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

Monrovia Police: Ring Doorbell Stolen; Walking in Traffic; Smoking in Park; Shoplifting; Credit Card Swiping; Gardener's Truck Stolen; Alcohol; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Highlighted Activity for October 4–10. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 386 service events, resulting in 85 investigations.

Fraud
October 4 at 9:37 a.m., a resident in the 400 block of Granite reported that she had dropped her wallet while shopping the day before. She later discovered someone had used one of her credit cards at a gas station in Monrovia. This investigation is continuing.

Hit & Run Traffic Collision
October 4 at 4:25 p.m., a caller reported a collision between two vehicles at the intersection of Shamrock and Foothill. One of the motorists drove away from the accident scene without stopping. Officers searched the area for the hit and run suspect vehicle, but could not locate it. No injuries were reported. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft / Fraud
October 4 at 5:48 p.m., a caller reported someone had stolen her wallet while she was shopping at a grocery store in the 600 block of W. Huntington. The suspect used one of her credit cards at another nearby store. She had left her wallet in her shopping cart and it was taken when she wasn’t looking. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting – Suspect Arrested
October 4 at 7:03 p.m., security for a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a female subject had just left their store without paying for merchandise she had taken. Officers responded and stopped the subject outside the store. The stolen property was recovered and returned to the store. The suspect was arrested.

Possession of Methamphetamine / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 4 at 9:26 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers were patrolling the 2600 block of S. Peck when they saw a bicyclist commit a Vehicle Code violation. The bicyclist was stopped and found to be in possession of methamphetamine. He was taken into custody. A computer check revealed the subject also had a warrant for his arrest.

Commercial Burglary
October 5 at 6:39 a.m., an employee of a business in the 100 block of W. Huntington arrived at work and discovered one of the building windows was shattered. The investigation revealed the suspects had entered the building sometime during the night and took a safe containing over $1,000. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
October 5 at 2:11 p.m., an elderly female subject reported someone had taken her wallet while she was shopping inside a grocery store in the 600 block of W. Huntington. She placed her wallet in a shopping cart, and when she wasn’t looking, someone took it. This investigation is continuing.

Shoplifting / Evading / Warrants – Suspect Arrested
October 5 at 2:12 p.m., an employee of a store in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a male subject had just run out of their store without paying for merchandise he had taken. He entered a vehicle and fled. Officers located the vehicle and attempted to stop it. A short pursuit ensued. The suspect stopped, exited the vehicle and ran. With the assistance of witnesses in the area, the suspect was apprehended. The suspect was found to be in possession of several tools used to commit burglaries. The stolen property was returned to the store. A computer check revealed the suspect had multiple warrants for his arrest.

Grand Theft Auto
October 5 at 2:36 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of Mountain View reported his gardener’s work truck had just been stolen. Two male suspects stopped in front of the house, one entered the truck and both subjects drove away. The truck was entered into the DMV stolen vehicle system. This investigation is continuing.

Possession of Methamphetamine – Suspect Arrested
October 5 at 6:29 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers were patrolling the 2600 block of S. Peck when they saw a motorist commit a driving violation. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was found to be in possession of methamphetamine. He was arrested.

Vehicle Burglaries
October 5 at 7:52 p.m., a caller reported his vehicle had just been burglarized while he was eating inside a restaurant in the 800 block of W. Huntington. The vehicle had been entered through a rear passenger side window. Multiple items were stolen. An officer responded and checked the parking lot. One additional vehicle that had been burglarized in the same manner was located. This investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence – Suspects Arrested
October 5 at 11:14 p.m., a resident in the 100 block of Montana reported he could hear a woman screaming for help and believed it was possibly his neighbor. Officers arrived and located the female subject. She had been involved in an argument with her live-in boyfriend. An investigation revealed the male subject had hit the woman several times. Monrovia paramedics provided medical care and the suspect was arrested.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
October 6 at 2:30 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 2200 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a motorist commit a driving violation. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was found to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested for DUI.

Warrant – Suspects Arrested
October 6 at 10:08 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers were patrolling the 300 block of W. Duarte when they saw a female subject they recognized from previous contacts. A computer check revealed the subject had a felony warrant for her arrest. She was stopped and taken into custody for the warrant.

Public Intoxication / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 7 at 12:36 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 400 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a male subject who appeared to be intoxicated and unable to care for his own safety. The subject was arrested for public intoxication and taken into custody. A computer check revealed the subject also had a warrant for his arrest.

DUI – Suspect Arrested
October 7 at 2:15 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 1800 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a motorist commit several traffic violations. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was found to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested for DUI.

Smoking in a Park – Suspect Cited
October 7 at 11:25 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 700 block of W. Olive and saw a male subject in the skate park smoking. He stopped and contacted the subject. The substance he was smoking was found to be marijuana. A citation was issued for the violation.

Shoplifting
October 7 at 2:32 p.m., employees of a business in the 100 block of W. Huntington reported a male subject had just walked out of the store without paying for merchandise. Officers responded and searched for the subject, but could not locate him. An investigation revealed the subject left the stolen property outside the business prior to fleeing the area. The property was returned to the business.

Domestic Battery – Suspect Arrested
October 7 at 11:16 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of California reported he could hear a woman yelling for help because her husband was hitting her. The caller believed it was his neighbor yelling. Officers responded and located the woman who needed help. An investigation revealed her husband had hit her. The suspect was arrested.

Domestic Violence
October 8 at 5:02 p.m., a caller in the 1300 block of S. Fifth reported she was having a dispute with her boyfriend after trying to drop him off at his uncle’s house. He became angry with her, pulled her out of the car and began hitting her. She said he left the area when she started calling the police. Officers searched the area for the suspect, but could not locate him. This investigation is continuing.

Identity Theft – Suspect Arrested
October 8 at 6:50 p.m., an employee at a business in the 500 block of W. Huntington reported a male customer had just attempted to pay for merchandise using someone else’s identification. When the employee began calling the police, the suspect fled the business. Officers located the suspect and found him to be in possession of over twenty- five different identifications, Social Security cards and credit cards belonging to other people. The suspect was arrested.

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested
October 8 at 7:58 p.m., an employee of a store in the 400 block of W. Foothill reported a male subject was in their store, heavily intoxicated and yelling. Officers arrived and located the subject. He was found to be too intoxicated to care for his own safety or that of others, so he was arrested and taken into custody.

Public Intoxication / Battery on a Police Officer – Suspect Arrested
October 9 at 5:14 p.m., a caller reported a female subject who appeared intoxicated was attempting to get into the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked in the 700 block of E. Foothill. Officers responded and located the subject. She was found to be too intoxicated to care for her own safety and was attempting to drive while intoxicated. While the officers were taking her into custody, she hit them several times. She was booked and later released on a citation.

Grand Theft Auto
October 9 at 6:28 p.m., a caller reported her vehicle had just been stolen from the 300 block of S. California while she was at work. She believed it was a family member who took it without permission. Officers responded to the house of the family member and located the vehicle. Just as they arrived, they saw a male subject run from the home. The subject was not located. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft
October 10 at 9:34 a.m., a grand theft was reported at a business parking lot in the 1500 block of S. Primrose. The victim returned to her parked vehicle and found someone had removed the catalytic converter. This investigation is continuing.

Walking in Traffic / Resisting Arrest – Suspect Arrested
October 10 at 3:17 p.m., several callers reported a male subject walking in traffic in the 800 block of S. Mayflower. Officers arrived and saw the subject standing in front of cars that were swerving around him. They contacted the subject, who immediately began resisting the officers as they attempted to remove him from the street for his safety. He was arrest and taken into custody.

Hit & Run Injury Traffic Collision Run
October 10 at 4:58 p.m., a caller reported she was driving in the 800 block of E. Duarte when another motorist struck her vehicle and drove away without stopping. The caller was not injured. Several callers reported the suspect vehicle had collided into three more vehicles, one block from the original collision. Several occupants and drivers were transported to a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
October 10 at 6:12 p.m., a resident in the 500 block of Norumbega reported they had arrived home and found that someone had stolen their Ring doorbell device that had been attached to their home, next to the front door. This investigation is continuing.

Breakfast at Tiffany's Movie This Saturday at the Library


For Classic Movie Afternoon, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Oct. 13, from 2-4 p.m. in the library Community Room. Details: https://goo.gl/ZZKZcm

- Brad Haugaard

Smitten on Paper Holding 'CalligraFair,' Two Days of Calligraphy Seminars


Monrovia's Smitten on Paper (114 E. Lemon) will hold a two-day calligraphy fair, "CalligraFair," on Oct. 13-14, with eight presenters. The area where vendors and the study hall is set up will be free to the public; tickets for the seminars are $10 for both days. Details

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia's Staar Surgical Enters Agreement with German Firm

Monrovia's Staar Surgical, a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of implantable lenses for the eye, has entered a multi-year strategic alliance with Dr. Tobias Neuhann of the Augenklinik am Marienplatz (Eye Clinic at Marienplatz) in Munich, Germany. The agreement serves as a global partnership model for smaller and single site refractive surgery eye clinics. link

- Brad Haugaard

Halloween in Library Park

- Brad Haugaard

Fall Festival This Weekend in Old Town

- Brad Haugaard

Survey Says Community Center Sub-Par; Diseased Trees Coming Down; K-Rail; Lyft

In his latest report (https://goo.gl/aOqX7O) City Manager Oliver Chi reports:

~ A Community Services Commission survey about the Community Center found that of the 215 respondents more than half said the center does not meet the needs of the community. Comments from the survey: It needs to be updated; rooms are out of date; not enough parking; needs a face lift; kitchen outdated and needs a freezer; rooms should all have projectors and sound. link

~ Some trees may come down. The Development Review Committee will consider removing two large oak trees in front of the Mary Wilcox Youth Center. They have multiple dead branches and are infected with bark beetles. Also, a sycamore tree just west of the playground is infested with the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer and this tree is tentatively scheduled to be removed during the week of Oct. 22.

~ The removal of the K-Rail will begin Wednesday, Oct. 10 - Nov. 16, first along Avocado Place, Crescent Drive, Heather Heights Court, Lotone Street, and the upper portion of Highland Place (located north of Scenic Drive). Then, from February-March 2019 it will be removed along the lower portion of Highland Place (south of Scenic Drive) and Hillcrest adjacent to Highland Place. The rail along Highland Place will be removed later because this location has been more prone to flooding and theoretically we may get rain this winter.

~  About 40 people showed up at the how-to-use-Lyft seminar on Oct. 3. and learned how to download and use the Lyft app to get cheap rides around town.

- Brad Haugaard

Altadena Kitty Wants to Emigrate to Monrovia


Can you believe this beautiful boy was found on the streets of Altadena? A good Samaritan brought him to us at the end of August. He has been here getting big and strong and now is available for adoption. He is a little shy at first but loves to play. Show him a cat toy and he will show off his spunky side. He is currently looking for a new best friend. Could it be you?

The adoption fee for cats is $75. All cats are spayed or neutered, microchipped, and vaccinated before being adopted.

New adopters will receive a complimentary health-and-wellness exam from VCA Animal Hospitals, as well as a goody bag filled with information about how to care for your pet.

View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org. Adoption hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Native Plant Sale October 13


- Brad Haugaard 

Octoberfest in Monrovia - Oct. 27

- Brad Haugaard


AeroVironment Building 'Air Squadron' Drones

Monrovia's AeroVironment is building drones that can be launched from armored ground vehicles and sorta hang out in the air until they spot a target, then attack. link

- Brad Haugaard

Fellowship Monrovia Adding Fellowship Pasadena

The rapidly-growing church, Fellowship Monrovia, which meets at Monrovia High School, plans to expand into Pasadena. The pastors for the Pasadena campus of the church - which will meet at John Muir High School in northwest Pasadena - will be Michael and Faith Field. link

- Brad Haugaard

SpaceX Rocket Launch Over Monrovia


A SpaceX Falcon 9 taking off from Vandenberg Air Force Base was visible in the western night sky from Monrovia about 7:30 p.m. today. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Freeway On-Ramp Sign Misspelled

CBS News notes that the eastbound 210 Freeway on-ramp at Huntington Drive has a sign that points to "San Bernadino." Of course I don't need to tell you that it is actually "San Bernardino." link

- Brad Haugaard

October Events at Monrovia Library

Here's what's happening at the Monrovia Public Library this month: link

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Over South Pas 41-0

Monrovia Wildcats football walks over South Pasadena 41-0. link

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia School Board to Recognize Students, Employees of the Month

At its next meeting (https://goo.gl/fCKJkF) the Monrovia Board of Education will ...

~ Congratulate Monrovia High student David Bughman on being recognized as a "Commended Student" by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

~ Congratulate Monrovia High student Alexandra Fraire on being recognized as a "National Hispanic Scholar" by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

~  Congratulate these employees of the month for October:
- Amy Martinez, School Office Manager - Canyon Early Learning Center
- Angeline Arias, Special Education Teacher - Canyon Early Learning Center
- Tom Rosenstein, Teacher - Canyon Oaks High School
- Claude Mallory, Head Custodian - Monrovia Community Adult School
- Samar Abi Saad, Adult Ed Teacher - Monrovia Community Adult School

- Brad Haugaard

Lunch at Chipotle


Lunch at Chipotle, on Huntington in the Huntington Oaks shopping center. Got a Carnitas Bowl for $7.50 plus $2.10 for guacamole and an iced tea for $2.05. I pushed the lettuce aside a bit so you could see the good stuff but it’s still hard to see. Very fresh, tasty and filling. 

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Suspicious Customer - Wearing Ski Mask; Alcohol Problems; Ex-Boyfriend vs Boyfriend; Woman vs Power Pole; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for Highlighted Activity for September 27 – October 3. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 408 service events, resulting in 100 investigations.

Possession of Methamphetamine – Suspect Arrested
September 27 at 4:54 a.m., a caller reported a suspicious male subject sitting in a parked car in the 600 block of W. Foothill. Officers responded and located the subject. They found him to be in possession of methamphetamine and a syringe loaded with narcotics. The suspect was arrested.

Commercial Burglary
September 27 at 6:17 a.m., a caller reported finding a stack of receipts on the sidewalk in the 100 block of S. Myrtle that belonged to a business on that block. Officers responded to the business and found the front door unlocked with an employee sleeping inside. An investigation revealed a suspect had entered the store while the employee was asleep and stole $50 from the cash register, along with the receipts. This investigation is continuing.

Possession of Burglary Tools / Warrant – Suspect Arrested
September 27 at 6:29 a.m., an employee of a business in the 1600 block of S. Mountain reported a suspicious male subject inside their store, wearing a ski mask. Officers responded and contacted the subject. He was found to be in possession of burglary tools, and a computer check revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Commercial Burglary / Grand Theft Automobile
September 27 at 7:32 a.m., an employee at a business in the 100 block of Melrose arrived at work and discovered the front window of the building had been shattered. An investigation revealed that tools, paychecks, computers and the company van were all stolen. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
September 27 at 8:21 a.m., a caller reported a male subject urinating and defecating on the sidewalk in the 100 block of W. Lemon. Officers responded and contacted the subject. A computer check revealed he had a warrant for his arrest. The subject was arrested and taken into custody.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
September 28 at 12:05 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 2600 block of S. Myrtle when he saw a motorist commit a traffic violation. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was determined to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested for DUI.

Petty Theft
September 28 at 8:21 a.m., an employee of a business in the 100 block of S. Myrtle reported that a customer stole her cellphone while she was distracted helping other customers. Officers responded and searched for the suspect, but could not locate him. The investigation is continuing.

Fraud
September 28 at 6:23 p.m., a caller in the 100 block of W. Lime reported he had sent $2,300 to a person he met on a website in order to secure a rental property. After sending the money, he discovered the advertisement was fraudulent. This investigation is continuing.

Petty Theft
September 28 at 10:19 p.m., a caller reported a petty theft in the 100 block of W. Walnut. She had returned to her vehicle from the Street Fair and discovered someone had rummaged through her unlocked vehicle. The suspect stole her purse from the front seat. The investigation is continuing.

Fighting in Public / Open Alcohol Container in Public – Suspect Cited
September 29 at 12:26 a.m., while patrolling a bar in the 400 block of S. Myrtle, officers witnessed two male subjects fist fighting in the back alley. The officers were able to stop the fight and both subject refused to prosecute one another. One of their friends had an open alcoholic drink outside the bar in the alley, so he was issued a citation.

Driving Under the Influence / Public Intoxication – Suspects Arrested
September 29 at 2:16 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 900 block of W. Duarte when he saw a motorist traveling without headlights on at night. The vehicle was stopped and the driver was found to be intoxicated. After field sobriety tests were conducted, the driver was arrested for DUI. There was a passenger in the vehicle who was too intoxicated to care for their own safety, so this person was arrested and taken into custody as well.

Vehicle Burglary
September 29 at 10:11 a.m., the owner of a business in the 2600 block of S. California arrived at work and found the business utility truck had been burglarized. The suspect forced entry into the vehicle and took several tools sometime during the night. This investigation is continuing.

Vandalism Gang Graffiti / Warrant – Suspects Arrested
September 29 at 7:07 p.m., a caller reported witnessing a male subject writing gang graffiti with a marker at the train station in the 1700 block of S. Myrtle. The caller watched the subject write on several different objects from Myrtle to California. An officer responded and the subject was stopped and arrested. He was with a female subject who was found to have a warrant for her arrest. She was arrested and taken into custody as well.

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
September 30 at 2:23 a.m., an officer was on patrol in the 3300 block of S. Peck when he saw a motorist commit a driving violation. He stopped the vehicle and found the driver to be intoxicated. Field sobriety tests were conducted and the driver was arrested for DUI. There were three passengers in the vehicle who were all too intoxicated to care for their own safety if left alone. They were taken into custody as well.

Wanted Person – Suspect Arrested
September 30 at 4:48 p.m., the owner of a business in the 100 block of E. Foothill reported a suspicious vehicle parked in the parking lot. The vehicle was occupied by a female subject. Officers arrived and contacted the subject, who they recognized as being wanted by the Monrovia Police for residential burglary. She was taken into custody.

Domestic Violence / Vandalism
October 1 at 1:02 a.m., a female resident in the 500 block of Almond reported an incident of domestic violence and vandalism. She was at home with her boyfriend when her ex-boyfriend showed up and hit her, then chased her new boyfriend down the street. The ex-boyfriend returned and broke the front window of the victim’s house, then left the area. Officers searched the area for the suspect, but did not locate him. This investigation is continuing.

Grand Theft Automobile
October 1 at 2:23 a.m., the owner of a business in the 2600 block of S. Myrtle reported two subjects just stole his vehicle from the business parking lot. He heard the engine to his vehicle start and saw the suspects driving away in his car. Officers arrived and searched for the stolen vehicle, but were unable to locate it. The investigation is continuing.

Domestic Violence
October 1 at 2:58 a.m., a resident at a hotel in the 900 block of W. Huntington reported her boyfriend just left the hotel after hitting her several times. Officers arrived and searched for the male subject, but were unable to locate him. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital for minor injuries. This investigation is continuing.

Warrant – Suspect Arrested
October 1 at 10:48 p.m., an officer was patrolling the 400 block of W. Duarte and saw a subject he recognized from previous contacts sitting on the ground in front of a liquor store. A computer check revealed the subject had several warrants for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Petty Theft
October 2 at 8:06 p.m., an employee of a business in the 200 block of E. Foothill reported someone had stolen his house and car keys. He had placed them in an unlocked private office at the beginning of his shift earlier in the day, and at the end of his shift they were gone. Several people had access to the office. This investigation is continuing.

Public Intoxication
October 3 at 7:43 p.m., officers responded to a welfare check of an adult male on the ground in the area of Foothill and Primrose. Officers arrived and found the subject was intoxicated and unable to care for his own safety. The subject was arrested for a being drunk in public and held for a sobering period.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
October 3 at 9:19 p.m., an officer stopped a vehicle for traffic violations at Shamrock and Cypress. A search of the vehicle revealed the male adult driver was in possession of methamphetamine. He was arrested and his vehicle was stored.

Driving Under the Influence / Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
October 3 at 11:57 p.m., a female subject collided with a power pole and brought down several power lines, blocking all lanes of Huntington Drive. The female was taken to a hospital, where she refused any chemical tests. Southern California Edison responded to repair the power.

Monrovia School Board Candidate Forum

A School Board Candidates’ Forum will be held Oct. 9, at 7 p.m., at the Monrovia Unified School District board room. The address is 325 E. Huntington Dr.  The event is hosted by the Monrovia Teachers Association and will be moderated by the Pasadena League of Women Voters. Anyone attending will have an opportunity to hear the candidates’ views and pose questions.

Source: City of Monrovia press release

- Brad Haugaard