Man with Possible Ties to Area School Sports Programs Jailed Amidst Child Abuse Investigation4/21/2022 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST HOLLYWOOD – Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detectives jailed a Pasadena man accused of plying a teen girl with booze and drugs in exchange for lewd images and video.
Alexander Rashaan Miles, 42, was arraigned April 19 on three counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act with a child under 14 years old and one count of persuading or coercing a minor to participate in child pornography. He has pleaded not guilty, according to information from the Los Angeles Superior Court. Miles was arrested April 15 and booked at the Sheriff’s West Hollywood Station. Through the investigation, detectives believe he was speaking to many victims, mostly female. Snapchat was his weapon of choice. March 16, the victim told Sheriff’s West Hollywood Station detectives that a man reached out to her through Snapchat in October and November of 2021. He offered alcohol and narcotics in exchange for explicit pictures and videos of the girl, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Special Victim’s Bureau, Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team and FBI worked on the case. Miles was identified as a suspect, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “The suspect is believed to have been a high school basketball coach for several schools in the San Gabriel Valley and a high school basketball referee in the Los Angeles area,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement. Anyone who may be a victim of Miles is urged to call the Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau Detective S. French at 323-526-5154, or Sgt. D. Payne at 323-526-5154. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org. Miles is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Pasadena Superior Court May 3. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES – A San Marino man who was recorded while accelerating towards a crowd of protestors in Old Town Pasadena May 31 last year pleaded guilty to 11 felony weapons charges, prosecutors said Thursday.
Benjamin Jong Ren Hung, 28, entered into a plea agreement filed April 29 and pleaded guilty to conspiracy, transporting and receiving firearms across state lines, making false statements during purchases of firearms, possession of unregistered firearms and illegally transporting firearms across state lines to California, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Hung admitted to making false statements to gun dealers in the state of Washington when purchasing four rifles and a shotgun in March 2020, falsely claiming he was a Washington resident. “The firearms dealers were not legally permitted to sell firearms to California residents,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Hung also admitted to taking part in a multi-year conspiracy in making false statements to arms dealers in Oregon to illegally transport weapons to California. He paid a co-conspirator to purchase handguns for him and had the co-conspirator claim he was Hung. The weapons were then delivered by the co-conspirator to Hung. This elaborate scheme was concocted to elude California’s strict gun laws, Hung stated in the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Hung also admitted to illegally possessing three unregistered short-barreled semiautomatic rifles, which were seized from his Lodi home in September 2020, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. In his plea agreement, Hung admitted to taking a Glock 26 9mm handgun to a George Floyd protest May 31, 2020, where he used his customized Dodge pickup truck to antagonize protesters. Hung accelerated towards the intersection, sounded the truck’s train horn he had installed, briefly stopped, then continued through the intersection, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. As Hung fled, his truck left a large cloud of exhaust, an act sometimes referred to as “coal rolling,” Hung was found and arrested by Pasadena Police. A date for Hung to appear in court to formally enter the guilty pleas has not yet been set. This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force, FBI civil rights squads and the Pasadena Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A man accused of driving a truck through a protest in Pasadena May 31 was found with an illegally-obtained weapon, part of a cache of weapons believed to be amassed for acts of civil disorder.
Benjamin Jong Ren Hung, 28, was charged with one count of conspiracy to transport firearms across state lines and to make a false statement in acquisition of firearms. Prosecutors allege Hung, a San Marino resident, acquired a cache of four weapons purchased in Oregon and then transported across the state line into California, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint against Hung. A friend of Hung purchased one handgun in Oregon and allegedly falsely stated that he was the transferee of the weapon, rather than Hung. The weapon was transported to California and kept in Hung’s home prior to the May 31 protest, the affidavit stated. In March, Hung allegedly purchased three additional handguns himself in Oregon and transported them to California. “[Hung] also allegedly amassed other firearms and tactical equipment from suppliers throughout the United States and used his family’s vineyard in Lodi, California as a training camp to prepare to engage in civil disorders,” the affidavit stated. Hung was arrested after attempting to drive through protestors on a street in Old Town Pasadena May 31. Protesters scattered as a truck approached. No one was injured. Pasadena Police searched Hung’s truck and found a loaded semiautomatic handgun, multiple high-capacity magazines loaded with ammunition, an 18-inch machete, $3,200 in cash, a long metal pipe and a megaphone,” the affidavit stated. If convicted as charged, Hung could face a statutory maximum of five years in federal prison, authorities said. This incident was investigated by the FBI’s Los Angeles Joint Terrorism Task Force and Civil Rights squads and the Pasadena Police Department. Hung was ordered detained at an initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles Wednesday. He is scheduled for bail status hearing September 28. He is scheduled to be arraigned October 15. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – The stubborn Bobcat Fire tearing its way through the San Gabriel Mountains is 6 percent contained Friday, the U.S. Forest Service said. 26,368 acres have burned in the steep, rugged mountain terrain since the fire’s inception five days ago. 540 firefighters from surrounding agencies, assisted by helicopters and some fixed-wing aircraft, continue to focus work on the south and north flanks of the fire that continue to grow. Firefighters achieved containment on the eastern flank where the Bobcat Fire ran into the burn scar etched by the Ranch 2 Fire, the U.S. Forest Service said. Two air tankers were able to perform drops of fire retardant Thursday after dense smoke on the south flank above Monrovia lifted. A helicopter and two groups of camp crews were also sent to bolster fire lines there, the U.S. Forest Service said. Overnight, two Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopters equipped with night vision were able to tend to flames on the south flank.
Winds continue to push the fire north towards Crystal Lake. Flames have reached the into the upper ridges near Angeles Crest Highway where fire retardant line have been laid by aircraft, the U.S. Forest Service said. Ground crews will continue to patrol the foothill communities and conduct structure protection and triage efforts, the U.S. Forest Service said. The City of Monrovia has established road blocks along planned evacuation routes and bolstered the areas with additional police patrols to push non-residents and unnecessary traffic out of the area, Monrovia city officials said. Unnecessary vehicle traffic created what Monrovia officials considered public safety concerns and apparently even delayed fire trucks from being able to move from location to location, Monrovia city officials said. Firefighters estimate the Bobcat Fire may be contained by October 15. Zero Containment: Bobcat Fire Chars Nearly 24,000 Acres, Burns Deeper Towards Crystal Lake9/10/2020 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - Weather conditions and poor visibility are keeping firefighters from gaining an upper hand on the Bobcat Fire.
23,890 acres have burned in the parched and steep terrain of the San Gabriel Mountains since the fire’s inception four days ago. Firefighters have 0 percent containment, according to the U.S. Forest Service. More than 530 firefighters continue to work on keeping the fire from spreading further south. On the bright side, voluntary evacuation orders for Sierra Madre and Arcadia were lifted Thursday. However, Arcadia residents north of Foothill Boulevard and East of Pasadena remain under evacuation warnings. Evacuation warnings remain in effect for Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte, Bradbury and Duarte Mesa. The Angeles National Forest remains closed for recreation. Overnight, the Bobcat Fire jumped San Gabriel Canyon Road as it burned heavily northeast. Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2) is closed eastbound from Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road to Big Pines. San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39) is closed at Old San Gabriel Canyon Road, according to Caltrans. The fire has cast a morbid orange haze over the Southland as the smoke mixes with cloud cover. An unending drizzle of ash and dirt from the burn site continues to sprinkle over the urban landscape. Burning up is mostly old-growth chaparral and tall grass in areas with little to no fire record. Firefighters have no estimate on containing the fire. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - The stubborn Bobcat Fire surpassed 10,000 acres Tuesday.
So far, 10,344 acres have burned. Firefighters have yet to set any containment figures on the fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service. A Red Flag warning, which went into effect at Noon Tuesday, remains in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday, September 8 for the mountains and valleys of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Cities that could face great danger should Santa Ana winds drive the fire further south now include Pasadena and Altadena, in addition to Arcadia, Bradbury, Duarte, Monrovia and Sierra Madre. Arcadia officials announced Tuesday night that residents north of Foothill Boulevard and east of Santa Anita Avenue should consider voluntarily evacuating. “Although there is no immediate threat of fire to Arcadia residences at this time, predictive modeling of both the weather and the Bobcat Fire suggests that circumstances could become more concerning overnight,” Arcadia officials said in a written statement. Arcadia City Manager Dominic Lazzaretto has issued a Declaration of Local Emergency allowing for emergency provisions to be enacted in response to the fire. The Red Cross has established a temporary evacuation point at Santa Anita Park, 285 W. Huntington Dr., Gate 5, in Arcadia. It is now open for anyone affected by the Bobcat Fire. COVID-19 safety measures are in place & Red Cross volunteers are ready to help evacuees into safe lodging, the Red Cross announced. A hotline has been established at 626-574-5463 for the most current and up-to-date information regarding the fire’s impact on Arcadia. Fire crews in Monrovia performed preventative work Tuesday, cleaning hazardous vegetation, per-treating areas and improving access points in the event flames reach foothill neighborhoods, according to Monrovia city officials. Containment has been made even more laborious due to poor visibility and the treacherous terrain. The Bobcat Fire is burning in steep terrain of the West Fork area of the San Gabriel drainage. Flames continue to move north into the wilderness and south towards Mt. Bliss. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – Federal investigators announced the arrest of a Pasadena man and a recent Azusa resident for their alleged involvement in a ransom plot that ended with the victim being buried in the desert after being beaten to death.
Pasadena man Anthony Valladares, 28, and Alexis Ivan Romero Velez, 24, a recent Azusa resident, were arrested July 14 with the execution of search warrants by the FBI and the San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the US Attorney’s Office said. Prosecutors allege Valladares was the hired muscle used to subdue, intimidate and beat Rouchen “Tony” Liao, 29. Velez was the driver, according to an affidavit. “According to the affidavit, Valladares admitted that he was hired to assist in the kidnapping, agreed to accept $1,000 for the job, and restrained Liao during the kidnapping. Romero admitted, according to the affidavit, that he was recruited by Valladares and was the driver during the kidnapping,” according to the Department of Justice in a written statement. Valladares and Velez allegedly worked with two Chinese nationals who fled the country after the killing. Guangyao Yang, 26, and Peicheng Shen, 34, were charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, attempted extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act and threat by foreign communication, investigators said. Yang and Shen, who last lived in West Covina before they fled, were captured and are being held by Chinese authorities. Liao, a Santa Ana resident, was kidnapped July 16, 2018 in San Gabriel by three men and forced into a dark-colored Toyota Sienna minivan, which was followed by two suspects in a Range Rover SUV. The kidnapping occurred around 7:30 p.m. at San Gabriel Square, 140 W. Valley Blvd. Liao was possibly coaxed to the area on the premise of conducted a business deal, the FBI said. After Liao was kidnapped and taken to a Corona home, demands were made to deposit $2 million within three hours to several Chinese accounts. Liao’s father also received “proof-of-life” photos of his son physically retained in a closet: his arms bound behind him, his legs bound together and his eyes taped shut, investigators said. No more demands were made and nothing was ever heard from the captors again. Investigators believe Liao died July 17, 2018. The Following day, Yang and Shen allegedly drove to the Mojave Desert to dispose of Liao’s body. An internet search connected to Yang revealed efforts to learn how fast a body decomposes in soil. Shen apparently had the closet where Liao was held re-carpeted, investigators said. Liao’s remains were discovered by a hiker June 12, 2019 near Mojave in the area of Cache Creek Road and Highway 58. The manner of death is undetermined. Liao’s remains were identified by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office - Coroner Section. The kidnapping charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A man was rescued in April, but two others weren’t so lucky in a kidnapping and ransom plot involving a former Colton resident and her boyfriend. Leslie Briana Matla, 20, and Juan Carlos Montoya Sanchez, 25, were arrested last week on a federal criminal complaint alleging the couple collected ransom money in a kidnapping conspiracy where US citizens were held captive in Mexico, according to the Justice Department. The criminal complaint charges Matla and Sanchez with one count of money laundering and conspiracy. On March 28, April 13 and April 22, three men – residents of San Diego, Norwalk and Pasadena – were kidnapped in Tijuana while on business or visiting family. A suspect using a Mexican telephone number called the victims’ families and were told to deposit ransom money at a specific location, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Matla, a current Mexican resident, Would venture into the US to pick up ransom payments placed by the kidnapped victims’ family members at locations chosen by her co-conspirators, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Mexican authorities found the San Diego victim’s body March 29 after the victim’s adult son placed a bag containing $25,000 inside the women’s restroom of a McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, The U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The Norwalk victim’s body was found in Mexico April 14 after the victim’s family tried, but failed to pay a $25,000 ransom to a woman whom law enforcement believes was Matla, at a Lowe’s parking lot in Norwalk, according to court documents. A Pasadena woman alerted authorities April 22 that her family member was being held captive in Mexico and that a suspect demanded a ransom of $20,000 be left in a Food 4 Less parking lot in Lynnwood. A pregnant woman was to pick up the cash.
The relative of the Pasadena woman was rescued that day from a Tijuana hotel - the same hotel where the two other victims met their fate, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Cell phone records helped authorities to discover that all three victims have been held at the same motel. Nine suspects were arrested at the hotel. US border crossing records, surveillance footage from the ransom drop off points and social media messages helped identify Matla. Sanchez also received Wire transfers from two of the kidnapping victims, according US Attorney’s Office said. Both suspects face a possible maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted as charged. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor PASADENA - A man and woman involved in an altercation in a Rose Bowl parking lot that led to the stabbing death of a man pleaded no contest February 11. Los Angeles man Miguel Castaneda, 24, and Pasadena woman Valentina Rosales, 25, entered their pleas Tuesday in he stabbing death of Demetrio Tapia Jr. Castaneda, who pleaded to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter and admitted using a knife, faces 12 years in state prison. Rosales, who pleaded to one felony count of accessory after the fact, faces four years in prison, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Castaneda fought with Tapia and stabbed him in a Rose Bowl parking lot, October 1, 2018. Rosales drove Castaneda from the scene, prosecutors said. Sentencing for both is scheduled on March 4 in Department E of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Pasadena Branch, Santiago said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LONG BEACH - San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a suspect January 31 believed to have robbed banks in Pasadena, Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga. San Bernardino County man Steven Ray Simmons, 48, was located by San Bernardino County deputies at a Long Beach motel. Evidence found in Simmons’ motel room linked him to a Pasadena bank robbery, according to the Pasadena Police Department. A Chase Bank, 132 E. Colorado Blvd., was robbed January 30 at 2:14 p.m. A demand note was handed to the bank teller. The suspect fled before officers arrived and escaped with $3,200, Pasadena police said. The FBI responded to investigate the Pasadena robbery and believed the suspect also previously committed bank robberies in Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga.
“Pasadena police detectives collaborated with Ontario Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to determine if, in fact, it was the same suspect. All available evidence suggests the same suspect is responsible for the three robberies,” Pasadena Police said in a written statement. Anyone with information about this case is urged to call the Pasadena Police Department at 626-744-4241. Information can be provided anonymously by calling L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477); through the P3 Tips mobile app, or at lacrimestoppers.org. |
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