News: brad.haugaard@gmail.com   •  Restaurants   •  Library Catalog   •  Library Activities  •  History   •  Facebook / X/Twitter / RSS

Monrovia Police: Stealing Electricity From a Bank; Sleeping in a Park; Car Stolen; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 6-8. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 421 service events, resulting in 64 investigations.

Residential Burglary
July 6 at 5:49 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 200 block of East Maple. The night before, the victim closed his automatic garage door and went into his house. He thought it had closed all the way, but at 7:00 a.m. the next morning, he walked outside and saw the garage door was partially open, with enough room for someone to crawl underneath. He closed it all the way and went to work. When he returned home from work, he opened his garage door and noticed several car batteries and a hydraulic fuel pump had been stolen. He immediately called the police. The investigation is continuing.

Drug Paraphernalia/Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
July 7 at 1:21 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 500 block of South Myrtle when he saw a male subject loitering around a bank’s ATM machines; however, he was not using the machines. The male had a bandanna covering his face and he was sweating, appearing suspicious.

The officer contacted the subject, who told the officer he was stealing electricity from the bank by charging his cell phone in their outside electrical outlet. The subject was showing signs of being under the influence of a controlled substance, so the officer conducted a drug evaluation. He was arrested for being under the influence, and he was found to be in possession of an almost empty baggy of methamphetamine and a used, glass smoking pipe.

Park Closed – Citations Issued
July 7 at 2:08 a.m., an officer was patrolling a park in the 500 block of South Mountain and located two male subjects camping out and sleeping after the park closed. Signs were posted notifying the subjects that the park was closed; they were both issued citations and asked to leave the park.

Grand Theft Auto
July 7 at 4:38 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from the 600 block of West Huntington Drive. The vehicle is a 2015, Chevy Camaro and was stolen from a business parking lot. The victim saw the vehicle being driven away by a male suspect, but did not realize the car was hers until she found that her vehicle was gone from where she had parked it. The investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
July 7 at 10:28 p.m., officers responded to a market in the 400 block of West Foothill regarding a male subject who was causing a disturbance in the parking lot with store customers. When the officers arrived, a computer check revealed the male had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. The male subject was arrested and taken into custody for the warrants.

Monrovia FD Creates Training Facilities With Grant Money

What the Monrovia Fire Department has done with its Homeland Security grants: http://goo.gl/L1PYSu

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Kim Rhode to be Pan American Games Flag Bearer

Monrovian Kim Rhode has been selected as Team USA's flag bearer for the opening ceremony of the XVII Pan American Games to be held July 10 in Toronto. http://goo.gl/c83k7y

- Brad Haugaard

Tour of Historic Monrovia This Saturday

Monrovia Historic Preservation Group will conduct its next walking tour of downtown Monrovia this Saturday, July 11, at 10 a.m. Reservations are not necessary. Meet at the southeast corner of Palm and Myrtle Avenues. Cost is $5 (12 and under free) and lasts approximately two hours. http://goo.gl/I9gLrc

- Brad Haugaard

Family Services Director Retires | Mt. Sierra Student Graduation

~ Executive director of Santa Anita Family Services retires: http://goo.gl/DMMq9L

~ Monrovia's Mt. Sierra College honors its graduates: http://goo.gl/AzXwdH

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovian Charged With Attempted Murder | Holden Human Rights Bill

~ Monrovia man charged with attempting to kill Arcadia police officer: http://goo.gl/LxDuLt

~ A bill by Monrovia's Assembly representative, Chris Holden, to expand the time limit for filing human rights claims in cases of torture, rape, and sex trafficking, has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee. AB 15 extends the statute of limitations on human rights abuse cases from two to ten years, bringing it into line with federal law. Source: Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's AeroVironment Gets New CFO

Monrovia-based AeroVironment today announced the appointment of Raymond Cook as senior vice president and chief financial officer, effective immediately. http://goo.gl/u6Cg3k

- Brad Haugaard

Holden School-Employee Travel Bill Signed By Governor

Governor Jerry Brown has signed into law Assembly member Chris Holden's bill (AB 915) to remove travel restrictions on public school employees. Existing law prohibits employees who are on leave and receiving workers' compensation from traveling outside California unless the school board approves the travel. AB 915 repeals that prohibition. According to Holden's office, "This bill received overwhelming bi-partisan support in both Assembly and Senate." Holden represents Monrovia. Source: Holden press release

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: 'I Have Meth In My Pocket'; Domestic Violence; Under the Influence

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 2-5. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
July 3 at 1:23 a.m., police received a call reporting a possible drunk driver. The caller observed the driver drinking behind a business near Myrtle and Evergreen. The caller saw the subject get in his vehicle and reported him to police as he was leaving the area. Officers located the vehicle and saw the driver swerve and nearly hit a parked car. The driver was stopped and, through investigation, he was determined to be driving under the influence; the driver was arrested and held for sobering.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
July 3 at 1:15 p.m., an officer was sent to the 500 block of West Olive on the report of a male and female arguing inside of a parked vehicle. Officers arrived and, through investigation, determined the male subject was the primary aggressor. The subjects are in a dating relationship and were involved in an argument. During the argument, the male suspect grabbed the victim by the back of the neck, squeezing for several seconds before releasing his grip. The suspect also slapped the victim several times. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody; he was held pending his court appearance.

Possession of a Controlled Substance/Outstanding Warrant – Suspect Arrested
July 4 at 9:57 a.m., an officer observed a bicyclist riding erratically in and out of the roadway and crosswalk in the 400 block of West Huntington Drive. He stopped and contacted the subject. The subject told the officer he had methamphetamine in his pocket. The officer searched the subject and found that he was in possession of methamphetamine; he was arrested and taken into custody. A computer check revealed the subject also had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, which was added to his charges.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
July 5 at 7:31 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Linwood regarding a welfare check. The caller reported her father was extremely intoxicated and she thought he was going to get in his car and drive away. The subject was found sitting on the curb in front of the home. A computer check of the subject revealed two outstanding misdemeanor warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody for the warrants.

Comment: Thoughts on Monrovia's Fourth of July Celebration

The Monrovia Fourth of July celebration at Library Park was - as usual - wonderful, but you know, even though the fireworks were great (Thank you, city government and generous contributors!) what really touched my heart was the result of a glitch.

At the beginning of the night the music for the Star Spangled Banner abruptly stopped part way through the music, but then a great thing happened - the crowd picked up the national anthem and sang it themselves!

When I was growing up in the 60s this would not have been worthy of comment because the crowd always sang the national anthem. But I think during the ill feeling of the Vietnam War era a lot of people decided not to sing it, so various venues started bringing in singers to sing it, and it soon became something that was performed for the people rather than something sung by the people.

I would so much love to get back to the people singing the national anthem. To me, singing it as a crowd reinforces the sense that, "Whatever our political differences, we are all in this together."

Maybe we should start doing this intentionally, and it might as well be Monrovia that leads the way. But since I don't think people are used to singing the anthem anymore, maybe it would be good to have a song leader get the crowd started in singing it. But please, don't do it for us. It's not us if you do it for us.

- Brad Haugaard

Happy Fourth of July, Monrovia!


Fireworks at Monrovia's Library Park. Comment: The night started out well. There was a glitch playing the national anthem so the crowd sang it alone. A big improvement.

- Brad Haugaard

VBS At Monrovia's Calvary Road Baptist Church | Dr. Seuss Story Hour

~ Vacation Bible School July 14-18 at Calvary Road Baptist Church. Primary through high school grades. Games, crafts, Bible lessons, snacks and prizes. Church at 319 W Olive. Register here: http://goo.gl/lhaHe9

~ Dr. Seuss story hour at Friends Cafe (near Myrtle and Lemon), July 24 at 3 p.m.

- Brad Haugaard

New Monrovia Street Fair Doing Well


The Friday Night Street Fair, under new management, stretches along Myrtle from Chestnut up to Lemon. It seems to be going well, despite the spinoff street fair in Arcadia. Shops, food, pony rides, bounce houses and more. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Council: Fire Tax Increase; Reorganization of City Hall

At its July 7 meeting (agenda: http://goo.gl/YcHmX7 ), the Monrovia City Council will, among other things, consider ...

~ Raising the city's Fire Service Impact Fee from 60 cents per square foot to 90 cents per square foot for both commercial and residential buildings. Fire Chief Chris Donovan says that between 2000 and 2014, there has been a 17.5% increase in the annual number of Fire Department calls for service and a 29.6% increase in medical aid calls. http://goo.gl/eKQOtm

~ A reorganization of various city departments. http://goo.gl/1TybSn

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Panera Bread


Lunch today at Panera Bread on Huntington. Got an Italian Combo sandwich ($8.29) and a strawberry banana smoothie ($4.29). Everything was very good!
- Brad Haugaard 

Biotech Incubator Opening in Monrovia

A new biotech incubator company called LabLaunch is up and running in Monrovia. Here's a picture: https://goo.gl/57xK5Z

- Brad Haugaard

Fireworks Tips If You Are Not In Monrovia

Personal fireworks are illegal in Monrovia, but if you are in an area that allows them, the Monrovia Police Department has some Fourth of July safety tips for you:

  • Make sure fireworks are legal in your area before buying or using them.
  • Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
  • Avoid buying fireworks that are packaged in brown paper because this is often a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and that they could pose a danger to consumers.
  • Always have an adult supervise fireworks activities. Parents don't realize that young children suffer injuries from sparklers. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
  • Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Back up to a safe distance immediately after lighting fireworks.
  • Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not ignited fully.
  • Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
  • Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
  • Light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly.
  • Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.
  • After fireworks complete their burning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding it to prevent a trash fire.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Brass Knuckles; Car Flips Twice; Grandson Arrested; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for June 29 – July 1. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 420 service events, resulting in 65 investigations.

Weapons Offense/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia – Suspect Arrested
June 30 at 12:54 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 300 block of East Walnut on the report of a male subject causing a disturbance. The subject was banging on the door of a motor home parked at the location. When officers arrived, they contacted the subject, along with three other male subjects at the location. A pat down search for the officer's safety revealed the first male detained was in possession of illegal brass knuckles and a used pipe for smoking methamphetamine. The subject was arrested and taken into custody. The other three subjects were identified and released.

Vehicle Burglary
June 30 at 7:37 a.m., a commercial vehicle parked at a hotel in the 900 block of South Fifth Avenue was broken into by unknown means. A GPS that was in the center console and a mounted DriveCam device was stolen. There was no sign of forced entry to the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Injury Traffic Collision
June 30 at 2:34 p.m., a husband and wife were driving in their car, heading north on Magnolia toward Colorado. The husband was driving and suddenly veered into an unoccupied, parked truck. The force of the collision moved the truck approximately 25 feet forward, and the car flipped over twice. Both occupants of the vehicle sustained moderate injuries and were taken to a hospital for treatment. There was no sign of alcohol involved.

Bicycle Theft
June 30 at 8:44 p.m., an officer responded to the 100 block of South Ivy regarding a bicycle theft. The owner of the bike said he left it unsecured on the side of his house at 5:00 p.m., and when he returned at 7:30 p.m., it was gone. The side of the house is visible from the street. He described his bike as a BMX Free Agent with a grey frame, black handle bars, a black front wheel and red rear wheel. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism/Warrant – Suspect Arrested
June 30 at 11:07 p.m., officers responded to an apartment in the 300 block of East Lime Avenue regarding a family disturbance. When they arrived, they spoke with the renter of the apartment. She told them she had allowed her adult grandson, who is homeless, to stay with her for one week, but she now wanted him out of her home. She refused to open the front door for him when he arrived home. He became angry and forced the door open, causing damage to the door frame. When he entered, he saw she had packed all his belongings into a bag. The grandson was found to have outstanding warrants for his arrest; he was arrested and taken into custody.

Drunk in Public – Suspect Arrested
July 1 at 3:23 a.m., a female was reported to be chasing a male south on Shamrock, approaching Huntington. Officers arrived and both were detained to investigate. The subjects were found to be husband and wife, and they had been involved in an argument at home. The husband left the house and the wife followed him, yelling at him as they walked. While officers were speaking with the female, it was apparent she had been drinking. The officer determined she was too intoxicated to care for her own safety and that her husband was not able to care for her either, so she was arrested for being drunk in public and held for sobering.

Outstanding Warrants – Suspects Arrested
July 1 at 8:05 p.m., officers were on patrol in the 100 block of West Huntington and recognized two subjects walking east on the sidewalk. They knew both subjects had outstanding warrants for their arrest. A computer check confirmed the warrants and both subjects were arrested; the subjects were held, pending their court appearance.

Tile Artist Next To Her Work At Monrovia Train Station

A photo Monrovia station artist Cha-Rie Tang next to one of the recently completed decorative tile column bases on the station platform. http://goo.gl/DanrB1

- Brad Haugaard

Restaurant For Historic Monrovia Train Depot? Mystery Hole No Longer; Banners; Mt. Sierra Moving


From  City Manager Oliver Chi's weekly report ( http://goo.gl/xGRtr0 )  ...

~ Above, renderings of the street light and pedestrian light banners planned for the Station Square project area.

~ The city hopes to find a restaurant to put in the historic Monrovia train depot.

~ For the Fourth of July weekend, Canyon Park and the  Hillside Wilderness Preserve will be closed July 3-5, and the Library will be closed between July 2-5.

~ By the end of the year, Mt. Sierra College is planning to move into a new space of approximately 25,000 square feet  at the south-west corner of Mountain Avenue and Royal Oaks Drive.

~ Upon investigation, the mystery hole outside Dr. Domotor's Animal House Veterinary Hospital (on the north side of Foothill) contains a large air conditioning unit in use by the business. The city has placed a steel plate over the hole and will keep the sidewalk detour until it comes up with a permanent fix.

- Brad Haugaard