Dinner at Dave’s Hot Chicken

Dinner at Dave’s Hot Chicken, on the south side of Huntington just west of Mayflower. I got the #1 Meal for $12.99 and a soft drink for $2.69. I thought I liked hot food until a while ago when I ate here and found that they are not kidding when they say “hot.” So I got “mild” this time. Good, but next time I might go up one level to “medium” heat.

- Brad Haugaard 

Monrovia Police: Masked by ambush at Grand Park; Man bear-sprays girlfriend, steals her car; Hit-and-run DUI Driver tracked by victim; etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 27 – March 5. - Brad Haugaard]

During this period the Police Department handled 387 service events, resulting in 127 investigations. 

Hit and Run Traffic Collision – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 10:35 a.m., officers were dispatched to a hit and run call in the 300 block of Wildrose. A vehicle had rear ended another vehicle and fled the scene. Officers were able to locate the suspect and the suspect vehicle a short distance away. The victim of the hit and run desired prosecution. 

Theft
February 27 at 10:42 a.m., a victim reported he was at a store in the 100 block of W. Foothill when someone took his debit card from him. He realized he didn't have it when he went to check out. He looked at his bank account and noticed someone had already taken $650 from his checking and $1,000 from his savings account. This investigation is continuing. 

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 12:43 p.m., officers responded to the area in the 1100 block of E. Huntington regarding some subjects possibly stealing wire and cable. The officers arrived and detained 3 subjects matching the description. They had not stolen any wire but one of them had a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 3:17 p.m., officers responded to a call in the 100 block of W. Huntington, an employee at the location called to report a male walking around the parking lot area acting suspicious. Officers arrived and located the subject. He could not give them a reason why he was there and was vague with all his answers. A computer check revealed a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Injury Traffic Collision
February 27 at 3:40 p.m., officers responded to an accident in the area of Huntington and Monterey. A vehicle driving east on Huntington realized the light was red and stopped partially in the intersection. A vehicle driving east, directly behind that vehicle, rear ended the other vehicle. The driver of that vehicle was unlicensed and following too closely. He was cited for unsafe speed and being unlicensed. 

Hit and Run / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 27 at 3:42 p.m., a vehicle in the area of Myrtle and Pomona, sideswiped another vehicle and continued to drive. The victim followed the suspect vehicle to a liquor store and watched the driver exit. Officers arrived and detained the driver when he came out. He displayed signs of being intoxicated but refused any Field Sobriety Tests. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Grand Theft Auto
February 27 at 4:15 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of Los Angeles, came in to the station to report his truck had been stolen. He received a call that morning from the Sheriff's Department in El Monte who discovered his vehicle partially stripped. He did not know that his Chevrolet Silverado had been stolen until he received the phone call that morning. This investigation is continuing. 

Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 28 at 12:24 a.m., an officer patrolling the 500 block of W. Duarte conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle code violation. After an investigation, it was determined the driver was under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested and taken into custody. 

Drug Possession – Suspect Arrested
February 28 at 2:20 a.m., an officer was patrolling the 700 block of W. Huntington when he noticed a vehicle parked in a red zone. The officer contacted the driver and an investigation revealed the driver was found to be in possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was arrested. 

Drug Possession - Suspect Arrested
February 28 at 2:57 a.m., an officer contacted a subject in Station Square Park, which was closed for the night, and during the contact the subject was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested and released on a citation. 

Commercial Burglary
February 28 at 5:07 a.m., officers responded to a burglary alarm at a business in the 900 block of W. Huntington. Upon arrival, they found the front door glass shattered. The suspects had made entry but fled before officers arrived. No property was reported missing. The investigation is ongoing. 

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
February 28 at 1:07 p.m., a suspect came to the Monrovia Police Department Lobby to turn himself in. A computer check revealed the suspect had a warrant for his arrest for driving under the influence. The suspect was arrested and booked in the Monrovia Jail. 

Wanted Person – Suspect Arrested
February 28 at 1:27 p.m., a wanted person came to the Monrovia Police Department Lobby to turn himself in. A computer check revealed the suspect was wanted for domestic violence. The suspect was arrested and booked in the Monrovia Jail. 

Traffic Collision / Driving Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
February 28 at 6:13 p.m., officers responded to a traffic collision at the intersection of Evergreen and Mayflower. No injuries were reported. During the investigation, one driver displayed signs of intoxication. The investigation determined the driver was impaired. She was arrested for Driving Under the Influence. 

Drug Possession / Warrant – Suspects Arrested
February 28 at 10:59 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Royal Oaks and Mountain for a vehicle code violation. During the investigation, the driver was found in possession of drug paraphernalia and was arrested. The passenger had an outstanding $60,000 traffic warrant out of San Bernardino County and was also taken into custody. 

Grand Theft Auto
March 1 at 12:04 a.m., a victim discovered her black 2022 BMW 430i had been stolen from the parking garage of her apartment complex in the 1000 block of S. Fifth. The victim tracked the vehicle using a mobile app, showing it traveling west on the 210 Freeway. The vehicle was later found parked in a lot in North Hollywood, where it was recovered. This investigation is continuing. 

Want – Suspect Arrested
March 1 at 2:05 a.m., officers located a vehicle in the 300 block of Genoa that was wanted in connection with a threatening and domestic violence investigation out of Monrovia from the previous week. The vehicle was unoccupied but it led officers to the suspect's residence. Officers contacted the suspect outside of the residence and arrested him for the outstanding Want. 

Warrant Pick-up – Suspect Arrested
March 1 at 10:33 a.m. a female adult with an outstanding Monrovia robbery warrant was arrested by West Covina Police. One of our officers responded and took custody of her, per the authority of the warrant. She was taken to the Monrovia Police Department where she was booked and housed pending her court date. 

Grand Theft Auto
March 1 at 6:22 p.m., a victim reported her black 2018 Hyundai Sonata had been stolen from the carport of her residence in the 400 block of E. Foothill. She saw the vehicle the previous day. This investigation is continuing. 

Drug Possession – Suspect Arrested
March 1 at 7:28 p.m., a caller reported he witnessed a subject on the stairs of a church in the 100 block of W. Palm, injecting narcotics. Officers arrived and detained the individual after determining she was in possession of drug paraphernalia. She was arrested. 

Prowling
March 1 at 8:29 p.m., officers responded to a suspicious call reported in the 300 block of N. Madison. Three subjects in a blue Hyundai parked in the area and two exited the vehicle. They attempted to open several parked cars but found them locked. The subjects walked around the property of a vacant residence, a witness reported seeing them in the backyard. No signs of burglary or forced entry were found. The subjects fled south on Madison in the suspect vehicle before officers arrived. This investigation is continuing. 

Drug Possession - Suspect Arrested
March 1 at 11:50 p.m., an officer conducted a bicycle stop for a vehicle code violation at the intersection of Brisbane and Myrtle. During the investigation, the subject was found to be in possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Warrant Arrest – Suspect Arrested
March 2 at 12:33 a.m., an officer in the intersection of Encino and Huntington conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for a vehicle code violation. A records check revealed the driver had a $45,000 warrant out of Covina for receiving stolen property. He was arrested and taken into custody. 

Shoplifting
March 3 at 1:31 p.m., an employee in the 600 block of W. Huntington, called to report a male subject had been in the restroom for approximately an hour. He was asked to leave and said he would 30 minutes prior. He was recognized as being the same subject who stole items from the location on a prior incident. Officers arrived and located the subject. Items were recovered and he was issued a citation in the field for theft. 

Fraud
March 3 at 1:59 p.m., a victim came in to the station to report that she had moved to Monrovia in May of 2023 from Pennsylvania. In September of 2023, she received a bill from Verizon for service in Pennsylvania. She called and told them it was not hers and she did not authorize anyone to use her information. She recently checked Credit Karma and noticed her name went to collections regarding a Verizon payment in excess of $10,000. She called Verizon again and they requested a police report. This investigation is continuing. 

Hit and Run
March 3 at 2:20 p.m., a resident in the 400 block of S. Shamrock, came in to report his vehicle was hit. It was parked in front of his residence on February15th and it was hit overnight. This investigation is continuing. 

Fight in Progress
March 3 at 3:55 p.m., dispatch received several 911 calls of a fight in progress in the area of Madison and Foothill. When officers arrived, they detained several juveniles at the location. Two male juvies from the high school had fought the week prior and saw each other at the location. They decided to fight again. One of the subject’s sisters was there and jumped in when her brother got knocked down. She broke the other subject’s headphones and necklace. This investigation is continuing. 

Fraud
March 3 at 3:55 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of S. Ivy, reported that he went to the post office and mailed a check in the amount of $18,253.11 on December 9, 2024. He realized recently, it had been stolen and cashed by a different person than who he made it out to. This investigation is continuing. 

Petty Theft
March 3 at 7:59 p.m., officers responded to a complex in the 1100 of block E. Huntington regarding a theft report. The reporting party stated that staff stole her scooter and clothes. This investigation is continuing. 

Traffic Collision Hit and Run
March 3 at 9:04 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of S. Myrtle regarding a truck seen hitting a lamp post, causing damage to the bulb. The driver failed to stop and fled the scene. Public Works was notified. This investigation is continuing. 

Drug Activity – Suspect Arrested
March 4 at 2:58 a.m., officers were providing extra patrol to a business in the 700 block of W. Huntington when they noticed a male subject to the rear of the location. They contacted the subject who was found to be in possession of methamphetamine and a pipe used to smoke methamphetamine. He was arrested. 

Grand Theft Auto Recovery
March 4 at 8:23 a.m., officers were dispatched to an apartment complex in the 400 block of E. Foothill regarding a suspicious vehicle that was left parked in a resident's parking space for the past four days. A computer check revealed the vehicle was stolen out of Carson. The vehicle also had a stolen license plate from another vehicle. The stolen vehicle was recovered. 

Domestic Battery / Grand Theft Auto
March 4 at 7:10 p.m., officers responded to an apartment building in the 800 block of S. Myrtle regarding a grand theft auto investigation. Officers learned that a male and female who have been in a dating relationship for one year, were in a verbal argument when the male subject sprayed her in the face with bear spray. He then fled in her vehicle. The female refused paramedics and did not desire prosecution for the domestic battery but did desire prosecution for the grand theft auto. The vehicle was entered into the system as stolen. This investigation is continuing. 

Assault with a Deadly Weapon
March 4 at 9:35 p.m., officers responded to the 300 block of Valle Vista regarding a male subject who was assaulted while at Grand Park. The subject told officers he met with a female who he had been talking to on social media. While he was at Grand Park, six male subjects wearing masks, snuck up on him and struck him in the face with a bat. He was able to run away to a nearby residence where he asked for help. He sustained a laceration to the head. The subject was transported to a local hospital for further treatment. After the incident, he learned that the female blocked him on social media. This investigation is continuing. 

Driving Under the Influence / Drug Offense – Suspect Arrested
March 5 at 8:12 a.m., a caller reported a male driver asleep at the wheel near the intersection of Chestnut and Monterey. Officers responded and located the vehicle leaving the area. A traffic stop was attempted, however, the driver briefly tried to evade the officers but eventually yielded. All occupants were in possession of drugs and the driver, who was under the influence, gave a false name. It was later learned that he had multiple warrants for his arrest. All three subjects were arrested. 

Vandalism
March 5 at 8:48 a.m., a caller reported a vandalism at a business in the 600 block of S. Myrtle. A window at the business had been shattered sometime during the night. The investigation is ongoing. 

Traffic Collision
March 5 at 9:26 a.m., a motorist collided into a parked vehicle in the 700 block of S. Myrtle. No injuries were reported. A property damage report was completed.

Transient arrested on suspicion of killing his father

Arturo Gonzalez Jr., a transient, has been arrested on suspicion of killing his father at his apartment on West Olive in Monrovia last Saturday. Details.

- Brad Haugaard

Police chief reports crime trending down in Monrovia

Monrovia Police Chief Heath Harvey reported to the City Council Tuesday night that crime is down in the city, though police activity (such as patrolling and special details) is up.

- Brad Haugaard

Cops are looking for son of man murdered on Olive

The LA Sheriffs Department Homicide Bureau is looking for the son of the man murdered on Olive Avenue as a suspect in the killing and is asking for the public’s help locating Arturo Gonzalez Jr.

The Sheriff's Department said Gonzalez is believed to be transient, frequently using public transportation and LA Metro trains. He has been seen in Long Beach, Lakewood, Hawaiian Gardens, Norwalk, Pasadena and Altadena.

Anyone with information should contact Sergeants Delia or Mezzano at Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, 323-890-5500.

If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call "Crime Stoppers" by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477), or use the website at http://lacrimestoppers.org

Note: I've been contacted by MetroLink to let me know that the reference to "MetroLink" in the above article and image is incorrect, that it should be "LA Metro," a separate agency serving LA County.  MetroLink covers six counties; LA Metro just LA. I've modified text and image.

- Brad Haugaard

Handsome Harry is full of energy and love

Harry is a handsome year-old red and white husky, who was found as a stray in Pasadena. This lovable guy is playful, friendly and appreciates a good belly rub! He is very smart and even knows commands such as “sit”, “stay” and “leave it”. He would do well in an only-pet home that can give him lots of attention and keep up with his abundant energy!

If you are looking for an affectionate and intelligent companion, then come meet Harry at Pasadena Humane! He is eager to become your new best friend and can't wait to cuddle up with you.

Walk-in adoptions are available every day from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. View photos of adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.

The adoption fee for dogs is $150. All dog adoptions include spay or neuter, microchip, and age-appropriate vaccines. Adopters will receive a complimentary health and wellness exam from a participating veterinarian and an information packet on caring for your new pet.   Pets may not be available for adoption and cannot be held for potential adopters by phone calls or email.

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia High debate team earns awards

The Monrovia High School Debate Team earned multiple awards Saturday at the International School of Los Angeles, including first place overall team. Mia Sketeris received the Gavel Winner award.

- Brad Haugaard 

A Moment in Monrovia History: New Homes in Hidden Valley

New homes being built in Hidden Valley in 1979. (North on Alta Vista, left on Cloverleaf and you'll run into Hidden Valley.) From the Myron Hotchkiss 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

Water district March workshops - Native Plant Landscaping, and Outdoor Leak Detection

The water district also has this new logo.

The Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District is offering two workshops in March.

A virtual workshop on California Friendly Native Plant Landscaping, Tuesday, March 4 from 6-7 p.m. Register here. 

An in-person workshop on Outdoor Leak Detection, Thursday, March 20, 6-7 p.m. at water district office, 248 E. Foothill Blvd. #100, in Monrovia. Register here.

- Brad Haugaard

Here is what is planned for the renovation of Recreation Park

Here's what the city is planning for the renovation of Recreation Park (on Shamrock). The proposal (here) will come up before the Development Review Committee at its March 5 meeting (agenda here).

Improved access and usability.

New amphitheater/outdoor classroom.

Beginner’s skate park.

Fitness area with permeable surfaces and bench seating.

ADA-accessible path.

Tennis courts reconfigured with new pickleball courts, improved lighting, and a shade structure.

Basketball courts enhanced.

Baseball field to receive new fencing, bleachers, shade structures, field lighting, scoreboard, and a soccer/baseball overlay.

New walking/running loop and interpretive garden featuring native, drought-tolerant plants.

Resurfaced and reconfigured parking lot with EV chargers, bioswales,.

Redesigned Constitution Circle with more picnic areas and parking.

Upgraded restrooms.

Upgraded playground equipment with a new shade structure.

Renovated picnic area with full coverage.

More benches, tables, wayfinding and interpretive signs, trash enclosures, walls, and fencing.

Landscaping and accessibility improvements park-wide.

Better access to the museum and all amenities.

- Brad Haugaard

Spring Adult Craft Night March 4 at Library

On March 4, from 6-7 p.m., adults and teens can participate in a monthly arts and crafts program at the Library. Participants can use a variety of supplies such as planters, jars, picture frames, canvases, yarn, and paint. Register here. Email afisher@monroviaca.gov or call 256-8273 for more information.

- Brad Haugaard

Children's Storytime at Library March 5

Storytime for children March 5 from 10-11 a.m. at the Library. For children ages 2-5. Stories, songs, sensory activities, and a craft project. An adult must accompany children; drop-offs not permitted. Email asimpson@monroviaca.gov or call 256-8269 for details.

- Brad Haugaard

Trivia Night at the Library March 7

The Monrovia Public Library will host a trivia night on March 7, from 5:30-7 p.m. Questions about pop culture, history, science, and movies, as well as snacks. Register here. Email cescobedo@monroviaca.gov or call 256-8265 for details.

- Brad Haugaard

Current Local Job Opportunities - March

Here are links to the latest job opportunities for Monrovia:

Monrovia School District 

City of Monrovia 

Private 

- Brad Haugaard

Monrovia Today magazine is out

The new Monrovia Today magazine is out. Here is the digital version. All sorts of activities and programs.

- Brad Haugaard