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Happy New Year Monrovia

Happy New Year from the Monrovia New Year's Eve party on Myrtle!

- Brad Haugaard

Lights on In New Monrovia Train Maintenance Facility

The lights have been switched on in the main shop building of the new Gold Line maintenance yard next to Home Depot in Monrovia. http://goo.gl/NMJZrH

- Brad Haugaard

Trader Joe's Float in Parade | Monrovia Drones in Canada | Party Tonight

~ Watch for float by Monrovia-based Trader Joe's in the Rose Parade: http://goo.gl/OmHCDg

~ Canada considering drones made by Monrovia's AeroVironment for search and rescue and other tasks. Privacy a concern. http://goo.gl/xY0ZYR

~ Monrovia's New Year's Eve festival tonight: http://goo.gl/yK6AFI

- Brad Haugaard

Rain | Cold for New Year's Eve | Les Miserables Auditions

~ Chance of rain has risen to 60% this Tuesday. http://goo.gl/scVSkg

~ National Weather Service warns of freezing or near-freezing temperatures in the area for New Year's Eve into New Year's Day morning ( http://goo.gl/JjFZBx ). I guess this means to bundle up tight for Monrovia's New Year's Eve festival: http://goo.gl/yK6AFI

~ Auditions for Les Miserables at IFGF Church in Monrovia (at Primrose and Palm) this Saturday, Jan. 3 at 9 a.m. Bring 16 bars of a piece from the show or a similar selection. Julie Lamouruex, accompanist, provided. All roles except Jean Valjean open. Directed by Keely Milliken. No Pay. Performances March 26-April 4. For information call 297-4758

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Kicking Girlfriend; Mail Theft; Missing Boy Found; Suicide Prevention; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for December 18-28. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Residential Burglary
December 18 at 6:14 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of East Cypress called police to report his home had been burglarized. The victim reported that he left his residence in the morning with all doors and windows locked. He returned home in the evening and found his residence had been broken into and ransacked. It appears the suspect(s) forced entry through the kitchen door by prying it open with some type of tool. The suspect(s) ransacked the house and left back out through the kitchen door. The only loss appears to be a laptop computer. The investigation is continuing.

Identity Theft / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspects Arrested
December 19 at 11:30 a.m., an officer responded to a hotel in the 900 block of South Fifth Avenue on the report of a subject using a fraudulent credit card to rent a room. The investigation revealed the two suspects in the room were in possession of several credit cards and mail belonging to possible victims, fraudulent DMV identification cards, and methamphetamine. Both suspects were arrested and held, pending their court appearance.

Identity Theft / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
December 19 at 2:14 p.m., an officer was sent to a hotel in the 900 block of South Fifth Avenue in reference to a fraud investigation. The investigation revealed the suspect in the room was in possession of several credit cards and mail belonging to possible victims. The suspect was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine and heroin. The suspect was arrested and held, pending his court appearance.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
December 19 at 7:55 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Tenth and El Norte for a vehicle code violation. Upon investigation, he discovered the driver had two outstanding warrants. The subject was arrested and taken into custody for the warrants.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
December 20 at 2:07 a.m., a vehicle was observed by officers being driven erratically in the area of Evergreen and Myrtle. The driver was stopped and was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
December 20 at 5:10 a.m., officers on patrol in the area of Duarte and Mayflower observed a male subject who appeared to be loitering near several vehicles. The officers contacted the subject and discovered he had an outstanding warrant; he was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
December 21 at 2:15 a.m., an officer on patrol in the area of Magnolia and Huntington stopped a driver for a vehicle code violation. After investigation, the driver was determined to be driving under the influence. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
December 21 at 3:15 a.m., an officer observed a driver make several vehicle code violations near Myrtle and Central. The officer stopped the driver, and after investigating, determined the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary
December 22 at 7:24 a.m., a commercial burglary was reported at a business in the 200 block of East Foothill. Suspect(s) possibly entered the business with a key or through an unlocked door and forced open a safe. The suspects took cash from the safe, a computer system, two hard drives and iPads. Later in the shift, the victim called and reported a credit card had also been taken from the business and was used at a Walmart. The investigation is continuing.

Bicycle Theft / Possession of Burglary Tools – Suspect Arrested
December 22 at 11:22 p.m., officers were dispatched to the report of a bicycle theft in the 400 block of East Duarte Road. While responding to the area, the officers observed the suspect riding the stolen bike. The subject was stopped and detained. The subject was in possession of a backpack, which was found to contain cutting pliers. The suspect claimed he was given the bike, but admitted to cutting the lock on the bicycle. He was arrested for the theft and possession of burglary tools.

Domestic Violence / Criminal Threats – Suspect Arrested
December 23 at 12:46 p.m., officers responded to the report of possible domestic violence at a residence in the 1300 block of South Alta Vista. Upon arrival, they located a female subject with visible injuries. Further investigation revealed the female subject’s boyfriend had punched her in the back of the head during an argument. The female attempted to call the police from her cell phone. The suspect threw her on the ground, started kicking her, and threatened to kill her. The suspect was arrested for domestic violence and criminal threats.

Possession of Methamphetamine – Suspect Arrested
December 23 at 9:36 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the 100 block of West Palm regarding possible drug activity going on around the park area. Upon investigation, officers located and arrested a 58-year-old male subject for sales of methamphetamine. The suspect was in possession of a backpack containing methamphetamine packaged in small baggies.

Mail Theft
December 24 at 2:35 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of Acorn called police to report a suspicious vehicle that was driving slowly and circling through their neighborhood. Officers arrived and contacted the subjects in the car. The driver was found to have a suspended license, and a consent search of the vehicle revealed stolen mail under the passenger seat of the vehicle. The subjects are husband and wife, and both were arrested for mail theft.

Critical Missing Located
On December 25 at 10:40 p.m., a 14-year-old autistic male juvenile was reported missing from a residence in the 500 block of East Walnut. The child had wandered away from the home. A description of the child was broadcast and officers conducted an area search. At approximately 12:35 a.m., the child was located by a relative at a Walmart in the city of Duarte.

Mental Evaluation
On December 28 at 9:50 p.m., an adult female phoned police to report her 28-year-old son was suicidal, aggressive and was threatening her. She had left the residence to phone police for help. Officers responded to the location in the 300 block of North Mountain Avenue and de-escalated the situation. They spoke with the adult son and determined that he was suicidal. He was determined to be both a danger to himself and others; he was taken to a hospital, where he was held for a 72-hour mental evaluation.

Astronomy Tonight in Monrovia? | Rain and Cold Coming?

~ I hear that tonight there MAY be a couple sidewalk astronomers at the southeast corner of Library Park, at Myrtle and Lime. Try around 6 or 7 p.m. They'll have their telescopes aimed at the moon and hope to get a glimpse of Venus as well.

~ 40 percent chance of rain in Monrovia this coming Tuesday, and a low of 35 degrees this coming Wednesday. Brrrr. http://goo.gl/somNLE

- Brad Haugaard

St. Francis over Monrovia :-( Former Mayor Bob Bartlett Celebration

~ Basketball. 58-43, St. Francis over Monrovia. http://goo.gl/MfCLGw

~ Video: Conversations with Ralph Walker, who attends the ceremony celebrating former Monrovia Mayor Bob Bartlett. http://goo.gl/hGvPa9

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Jersey Mike's


Lunch at Jersey Mike's, in the Sprouts shopping center on Huntington. Got the regular size Famous Roast Beef and Provolone sandwich ($8.25) and a large iced tea ($2.49). Nice.
- Brad Haugaard 

Autistic Boy Lost and Found | New Year's Day in Monrovia

~ Monrovia Police report a 14-year-old autistic boy was lost late last night and temperatures were getting down into the 40s, but fortunately he was found at Walmart.

~ Next up, New Year's Eve on Myrtle, from 7 p.m. to midnight. Beer and wine, kids' area, ball drop, restaurants, live music with the Lance and Gary Show. http://goo.gl/yK6AFI

- Brad Haugaard

Merry Christmas, Monrovia!

"Child and Madonna," oil on canvas board, by Brad Haugaard.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police Provide Christmas Help for Needy Family

Yesterday Monrovia Police delivered a Christmas tree and gift cards to a Monrovia family in need whose baby recently died due to illness. http://goo.gl/lOKLoK

- Brad Haugaard

Salvation Army Chorus at Pavilions Market


A Salvation Army chorus sings at Pavilions market in Monrovia.

- Brad Haugaard

Magnolia to Be Closed South of Freeway for Construction

Magnolia Avenue will be closed from Evergreen Avenue (that's the south-side freeway-access street) down to Genoa Street (that's one block above Duarte) from December 29 to January 9. Crews will be excavating for electrical vaults in the street on Dec. 29. The road will be closed during working hours from December 29 until January 9, but will remain open New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day. Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Fire Department Helps Family That Lost Everything | Possible Winds Today

~ Monrovia Fire Department and Spark of Love toy drive have stepped in to make Christmas better for a Monrovia family that lost everything in a fire. http://goo.gl/KHCDq6

~ Possible winds today - 20-30 mph with gusts to 40 - until about 3 p.m. http://goo.gl/gFT2BI

- Brad Haugaard

Citrus a 'Fastest Growing' School | Monrovia Providers Group Gets Donation

~ Citrus College, which serves Monrovia, has been named one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the nation, according to a recent Community College Week report. The college ranked fifth among U.S. community colleges with enrollments of 10,000 or more, according to 2012 and 2013 records. Nearly 13,000 students attended Citrus College in 2013, a 10 percent increase over the previous year. Source: press release

~ At its 90th Anniversary Breakfast on December 10 the Arcadia Association of Realtors donated $1,000 to Monrovia Providers Group. MPG is a non-profit organization of community agencies and private resources that provides services to area seniors. Source: press release

- Brad Haugaard

Police Chief Hunt: Proposition 47 'Terrible' for Monrovia Merchants

Let's say you (foolishly) leave your iPad on the front seat of your car, forget to lock the door, and go shopping. You come out, see someone making off with your iPad and call the Monrovia Police. They catch the guy. Hooray! But what happens next?

A ticket. The thief gets a citation, and he may be ticketed right on the spot and released, though he may be brought in for fingerprinting and identification. But at the end of the day the suspect walks out the door with a misdemeanor citation.

Monrovia Police Chief James Hunt told me why.

With the passage of Proposition 47, which Hunt strongly opposed (see here: http://goo.gl/dETaoI ) many felonies were turned into misdemeanors, including many types of theft.

Previously, he said, if a person stole something worth more than $500, it was a felony, or if he entered a business - for example - with the intent of stealing, regardless of the value of the item, it was a felony. Now, as long as the value of the item is under $950, it's a misdemeanor and it doesn't matter if the criminal has been doing it all day long all over town and has 100 prior arrests for the same crime, it's still a misdemeanor.

And even if the suspect is convicted in court, Hunt said, the likelihood of him spending time in jail is extremely low since there is little room in the jails for misdemeanor offenders.

The effect of the law, he said, was almost immediate. Just after it passed, he said, police stopped crimes and were told by the thieves, "You can't arrest me for a misdemeanor."

"Why break in to steal something when you can just grab it and run out the door?" Hunt said. The worst you face if you get caught is a misdemeanor charge.

"For our merchants," he said, "it's terrible."

All businesses are affected, he added, but the large retailers like Home Depot, Kohl's and supermarkets (where thieves like to grab alcohol) are hit hardest.

Hunt is also concerned that...

~ People serving jail time for felonies are petitioning to be released early since their crimes are now misdemeanors.

~ Probation terms are not applied for misdemeanors, and with some felonies being reclassified as misedmeanors, probation terms will not apply.

~ Possession of drugs, even date-rape drugs, is now just a ticketing offense.

- Brad Haugaard

Candlelight Service at Monrovia's First Presbyterian Church

First Presbyterian Church of Monrovia will hold a Christmas Eve (Dec. 24) candlelight service at 5:30 p.m. http://goo.gl/Ht92gf

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovians Killed in Crash

Monrovians killed in SUV crash on way to funeral. http://goo.gl/NkMeDg

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Church's Chicken

Lunch at Church's Chicken, at the corner of Huntington and Shamrock. Got the three-piece lunch for $7.49. Came with drink, biscuit, mashed potatoes and handy spork. Not health food, but filling and tasty. If you want something healthy, go next-door to Something Healthy. There was a sign saying, "Have a side of chicken genius." No clue what that means and neither did the attendant. 
- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Company Installs Big Battery

CODA Energy of Monrovia has installed the "largest behind the meter lithium-ion energy storage system in the Los Angeles basin." CODA began installations at the beginning of this year and now has nearly 3MWh of energy storage installations. The company designs and builds "industrial energy storage solutions." http://goo.gl/mc7Xph

- Brad Haugaard