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 - 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 - A man died at a hospital Wednesday after he was found shot early Wednesday.

Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Altadena Station were called to the 700 block of Owen Court March 22 just after 2:30 a.m. The victim was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

No other information is available.

Anyone with information on this shooting 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

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner named the man found dead near a hiking trail February 26.

Jeffrey Brown, 61, died from as of yet unknown causes. The determination of what led to his death has been deferred pending additional investigation, according to the coroner.

First responders were called around Noon to a report of a man not breathing in a wash 20 yards of a hiking trail at the first hairpin turn off Pinecrest Drive, according to Lt. Ramirez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station.

It is unclear how long Brown was dead before being discovered.

Brown is assumed to be homeless, according to the coroner.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department recently released recordings of the response to and aftermath of a suspect attacking citizens in Altadena and the resulting police shooting that took the suspect’s life.

The suspect, 47-year-old Charles Towns, was walking along city streets attempting to stab multiple people and eventually did attack and injure a woman and one other person before being shot dead.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Altadena Station were told a knife-wielding man was attempting to stab people at a gas station near Fair Oaks Avenue and Woodbury Road around 5:14 p.m. January 22. The weapon turned out to be a pair of scissors.

Deputies found Towns during his tirade and followed him to the 2100 block of El Sereno Avenue. Along the way, Towns attempted to stab a man who was casually leaning up against the truck while using a cellphone.

As deputies continued to follow Towns while in their patrol vehicles, he came upon a group of pedestrians who attempted to leave the area. He advanced towards the pedestrians and stabbed a woman in the face, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

One deputy rushed in to help the wounded woman. Towns attempted to stab another man. One deputy shot Towns who then fell to the ground, but he got back up and advanced towards deputies. He was shot again multiple times.

Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics attempted to revive the man, but he died at the scene.

The California Department of Justice Law Enforcement Division assumed investigation of this fatal shooting to determined justification for the use of force, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - A man who stabbed a woman after attempting to harm others was shot and killed by deputies January 22, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The suspect chased people around and attempted to stab them with a sharp metal object at a gas station near Fairoaks Avenue and Woodbury Road around 5:14 p.m. Deputies found the man and followed him to the 2100 block of El Serena Avenue where he stabbed a woman, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

He also attempted to stab a man. Deputies shot the suspect. Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics attempted to revive the man, but he died at the scene.

A sharp metal object was recovered at the scene. Investigators have not shared exactly what that object is.

The condition of the woman stabbed by the suspect was not immediately known.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - One person was killed after being shot by a deputy Sunday afternoon.

The shooting took place in the 2100 block of El Sereno around 5:14 p.m. The suspect died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

It is unclear what led to the shooting.

Possibly several other people were injured.

ALTADENA - Officials are now offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the man who pulled the trigger in the shooting death of a four-year-old boy nearly six years ago.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors authorized the reward increase to find the killer of Salvador Esparza III, a Monrovia boy who happened to have been visiting family in Altadena.

The shooting occurred around 10:40 p.m. July 5, 2016, after a man reportedly argued with the live-in boyfriend of Esparza’s mother. He returned to the 300 block of West Figueroa Drive and fired at least 13 rounds Into the home. Esparza and a 27-year-old man were struck by gunfire. Esparza was standing in the doorway of the home when he was hit. Both victims were taking to Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena. The man survived.

Anyone with information that can identify the shooter is urged to call the Los Angeles County sheriffs homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. 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.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has released a critical incident video outlining the continuing investigation into a fatal deputy shooting in Altadena.

The incident occurred around 4:04 p.m. January 10, 2021 at the intersection of Figueroa Drive and Lincoln Avenue. A deputy patrolling in a vehicle was told that a man armed with a knife stabbed a 78-year-old woman and was standing in the roadway. That suspect then approached the deputy’s patrol vehicle after it arrived and began striking the passenger side, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The suspect then allegedly held the knife to his own throat.

Several deputies attempted to speak with the suspect, identified as 48-year-old Allen Mirzayan, to get him to drop his weapon and surrender. Mirzayan remained confrontational, acting erratic and approaching the deputies. He advanced on deputies one final time before being struck by gunfire multiple times.

Despite life-saving efforts, Mirzayan died at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

A quick glance at public coroner records shows that Mirzayan apparently suffered from post traumatic stress disorder.

Mirzayan is described as a U.S. Army veteran.

The woman who was stabbed also sustained a broken hip, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

ALTADENA - One of two victims in a fatal stabbing was on a Zoom call when an intruder entered the room, Sheriff’s homicide investigators said Monday.

Someone witnessed an assailant grab the victim who was on the Zoom call. After deputies were called to the home, they found a man dead in the driveway and a woman dead inside, according to Sheriff’s homicide investigators.

Deputies detained a person of interest as he drove to the murder scene in the victims’ vehicle, Sheriff’s homicide investigators said.

It is not yet publicly clear if that person of interest is tied to the murders.

The bodies were discovered after police were called around 2:50 p.m. in the 3000 block of North Marengo Avenue.

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