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Men With Shotgun Rob Monrovia Verizon Store

A preliminary report says that the Verizon store in the shopping center at the corner of Fifth and Huntington was robbed by two men with a shotgun this evening. The suspects got away with cell phones.

- Brad Haugaard 

Community Meeting About Housing Project on Myrtle

There will be a meeting this Thursday, Feb. 1, at 6 p.m., at the Library Community Room, to discuss AvalonBay, a proposed  mixed-use housing project located at 825  S. Myrtle Ave. (northwest corner of Myrtle and Chestnut) that would have 154 units, 2,900 square feet of retail space, and a 286-space parking structure.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Releases Farm Analysis Software

Monrovia's AeroVironment has just released software to analyze and display on an app the information drones gather in flying over farms. Kirk Flittie, vice president and general manager of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems business segment, said, “Farmers can now survey their entire farm more efficiently and accurately, on their schedule, to enable better decision making and farm management." https://goo.gl/AhrbVF

Comment: I've been impressed with AeroVironment's move into commercial uses for drones, which I think may be a much larger and more stable market than just the military, so - full disclosure - I bought some of its stock.

- Brad Haugaard

Number of Homeless in Monrovia Drops to 35

In his weekly report City Manager Oliver Chi reported that, "Based on the preliminary results from the homeless count, it was reported that 35 homeless individuals were counted in Monrovia.  This is a slight decrease from the 39 homeless individuals that were counted in Monrovia in 2017."

- Brad Haugaard

Protecting Legislative Staff From Harassment

SB 429, the Harassment Retaliation Prevention Act, has passed the State Senate with unanimous bi-partisan support. It was co-authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino, who represents Monrovia. The act "protects victims from all forms of harassment in and around the Legislature. It also serves to protect against retaliation once cases are reported. The bill enhances the anti-retaliation provisions of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act, which protects legislative employees and lobbyists who report sexual or related harassment."  It is a companion bill with Assembly Bill 403, which Portantino also co-authored.

Source: Portantino press release

- Brad Haugaard

Black History Month Events

Monrovia Duarte Black Alumni Association is sponsoring a series of events for Black History month, including Jazz Brunch, Wealth Building Seminar, Art Festival, and Black History Luncheon. Details: https://goo.gl/8DzLby

- Brad Haugaard

Pavilions Gone, Vons Arriving


It is no longer Pavilions. The sign has come down and workers are about to install the new “Vons” Sign

Netflix Films Episode of Teen Series in Old Town

Netflix filmed part of an episode of a teen series called "Best Worst Weekend Ever" today in Old Town. https://goo.gl/j3GuEh

- Brad Haugaard

Total Eclipse of Moon Early Wednesday, Jan. 31

According to Monrovia's Old Town Sidewalk Astronomers, there will be an eclipse of the moon on Jan. 31 starting at  2:51 a.m. with totality from 4:51 a.m. to 6:07 a.m. "[I]t will be extremely low to the western horizon, so anyone with trees or mountains to their west will need to get to a flat area..... Then the moon sets before the end of the eclipse. Watch from 2:51 a.m. until totality is underway about 5 a.m. if you can."

- Brad Haugaard

Art in the Sky


I snapped this picture of a beautiful cloud from the Pavilions parking lot about 6:30 this morning. That’s the Chase Bank building below. I think it must have something to do with the morning air as I’ve seen several beautiful cloud formations early in the morning. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Breakfast at Mimi’s



Breakfast at Mimi’s, on Huntington. Got the Salmon Benedict for $14.49 and a coffee for $3.49. Was good. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Attempted Murder; 800 Marijuana Plants Discovered; Bad Boyfriend; Graffiti Spree; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for January 18-24. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 406 service events, resulting in 88 investigations.

Grand Theft Motorcycle
January 18 at 6:39 a.m., a motorcycle was reported stolen from the 400 block of S. Fifth Avenue. The victim reported that his motorcycle was taken sometime during the night from the rear of his apartment complex. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto
January 18 at 8:42 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 300 block of W. Walnut Avenue. The victim reported her gray, 1995 Honda Civic was parked on the street and was taken sometime between January 17 at 3:00 p.m. to January 18 at 8:30 a.m. All keys were accounted for and the investigation is continuing.

Battery – Suspect Arrested
January 19 at 11:30 a.m., officers responded to a business in the 1100 block of S. Mountain regarding an employee who had been fired and was at the business causing a disturbance. Officers arrived and detained the subject. Further investigation revealed the subject had pushed one of the other employees. The suspect was arrested for battery and taken into custody.

Vandalism
January 19 at 11:39 p.m., a vandalism incident was reported in the 300 block of E. Palm. The victim reported that three tires were slashed on her vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary
January 19 at 4:28 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 300 block of N. Grand. The resident came home and discovered that her front door was broken into sometime between 10:15 a.m. and 4:10 p.m. Unknown suspects entered the home, ransacked the house, and took a laptop computer. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft – Suspect Arrested
January 19 at 7:39 p.m., a theft was reported at a business in the 900 block of W. Foothill. The suspect entered the location, selected merchandise and left the store without paying. Police were notified and the suspect was located by officers a short distance away. He was arrested and the merchandise was recovered and returned to the business.

Utility Problem / Marijuana Grow Discovered
January 19 at 9:19 p.m., officers responded along with the Fire Department on the report of a utility problem at a building in the 100 block of E. Chestnut. When they arrived, they could see smoke and electrical arc flashing going on inside the building. They made entry and discovered a large marijuana grow inside. The arc flash was caused by the electrical system that was being used to maintain the marijuana grow. Detectives were called in and responded to the incident along with the Special Enforcement Team. Over 800 marijuana plants were impounded from the building. The investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto / Fraud
January 20 at 8:47 a.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 500 block of W. Duarte Road. The victim had been out of the country since November and returned to find his vehicle had been stolen. The victim had also left his credit card inside the vehicle and the credit card had been used to make purchases. A computer check revealed the vehicle had been impounded by Monterey Park Police Department. They had pursued a suspect on foot who had fled from the vehicle, however, the suspect was not detained or identified. The investigation is continuing.

Hit and Run Traffic Collision
January 20 at 10:30 a.m., a hit and run traffic collision was reported at the intersection of Peck and Longden. The suspect driver was traveling west on Longden at a high rate of speed and turned north on Peck, colliding into a vehicle that was stopped at the stop sign, facing south on Peck. The suspect continued north on Peck, without stopping. The suspect vehicle was described as a black, Chevrolet pickup truck. The investigation is continuing.

Fraud Report
January 20 at 2:22 p.m., a resident in the 300 block of N. Encinitas reported that he was the victim of fraud. The suspect obtained a loan from a bank using the victim’s information. The suspect then opened a bank account under the victim's name, cashed the check for the loan and closed the account. The victim was notified of the delinquent loan by a collections agency. The investigation is continuing.

Felony Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
January 21 at 12:59 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 100 block of E. Colorado regarding a domestic dispute. The female victim went out with her boyfriend, they began to argue and the argument began to get physical. She made him get out of her car and she went home. A short time later, she received several threatening text messages from him. She then received a text message picture of him standing outside her residence. He began knocking on the door, causing a disturbance, so she opened the door, let him in and went to bed. He then went into her bedroom and attempted to strangle her. She was able to hit him on the head with her cell phone and escape. She called police. The suspect was arrested for felony domestic violence.

Attempt Murder
January 21 at 4:44 a.m., an attempt murder incident was reported in the 100 block of E. Palm. At approximately 2:00 a.m., an adult male subject was sleeping in his vehicle with the windows rolled down. A male Hispanic suspect approached and stabbed him in the lip, which woke up the victim. The victim opened the car door and the suspect stabbed him multiple times in the neck and began punching the victim. The suspect then ordered the victim to lie face down on the ground, but the victim refused. The suspect took $12 dollars and a pack of cigarettes from the victim, and then wanted the vehicle. The victim told the suspect that it was all he had and the suspect fled. The investigation is continuing.

Graffiti Vandalism / Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
January 21 at 11:34 a.m., officers responded to California, under the 210 Freeway, regarding a vandalism incident in progress. As officers were conducting an area search for the suspect, another caller reported the suspect was now vandalizing a wall on Myrtle, under the 210 Freeway. Officers responded to the second location, but did not locate the suspect there. He was eventually located at Primrose and Central, where he was seen spray painting another wall. The suspect was detained and positively identified by witnesses. He was also found to be too intoxicated to care for himself. He was arrested and taken into custody for the charges.

Injury Traffic Collision
January 21 at 11:44 a.m., officers responded to an injury traffic accident at Mountain and Lemon. A vehicle was traveling east and entered the intersection of Lemon and Mountain on a green light, where it was broadsided by a vehicle traveling south on Mountain that failed to stop for the red light at Lemon. One subject was taken to the hospital with a complaint of pain.

Shoplifting / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Warrant – Suspects Arrested
January 21 at 3:37 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain regarding a theft in progress. They detained the suspect as he was running to his van. He was detained without incident. The suspect was arrested for shoplifting and his girlfriend was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and a warrant.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
January 22 at 6:42 pm., loss prevention at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain called police regarding four male subjects causing a disturbance. The subjects were claiming to be affiliated with a gang. Officers arrived and conducted computer checks on all four subjects. One subject had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody for the warrant. The other three subjects were released at the scene.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
January 23 at 1:26 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 300 block of S. Myrtle and saw a subject inside a park after hours, in violation of the local city ordinance. The officer detained the subject and noticed the subject displayed physical signs of being under the influence. The subject said he used methamphetamine about one hour earlier. After further evaluation, the subject was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance and was taken into custody.

Vehicle Burglaries
January 23 at 1:47 p.m., two vehicle burglaries were reported in the 900 block of W. Duarte Road. The windows were smashed on both vehicles and the suspects took items that were left in the vehicles, including one laptop. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
January 23 at 2:06 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of W. Pomona. A window was smashed on the vehicle and camera equipment that was left in the vehicle was taken. Surveillance video shows two male Black suspects fleeing the scene in a white Nissan Altima. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
January 23 at 8:20 p.m., an injury traffic collision was reported in the 400 block of W. Duarte Road. A vehicle was traveling west on Duarte, approaching Alta Vista. The driver proceeded to make a left turn into a driveway and inadvertently stepped on the gas pedal instead of the brake. The vehicle collided into a parked car. The driver was treated at the scene by Monrovia paramedics and taken to a local hospital.

Public Intoxication – Suspects Arrested
January 24 at 7:05 p.m., police dispatch received a call reporting two male subjects that appeared intoxicated and were walking into oncoming traffic in the 500 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and located the two subjects. Both subjects were determined to be extremely intoxicated and were arrested for being drunk in public.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
January 24 at 11:15 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation in the area of Mountain and Foothill. The officer noticed that the driver was displaying signs and symptoms of being under influence of drugs. After further investigation, the subject was arrested for driving under the influence and held for a sobering period. The driver was later released with a citation to appear in court on the charge. 

Man Arrested in San Marino in Connection With Monrovia Hillside Fire

On the evening of January 13, 2018 the cities of Pasadena and Arcadia experienced a spree of outside fires along the Foothill Blvd. corridor, between Sierra Madre Villa and the Los Angeles Arboretum. Firefighters from the cities of Pasadena and Arcadia responded and quickly extinguished the fires. Investigation into the fire causes determined that they were intentionally set. Officers from the Pasadena and Arcadia Police Departments, as well as the California Highway Patrol, responded to the area to search for the person(s) responsible, but were unable to identify and locate a suspect.

An ongoing investigation by members of the Verdugo Fire Investigation Task Force yielded a suspect and description, and a "want flyer" was disseminated to local law enforcement entities. On January 21, 2018 at 03:00 a.m., in response to the "want-flyer", suspect Nigel Letren (DOB: 03/10/1973) was arrested in the City of San Marino by the San Marino Police Department.

On January 24, 2018 the suspect was arraigned at Pasadena Superior Court, where he was charged with five counts of arson related to the January 13th fires, and one count of arson related to the December 9th 2017 wildland fire in the City of Monrovia. The suspect is currently being held on $425,000 bail and is scheduled to return to court on February 15, 2018.

The Verdugo Fire Investigation Task Force is a regional group of investigators from the cities of Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, South-Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Arcadia, Monrovia, San Marino, San Gabriel, Alhambra, Monterey Park, and Montebello.

"This arrest is a great example of exceptional cooperation between multiple agencies and proven results from our regional Verdugo Fire Investigations Task Force," states Pasadena Fire Chief Bertral Washington. "The Regional Fire Chiefs and I are thankful for their relentless work on behalf of the communities we serve."

Source: Pasadena Fire Department press release

- Brad Haugaard

Help Applying for Health Insurance

Chapcare will hold an Open Enrollment Event to help residents apply for health insurance on Jan. 27 at its Monrovia office at 513 E. Lime, #102 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring valid ID, Social Security card and proof of income. For details call 486-9639.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Convicted in Money Laundering Case; Could Face 30 Years in Prison

The Daily Bulletin reports that 32-year-old Monrovian, Harinder "Sonu" Singh, has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business, and operating an unlicensed money transmitting business, and faces up to 30 years in prison. https://goo.gl/Fmty3p

- Brad Haugaard