Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A student was quickly identified as the culprit who phoned in a threat of a school shooting at Sierra Vista Middle School Wednesday morning.
The phone call, made at 8:09 a.m., was traced to inside a classroom at the school, 777 E. Puente St. Using security video from the classroom, the student was identified as having placed the threat, according to Sgt. Marquez of the Covina Police Department. The student is reportedly special needs. The caller told dispatchers that a police presence was needed because there was going to be a shooting. The school and officers determined within an hour that the threat was not credible, Marquez told SGV CityWatch. “The classroom actually had a camera, so we ended up reviewing the camera and it showed the kid actually making the phone call,” Marquez told SGV CityWatch. “Please be assured we are pursuing all legal and disciplinary action as threats to schools are not a joke,” said Danielle Traviseo, principal of Sierra Vista Middle School, in a email message sent by the school. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Homeland Security has joined numerous local agencies with a search of Covina High School after a series of threats were made against the campus Wednesday.
The calls sounded like prerecorded messages sent to both the school, 463 S. Hollenbeck Ave., and the Covina Police Department. Covina Police began fielding the calls around 9:30 a.m., according to Lt. Josh Turner of the Covina Police Department. The threats indicated there would be explosions at the school. Covina Police fielded recurring calls over a 10 to 15-minute span, Turner told SGV CityWatch. Only a handful of teachers and administrators remain on campus. Roughly eight bomb-sniffing K9s are assisting. The Los Angeles County Fire Department is also assisting along with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Pasadena Police, San Gabriel Police and California Highway Patrol, Turner told SGV CityWatch. Detectives are trying to pinpoint the location of the calls. Written by AARON CASTREJON CiyWatch Editor COVINA - Covina detectives are still trying to determine what led an older driver to crash into a Metrolink train heading for San Bernardino Friday morning. A Honda CRV and the Metrolink train collided while the vehicle was driven southbound on Barranca Avenue in the No. 1 lane, according to Sgt. Ray Marquez of the Covina Police Department. A passenger on the train only complained of pain, Marquez told SGV CityWatch. The collision occurred at 10:20 a.m. February 10. Train 308, which struck the Honda CRV, was able to arrive at the Covina Metrolink Station to allow the 100 passengers to exit and seek alternate transportation, according to Metrolink Spokesperson Karen Bakar. A large crane lifted the twisted Honda CRV from the Metrolink Right of Way. The tracks were opened to resume train service at 12:39 p.m. As of Friday evening, there was no status update for the driver’s condition. Detectives were still at the hospital where the driver is being treated, according to Sgt. Seok Lee of the Covina Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor UPDATE, 9:48 a.m.: Police announced both girls were found.
COVINA – Two 12-year-old girls are missing and possibly in distress after one of the girls phoned her mother, the Covina Police Department said. Both girls are believed to be in East Los Angeles after one of the missing girls, Navaeh Bolagh, contacted her mother November 3 and said she was with her friend, Celina Heredia and, an unknown older male. Navaeh was last heard from at 7 p.m., according to the Covina Police Department. The Covina Police Department was notified at 9:59 p.m. about Heredia being missing. At 10:39 p.m., Bolagh was reported missing. Both girls are students of Sierra Vista Middle School. Anyone with information on the girls’ whereabouts is urged to call the Covina Police Department at 626-384-5808, or call Covina Police Detective jardery@covinaca.gov, or at 626-384-5617. You may also contact Detective Preciado at 626-384-5622, or at opreciado@covinaca.gov. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Detectives are looking for any possible additional victims of a Covina man who was originally arrested in July and accused of possessing child porn. He was later discovered to have sexually assaulted a girl.
Ramon Jeremiah Elias-Zavala was arrested twice in less than a month for the alleged crimes. A search warrant was served at Elias’ Covina home July 15 after investigators received multiple tips that he was in possession of child porn. He posted bail and was released, according to the Covina Police Department. Investigators learned afterwards that Elias was communicating with an underage female. Detectives were able to identify and speak with the girl who told them that Elias had sexually assaulted her several times, according to the Covina Police Department. Elias was arrested August 9 and booked on suspicion of rape and he remains in custody. Anyone who may have contacted Elias or who has a relative who may have contacted Elias is urged to call Covina Police Detective Manny Esquival at 626-384-5621. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - The Covina Police Department is asking for assistance in identifying the person or persons responsible for possibly murdering a man found dead on a service road April 11.
Although the County coroner does not yet list a cause of death for 25-year-old Daniel Diaz, Covina Police Det. Manuel Esquivel said injuries on the body were consistent with an assault. Officers were called to a report of a “man down” near 427 S. Barranca Ave. at 2:52 p.m. Diaz was found unresponsive and Los Angeles County firefighters would soon declare Diaz dead at the scene, Esquivel said. “Diaz’s appearance was disheveled. He had injuries consistent with being assaulted and it appeared he was placed on the service road,” Esquivel said in a statement. It is believed Diaz was assaulted and later died at a currently-unknown location. Diaz was transient and was known to frequent the area of Grand Avenue and the I-10 freeway in West Covina. Anyone with information that can aid the investigation is urged to call Esquivel at 626-384-5621. Provide information anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA – The alleged gunman in a June 3 murder and the man accused of hiding him from justice are due back in court June 30.
Luis Alberto Gonzalez-Frausto, 38, was charged June 7 with one count of murder in the death of Adrian Gonzalez-Frausto. Edgar Martinez, 28, was charged June 7 with one count of being an accessory after the fact for allegedly knowingly harboring, concealing, or aiding a felon, according to Los Angeles Superior Court documents. Adrian, 38, died of a gunshot wound to the abdomen, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. Investigators determined the shooting happened at La Tiendita JNK Market, 1459 N. Hollenbeck Ave. after a person detained for questioning allegedly lied that the shooting occurred at a public park, according to the Covina Police Department. Adrian was driven to Kindred Hospital, 845 N. Lark Ellen Ave., in West Covina shortly after the shooting. Officers responded to the scene around 4:40 p.m. Adrian died soon after. One day after the murder, Luis was arrested at the Covina Police Department and booked on suspicion of murder. Luis is being held at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic in lieu of $3 million bail. Martinez is also being held in the same facility in lieu of $2 million bail. Both men await arraignment in Pomona Superior Court, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A man was killed after his SUV struck a tree planted in a center median.
First responders were sent to East Badillo Street at North Banna Avenue around 7:35 p.m. The driver, the only person in the SUV, was unresponsive. Los Angeles County Firefighters declared the driver dead at the scene, according to Lt. Antonio Zavala of the Covina Police Department. Covina police traffic investigators are on scene conducting an investigation. Zavala was not yet sure if intoxicated driving played a factor. He didn’t know that Speed likely contributed to the fatal crash. Witnesses at the scene told officers that the SUV was being driven westbound on Badillo at the time of the crash, Zavala told SGV CityWatch. Traffic on Badillo Street is blocked between Banna Avenue and Glendora Avenue. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Six people were taking to two trauma centers early Sunday morning after two vehicles collided in a head-on collision, authorities said.
Firefighters were dispatched just after 1:30 a.m. June 12 to the intersection of Barranca Avenue and Cypress Street, according to Dispatch Supervisor Bernard Peters of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. One vehicle was southbound on Barranca Avenue, the other was northbound when the collision occurred, according to Sgt. Derek Gonzales of the Covina Police Department. Gonzales did not yet know if alcohol, drugs, or distracted driving were factors in the crash. Gonzales described some of the injured as being small children, but he did not have exact ages for all those who were hospitalized. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Police announced the arrest of a man investigators pegged as the gunman in a convenience store shooting.
The still-unidentified victim of the shooting turned up at Kindred Hospital, 845 N. Lark Ellen Ave., around 4:40 p.m. in West Covina just after the shooting happened June 3. A man who drove the victim to the hospital was uncooperative, only stating the shooting happened at a park. The victim soon died from his injuries, according to the Covina Police Department. Investigators determined the shooting happened at La Tiendita JNK Market, 1459 N. Hollenbeck Ave. Two unidentified people were arrested. One day after the shooting, Luis Gonzalez, a 38-year-old West Covina man, was arrested at the Covina Police Department and booked on suspicion of murder. Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call Covina Police Detective Preciado at 626-384-5622, reference case 22-15083. Leave an anonymous tip by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org. |
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