Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE – Police recovered 528 Covid-19 vaccination cards from a Las Vegas man accused of stealing them from the Pomona Fairplex vaccination site.
Investigators were notified of the potential theft April 27. Detectives determined that Las Vegas man Muhammad Rauf Ahmed, 45, stored some of the blank cards in his vehicle. A search of Ahmed’s hotel room yielded more blank cards, according to the La Verne Police Department. Ahmed was charged with one felony count of grand theft, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. “Selling fraudulent and stolen vaccine cards is illegal, immoral and puts the public at risk of exposure to a deadly virus,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a written statement. Ahmed was a non-clinical contracted employee hired to support the vaccination site, La Verne Police said. “Ahmed, who worked at the center, allegedly stole more than 500 cards, which have a value of at least $15 apiece if illegally sold,” prosecutors said. A criminal investigation was conducted with assistance from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Ahmed’s arraignment is scheduled for August 25 in Department F of Pomona Superior Court. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE - Two victims apparently escaped injury after police say at least one of four young males in a white sedan fired at them with a BB gun May 19.
The first reported attack occurred around 6:40 p.m. A man was shot at while walking in the area of Esperanza Drive and Golden Hills Road, according to the La Verne Police Department. Moments later, a woman walking in the area of Wheeler Avenue and Ruggles Street one mile away from the first attack reported she was also shot at, La Verne police said. Investigators are searching for the four suspects who may have been occupying a white four-door car, possibly a BMW or Lexus. Pellet gun attacks seem to be en vogue after a series of high profile shootings along freeways in Orange, Los Angeles and Riverside counties have been happening at an alarmingly-frequent basis. The California Highway Patrol is investigating at least four more attacks Thursday that occurred along the 91 freeway and 22 freeway in Garden Grove and Corona. Three of the four attacks occurred before 6 a.m. along the westbound and 91 freeway near the 71 freeway. One shooting occurred Monday, May 17 on the southbound 57 freeway transition to the 91 freeway around 5 p.m. when a woman’s Toyota 4Runner was struck by a pellet. The window did not shatter, authorities said. Three other shootings occurred along the 91 freeway Monday in Santa Ana, Westminster and Santa Fe Springs. In the last few weeks, authorities believe as many as 60 pellet gun attacks have occurred. Victims have described seeing a white vehicle during the shootings, but a more concrete description of suspects and a vehicle have not been obtained, reportedly. Anyone with information on the suspects in the La Verne shootings is urged to call the La Verne Police Department at 909-596-1913. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE – A Los Angeles man was allegedly found with cutting tools and a freshly-cut catalytic converter tucked in a suitcase after being stopped by La Verne Police May 12.
A La Verne resident saw a strange man under his neighbor’s van and called police. The suspect fled the scene, but officers were able to find and stop the suspect with the help of the resident’s detailed description of the suspect’s vehicle, according to the La Verne Police Department. “Tools commonly used in the theft of catalytic converters were identified and found in plain view. Officers searched the vehicle and discovered a suitcase containing a freshly cut catalytic converter along with additional power tools and extra batteries.,” La Verne Police said in a written statement. Tony Contreras Farias, 37, was arrested and booked on felony charges. Farias was issued a citation and released, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE - A man wanted on suspicion of child sex abuse died in City of Industry after crashing at the end of a pursuit with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol Thursday.
Raul Munoz Jr., 62, was identified by the abuse victim who claimed that he sexually assaulted her over a period of six years beginning when she was 8, according to the La Verne Police Department. Munoz, a La Verne resident, was known to the victim. The investigation began June 10, 2020 in the 1000 block of Baseline Road. After investigating, the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which filed charges, including continual sexual abuse of a child and lewd acts upon a child, La Verne Police said. A felony warrant was issued for Munoz’s arrest. During the pursuit, CHP officers received information that Munoz was potentially armed and possibly suicidal, according to Rodrigo Jimenez, public information officer for the California Highway Patrol Baldwin Park Office. “The vehicle entered a private parking lot (southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Baker Parkway) and, for unknown reason, the vehicle traveled directly into a steel shipping container at a high rate of speed,” Jimenez said in a written statement. Officers gave verbal commands for Munoz to surrender, but they did not receive an answer. When they approached the vehicle, they discovered Munoz was dead. Munoz’s suicide was the result of blunt force injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. It is not immediately clear if the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s pursuit was related to the sex abuse case. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE - Security camera footage led to the arrest of a man accused of stealing three Samsung tablets used for taking orders at the Laverne restaurant Thursday, police said.
The theft occurred at Grill House, 1204 Foothill Blvd., January 14. Officers investigating the theft patrolled the nearby area and found suspect Juan Martinez not too far from the crime scene about 45 minutes later, reportedly still in possession of the stolen tablets, according to the La Verne Police Department. Martinez, was booked for felony-level crimes at 3:29 p.m. and was issued a citation and released. He is scheduled to appear in court January 19, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE - A bathroom confrontation inside a supermarket November 24 led to an assault with a deadly weapon that left one person with laceration to the forehead, police said. The assault occurred at Stater Bros., 2090 Foothill Blvd., around 2:50 p.m. One victim encountered the suspect in a restroom. A confrontation resulted and led to the suspect to swing a knife at the victim, according to the La Verne Police Department. The suspect followed the victim out of the bathroom and threw three glass bottles at the victim; one bottle struck another person, causing a laceration to the forehead, La Verne Police said. The suspect fled the store on a white Robust 200 scooter. He is possibly a transient from the Bloomington area, La Verne Police said. The suspect is described as a Hispanic man in his 30s. He has dark hair, a goatee, has a medium build, wore shorts, a black Lakers hat, a t-shirt with “Aero” across the chest, a black jacket with twin red arm stripes, has a tattoo on the back of his head and walks with a pronounced limp. Anyone with information on the suspect is urged to call La Verne Police detectives at 909-596-1913, or email detectives@lvpd.org. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE – Three burglary suspects accused of attempting to cut their way into a business Tuesday are also heavily suspected in burglarizing a second business the same day, police said. Police detained the three suspects who were in the middle of cutting their way into a business in the 1100 block of Foothill Boulevard the morning of September 29. Not too long after that, a business in the 700 block of Arrow Highway was also found burglarized, according to the La Verne Police Department.
“Video surveillance from the Arrow Hwy location confirmed that the same suspects were responsible for both burglaries,” the La Verne Police Department said. Arrested were Pomona residents Serenity Dupree, 21, and Alexis Frenes, 26. La Verne man Oscar Flores, 27, was also arrested. The trio were booked on suspicion of burglary, given citations and released. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE - A multi-agency sting into human trafficking netted the arrests of two women inside a massage parlor. Xiuquin Zong, a 57-year-old Hacienda Heights resident and Kangqiu Liu, a 50-year-old resident of San Gabriel, were arrested on suspicion of soliciting for prostitution and cited, according to the La Verne Police Department. The sting took place at My Spa, 1451 Foothill Blvd., August 18.
An undercover detective was solicited by the manager and masseuse to perform sexual acts, according to the La Verne Police Department. “An administrative inspection was conducted, and additional violations of the State, County, and La Verne Municipal Code were identified. The City of La Verne is in the process of revoking the business’s permit,” the La Verne Police Department said. The sting was conducted by La Verne Police and the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force, headed by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE - A man police have named is being sought for allegedly taking $1,000 in alcohol from a Target July 16.
Tran Van Cuong, 48, walked out of Target, 1600 Foothill Blvd., carrying the alcohol. He fled the store in a tan 2000 Lexus ES, according to the La Verne Police Department. Cuong was already on Post Release Community Supervision for robbery, according to the La Verne Police Department. Anyone with information on the suspect is urged to call La Verne Police Department Detective A. Julian at 909-596-1913, or email ajulian@lvpd.org. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE – The second and final suspect sought in the shooting of a man in La Verne was caught July 7, police said. The unnamed juvenile suspect was involved in a shooting after a verbal altercation broke out between the juvenile and a 21-year-old suspect in the 1700 block of D Street February 26, La Verne Police said. The first suspect arrested, John Sanchez Jr., a La Verne resident, was taken into custody March 3, La Verne Police said.
After the victim was shot in the February incident, he drove away from the scene. The suspects also fled the location. The victim suffered two gunshot wounds. He was treated for his injuries and released from a hospital. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed two charges against each suspect: attempted murder and shooting at an inhabited dwelling or vehicle, La Verne Police said. Anyone with information that can aid the investigation is urged to call La Verne Police at 909-596-1913. |
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