Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - A woman walking her granddaughter to school Thursday witnessed a man grabbing a girl who screamed to be let go. The scene unfolded at 8 a.m. at the southwest corner of Maple Avenue and Harding Avenue. the grandmother witnessed a man grab the girl, estimated from 9 to 11 years old, by the mouth and waist. the girl screamed for her mother and screamed “let go of me,” according to the Montebello Police Department. The woman walked her granddaughter to Washington Elementary School and notified staff of the incident. The woman walked back to the scene and could not find either the man or girl, Montebello Police said. Officers weren’t notified of the incident until 9 a.m., Montebello Police said. “Investigators from Montebello Police Department, MUSD School police along with school officials have accounted for all absent female children from both Washington Elementary and Montebello Intermediate schools,” Montebello Police said in a written statement.
The girl is described as Hispanic with dark hair. She wore a red and black hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans and a black backpack. The man is described as Hispanic possibly in his 30s with dark skin, a thin build, short hair with light colored highlights and a goatee. He wore a grey sweater and blue jeans with torn knees. Anyone with information on the suspect and/or girl is urged to contact the Montebello Police Department at 323 887-1313. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - A man who appeared ready to jump from a hotel window was safely detained and hospitalized after a standoff Monday morning. Montebello Police, Montebello firefighters and Pasadena firefighters worked to keep the man from possibly jumping from the fourth floor window at Quality Inn, 7709 Telegraph Rd. December 9 just before 11:30 a.m. Officers responded to the hotel on a report of a man breaking things inside the room and possibly suffering from a mental condition. Officers discovered the man next to an open window with a screen partially pushed out, the Montebello Police Department said. “His mother was concerned that he was going to jump from the window and requested assistance,” Montebello Police said.
The Pasadena Fire Department arrived with an inflatable cushion as a precaution. Police spoke to the man via telephone and over a loudspeaker to get him to surrender. Officers spoke to the man for more than one hour until he moved away from the window and towards the hotel door. Officers then safely restrain the man, Montebello Police said. “Based on his actions, the Montebello Police Department Mental Health Evaluation Team transported the individual to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation,” Montebello Police said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO – A student of Vail High School was arrested Tuesday after police were made aware of a social media threat to the school’s principal. Officers were notified by a concerned parent of Vail High School November 19 after the parent’s child saw the threat on the Snapchat app, according to the Montebello Police Department. “Detectives immediately responded and interviewed the student as to the origin of the social media post. Ultimately the student admitted to creating the post and sharing it on social media so that he wouldn’t have to attend school today,” the Montebello Police Department said Tuesday.
The 16-year-old student, a Los Angeles resident, was arrested for the criminal threat against the principal. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - Police announced recently the arrest of a man and woman involved in a armed robbery that left a clerk with significant injuries. Surveillance footage taken of the suspect vehicle the day prior to the robbery and shooting helped Sheriff’s deputies identify suspect Kimberly Ramirez. Jesus Mendez was later identified and arrested, the Montebello Police Department said. Ramirez, 27, was arrested June 6 and is being held in lieu of $3.1 million bail. Mendez, 24, was arrested September 25 and held in lieu of $1.58 million, according to Los Angeles County booking records. The robbery unfolded January 18 at Garfield Liquor, 2433 W. Whittier Blvd., when two masked suspects entered and stole a cash register. An employee struggled with at least one suspect. The employee was shot by one suspect and sustained significant injuries, but survived. Both suspects escaped, Montebello Police said. The suspects conducted surveillance on the convenience store a day before the robbery. Images from the video were shared with countless law enforcement agencies in SoCal, leading to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies to detain Ramirez for Montebello officers.
When deputies detained Ramirez, she was driving the same suspect vehicle, Montebello Police said. “[Ramirez] admitted her role to multiple armed robberies that occurred in Montebello, Bell, East Los Angeles and South Los Angeles,” Montebello Police said. Further investigation conducted with the help of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Major Crimes Bureau and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Robbery-Homicide Division led to Mendez’s arrest, Montebello Police said. Mendez, an East Los Angeles gang member, is believed to be present at multiple other robberies. During a search warrant at Mendez’s home, a firearm was recovered, Montebello Police said. Ramirez and Mendez are scheduled for an appearance in Los Angeles Municipal Court October 31. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - Two suspects involved in a road rage incident that led to an innocent man being hit by gunfire are at-large Saturday. The man was hit by gunfire near the Best Star Inn, 7533 Telegraph Rd., around 10:15 p.m. September 20. The two suspects were involved in the road rage on Telegraph Road near Greenwood Avenue, according to the Montebello Police Department.
The wounded man is listed in critical but stable condition, Montebello Police said. It is unclear if the suspects were wounded. Suspect descriptions are not available. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - An internal Montebello Police investigation is underway after one of the department’s lieutenants crashed while allegedly driving under the influence in Montclair. Christopher Cervantes, 47, reportedly crashed into the rear of another vehicle August 21 at San Bernardino Street an Monte Vista Avenue around 8:10 a.m., according to the Montclair Police Department. No one was injured. The lieutenant was placed on administrative leave. Cervantes, who is no stranger to run-ins with law enforcement, was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. He was released later that Wednesday.
In 2015, Cervantes was investigated for crashing into a tree in Diamond Bar. An investigation revealed acetaminophen/butalbital/codeine and morphine in his system. Cervantes reportedly had valid reasons for the prescriptions. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office declined to file charges in the Diamond Bar crash, later stating that the office lacked the expertise to prosecute the specifics of the case. Cervantes was arrested by San Diego Police, accused of public drunkenness and resisting arrest in 2011. The incident resulted in Cervantes not being charged. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - Two Montebello men and a man from Commerce were arrested August 12 and 13 after a lengthy investigation identified them as suspects in the theft of a police SUV. The suspects were identified by detectives and were believed to possess stolen police weapons and other equipment. Montebello men Hunter Crist, 21, Eddy Saldivar, 22, and Commerce man Matthew Moran, 21, were booked on suspicion of grand theft auto and possession of stolen property. Each man allegedly had police-type equipment installed in their personal vehicles, including property stripped from the stolen police SUV, Montebello Police said. The investigation took a leap forward June 18 after detectives received a tip to the location of the Montebello police SUV. It was found dumped over an access road from Angeles Crest Highway in an area not visible from the road, Montebello police said. “The vehicle was stripped of various vehicle parts and police equipment. A portion of the police rifle that was taken with the vehicle was recovered with the vehicle. The vehicle was badly damaged as a result of being pushed over the embankment,” Montebello Police said in a written statement. Search warrants were obtained for the suspects’ homes and vehicles. Wit the help of the Task Force for Regional Auto Theft and Prevention and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, detectives recovered a stolen Montebello Police Remington shotgun, the red and blue lightbar and parts of a rifle believed to be stolen from the SUV, Montebello Police said. Also found was one radio taken from a decommissioned Montebello Unified School District Police vehicle. It was one of approximately $26,000 in police radios stolen from other district police vehicles February 2019, Montebello Police said. The Montebello Police SUV was taken from the parking lot of the Montebello Police Station May 17. The SUV was caught on camera as it was driven away, but a suspect could not be identified at the time. Crist posted bail August 13, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Saldivar is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail ahead of a scheduled August 15 court appearance. Moran is also being held in lieu of $25,000 bail ahead of a scheduled August 14 court appearance. PHOTOS/Courtesy of Montebello Police. The Suspect Had Other Stolen Police Items. CLICK TO READ MORE Search warrants were obtained for the suspects’ homes and vehicles.
Wit the help of the Task Force for Regional Auto Theft and Prevention and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, detectives recovered a stolen Montebello Police Remington shotgun, the red and blue lightbar and parts of a rifle believed to be stolen from the SUV, Montebello Police said. Also found was one radio taken from a decommissioned Montebello Unified School District Police vehicle. It was one of approximately $26,000 in police radios stolen from other district police vehicles February 2019, Montebello Police said. The Montebello Police SUV was taken from the parking lot of the Montebello Police Station May 17. The SUV was caught on camera as it was driven away, but a suspect could not be identified at the time. Crist posted bail August 13, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Saldivar is being held in lieu of $25,000 bail ahead of a scheduled August 15 court appearance. Moran is also being held in lieu of $25,000 bail ahead of a scheduled August 14 court appearance. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - Police are investigating a shooting after a victim was found with a leg wound Sunday. Police responded to a report of a gunshot victim in the 800 block of North Garfield Avenue July 7. The victim is very uncooperative with investigators, providing little to no information on the circumstances, according to Lt. David Kim of the Montebello Police Department. Kim did not have the age of the male shot.
“We have an uncooperative victim who does not want to get involved,” Kim said. Police were dispatched sometime around 4:30 a.m. Anyone who has information on the shooting is urged to speak with Montebello detectives at 323-887-1200 ext. 262. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - A 2018 Ford Explorer police SUV was discovered missing from its designated parking stall at the Montebello Police Department Tuesday. The discovery was made around 3 p.m. May 21. During the investigation, detectives learned the vehicle was taken May 17 at 2:23 a.m. A suspect was caught on camera driving away with the police SUV within 10 seconds of entering it, according to the Montebello Police Department. A loaded AR-15 rifle, a loaded shotgun and less lethal shotgun were inside the stolen police SUV, Montebello Police said. All keys for the SUV are accounted for.
The 2018 Ford Explorer police SUV is painted black and features a white roof and white doors. The SUV is designated as Unit 9 and has a California Exempt license plate number of 1429238. The words “Montebello Police” are featured on both sides of the vehicle and on the rear. The number 9 is located on the roof with the letters “MTB” and on the front fenders and the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle is also equipped with an overhead light bar, Montebello Police said. Detectives are attempting to use GPS and other methods to locate the vehicle. Local repair shops and other vendors were contacted in an effort to find the SUV, which has been entered into the stolen vehicle registry, Montebello Police said. Anyone who locates the stolen SUV is urged to call Montebello Police at 323-887-1313, or dial 9-1-1. Information can be provided anonymously by calling L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MONTEBELLO - The man injured with a fatal gunshot wound in an officer-involved shooting Thursday was identified. Eddie Herrera was named by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. He is listed as a 49-year-old transient. Herrera was confronted by officers near 2nd Street and Victoria Avenue around 1:30 p.m. May 9 who were looking for suspects possibly smoking marijuana and drinking. The first Montebello officer on scene saw a man carrying a weapon. As backup was called, the officer-involved shooting occurred, Montebello Police said.
“Officers responded to the location regarding a disturbance call. When they arrived, they encountered the suspect, a male Hispanic adult, 49 years old holding a shot gun,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau. “It appears at this time, that the suspect discharged the shotgun at least one time, and the Officers returned fire striking the suspect at least one time in the upper torso.” No officers were injured. |
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