Written by AARON CASTREJON 
CityWatch Editor 

UPDATE, 6:25 a.m.: All lanes have reopened at 6:21 a.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

AZUSA - All lanes of the westbound 210 Freeway east of Azusa Avenue except the HOV lane are temporarily blocked after a pedestrian was killed Wednesday.

The pedestrian was partially blocking the slow lane and reported to the California Highway Patrol around 3:30 a.m. August 12. It is not immediately known if the vehicle and driver that struck the pedestrian remained on scene.

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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 

AZUSA - Firefighters continue working on the stubborn Zebra Fire burning in steep terrain near a mountain community Tuesday.

The Zebra Fire has charred 25 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument just west of the Mountain Cove gated community. The acreage has not changed since Monday night. Containment is at 20 percent, according to incident command.

Los Angeles County Firefighters worked in unified command with the U.S. Forest Service and continue operations Tuesday. The majority of firefighter units have been released, including two Los Angeles County Fire helicopters and a chinook helitanker.

First responders were dispatched just after 7 p.m. July 13 to Highway 39 near Mountain Laurel Way. The fire burned uphill in extremely steep terrain and burned in medium brush with a moderate rate of spread, according to incident command.

Northbound access to the canyon via San Gabriel Canyon road was closed for several hours, leaving mountain residents anxious about getting home. City of Azusa public works personnel and Azusa Police broke down the closures around 10 p.m.

No structures were threatened and no evacuations were ordered.

The cause remains under investigation.

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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 

AZUSA - A suspect is still at-large after cutting someone’s face on an A Line train platform June 28.

The assault occurred on the platform at the Citrus/APU Station Sunday, according to Jessica Bennett, public information officer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau.

First responders were called around 8:47 p.m. to 905 N. Citrus Ave.

The victim was hospitalized for a minor face laceration, Bennett told SGV CityWatch.

It is not publicly clear why the assault occurred. 

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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 

AZUSA - One person was found injured, the victim of a stabbing Saturday night.

First responders were sent to North Rockvale Avenue Near East Lee Pl., June 6 around 9:30 p.m. One victim was located with multiple stab wounds and was transported to a hospital for further treatment, according to Sgt. Gonzalez of the Azusa Police Department.

The victim’s current condition is not publicly known and neither is the possible motive for the stabbing.

It is not immediately known if any suspects remain at-large or are in custody.

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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 

LOS ANGELES - A little more than two months after a man shockingly died after taking refuge inside an unlocked Azusa Police SUV, his cause of death has been revealed.

Eric Valencia, 37, died an accidental death due to hyperthermia, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

Hyperthermia causes the core body temperature to rise significantly above normal and the body’s mechanisms to shed excess heat fail.

Valencia was arrested March 20 at 10:09 p.m., accused of DUI and child endangerment. The father of two also allegedly had a blood alcohol level of double the legal limit, according to the Azusa Police Department.

His arrest was considered a detention only. It is not immediately clear what exactly Valencia was arrested for.

Valencia was released March 23 at 12:38 p.m. Video surveillance at the Azusa Police Station shows Valencia scoping out a parked and unoccupied Azusa Police SUV. Once he discovered it was left unlocked, Valencia entered.

All doors should have been locked and secured.

Three days later, an officer was about to prep the temporarily-out-of-commission police SUV for a wash when Valencia was discovered deceased, sitting up in a rear seat around 4:51 a.m.

It is unclear how long Valencia was dead before being discovered inside. He was declared dead at 4:59 a.m.

The rear doors of police vehicles automatically lock from the inside once closed. 

Azusa Police reported that Valencia had a working cell phone with him inside the SUV, but apparently made no outbound calls.

The city retained the private investigation firm JL Group to conduct an independent probe into why the vehicle was left unlocked.

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The death record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Information about the decedent(s), including cause and manner of death, is public record and was distributed by government sources.

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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 

AZUSA - A pursuit suspect was taken into custody around 4:30 a.m. Sunday after holding off law enforcement on the 210 freeway for a few hours.

The suspect evaded law enforcement on several freeways before coming to a stop on the eastbound 210 east of Citrus Avenue. 

The incident first started around 11:30 p.m. in the 1200 block of North San Dimas Avenue in San Dimas, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau.

Sheriffs SEB did not specify what that initial incident was, and calls to a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station supervisor have gone unanswered.

The pursuit came to a stop around 1:30 a.m. The California Highway Patrol stopped all eastbound traffic during the standoff.

During the standoff, the suspect exited the truck and sometimes walked around it while holding a gun to his head. He would occasionally speak with someone on the phone.

The suspect even fired a weapon multiple times into the air, according to video taken at the scene, before surrendering.

Others agencies assisting with the standoff included Azusa Police, Glendora Police and the area Foothills Special Enforcement Team.

Esteban Garcia, 50, was booked on suspicion of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or vehicle. He was booked at the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station and is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in Pomona Superior Court April 21, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

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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 

AZUSA - Investigators named the man who was found dead inside an out-of-service police vehicle parked outside the Azusa Police Department.

The man was identified Friday as Eric Valencia, 37. His cause of death has been deferred, pending additional investigation, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

Valencia was discovered around 4:51 a.m. March 26 in the back seat of the vehicle.

The patrol vehicle was left unlocked and parked outside the Azusa Police Station as it was scheduled for maintenance, according to the Azusa Police Department.

Valencia was arrested Friday, March 20 at 10:09 p.m. He was held until his release Monday, March 23 at 12:38 p.m., according to Los Angeles County booking records.

His arrest was considered a detention only. He was originally arrested and booked on suspicion of driving under the influence and child endangerment.

“Azusa Police personnel were not aware that the individual had entered the vehicle, and he was not in the custody of the Azusa Police Department at the time he gained access,” according to Azusa Police Chief Rocky Wenrick in a written statement.

Wenrick noted that the patrol vehicle was unlocked, but should have been secured.

Investigative firm JL Group has been hired for an independent review of the death, which would include why the vehicle was not secured, Wenrick said.

The Azusa Police Detective Bureau is conducting the initial criminal investigation, while the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Justice System Integrity Division, has been notified and will receive full access to all evidence, security camera footage, and investigative reports, Wenrick said.

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The death record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Information about the decedent(s), including cause and manner of death, is public record and was distributed by government sources.

Copyright 2025. 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 

AZUSA - A police vehicle parked outside the Azusa Police Department was the focus of an investigation after a man was found dead inside Thursday.

The dead man was discovered inside the vehicle around 4:51 a.m. March 26. Life-saving measures were implemented, but the man was declared dead, according to the Azusa Police Department.

“The vehicle was pending mandatory maintenance and was not in active use by department personnel at the time of discovery,” according to the Azusa Police Department in a written statement.

It is unclear how long the man was dead before being discovered inside. He was declared dead at 4:59 a.m.

The police station is located at 725 N. Alameda Ave.

The county medical examiner will determine cause and manner of death.

The Azusa Police Department Detective Bureau is also investigating. 

The investigation will be submitted to the Justice System Integrity Division of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review, according to the Azusa Police Department.

Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call Azusa Police Detective Lieutenant Steve Sears at 626-812-3200.

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Copyright 2025. 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

AZUSA - A known domestic violence suspect was taken into custody after attempting to flee from Police Tuesday morning.

Officers attempted to arrest the suspect in the area of Foothill Boulevard and North Cerritos Avenue just before 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 17. The suspect ran from officer towards Charles H. Lee Elementary School, 550 N. Cerritos Ave., according to the Azusa Police Department.

“Due to the close proximity of the high-risk arrest, Azusa Police officers requested that Lee Elementary School be placed on lockdown,” according to the Azusa Police Department in a written statement.

The suspect was arrested within minutes. The lockdown was done out of an abundance of caution, according to the Azusa Police Department.

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Copyright 2025. 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

LOS ANGELES - A 63-year-old man is facing a murder charge in the violent 30-year-old killing of a woman whose nude body was found in the Azusa foothills.

Brian Walton was arrested February 5 by detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau. He was officially charged in court with one charge of murder with the special circumstances allegations of murder during the commission of a rape and murder during the commission of sodomy, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Claudia Guevara, 23, went missing February 20, 1996 after her brother, who she was living with in Temple City, said she did not come home. She had been dropped off at a bus stop in El Monte by two co-workers and was never seen again, according to the DA’s office.

Guevara’s naked body was found the next day, tossed in a drainage ditch along Encanto Parkway. She was stabbed in the neck. Forensics investigators determined she was sexually assaulted, according to the DA’s office.

Guevara and Walton apparently did not know each other. DNA evidence links Walton to the assault and murder, according to the DA’s office.

“The victim’s family has waited for an agonizing 30 years to get that call to let them know their loved one’s killer had been found and charged,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said.

If convicted as charged, Walton faces life in prison without the possibility of parole or death. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date, according to the DA’s office.

Walton was arraigned February 9 in the Foltz Criminal Justice Center. He is scheduled to appear in court again March 18.

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.


The death record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Information about the decedent(s), including cause and manner of death, is public record and was distributed by government sources.


Copyright 2025. 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.