Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - Investigators are asking for public assistance in providing information regarding a fire that gutted the cafeteria of a shuttered elementary school Friday.

Investigators ultimately deemed the fire at Mountain View Elementary school, 201 N. Vernon Ave., as arson. Beyond that, the Azusa Police Department has not provided any details regarding a possible suspect description, if one exists.

District employees were on campus at the time, but it is unclear if any of those employees witnessed the start of the fire.

The cafeteria was being used to store furniture, according to radio traffic from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Firefighters were dispatched to the school at 7:16 p.m. Friday, June 7. They discovered heavy smoke and flames coming from the cafeteria and initiated an aggressive fire attack to limit the damage. Knockdown was called at 8:06 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Mountain View was one of two campuses closed for the 2019-20 school year as a cost-saving measure to grapple with declining enrollment district wide.

Anyone with information on this fire is urged to call the Azusa Police Department Detective Bureau at 626-812-3200. 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

AZUSA - Is that a rifle in your pocket or are you just happy to see me? A parole was caught with his pants down, so to speak, and arrested on suspicion of weapons possession Tuesday.

Police were called to the 200 block of South Murray Avenue around 6:50 p.m. June 3 to investigate a report of a man concealing a rifle in his pants, according to the Azusa Police Department.

Officers spoke to three people at nearby Gladstone Park, 340 S. Pasadena Ave. Two of those people were determined to be on parole.

“During the investigation, Officers located the rifle in the restroom at Gladstone Park and the magazine for the rifle was in one of the subject’s possession,” according to the Azusa Police Department in a written statement.

Joseph Lucero, a 24-year-old El Monte man, was booked on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm among other firearm related violations.

Arturo Esquivel, a 29-year-old West Covina man, was arrested for violation of his parole.

Anyone with additional information is urged to call the Azusa Police Department at 626-812-3200. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-888-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

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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.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - Four people were arrested May 31 after a vehicle check by Azusa Police officers devolved into a physical fight, police said.

Officers were performing a vehicle check in the 500 block of East Sixth Street around 2:23 a.m. Friday. The vehicle had two occupants. During the vehicle, check, the occupants allegedly became verbally aggressive and began fighting with officers, according to the Azusa Police Department.

“As additional Azusa PD Officers arrived on scene, the fighting continued and about 15-20 people exited a residence,” according to the Azusa Police Department in a written statement.

A video has surfaced on social media showing a portion of the brawl. As more occupants from the residence emerged to voice their protest against the arrests, police confronted the group and the fight escalated. Officers could be seen using batons against at least one of the occupants from the residence. Another occupant was cuffed and dragged to the sidewalk.

The Azusa Police Department has yet to provide the names of those arrested, as well as the alleged crimes they were booked on.