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Canyon Oaks High Mourns Loss of Classmate Oscar Garcia

Monrovia's Canyon Oaks High School mourns the killing of classmate Oscar Garcia in a Saturday night shooting. A video report: https://goo.gl/YRq0mU

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Homicide; Bicyclists Injured; New Phone Scam; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 20-23. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Injury Traffic Collision
April 20 at 8:47 p.m., a traffic collision was reported in the 2000 block of S. Myrtle. A subject was riding a bicycle heading east across Myrtle without the proper lighting equipment. A vehicle traveling north on Myrtle did not see the subject and struck his front tire, causing the bicyclist to fall and hit his head. The bicyclist was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Parking Problem / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 21 at 9:52 a.m., officers responded to the report of a parking problem in the 1300 block of Orange Avenue and discovered several subjects inside the vehicle. They contacted the subjects and discovered one was semi-unconscious and required medical attention. A second subject had a warrant. The person with the warrant was arrested and the person needing medical attention was treated by Monrovia Fire Department and taken to the hospital.

Vehicle Burglary
April 21 at 4:00 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 800 block of Genoa. The victim reported that his truck had been parked on the street in front of his residence overnight. When he returned to his vehicle the next afternoon, he saw the locked tool rack had been pried open and several of his tools were missing. The investigation is continuing.

New Phone Scam
April 21, police dispatch received three calls reporting a new phone scam. The suspects are calling residents and claiming to be affiliated with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. They are informing people that if they don't arrange to have gift cards delivered to a particular location, deputies will come to their residence and arrest them. All three callers said LASD Alta Dena was listed on the caller ID from the suspects. None of the callers sent gift cards.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 22 at 1:17 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a traffic collision in the 700 block of W. Huntington. A driver was traveling west on Huntington in the number two lane and he claimed to have fallen asleep. He rear-ended a semi-truck that was in the left lane of westbound Huntington, turning right onto the freeway. The investigation determined the driver was driving under the influence. The driver was arrested.

Family Disturbance / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 22 at 8:27 a.m., officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of Parkrose Avenue to investigate a disturbance between a father and his adult son. During the course of the investigation, the officers discovered the adult son had an outstanding warrant. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
April 22 at 12:00 p.m., the victim called police to report a hit and run traffic collision in the 200 block of W. Cypress. The victim parked his vehicle on the street in front of his residence. When he returned to his vehicle, he saw it had been side-swiped. The incident occurred sometime between 12:45 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. The investigation is continuing.

Public Assist
April 22 at 5:47 p.m., three male adults decided to ride electric unicycles from Azusa to Monrovia, across the foothills. One of the subjects became dehydrated. He was exhausted and could not continue, so another subject rode to Canyon Park to get help. He told the Monrovia Fire Department staff that his friends were approximately one hour into the foothills. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue took the lead and the subjects were found at approximately 10:00 p.m.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 22 at 10:06 p.m., a traffic collision involving a vehicle versus bicyclist was reported at Mayflower and Colorado. The driver of the vehicle fled. Officers responded and conducted an area search. They located the suspect vehicle as the driver was parking in the northern part of the city. Officers conducted an investigation and concluded the driver was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and taken into custody. A passenger in the vehicle confirmed they had hit a bicyclist. The bicyclist sustained only minor scratches.

Homicide
April 22 at 11:35 p.m., officers responded to the 100 block of W. Cypress on a call of shots heard. Officers found two male victims with gunshot wounds inside a rear garage. One victim was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The second victim, a 17 year old, was taken to the hospital in critical condition. The suspect is described as a male in his 20s, who fled the scene on foot. The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau was asked to come conduct the investigation.

Domestic Violence – Suspect Arrested
April 23 at 11:49 a.m., a domestic violence incident was reported in the 200 block of N. Alta Vista. A male and female were involved in a verbal argument that turned physical. The male battered and strangled the female, causing visible injuries. The subjects are not married, but have several children together. The suspect was arrested and is being held pending his court appearance.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 23 at 10:30 p.m., officers observed a female subject sleeping near some bushes at Myrtle and Cherry, and they stopped to check on her to see if she was okay. She was found to have drugs in her possession and was arrested.

Oscar Garcia Was Victim in Saturday Night Shooting in Monrovia

The 18-year-old man who was shot and killed late Saturday night has been identified as Oscar Garcia, who attended Canyon Oaks High School. https://goo.gl/e0FguC . if you have any information that could help the investigation, please contact the Sheriff's Department's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500. You can also leave at tip by calling Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

- Brad Haugaard

Man Shot and Killed and Juvenile Injured in Monrovia Saturday Night

An adult man was shot and killed and a juvenile was shot and wounded late Saturday night on West Cypress, just off Myrtle. https://goo.gl/g9apxr

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Hippie Bots Go to Netherlands; Remembering Victims of Genocide

At its next meeting, on April 26, the Monrovia Board of Education will consider ...

~ Approving an extended field trip for the Clifton Middle School robotics team, the Hippie Bots, from May 13-23 to compete in the FTC Dutch Open Robotics Tournament. The cost, $12,500, will be entirely paid by donations. Best wishes, Hippie Bots!

~ Approving a resolution, "In Remembrance of Those Lost to Genocide and Man's Inhumanity to Man," which will commemorate "the Armenian Genocide, the Holocaust, the Rwandan Genocide, and the atrocities perpetrated by ISIL against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria," among others. April 24 marks the 102nd commemoration of the Armenian Genocide.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Black Angus

 
Dinner at Black Angus, on Huntington. Got the 3/4 pound prime rib with baked potato soup and a dinner salad for $24.99, and a beer for $8.45. Very good 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police Warns Public of Telephone Scams

The Monrovia Police Department would like to alert the public to several telephone scams that are currently targeting the public. The scams are known as the IRS Scam, the Southern California Edison Scam, the Grandparent scam, and the Telephone Scam Targeting the Elderly.

Internal Revenue Service Telephone Scam
As the 2014 filing season nears an end, the Internal Revenue Service today issued another strong warning for consumers to guard against sophisticated and aggressive phone scams targeting taxpayers, including recent immigrants, as reported incidents of this crime continue to rise nationwide. These scams won’t likely end with the filing season so the IRS urges everyone to remain on guard.

The IRS will always send taxpayers a written notification of any tax due via the U.S. mail. The IRS never asks for credit card, debit card or prepaid card information over the telephone. For more information or to report a scam, go to www.irs.gov and type "scam" in the search box.

People have reported a particularly aggressive phone scam in the last several months. Immigrants are frequently targeted. Potential victims are threatened with deportation, arrest, having their utilities shut off, or having their driver’s licenses revoked. Callers are frequently insulting or hostile - apparently to scare their potential victims. Potential victims may be told they are entitled to big refunds, or that they owe money that must be paid immediately to the IRS. When unsuccessful the first time, sometimes phone scammers call back trying a new strategy.

Other characteristics of this scam include:
• Scammers use fake names and IRS badge numbers. They generally use common names and surnames to identify themselves.
• Scammers may be able to recite the last four digits of a victim’s Social Security number.
• Scammers spoof the IRS toll-free number on caller ID to make it appear that it’s the IRS calling.
• Scammers sometimes send bogus IRS emails to some victims to support their bogus calls.
• Victims hear background noise of other calls being conducted to mimic a call site.
• After threatening victims with jail time or driver’s license revocation, scammers hang up and others soon call back pretending to be from the local police or DMV, and the caller ID supports their claim.

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS, here’s what you should do:
• If you know you owe taxes or you think you might owe taxes, call the IRS at 1.800.829.1040. The IRS employees at that line can help you with a payment issue, if there really is such an issue.
• If you know you don’t owe taxes or have no reason to think that you owe any taxes (for example, you’ve never received a bill or the caller made some bogus threats as described above), then call and report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 1.800.366.4484.
• You can file a complaint using the FTC Complaint Assistant; choose “Other” and then “Imposter Scams.” If the complaint involves someone impersonating the IRS, include the words “IRS Telephone Scam” in the notes. Taxpayers should be aware that there are other unrelated scams (such as a lottery sweepstakes) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS.

The IRS encourages taxpayers to be vigilant against phone and email scams that use the IRS as a lure. The IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email to request personal or financial information. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as text messages and social media channels. The IRS also does not ask for PINs, passwords or similar confidential access information for credit card, bank or other financial accounts. Recipients should not open any attachments or click on any links contained in the message. Instead, forward the e-mail to phishing@irs.gov. More information on how to report phishing scams involving the IRS is available on the genuine IRS website, IRS.gov.

Southern California Edison Telephone Scam
Utility bill scammers are once again targeting customers throughout the United States by phone and sometimes even email. In both scenarios, the scammers often request personal information and threaten to cut off electrical service if they do not receive immediate payment.

Some Southern California Edison (SCE) customers have reported receiving these suspicious emails that look like a bill. Others have reported aggressive phone scams threatening immediate service disconnection if customers don’t pay a purported overdue bill.

“SCE never uses high-pressure tactics to collect or demand money for past due bills,” said Marlyn Denter, SCE’s manager of Consumer Affairs. “We are not in the business of threatening our customers with the immediate termination of service.” This latest email scam follows a recent utility phone scam where more than 2,000 SCE customers were targeted. Unfortunately, more than 300 customers have fallen victim to the scam, many of them mom and pop business owners and entrepreneurs whose first language is not English. The scammers often demand immediate payment through a prepaid cash card or debit card. The average loss for SCE business customers last year was between $800 and $1,000; residential customer lost an average of between $300 and $500. Overall, the total losses so far for SCE customers are estimated at $225,000. “We ask our customers to be alert to these scams that demand immediate payment and threaten service disconnection,” said Denter. If SCE customers receive suspicious emails, they should never click on any links or attachments, and never send a reply. Customers should also delete the email. If a customer has been victimized, they can report it online to the U.S. Department of

Justice’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force at StopFraud.gov.
SCE customers suspecting a fraudulent call should ask for the caller’s name, department and business phone number. If the caller refuses to provide this information, customers should terminate the call and report the incident immediately to local police. In either situation, customers should contact SCE at 800-655-4555.

Southern California Edison Scam
This particular scam targets businesses. The Suspects in this scam call the business claiming to be in billing or collections for SCE and/or Verizon. The caller tells the business their services are going to be shut off within 45 minutes to an hour, and a crew has been dispatched to cut off service unless a same-day payment is made immediately. They claim their records show the business is late on their payment and the service to the business will be affected within the hour. The caller then requests payment by a prepaid VISA or Money Pak Card and tells the business where they are available. A number of businesses in Monrovia have been taken by the scam and the loss is usually about $500-$800. The suspects sound seemingly legitimate and are targeting businesses, as businesses typically cannot afford to be without phones or power over the weekend. This is NOT normal SCE or Verizon protocol, SCE and Verizon do not shut off service on the weekends.

Grandparent Scam 
The suspects in this type of scam will call an elderly person and pretend to be a grandchild or young relative of the victim. They tell the elderly victim they are in some type of trouble and are in jail, and that they need bail money. They ask the elderly person not to tell their parents. A second suspect then calls pretending to be the police and proceeds to give the victim instructions on were to wire the bail money.

The suspects target older folks, hoping they can gain an emotional and quick response to the "need" to help out the young relative, and many times it works. The victims will quickly go to their bank, withdraw and transfer the money in an attempt to help, and by the time they realize the scam, the money has already been picked up by the suspects and is gone.

It is so important to spread awareness and to educate those that we know in hopes of preventing this crime from happening. If you have a loved one, a friend, or perhaps a neighbor that is older, share this information with them and help keep them from becoming a victim.

Telephone Scam Targeting the Elderly
The Monrovia Police Department has received several calls from elderly Monrovia citizens reporting the following telephone scam:

The elderly victim receives a call stating they owe money for an outstanding debt. The suspect soon states if they don’t pay this debt, a warrant could be issued for their arrest, their bank account will be put on hold, and there is a possibility they will lose their house. The suspect then tells the victim if they want to resolve the matter, they need to purchase a Greendot prepaid money card with a certain amount, usually not more than $500.00. Once the victim obtains the card, they are to call back and give the card number so it can be verified. The suspect then transfers the money from the victim’s card to another card and the money is gone. If the victim falls for the scam, the suspect sometimes calls back and tries to solicit additional money from the victim.

Please be aware of this scam and let others know this is going on so we can prevent this crime. Please inform your loved ones, especially the elderly, as they are the targets of this particular scam. Let them know to never give out personal information to anyone over the phone. A legitimate company would not operate by asking for personal information over the phone; they would have your information already.

Source: Monrovia Police Department

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Thief Locks Himself Out of His Getaway Car; Intoxication; Telephone Scams

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 17-19. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 404 service events, resulting in 78 investigations.

Parole Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 17 at 9:09 a.m., a male subject was reported loitering on a property in the 500 block of S. Mountain. Officers arrived and a computer check of the subject revealed he had an outstanding parole warrant for his arrest. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Injury Traffic Collision
April 17 at 10:26 a.m., an officer was dispatched to an injury traffic collision involving a commercial dump truck that was traveling east on Walnut and failed to maneuver a slight turn at California Avenue, clipping a fire hydrant. The water from the hydrant went into the Edison power lines, causing intermittent power outages in the area. Southern California Edison responded to evaluate the lines and the Monrovia Fire Department shut off the hydrant.

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
April 18 at 3:00 p.m., a traffic collision was reported at Mountain and Royal Oaks. The driver attempted to make a turn onto Royal Oaks and struck a vehicle, then hit the center median and came to a rest. The investigation revealed the driver to be under the influence of some type of intoxicant, possibly an inhalant. He was arrested and held for a sobering period. He was later released with a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Petty Theft
April 18 at 8:54 p.m., a theft of merchandise was reported at a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain. A male suspect took two leaf blowers and ran out the garden area of the store to the parking lot. The suspect attempted to get into a white Saturn with no license plates, when he realized he left the keys in the ignition and locked the doors before he entered the store. He dropped the leaf blowers and ran through the parking lot, out of sight. Officers searched for the suspect, but he was not located. The suspect’s vehicle was impounded. Later, the suspect called the business and asked for his vehicle back, but was told it was impounded by the police. The suspect was found to be on probation for theft and he refused to come to the police station for an interview. The investigation is continuing.

Telephone Scams
April 19 at 10:53 a.m., telephone scams were reported to police by two separate victims. The first victim received a phone call from a male suspect demanding money. The suspect told the victim he had his mother and if the money was not received, his mother would be harmed. The victim could hear an elderly female voice in the background, asking for help. The victim believed what the caller was telling him, and in fear for his mother’s safety, he drove to his bank to withdraw money. A coworker of the victim called police to report the incident and an officer responded to the bank. The officer arrived and contacted the victim as he was walking into the bank. The investigation determined that the phone call was a scam.

At 12:22 p.m., a second victim came into the police station to report another telephone scam. The suspect in this incident pretended to be a relative of the victim in need of money to get out of trouble. The victim in this incident realized the phone call was a scam and hung up the phone. She reported the incident so others would be aware.

Seminar About K-12 Public Education Online, at DoubleTree Monrovia

There will be a free information session for parents about California Connections Academy @ Capistrano, a tuition-free K-12 online public school authorized under state law by the Capistrano Unified School District, on Wednesday, May 31, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the DoubleTree Monrovia, 924 W. Huntington Dr. More information: https://goo.gl/HkVs6K

- Brad Haugaard

'Portland Loo' for Parks; Carnival Coming to Monrovia Days; County Not Interested in Measure H Ideas; Huntington Medians Almost Done: Etc.

Portland Loo.

In his weekly report, City Manager Oliver Chi reports ...

~ City staff has been planning public restrooms at city parks. The version they're thinking about was developed in Portland, and is called "The Portland Loo." It has angled louvers at the base that gives visibility inside but allows privacy, has an external light to indicate when it is occupied (which lets the cops keep an eye on it easily), and the wash basin is outside to discourage occupants from lingering. Cheaper, too. About $100,000 to $150,000 instead of the standard $250,000 to $300,000.

~ The carnival is coming back to Monrovia Days, which will be held on Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21. The city, school district, and Centre Stage have coordinated to bring back the carnival. Plus, the pancake breakfast event, parade honoring MUSD Scholars and Champions, performances by youth, food, and of course, the famous Pie Eating Contest.  Sign up for the parade or pie eating contest here: https://www.monroviadays.org/

~ LA County staff reportedly gave a polite brush off to any ideas on how spend the Measure H money, that's the 1/4-cent sales tax money that was approved to fight homelessness. Chi writes that according to Monrovia's designee at a meeting: "LA County personnel politely told everyone in attendance that the proposed spending plan they had previously developed would be the one recommended for approval to the LA County Board of Supervisors, and that if anyone had an objection, they would be welcome to lodge their objections when the spending plan comes up for a vote."

~ Work on the Huntington Drive medians should be done within the next two weeks. Also, there will be new American flags along Huntington Drive and the entryway signs at the east and west end of town will be touched up.

~ Canyon Park will be closed a few days to improve the entry trail alongside the road. There'll be a concrete curb along the side of the road to separate pedestrians and bicycle traffic from the vehicular traffic. The park will be closed May 1 and 2, open on May 3 though there will be construction, then closed again May 8 and 9, and finally a bit of clean-up on May 10.

~ Monrovia Public Library is going to get better Internet service, with speeds increasing to 1 gigabit per second, about ten times faster than the current speed of 100 million bits per second. (Hooray! I've tried it and it's pretty bad at times.) The Library received a $24,000 grant from the California State Library to do the work.

~ Monrovia Biotech Day 2017 will take place on April 26, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills Mary Wilcox Youth Center (843  E. Olive Ave.).  Teens from the sixth grade up are welcome.  The free event will allow students to meet scientists and conduct experiments and play games. The event is sponsored by LabLaunch Monrovia, Oak Crest Institute of Science, and the Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills.

- Brad Haugaard

Yes, Del Taco Will Be Reopening, And 'Soon'

A lot of people have been wondering on social media what has become of the shut-down Del Taco on Huntington across from Target. Well, it promises that it is "reopening soon," and is hiring for all positions. https://goo.gl/XFVhWz

- Brad Haugaard

All About Pelargoniums at Monrovia Garden Club Meeting

At the Monrovia Garden Club monthly meeting on Tuesday April 25, 7 p.m., Matt-Del and Rebecca Tufenkian of Dominus Planetarium will teach about pelargoniums.  Materials will be available to plant and propagate a small plant. The meetings are held in the Fireside Room on the north side of the parking lot at First Presbyterian Church. Meetings start at 7 p.m. with light refreshments served at 6:30 p.m. Visitors welcome.

- Brad Haugaard

Truck Hits Hydrant, Water Hits Power Lines, Power Goes Out

A semi truck created a geyser when it hit a fire hydrant. Apparently the water shot up, hit the electricity lines and knocked out the power for 435 customers. https://goo.gl/gYAXR1

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Surprising Vehicle Burglar; Front Door Kicked In; Man Attacks Dad and Grandmother; Erratic Food Truck; And More

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 13-16. - Brad Haugaard]

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events.

Residential Burglary
April 13 at 2:28 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of W. Hillcrest regarding a burglary. The location is vacant, but staged for sale. The property owner returned to the location and saw the rear glass door had been shattered. Nothing was stolen from inside the location, but it was evident the suspects had searched through the location for items. There was graffiti inside the location as well. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 3:38 p.m., an officer responded to the rear of a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington regarding a homeless person camping. One female adult was located inside a make shift shelter. While speaking to her, officers determined she was under the influence of methamphetamine. She was arrested and taken into custody.

Residential Burglary
April 13 at 5:01 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of N. Alta Vista called police to report their home had been burglarized. The resident had returned home and found someone had kicked in his front door. Officers responded and searched the residence, but no suspects were located. Numerous items were taken from the home. The investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
April 14 at 12:08 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 200 block of W. Evergreen regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim walked outside to her vehicle and found a suspect inside rummaging through her belongings. She yelled at the suspect and he ran away. Officers conducted an area check, but did not find the suspect. The victim believes the suspect may have taken some of her mail from the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspects Arrested
April 14 at 1:19 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 400 block of S. Myrtle when he observed a subject that was snorting a white substance off of a metal box. The officer detained the subject and he admitted to snorting methamphetamine. The suspect was arrested for possession of a controlled substance.

Vehicle Burglary
April 14 at 2:28 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 800 block of W. Duarte Road. The victim parked and locked her vehicle in the carport of her apartment complex, leaving her purse on the front seat. When she returned to the vehicle, she found a window had been smashed and her purse was missing. The investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 4:47 p.m., an officer on patrol in the 1400 block of S. Shamrock conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle code violation. A computer check revealed the driver had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Battery / Elder Abuse – Suspect Arrested
April 14 at 8:56 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of Fano on a battery report. The 21-year-old son woke up and began arguing with his father. He then began punching his father on the head. His grandmother walked into the room to see what was going on and he turned and wrapped his arm around her neck and began choking her. An Uncle had to intervene until police arrived. The suspect was arrested for battery and elder abuse.

Theft from a Vehicle
April 15 at 7:26 a.m., a theft from a vehicle was reported in the 1600 block of S. Mayflower. The victim parked her vehicle in her garage, but the vehicle was unlocked and the garage door was open throughout the night. She returned to her vehicle the next day and noticed property had been stolen from inside. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance / Delaying and Resisting a Peace Officer – Suspect Arrested
April 15 at 8:37 a.m., a caller reported a male subject driving a food truck erratically in a park in the 700 block of E. Lemon. Officers arrived and located a male subject walking south on Shamrock and determined he was, in fact, the driver of the vehicle. The subject displayed symptoms of being under the influence of a controlled substance and he fled on foot from officers across the street and entered a church. Officers detained the suspect and he was arrested. The suspect was held for a sobering period.

Possession of a Controlled Substance for Sales – Suspect Arrested
April 17 at 1:10 a.m., officers responded to the area of Mountain and Valley View regarding a subject smoking marijuana in a vehicle. The investigation led the officers to conduct a vehicle search and a large quantity of drugs were located in addition to packaging material and a scale. The suspect was arrested and taken into custody.

Wheelhouse Ceramics Spring Sale - April 28,29




Wheelhouse Ceramics (Monrovia Adult Education) is having its spring sale Friday April 28, 6-9 p.m. and Saturday, April 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wheelhouse Ceramics is a non-profit group and the sale helps fund the studio. Over 30 artists' work is represented to view and/or purchase. The studio is located near the corner of Myrtle and Duarte, behind AAMCO and Troy's Donuts & Burgers and just east of Santa Fe school.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Robotics Teams Go Worldwide!

Monrovia's robotics teams will compete in Houston and the Netherlands. https://goo.gl/lD5j09

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Transit and Stormwater Requirements

At the next City Council meeting (agenda: https://goo.gl/iaY9bn) the council will consider hiring Parking Company of America to manage Monrovia Transit (https://goo.gl/hjywi9), and consider spending $375,781 to buy five new buses for Monrovia Transit (https://goo.gl/Ju57Hk).

Also, before the regular meeting the council will hold a study session (https://goo.gl/TNAX7M) on the super-expensive stormwater-clean-up requirements that are being put upon Monrovia and lots of other local cities. This will include a discussion of Senate Bill  231, which defines "sewer" as including systems designed to handle storm water (https://goo.gl/w6gNMo).

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Jewish Center Plans Holocaust Remembrance Play

In observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Monrovia-based Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys and the Pasadena Playhouse are partnering for a special staged reading of "Righteous," a Holocaust related play, on Monday, April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Written by playwright Jeff Cohen, Righteous centers around Eduard Schulte, a prominent German industrialist, who was one of many German citizens who were secretly against Nazism, who was first to report to the west of the Nazis intention to murder all of the Jews in Europe. Cohen's play captures the essence of this unsung hero's life through the eyes of his granddaughter.

The play is being read by the Jewish Federation's JFed Players and is being performed in partnership with the National Jewish Theater Foundation's Remembrance Readings. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by contacting the Pasadena Playhouse box office 356-7529.  For more information contact the Jewish Federation 445-0810 or the Pasadena Playhouse at 356-7529.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at Hawaiian BBQ and Dim Sum

 

Dinner at Hawaiian BBQ and Dim Sum, in the Pavilions shopping center at Foothill and Myrtle. Got the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken for $6.99 and an iced tea for $2.38. Good, and a lot. I was hungry but had to save some for later. 


- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Grand Theft Trailer; Sleeping in the Garage; Drugs and Alcohol

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 10-12. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 418 service events, resulting in 77 investigations.

Warrant / Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
April 10 at 7:15 a.m., a disturbing subject was reported at a residence in the 200 block of W. Palm. Officers arrived and contacted the subject, who was found to have an outstanding warrant. The subject was arrested and during the booking process, narcotics were located in his possession. The subject was later released with a citation to appear in court on the charges.

Grand Theft Auto
April 10 at 3:27 p.m., a pop-up trailer was reported stolen from the 900 block of S. Primrose. The trailer was being stored on the property and it was stolen sometime over the weekend. The investigation is continuing.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance / Possession of Drug Paraphernalia / Resisting and Delaying a Peace Officer – Suspect Arrested
April 11 at 12:19 a.m., police dispatch received several calls reporting a disturbance between a male and female at a residence in the 100 block of E. Scenic. Officers arrived and the male subject walked away from them. When the officers attempted to detain him, he fled and ran through several yards. The subject was detained at Greystone and Canyon. He was determined to be under the influence of a controlled substance and was in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Suspicious Subject / Resisting and Delaying a Peace Officer – Suspect Arrested
April 11 at 7:07 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of E. Colorado called police to report a subject sleeping on an air mattress in the carport of her apartment complex. Officers arrived and contacted the subject. The investigation revealed the subject had two outstanding warrants for his arrest. While the officers were attempting to take the suspect into custody, he resisted by tensing his arms and trying to pull away from their grasp. He was arrested and taken into custody without injury. The suspect was later released with a citation to appear in court.

Possession of Narcotics – Suspect Arrested
April 12 at 12:31 a.m., officers responded to the report of suspicious subjects walking around with flashlights in the 1200 block of S. Fifth Avenue. Officers arrived and contacted a male subject who was standing near some bushes. The subject was acting suspicious so officers checked the area where he was standing and located a baggie containing methamphetamine. The subject was arrested for possession of narcotics.

Vehicle Burglary
April 12 at 6:55 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 300 block of N. Mountain. The victim parked and locked her vehicle in front of her residence and went inside for the night. She returned the next day and saw several items had been taken from her vehicle. The investigation is continuing.

Vandalism
April 12 at 9:12 a.m., a resident in the 400 block of E. Olive reported that sometime during the night someone vandalized his garage with graffiti. The investigation is continuing.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Suspect Arrested
April 13 at 1:42 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 500 block of Diamond regarding a driver who hit some parked cars and fled the scene. Officers arrived and stopped the vehicle. The investigation determined the driver was intoxicated. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.