Ramming Bicyclist | Low Truancy Rate in Monrovia

~ Man accused of intentionally hitting bicyclist with car in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/8BJPe

~ Monrovia schools. Low truancy rate. http://goo.gl/6gPMb

- Brad Haugaard

Unity Center Needs Volunteers | Burglar Escapes Monrovia Police

~ Foothill Unity Center could use volunteers for its project to give school supplies to needy children, Tuesday, August 13, at Santa Anita Race Track. Contact Raina Martinez at 626-358-3486 for more information.

~ Monrovia Police search for burglar, but he's gone. http://goo.gl/d69ia

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Shrimp House

Lunch at Shrimp House earlier this week, at Live Oak and Myrtle. Nice decor, friendly and efficient service, and well maintained. I got the combo plate ($8.95) and an iced tea ($2.59). You might like this if you like the traditional breaded style of fish.

- Brad Haugaard

Produce in the Park | Goodwill Fundraiser

~ Produce in the Park tomorrow. Exchange veggies and stuff. http://goo.gl/g2f1m

~ Goodwill Fundraiser on Saturday, a week from tomorrow, at Open Door Church. http://goo.gl/6qmuw

- Brad Haugaard

Happy Birthday America!

Happy birthday America! May you see many many more. 

Fireworks at Library Park. 

 

- Brad Haugaard

Fourth of July Pre Fireworks

This is Myrtle just before the fireworks show. Huge crowd. Next year I gotta get here earlier. 

 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovians Want Ban on Plastic Bags | Fire Department Flags at Half Staff | Library Closed

~ About six or seven Monrovians asked the City Council Tuesday night to begin the process to ban plastic supermarket bags, saying that other cities are doing it, that the bags get into our waterways and are a hazard to wildlife. Councilman Alex Blackburn said the use of plastic bags is "socially primitive, myopic and childish" and objections to such a ban on them are just "excuses to behave selfishly."

~ Fire Department lowers flags to half staff to honor firefighters killed in the Arizona fire. http://goo.gl/1WCMv

~ The library will be closed both July 3 and 4. http://goo.gl/JgHhv

- Brad Haugaard

Federal Government May Want Control of Monrovia Foothills

At tonight's city council meeting, Monrovia Councilman Tom Adams warned that Congresswoman Judy Chu, who represents Monrovia, wants to include the Monrovia Hillside Preserve in a federal recreation area. Adams said he does not think there would be any advantage to Monrovia in having the Department of the Interior take control of the area. However, everybody else on the council except Alex Blackburn wanted to ask for a presentation on what the federal government plans to do with the land before taking a stand on it.

- Brad Haugaard

More Bad News for Newspapers?

Got this notice in today's Pasadena Star-News, which covers Monrovia. Having a big advertiser drop out - even if it is staying in for the Sunday edition - does not seem like good news for the newspaper. As a former reporter is sad to watch the decline of this industry.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's World Vision Building City in Desert | McFarland Sentenced | Xencor

~ Video: Monrovia's World Vision Christian relief agency, creating a whole city for Syrian refugees in Jordan. http://goo.gl/PrZIN

~ Monrovian Kelvin Bernard McFarland, who ran a "boot camp" in Pasadena, is sentenced. http://goo.gl/k0j7e

~ Monrovia's Xencor has licensed one of its patents "for a therapeutic monoclonal antibody" to the pharmaceutical company Merck. http://goo.gl/9lsf1

- Brad Haugaard

Gold Line to Claremont? Not Even on the List

Will the Gold Line be extended from Azusa to Claremont? Probably not in our lifetimes. http://goo.gl/RmWKV

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Suspects Arrested in Rash of Vehicle Burglaries; 'Well, Yeah, I Got a Meth Pipe'; Gang Members Hit Wrong House

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 27-30. - Brad Haugaard]

 

Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events. 

 

Burglary / Stolen Vehicle

June 27 at 6:06 a.m., a burglary and grand theft that occurred overnight at a construction site near Magnolia and Evergreen was reported to police.  Unknown suspect(s) broke into a locked storage container and took supplies and tools.  They also stole a white, 1997, Ford flatbed truck, which was parked in front of the storage container.  The investigation is continuing.

 

Residential Burglary

June 27 at 3:21 p.m., residents from the 300 block of North Mayflower arrived home and found the front and back doors of their residence open.  They looked inside and saw the house had been ransacked and called police.  They were unable to determine if anything had been taken at the time.  Investigation continuing.

 

Commercial Burglary – Suspect Arrested

June 27 at 6:13 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a business in the 500 block of West Huntington regarding a burglary.  A male adult entered the store, selected merchandise and tried to return several items in order to obtain store credit.  He was denied the return, so he exited the store with the items he had tried to return.  He was stopped by store security and detained.  An officer arrived and interviewed the suspect; he was arrested for burglary as he admitted he went to the location with the intent of taking the merchandise.    

 

Rash of Vehicle Thefts and Burglaries

On June 28, 29, and 30 numerous vehicle thefts and burglaries that occurred during the night were reported to police.  Some of the vehicles were left unlocked and some were locked.  The suspect(s) entered the vehicles and took cash, paperwork, electronics and other miscellaneous items that were left in the vehicles.  In one incident, a window was smashed and a purse was taken that was left on the floorboard of the vehicle. 

 

Three different suspects were arrested in the City this week, two for drug charges and one for receiving stolen property.  All three suspects have a history of theft from vehicles and were contacted as officers provided extra patrol for thefts from vehicles.  The investigations are continuing.

 

Receiving Stolen Property – Suspect Arrested

June 28 at 10:10 a.m., officers responded to the 900 block of West Huntington on the report of a suspicious subject looking into vehicles.  Officers detained a subject matching the description and found he was carrying two bags.  A search revealed he had two car stereos in the bags, which he said were given to him.  An investigation was conducted, and the subject was subsequently arrested for receiving stolen property.

 

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested

June 29 at 7:40 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 300 block of South Mountain observed a subject who has a history of theft from vehicles.  The subject was contacted and through investigation, it was determined he was under the influence.  He was arrested and taken into custody.

 

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested

June 29 at 8:40 p.m., while on patrol in the area of Magnolia and Olive, an officer saw a suspicious subject duck behind a vehicle in the driveway of a residence.  The subject has a history of theft from vehicles.  The officer stopped and contacted the subject.  During the consensual contact, the officer asked the subject if he had anything illegal on him.  The subject admitted to having a methamphetamine pipe in his pocket.  The officer located a used glass smoking pipe on the subject.  He was arrested.

 

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested

June 30 at 3:40 a.m., an officer stopped a vehicle occupied by three subjects for failing to yield in the 2100 block of South Myrtle.  All three subjects were found to be on probation for theft.  The driver did not have any identification on his person and had a baggie of methamphetamine in his pocket.  The driver was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and his vehicle was stored.  The passengers were identified and released.

 

Injury Traffic Accident

June 30 at 1:38 p.m., two vehicles collided in the intersection of Huntington and California.  One of the vehicles failed to stop for the red light and ran into a car in the intersection.  The jaws of life were used to remove the passenger in the rear seat; she sustained moderate injuries and was taken to a hospital.

 

Shots Fired at Occupied Vehicle

June 30 at approximately 10:15 p.m., a female adult who is living in a motor home was sleeping in the vehicle.  The motor home was parked in the 1100 block of South Ivy.  The woman heard a noise and looked out the window.  She saw a dark-colored, possibly blue, Nissan Maxima or Sentra, occupied by three to four male Hispanic subjects.  The driver of the vehicle yelled out a gang epithet and then fired three or four shots at the motor home.  The suspects then fled in the vehicle, north on Ivy and east on Huntington.

 

Officers arrived and inspected the motor home.  They located three bullet holes in the glass windows.  The victim does not know who the suspects are and did not recognize the vehicle.  She has no gang affiliation.  The investigation is continuing.  Anyone with any information about this crime is asked to contact the Monrovia Police Department.   

Monrovia Schools Suspends More Students

Monrovia schools apparently has one of the highest suspension rates in the state. http://goo.gl/Np04K

Comment: Uhhh ... okay. But is that a bad thing? I like the idea that disruptive students are temporarily chucked out so other students can learn. If other districts aren't suspending enough disruptive students, so much the worse for them. Good work, Monrovia schools!

- Brad Haugaard

Former Monrovia Assemblymen Running for Higher Offices

Two men who represented Monrovia in the California Assembly are now running for higher office.

Former Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, who represented part of Monrovia, is running for the State Senate, and would apparently challenge Monrovia's current State Senator, Carol Liu. http://goo.gl/Pbb8v

And, Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, who represented the other part of Monrovia, before redistricting, is running for Governor. http://goo.gl/wYafH

- Brad Haugaard

Watch an Artist at Work at Monrovia Gallery

Scott Dienhart

Watch artist Scott Dienhart at work during "Summer Sundays with Scott" at Segil Fine Art at 110 West Lime, on the south side of Library Park.  He'll be working on a painting at the gallery every Sunday during the summer from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Cool refreshments, too.