Written by AARON CASTREJON 
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A motion to offer a reward seeking the arrest and conviction of those responsible for defacing a mural in Altadena was introduced by a county leader recently.

Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Kathryn Barger introduced the motion for a  $20,000 reward Tuesday, July 28.

“The antisemitic vandalism at the Pasadena Jewish Temple & Center has no place in our community,” said Barger in a social media post. “This congregation has already endured devastation from the Eaton Fire, and they should not have to face hateful acts intended to intimidate them as they work to rebuild.”

Black spray paint was used to deface a community mural at the Altadena Drive campus for the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in the 1400 block of Altadena Drive July 24.

The mural, created after the Eaton Fire and in response to an act of antisemitism, was defaced with swastikas and the phrase “Zionism is not welcome.”

“Today we are deeply saddened and outraged by this act, but we refuse to let it define our community,” said the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center in a written statement published the day the vandalism was discovered.

The mural has since been repainted. The black spray paint and message of hate gone, but the scars remain.

Community members gathered at the freshly-renovated mural to unite against hate and show strength in numbers.

“The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Altadena Sheriff's Station condemn this act of antisemitic vandalism in the strongest possible terms. Crimes motivated by hate have no place in our community,” according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Station Captain Ethan Marquez. “We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation, holding those responsible accountable, and standing with our Jewish community, all faith communities, and every resident against all forms of hatred and intolerance."

Anyone with information regarding this crime is encouraged to contact the Altadena Sheriff's Station at 626-798-1131.

Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

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Copyright 2026. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - More human remains are being recovered during grid searches in the Eaton Fire burn area, authorities said Sunday.

11 deaths are confirmed and 12 people are reported as missing, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

A grid search conducted January 11 of 363 residences was conducted and three deaths were found, Luna said.

Favorable weather allowed firefighters to gain 27 percent containment. Acreage burned stands at 14,117. Inspectors have completed 16 percent of damage assessments for dwellings within the burn area, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone.

Without providing specifics, Marrone said Los Angeles County is working on the opportunity for residents to view Online their property for damage assessments.

Despite the high publicity of National Guard troops and increased police patrols in burn areas, burglars and looters are still penetrating, perimeters to commit crimes within affected areas.

Nearly 30 people have been arrested so far in both the Eaton fire and Palisades fire burn areas, accused of burglary and looting, according to Sheriff Luna: 25. In the Eaton Fire burn area and four in the Palisades burn area.

Saturday in the Palisades burn area, a burglary suspect decked out in firefighter attire was arrested, Luna said.

In the Eaton Fire burn area, three people were arrested for curfew violations, while three were arrested. Among the charges were carrying a concealed firearm and narcotics violations, Luna said.

Residents and business owners are still not allowed within the Eaton fire burn area. Sunday morning, there were reports of Scientology members attempting to enter the Eaton Fire burn area reportedly to clean up. A group of Scientology members were turned away at Woodbury and Fair Oaks Avenue, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s radio traffic.

For the time being, only authorized personnel are allowed within the Eaton Fire burn area. Authorities have yet to determine a time when residents and business owners can re-populate the area.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - Firefighters are making gains on the Eaton Fire that decimated large swaths of Altadena and Pasadena.

Acreage burned now stands at 14,117 with 15 percent containment. Eight people have been confirmed dead and 11 people are missing and unaccounted for. More than 7,000 homes, businesses, outhouses and vehicles are damaged or destroyed.

2,532 firefighters are assigned to the Eaton Fire. A 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew remains in effect for all areas under evacuation orders in both the Eaton and Palisades burn areas.

Roughly 400 National Guard troops are assisting with road closures, as well as officers from Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Azusa, Irwindale, Whittier and more.

National Guard troops have also been stationed at the request of Azusa Police to maintain a closure of San Gabriel Canyon Road.

All Angeles National Forest roads and trails remain closed until midnight January 15, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Firefighters continue arriving from outside California to assist in fighting all active fires, including firefighters from Oregon, from Frisco, Texas and from Mexico.

A Local Health Emergency has been declared in LA County. A new Health Officer Order prohibits the use of power air blowers, including leaf blowers, as these devices stir up ash and harmful particles, worsening air quality and increasing health risks, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

19 suspected looters have been arrested in the Eaton Fire burn area. Most arrests involved burglary, looting, trespassing, possession of narcotics, identity theft, and one suspect was on active parole and charged with possession of a concealed firearm, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

Pasadena Unified schools are closed until January 17.

Los Angeles County is not out of the woods just yet. Critical Fire Weather conditions remain with the threat of high winds extending into Wednesday, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - Upwards of 400 National Guard troops deployed in the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire burn areas overnight as both blazes continue to eat away hillsides and communities.

National Guard troops were seen stationed at the Eaton Fire perimeter Thursday night providing traffic control and critical infrastructure protection so Sheriff’s deputies can patrol neighborhoods to stave off looters. 20 such looters have been arrested so far in both the Eaton and Palisades fires.

The Eaton Fire has grown, albeit slowly, to 13,690 acres. It is 3 percent contained, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Five residents died and five firefighters were injured.

More than 7,000 structures may have been destroyed or damaged, according to damage assessment teams and aerial image overlays.

Air operations fighting the Palisades Fire lost an aircraft after one of two Canadian-leased Super Scooper planes struck a civilian drone illegally flying in a fire zone. The plane was landed safely, but one wing tip was punctured and needs repair.

Aircraft fighting the Eaton Fire worked mostly in the northeast perimeter near Chantry Flats above Arcadia where fire growth was seen.

Around 500 Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies are assigned with protecting burn areas both in the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire burn areas, guarding both means of ingress and egress, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

An additional 100 deputies from surrounding counties are being requested, Luna said.

County booking records show seven arrests were made since the Eaton Fire began:

Rudy Salazar, 19
Arrested January 8
Booked on suspicion of 2nd-degree burglary during a state of emergency

Lucia Perez, 41
Arrested January 8
Booked on suspicion of 2nd-degree burglary during a state of emergency

Roy Sims, 18
Arrested January 8
Booked on suspicion of grand theft during a state of emergency

Ryan Sims, 19
Arrested January 8
Booked on suspicion of grand theft during a state of emergency

Naquan Reddix, 22
Arrested January 8
Booked on suspicion of grand theft during a state of emergency

Pierie Obannon, 19
Arrested January 8
Booked on suspicion of 2nd-degree burglary during a state of emergency

Loren Howse, 34
Arrested January 9
Booked on suspicion of 2nd-degree burglary during a state of emergency

Critical fire weather concerns will continue across the LA Basin and SoCal through Friday morning. Santa Ana winds will begin to tapper off midday Friday and into Saturday. Continue to take precautions and avoid activities that could start fires, according to the National Weather Service.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - Milder winds have helped to stem the growth of the Eaton Fire as crews scramble to gain control of this unimaginably-destructive blaze.

Five residents died and four firefighters have been injured. The fire has burned 10,600 acres and there is 0 percent containment. More than 1,000 structures were destroyed.

Todd Hopkins, incident commander for CalFire, stressed that not just homes and busssinesses, but vehicles, outhouses, etc. are included as structures.

“[Eaton Fire] Growth has been significantly stopped,” according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

Effective Immediately, the fire danger level has increased to critical in the Angeles National Forest. The temporary closure of the forest, announced on January 8, is extending through January 15, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Flames are working their way to Mt. Wilson and pose a threat to critical communication towers at the peak.

Large areas of Pasadena and Altadena remain off limits so firefighters can patrol and perform structure protection and fight any remaining fires within urban areas. As of Wednesday night, power was out in many areas affected by the Eaton fire. Traffic lights were also inoperable along many streets in areas closest to the fire

The city of Pasadena issued an Unsafe Water Alert for residents:

“Debris and elevated turbidity from the Eaton Fire potentially impacted Pasadena Water and Power’s drinking water system in the Eaton Fire evacuated areas. The State Water Resources Control Board, Pasadena Public Health Department, and Pasadena Water and Power Water System are advising residents of Pasadena to NOT USE THE TAP WATER FOR DRINKING AND COOKING IN THE IMPACTED AREAS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.”

In an effort to reduce calls for service, the Angeles National Forest is closed

Pasadena authorities also advise the only bottled water should we use for all human and pet consumption until further notice and that you should not attempt to treat tap water yourself.

A high-end Red Flag Warning continue through 6 p.m. Friday in wind prone areas of LA and Ventura counties due to moderate-strong Santa Ana winds and low humidities, according to the National Weather Service.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - Deputies are investigating a shooting that injured two victims Wednesday evening.

Firefighters were investigating a call of an unconscious person inside a home on La Venezia Court east of North Fair Oaks Avenue when a gunshot victim walked up to the firefighters. A few minutes later, firefighters reported an additional gunshot victim, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department radio traffic.

The shooting reportedly occurred around 6:20 p.m., December 11.

A possibly-related silver sedan was witnessed traveling southbound on Fair Oaks Avenue towards Woodbury Road and out of view, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department radio traffic.

It is not yet clear how many suspects were involved.

The condition of both shooting victims is not immediately known.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - A male and female died early Tuesday morning after their SUV crashed, rolled over and caught on fire.

First responders were sent to 64 W. Loma Alta Dr. just after 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 5. Initially being told of a vehicle fire, firefighters came upon a black Audi SUV that had crashed and rolled over, according to California Highway Patrol traffic logs.

The Audi SUV struck one or more parked vehicles before overturning, according to Michael Nasir of the California Highway Patrol Traffic Management Center.

The ages of the male and female were not immediately known to Nasir.

At least one of the occupants was extricated from the vehicle. It is unknown if firefighters or passersby pulled the occupant out of the SUV.

CHP officers requested the county medical examiner to the scene. As of 4:45 a.m., medical examiner investigators had yet to arrive to the scene.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - A man turned up at a hospital Thursday afternoon, hit by a bullet fired near an Altadena intersection.

The gunshot victim turned up at a hospital after deputies searched for evidence of a shooting near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Figueroa Drive, according to Lt. Julie Pinedo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station.

Deputies responded to reports of gunfire heard just before 5:30 p.m. Thursday, January 25. The search turned up no evidence of gunfire until deputies were informed of the wounded man, Pinedo told SGV CityWatch.

Witnesses reported two males fleeing the area where the shooting occurred. There was no description immediately available.

Pinedo did not immediately know if the man wounded by gunfire was the intended target. The man was later discharged from the hospital.

Investigators from the Sheriff’s Operation Safe Streets Bureau were called to the scene, Pinedo told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - Investigators are determining the circumstances behind a man’s death in Altadena Sunday.

First responders were sent to the 2300 block of North Canyada Avenue Sunday, October 8 around 3:10 p.m. The victim, only described as a man, died at the scene.

No further information is available.

Anyone with information on this death is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. 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

ALTADENA - The US Forest Service announced Friday that the Millard fire above Altadena is 100% contained Friday.

The Millard Fire burned two acres in the Cobb Estate area of the Altadena foothills near Lake Avenue and East Loma Alta Drive around 5 p.m. July 27. There were no structures threatened, according to the US Forest Service.

The Cobb Estate and Sam Merrill trailheads remain closed, according to the US Forest Service.