Firefighters Pancake Breakfast tomorrow, May 9

- Brad Haugaard

Art Night Tonight at Grey & Cash

The Monrovia Fine Arts Association is hosting Art Night this evening at Grey & Cash in Old Town, from 6 to 9 p.m. Artists interested in displaying their work at a future event can find more information at monroviafinearts.org.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia ACTV Phase 1 bike and pedestrian project survey open through June 26

The city wants your thoughts on its plan to build bike and pedestrian connections under the 210 freeway and along Central and Evergreen to better connect the train station and Old Town. It is finalizing plans for the "Monrovia Active Community Travel Vinculum Phase 1" project. (A vinculum being "a bond, tie, or connecting band.") Details here. The community survey (here) is open through June 26. For email updates and meeting notices, contact ccastruita@monroviaca.gov.

- Brad Haugaard

Free garden tools workshop at Monrovia Community Garden South, May 23

Monrovia Community Garden South is hosting a free Garden Tools Workshop on May 23, from 9 to 11 a.m. at 1650 S. Magnolia Ave. The workshop covers tool safety, maintenance, and choosing the right tool for the job. SGV Best Cutlery will be on hand to sharpen tools at no charge. Bring your own tools. Parking is available at the free Park & Ride lot at 168 W. Pomona Ave.

- Brad Haugaard

Coming Up in Monrovia

Trip planned to see Sound of Music May 8

Unity Center needs volunteers for big May 9 food drive

Monrovia Fire & Rescue pancake breakfast, May 9

Author to sign books at Black Cat Fables, May 9

Storytime with Park Naturalists, May 9

Free 'Flourishing in Retirement' course to be held at Monrovia Community Church starting May 10

Yarn and Fabric Hangout May 12 at Library

Coming up for Monrovia Days, May 14-17

Watercolor workshop at the Community Center, May 27

VFW Post 2070 BBQ & Car Show, June 13

- Brad Haugaard

Planning Commission to consider what to do with old house the city bought

At a special meeting the Planning Commission (agenda here) will hold a study session on what to do with the old Victorian house the city bought at 222 E. Cypress Ave. Under consideration: Preserve the house and mature trees and add 14 housing units of no more than two stories. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Pasadena church plans move to Monrovia

CrosspointLA, a church located on Altadena Drive in Pasadena, is planning to move to Monrovia, using space in the World Vision International building at 800 W. Chestnut, between Walnut and Fifth. The church would use the space on Sundays and for a Wednesday night child-focused Bible study program, called AWANA. The proposal will be considered by the Planning Commission. Details. 

- Brad Haugaard

Free 'Flourishing in Retirement' course to be held at Monrovia Community Church starting May 10

A free course on "Flourishing in Retirement, How to live fully, fruitfully, and joyfully in the season of retirement" will be held at Monrovia Community Church (former First Presbyterian Church at Foothill and Myrtle) on Sundays, 9 to 10:10 a.m., in the church's Fireside Room on May 10, 17, 31, and June 14. The course will be taught by Mark Roberts, a senior fellow for Fuller Seminary's Max De Pree Center for Leadership and will cover biblical teachings as well as contemporary research on retirement. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Dinner at La Marias

Dinner at La Marias, in the shopping center at the southwest corner of Foothill and Alta Vista. Got the number one combination, a soft taco and chile relleno for $14.30 and an Agua Fresca for $3.64. Very nice and filling, and I thought the "small" drink was pretty big.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Police: Catalytic converter thieves on Lime, Lemon avenues - four stolen; Woman threatens store staff, leads police on chase; Arsonist caught at the scene; Trailer thief caught; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for April 30 – May 6, 2026. 506 calls for service, 92 investigations, 4 mental evaluations, 3 traffic collisions, 15 arrests. - Brad Haugaard]

APRIL 30

Fraud / Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested

At 9:39 a.m., an employee from a business in the 900 block of W. Duarte reported a male subject used a fraudulent credit card to make a purchase. Officers arrived, located the subject outside the business and made contact with him. An investigation revealed he was in possession of multiple stolen credit cards, tools for the production of fraudulent cards and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Grand Theft

At 10:11 a.m., a victim in the 900 block of W. Foothill reported that his vehicle was broken into. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto

At 8:03 p.m., officers were dispatched to a car dealership in the 800 block of E. Central regarding a grand theft auto. This investigation is continuing.

MAY 1

Drug Offense

At 9:26 a.m., an officer patrolling the 600 block of W. Huntington saw a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot and made contact with the occupants. An investigation revealed one of the subjects was in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Arson

At 1:14 p.m., a caller in the 1600 block of S. Myrtle reported a fire at the location. Officers responded and located a smoldering fire in a landscaped area adjacent to a thicket of bushes. It appeared that someone removed a drain cover and threw a lit object inside. MFD responded and extinguished the fire. No witnesses were located in the area. Investigation ongoing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested

At 6:34 p.m., officers were dispatched to a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington regarding a theft. Officers arrived and located the subject nearby. He was still in possession of the stolen property. He was arrested and taken into custody.

MAY 2

Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested

At 10:13 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of W. Maple reported three subjects inside a parked vehicle using narcotics. Officers arrived, located the vehicle and made contact with the subjects. An investigation revealed drug paraphernalia, and all three occupants had warrants for their arrest. They were arrested and taken into custody.

Critical Missing

At 3:01 p.m., a caller in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks reported his mother missing. Officers responded immediately and quickly developed information. After a thorough search, she was located safe and unharmed. Her adult son responded to the location and transported her back home safely.

MAY 3

Grand Theft

At 2:41 a.m., a caller in the 1900 block of S. Myrtle reported a trailer being stolen. Officers arrived and located the stolen trailer. A traffic stop was conducted. The passengers fled on foot as the vehicle came to a stop. The driver was arrested. The passenger was not located and the victim refused prosecution.

Grand Theft Auto

At 8:44 a.m., a caller reported that he was staying at a hotel in the 700 block of W. Huntington with a group of people when two of their motorcycles were stolen sometime during the early morning hours. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Auto

At 12:52 p.m., a caller reported that he was staying at a hotel in the 700 block of W. Huntington when his motorcycle was stolen sometime during the early morning hours. This incident is believed to be connected to the earlier reported motorcycle theft. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism / Pursuit

At 1:16 p.m., a resident in the 800 block of W. Walnut reported an unknown subject pulled alongside her vehicle, removed her temporary license plate, and yelled that she had stolen her friend's car before driving away. It was subsequently discovered that the suspect had struck the victim's vehicle with her fist, causing damage. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism

At 11:40 a.m., a caller in the 300 block of W. Colorado reported that her front bedroom window was shattered with what appeared to be a bb gun. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism

At 11:40 a.m., a resident in the 300 block of W. Colorado reported that her kitchen window was shattered with what appears to be a bb gun. This investigation is continuing.

Pursuit

At 7:08 p.m., officers responded to a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington regarding a woman threatening staff and refusing to leave. Officers located the suspect's vehicle returning to the business, but she fled again, leading police on a pursuit through city streets and onto the freeway. The pursuit ended in Duarte, where officers negotiated with the driver to safely exit the vehicle. Due to her behavior and statements, she was transported to a hospital for a mental evaluation. The stolen property was recovered and returned to the victim.

Shoplifting

At 9:01 p.m., a shoplifting incident was reported at a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington. This investigation is continuing.

MAY 4

Arson

At 12:08 a.m., an officer patrolling the 100 block of W. Pomona heard a fire alarm and located a portable restroom on fire. This investigation is continuing.

Theft – Suspect Arrested

At 11:39 a.m., an employee from a business in the 700 block of E. Huntington reported a male subject entered the store and left with merchandise he did not pay for. Officers arrived and located him outside the store. He was arrested.

Identity Theft

At 12:58 p.m., a mother walked into the MPD lobby to report her disabled son's identity was stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Court Order Violation

At 1:13 p.m., a victim walked into the MPD lobby to report the father of her child was in violation of a restraining order. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism – Suspect Arrested

At 2:46 p.m., a witness in the 600 block of S. Shamrock reported three male subjects were spray painting trashcans. Officers arrived, located the subjects and made contact with them. The investigation identified the subject who had been spray painting. He was also found to have a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Theft

At 3:56 p.m., a caller in the 800 block of S. Primrose reported theft of their copper cable. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism

At 5:32 p.m., a victim in the area of Duarte and Peck reported that when his vehicle came to a complete stop, a subject got out of his vehicle, broke his side view mirror, and fled. This investigation is continuing.

MAY 5

Grand Theft Auto

At 8:10 a.m., a victim in the 300 block of S. Mountain reported his ATV stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Fraud

At 8:06 p.m., a business in the 700 block of E. Central called to report a client who fraudulently used another's identity to rent a vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Arson – Suspect Arrested

At 11:56 p.m., an arson was reported at a business in the 300 block of W. Huntington. Officers arrived and located the suspect nearby. He was arrested and taken into custody.

MAY 6

Grand Theft

At 8:49 a.m., a victim in the 400 block of W. Lime reported the catalytic converter to her vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft

At 9:38 a.m., a resident in the 600 block of W. Lemon reported the catalytic converter to their vehicle stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft

At 10:55 a.m., a caller in the area of Lemon and Primrose reported copper wire stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Attempt Grand Theft

At 11:07 a.m., a victim in the 400 block of W. Lemon reported that someone attempted to steal the catalytic converter from her vehicle. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft

At 3:45 p.m., the resident in the 200 block of W. Lemon discovered someone stole their vehicle's catalytic converter. This investigation is continuing.

Robbery

At 8:09 p.m., a caller in the 400 block of Genoa reported his juvenile son was robbed of his bicycle. An investigation revealed the victim was slapped and pushed off his bicycle before it was taken. This investigation is continuing.

Monrovia High School Battle of the Bands Friday at 5 p.m.

Monrovia High School will host its Battle of the Bands tomorrow, Friday, May 8, at 5 p.m. The event features live performances from local bands. Admission is $10, or $5 for those who bring a donation to the school's Giving Closet.

- Brad Haugaard

Watercolor workshop at the Community Center, May 27

Free Monrovia Association of Fine Arts watercolor workshop at the Community Center, May 27, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Instructor George Liang will cover drawing, sketching, and watercolor techniques, including fluidity and translucence effects. Participants should bring watercolor paints, brushes, paper, palette, pencils, masking tape, water jar, board, and paper towels. Registration required here.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School District holds Femineer engineering summit

On May 5, Monrovia School District held its 4th annual Femineer Summit, with more than 100 students presenting projects. Students in grades 4–5 focused on coding; grade 6 designs on wearable tech.

- Brad Haugaard

A Moment in Monrovia History: WWII fighter pilot visited by boxing champion

Monrovian Lt. David Wicks of 918 Crescent Drive, a P-38 pilot serving in the South Pacific during World War II, was hospitalized with malaria in 1945, and got a visit from Coast Guard Commander Jack Dempsey, the former heavyweight boxing champion. From the Dick Singer collection. See full details here.

For more historic photos and papers, see the Monrovia Historical Society’s complete Legacy Project collection here. Learn more about the Monrovia Historical Society here.

- Brad Haugaard

Author to sign books at Black Cat Fables, May 9

Author Elena Marie will sign copies of her novel, "Nine Months", at  Black Cat Fables on Saturday , May 9. Black Cat Fables is at 415 S. Myrtle Ave Unit B. The novel is a contemporary romance focused on ambition, loyalty, and relationships.

- Brad Haugaard