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested

At 2:16 p.m., a caller in the area of Mayflower and Fano reported a male subject passed out on a sidewalk. Officers arrived and made contact with him. It was determined he was too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested

At 7:53 p.m., a suspicious vehicle was reported in a parking lot in the 600 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and located the vehicle with two occupants. The officers made contact with the subjects. A computer search revealed that the passenger had a warrant for her arrest. She was also found to be in possession of controlled substances. She was arrested and taken into custody.

AUGUST 16

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested

At 5:31 a.m., an officer patrolling the 400 block of S. Myrtle saw a subject discard drug paraphernalia and made contact with the subject. The subject was arrested.

Indecent Exposure – Suspect Arrested

At 6:00 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 100 block of W. Duarte regarding a subject standing in front of a business' windows exposing himself. Officers arrived and located the subject a short distance away. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested

At 11:08 a.m., a caller in the 200 block of E. Colorado reported an unknown subject was on their property. Officers arrived and made contact with the subject. A computer search revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

AUGUST 17

Theft

At 6:50 a.m., a theft from night prior was reported at a business in the 1500 block of S. Myrtle. This investigation is continuing.

Loitering – Suspect Arrested

At 1:38 p.m., a caller in the 700 block of W. Duarte reported a female subject loitering. An officer arrived and made contact with the female subject. A computer search revealed she had multiple warrants for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft

At 4:04 p.m., a victim walked into the MPD lobby to report a subject had stolen equipment and was refusing to return it. This investigation is continuing.

Missing Person Located

At 9:22 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 700 block of E. Lime regarding a missing person. The reporting party stated their son, who suffered from some health conditions, hadn't returned home which was unusual. He was located in Las Vegas and the local agency confirmed he was well. He was entered and removed from the Missing Persons system.

AUGUST 18

Resist Delay / Under Influence – Suspect Arrested

At 9:41 a.m., an officer patrolling the 500 block of W. Huntington saw a male subject walking in his under clothes. The officer made contact with the subject and discovered he was under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested and transported to the MPD jail to be held for a sobering period.

Theft

At 1:58 p.m., a resident in the 900 block of S. Ivy reported a male subject stole property from his front porch. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto

At 2:05 p.m., an employee from a business in the 800 block of E. Huntington reported a vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Theft – Suspects Arrested

At 5:16 p.m., a loss prevention officer for a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a male and female subject were in the store concealing items, left without paying and drove to another nearby store to do the same. Officers arrived and located the subjects outside the store. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Missing Person Located

At 6:47 p.m., a family walked into the MPD lobby to report a female juvenile as a runaway. She was located later that day in a relative's home. She was entered and removed from the missing person system.

AUGUST 19

Missing Critical

At 4:21 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of N. Canyon reported her partner missing. An officer located the partner an hour later a few miles away from home. He was reunited with his partner.

Monrovia students to receive free meals during 2026–27 school year

Students at Monrovia schools will receive free breakfast and lunch during the 2026–27 school year through the federal Community Eligibility Provision and California’s Universal Meals Program. No meal application is required. 

- Brad Haugaard

Community Center trip to Lavender Nights Festival planned for Aug. 29

The Community Center is planning a trip to the Lavender Nights Festival at 123 Farm (see here) on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 3 to 10:30 p.m. It's located in Cherry Valley (north of Banning in Riverside County). Lavender fields and gardens illuminated by more than a half million lights, live music, food vendors. Bus departs at 3 p.m. Cost is $35 for residents and $45 for non-residents. Call the Community Center at  256-8246 for more information.

- Brad Haugaard

Veterans Movement & Stretch Class at the Library, Sep. 8

Veterans, service members, and family can reset and decompress with an easy all-levels stretching workout at the Library on Tuesday, Sep. 8, from 6 to 7 p.m. Register

- Brad Haugaard

Music Trivia & Karaoke at the Library, Aug. 29

Test your music knowledge, enjoy snacks, and sing along at the Library on Saturday, Aug. 29, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Details.

 - Brad Haugaard

Manga Munchies: Make Chicken Katsu at the Library, Sep. 5

Learn to make chicken katsu, then enjoy it together at the Library on Saturday, Sep. 5, from 2 to 3 p.m. Register here.

 - Brad Haugaard

Globally Inspired 'Ponderolo' Residence in Monrovia Listed for $1.65 Million

"The Ponderolo," a highly customized 1951 residence at 310 S. Mountain Ave. in Monrovia, has been listed for $1.65 million. The 2,261-square-foot home sits on nearly half an acre features a copper-and-rope living room ceiling, an entertainment lounge with a built-in bar, and three outdoor patios. The property reflects the owner's global travels, eclectic architectural details and custom craftsmanship. Details.

- Brad Haugaard