Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor RANCHO CUCAMONGA - The victim of an attempted carjacking fought off two aggressors January 9 and suffered a gunshot wound to one of his hands during the ordeal.
The crime went down in the 9000 block of Foothill Boulevard around 3:34 p.m. Rancho Cucamonga deputies originally responded to a report of gunfire and soon discovered it was an attempted carjacking as well. Both suspects, identified as Lorenzo Ortiz, 41, and Raymond Joshua Bowman, 26, fled after failing to take the victim’s vehicle. Officers found and arrested both suspects as they attempted to flee the area, according to the Rancho Cucamonga Sheriff’s Station. The 41-year-old victim Was hospitalized for his injuries. Ortiz and Bowman were booked at the West Valley Detention Center. Ortiz was officially charged with one count each of attempted carjacking and an allegation under California’s Three Strikes Law. He pleaded not guilty, according to San Bernardino County Superior Court records. He is being held in lieu of $140,000 bail. Bowman was officially charged with one count, each of attempted carjacking, an enhancement of using a firearm and enhancement of discharging a firearm, according to San Bernardino County Superior Court records. He is being held in lieu of $190,000 bail. Both suspects have since made an initial appearance in court and are scheduled for a preliminary hearing January 17. Written by AARON CASTREJON Citywatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Investigators announced the arrest of two men accused of robbing a woman of her purse and severely beating her at a Costco.
The robbery occurred at 17500 Castleton Street November 26 around 6:30 p.m. The victim fought back and attempted to take back her purse. She was repeatedly punched in the face. She was dragged by the suspects’ vehicle during the getaway, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “As a result of the suspects’ actions, the victim suffered facial and head trauma resulting in serious, life-threatening injuries. The victim was transported to the hospital for treatment,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement. A search warrant was served in Diamond Bar December 28 and David Morrison, 38, and Andrew Morrison, 34, were arrested. Evidence from the victim was found during the search. Both men were booked on suspicion of robbery and are being held in lieu of $500,000 bail. Both men were scheduled for an appearance in the West Covina Courthouse. Investigators are trying to determine if the pair are involved in any other crimes in the San Gabriel Valley. Anyone with information on these suspects, or who may have been a victim of similar crimes is urged to call the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau at 562-946-7187. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A 22-year-old Monrovia man was charged in a two-count federal grand jury indictment, accused of coercing a two-year-old child into engaging in a sexually explicit act with him so he could record record it.
David Lisandro Prerez Figueroa was charged with production of child pornography and distribution of child pornography. Figueroa was arrested earlier in December and is scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles December 28, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A federal magistrate ordered Figueroa to be held without bond, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. A federal search warrant was executed December at Figueroa’s home where he was arrested. British authorities investigating a target in the United Kingdom obtained chat logs from the X social media platform showing child sex abuse material and notified authorities stateside. Figueroa allegedly distributed the child sex abuse material on July 22 through X in an account allegedly linked to him. “If convicted of all charges, Figueroa would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 50 years in federal prison,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - One of two suspects involved in a violent Valinda home invasion robbery was arrested December 19.
Jeremy Rahmelle Dates, 29, was arrested during an Upland traffic stop by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Burglary Robbery Task Force. The home invasion occurred January 31, 2023 in the 16400 Block of Burtree Street in Valinda. Dates is accused of beating his elderly victim after entering the home. The bedroom was ransacked. The victim suffered facial and head trauma, according to the Sheriff’s Department. There was a second suspect, an unknown lookout only described as Black male. “The investigation is ongoing in order to determine if this robbery suspect is related to other home invasion robberies that have recently occurred in the Southern California Area,” according to the Sheriff’s Department in a written statement. Dates was transported to Sheriff’s Industry Station where he was booked and held in lieu $200,000 bail and is scheduled to appear at the West Covina Courthouse December 21. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Surveillance footage once again helped identify the man accused of gunning down three homeless people in Los Angeles late last month.
The suspect was already in custody, accused of murdering a San Dimas man after following him home from West Covina. Jerrid Joseph Powell, 33, was arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department Saturday. The three murders of homeless men occurred from November 26 to November 29. The same vehicle was seen at all three murder scenes, investigators said. Ballistics examination determined the gun seized after Powell was arrested in Beverly Hills was used in the homeless murders, according to an LAPD written statement. The first LA murder occurred around 3 a.m. November 26 in the 800 block of West 110th Street. The next murder occurred around 5 a.m. November 27 in the 800 block of East Seventh Street. The third happened around 2:30 p.m. November 29 at South Avenue 18 and South Pasadena Avenue. All victims in the LA murder were sleeping either on a public sidewalk or in an alleyway. Powell will remain in custody pending the filing of charges. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - Two suspects were recently jailed in connection with the death of a man washed up and stuffed in a barrel in Malibu and the larger of the two has a local crime connection.
Dennis Eugene Vance, 41, and Joshua Lee Simmons, 37, were arrested October 3 and charged in the death of Javonnta Marshann Murphy. Murphy’s body was found stuffed in a metal barrel that washed up at Malibu Lagoon State Beach. Murphy died of a gunshot wound to his head. Simmons was infamously caught on cellphone video after being beat back by employees of a jewelry store during an attempted robbery September 2 in El Monte. Simmons was charged with murder, personal use of a firearm and criminal threats. For the El Monte incident, he was also charged with attempted robbery, criminal threats and personal use of bear spray. Vance was charged with one count of being an accessory after the fact in Murphy’s death. Simmons is being held in lieu of nearly $3.3 million bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in Los Angeles Municipal Court November 3. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Authorities announced Friday the arrest of two suspects in a highly-publicized and violent robbery in Hacienda Heights.
Russell Hardy Jr. and Cameron DeShawne Perry, both 19 years old, were located through a multi-jurisdictional investigation. Russell was arrested August 16 and is being held without bail. Perry is being held in lieu of $400,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Both men were officially charged each with two counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of first-degree automated teller machine robbery and one count of attempted second-degree robbery. Perry also is charged with two counts of elder or dependent adult abuse, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Hardy was named as the getaway driver of a blue vehicle, Perry as the suspect who violently took the woman’s purse during the August 14 robbery in Hacienda Heights, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Both suspects are believed to have operated as a criminal crew the last several months and targeted Asian victims in Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights and City of Industry, committing similar robberies. A meeting between the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau-Burglary Robbery Task Force and the Orange County Violent Crimes ATF Task Force was held to investigate the robberies when they were notified of the highly-publicized robbery. Both suspects are believed to be involved in a robbery May 30 near 1457 Nogales St. in Rowland Heights where a purse containing $150,000 in jewelry was taken. June 9, a woman who withdrew money from a bank at 17801 Colima Rd. in Industry had her wallet stolen. June 14, a woman was in a parking lot at 1611 N. Azusa Ave. when someone approached from behind, stolen the purse and fled. July 2, a man exiting a bank at 18958 Daisetta St. in Rowland Heights fought back after being pistol-whipped, leaving the robber empty-handed, according to the DA’s office. in all but one of the robberies a blue vehicle was seen fleeing. Both suspects are scheduled for an appearance in the Pomona Courthouse Monday, August 21. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A $20,000 reward will go to the person who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the hit and run driver who killed an Azusa father nearly seven years ago.
Dwayne Armenta, 36, was struck and killed by a motorist in the early-morning hours of November 23, 2016 on the east I-10 freeway near Kellogg Drive. It was Thanksgiving and Armenta’s Ford F-150 ran out of gas, so he began walking to find the nearest gas station. Armenta, an Azusa man, attempted to cross traffic lanes and was struck. The suspect driver in a dark-colored SUV stopped, but fled when another driver stopped to help. Construction contractors were taken to court over conditions on the freeway during a project. A judge agreed that poor lighting conditions created by construction contractors Guy F. Atkinson Construction LLC and High-Light Electric Inc. contributed to Armenta’s death. Each of Armenta’s children, who were 4 and 14 years old at the time, received a settlement. Anyone who can help identify the driver is urged to call the California Highway Patrol Baldwin Park Office at 626-338-1164. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Sheriff’s investigators are searching for additional victims of an ex-LAPD officer accused of abusing children over nearly a decade.
Paul Jack Razo, 46, is accused of child sex abuse from 2006 to 2017 while Razo lived in unincorporated Covina in the 4800 block of Brightview Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Razo was arrested May 10 and booked at the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station. Five days prior, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed eight counts of lewd acts with a child. Razo is being held in lieu of $2.5 million bail, according to Los Angeles County booking records. “Based on the nature of the allegations and Mr. Razo’s access to children, detectives believe there may be additional unidentified victims,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement. Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau toll-free at 877-710-5273, or by email at specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org. Remain anonymous 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 LOS ANGELES - A Pomona man was found guilty May 9 of one count of abusive sexual contact during a flight from Cleveland to Los Angeles.
Mohammad Jawad Ansari, 49, committed the sexual abuse during the February 17, 2020 flight. “Ansari occupied a 10th-row window seat while the victim occupied the middle seat next to him. The victim, who was wearing a dress, fell asleep shortly after takeoff and the armrest separating Ansari from the victim was down,” according to the US Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Ansari Intentionally, and without the victim’s consent, touched her right knee as she slept. Ansari eventually moved his hand to her inner thigh. Ansari placed his left hand on the victim’s right knee and knowingly, intentionally, and without the victim’s consent, moved his hand to her inner thigh. The person sitting in the 10th-row aisle seat next to the victim witnessed Ansari’s hand touching the victim’s inner thigh. A passenger seated next to the victim witnessed the abuse, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The victim woke up, pushed Ansari’s hand away, left her seat, and informed a flight attendant about what had happened. The flight’s attendants observed Ansari during the remainder of the flight and believed he was pretending to sleep,” according to the US Attorney’s Office in a written statement. Ansari faces a September 29 and faces a statutory maximum of two years in federal prison. The FBI investigated this case. |
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