LOS ANGELES – Two suspects have been arrested, accused of gunning down a 16-year-old and wounding a 13-year-old in a recent spate of gun violence in Azusa.

Covina resident Kimberly Salazar, 18, and a publicly unidentified 16-year-old were arrested recently. Both were formally charged with one count each of murder, attempted murder and shooting at an inhabited dwelling, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Salazar was arrested one day after the shooting, which occurred December 6 in the 600 block of North Donna Beth Avenue just before 3:30 p.m.

The teen brothers wounded in the shooting were both hospitalized where the 16-year-old, identified by family as Alexander Padilla, died.

Salazar is being held in the Century Regional Detention Facility in lieu of more than $3 million bail, according to Los Angele County booking records.

Both suspects are scheduled to appear for a court appearance in Pomona January 11, 2023.

LOS ANGELES – An 18-year-old driver who was shot while streaming on Instagram Live was recently identified.

Benjamin Matthew Caranchini died from a gunshot wound to the chest. The manner of death was homicide, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Caranchini was shot near the intersection of East Newburgh Street and North Donna Beth Avenue just before 10 a.m. December 5. Caranchini sped away from the scene east on Newburgh Street, eventually crashing into a parked truck which then struck a parked car.

Caranchini has had run-ins with law enforcement in the past. Most recently, he was arrested by Azusa Police July 31, 2022.

Caranchini was also arrested July 22, 2022 along with two other suspects. All three were implicated in a November 11, 2021 attempted murder case. Caranchini pleaded not guilty to one count of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle or in public. He was scheduled to appear in the West Covina courthouse December 14.

Suspect Luis Manuel Barragan pleaded not guilty to three counts of attempted murder and one count of shooting at an inhabited dwelling. Amadeo Herrera, 19, pleaded not guilty to one count of being an accessory after the fact for allegedly harboring a suspect of a felony crime, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

Azusa Police investigated a shooting at East Newburgh Street and North Donna Beth Avenue Nov. 11, 2021 that left one victim with injuries considered not life-threatening.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

AZUSA - An embedded investigator with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office helped to uncover a gargantuan cache of fireworks at two locations in Azusa June 27.

One person was detained and 14,000 pounds of fireworks were seized during the operation led by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Azusa Police Department.

An illegal firearm and more than $10,000 in cash were also seized, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

“By embedding our prosecutors and investigators in the communities that we serve, we were able to secure valuable information that led to the safe removal of thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks from an Azusa neighborhood,” District Attorney Gascón said. “I am grateful that we could assist local law enforcement in protecting this community from the potential dangers posed by illegal fireworks.”

The fireworks seized were being stored at a home and a storage facility in Azusa. Twenty-seven homes were evacuated while the explosives were safely recovered and disposed, Santiago said in a written statement.

The investigator is part of the DA’s new Community Violence Reduction Division.

It is not publicly clear if the detained person will face arrest.

AZUSA – Authorities destroyed nearly one ton of fireworks stashed on a residential property Monday after a search warrant revealed the contraband.

26 homes near the scene in the 900 block of West Hollyvale Street were evacuated as a precaution while tactical bomb techs with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department worked to render the fireworks safe, according to the Azusa Police Department.

Residents one block south from the scene along West Third Street were affected as well.

Investigators located 1,700 pounds of fireworks at the residence, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau.

A search warrant was served in the 900 block of West Hollyvale Street June 27, the result of an investigation by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Fire Department Arson Unit.

The Azusa Police Department made a public announcement at 3:20 p.m. about evacuations taking place. By 8:46 p.m., residents on Third Street were finally allowed back home while. By 10:17 p.m., all evacuations were lifted, allowing residents on Hollyvale Street and Virginia Avenue to return home.

SGV CityWatch is trying to confirm with the DA’s office if any arrests were made and to confirm media reports indicating that an additional stash of fireworks was located in nearby Irwindale.

LOS ANGELES - An Azusa man was sentenced to more than 11 years in state prison Monday after pleading no contest to several charges stemming from a June 6 shooting with police.
 
Edward Gamino, 35, pleaded no contest to one count of assault with a semi-automatic weapon on a peace officer and two counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or vehicle, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Ricardo Santiago.
 
Gamino was sentenced to 11 years and four months in prison.
 
The bizarre incident unfolded June 6, 2021 in the 800 block of East Foothill Boulevard near Azusa Pacific University and Citrus College around 11 a.m. A suspect was seen with a firearm. Azusa Police officers initially could not find a suspect, according to Azusa Police Captain Robert Landeros in a previous interview.
 
Around Noon, a suspect was seen reportedly firing a handgun into the air and fired at an Azusa Pacific University employee in a truck. No one was hit by gunfire.
 
During an area search, officers located a suspect, later identified as Gamino. A foot chase ensued inside the Foothill Vista Mobile Home Park, 840 E. Foothill Blvd. Officers exchanged gunfire with Gamino, who took refuge in an occupied mobile home, Landeros said. 
 
The 88-year-old mother of Audrey Schmedes was able to escape with the help of neighbors.
 
“I got a message from her neighbor, a voicemail saying that ‘you mom is with me. Her unit was broken into and there’s somebody in there now,” according to Audrey Schmedes in a previous interview.
 
Schmedes called her mother’s home number and a man who was likely Gamino answered the phone.
 
“After he said hello a couple of times I said ‘hello’ back and I said ‘can I like to speak to the lady who lives there’ and he said ‘she’s outside,’” Schmedes said.
 
Gamino was soon taken into custody. He was found wearing a makeshift gunbelt he used to holster the weapon. A handgun was recovered, Landeros said.

AZUSA – The Los Angeles Times revealed Tuesday that the chief of staff to controversial Los Angeles County District Attorney Gorge Gascón was arrested on suspicion of public intoxication more than one week ago.
 
Joseph Iniguez was arrested at 11:46 p.m. December 11 and booked on suspicion of public intoxication. He was booked at 2:06 a.m. and released at 3:49 a.m. December 12 under penal code section 849(B)(2), according to Los Angeles County booking records.
 
The above-mentioned penal code section states that a person was arrested for intoxication only and that no further proceedings are desirable.
 
The arrest took place in the 900 block of East Alosta Avenue, according to the Azusa Police Department. Officers stopped the vehicle due to a reported vehicle code violation.
 
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Iniguez, 36, said he and his fiancé had left a wedding and were stopped by police at a fast food drive-thru. Iniguez, a passenger, said he exited the vehicle and began recording the police interaction out of concern for his fiancé.
 
“I wanted to record to preserve whatever was going to happen between that officer and my fiancé, because he was not DUI,” Iniguez said in the LA Times interview.

Iniguez alleges officers arrested him as retaliation for filming the traffic stop, but has not provided evidence to support the claim.
 
Azusa Police officers do not wear body-worn cameras, but in answering a statement on the Azusa Police Facebook page, the department stated the Azusa city council has approved funding for a body-worn camera project and the department is working to implement the project as quickly as possible.
 
“The incident has been referred to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for review.
A personnel complaint has been filed regarding this incident. The Azusa Police Department takes all personnel complaints very seriously. An investigation has been initiated and the Azusa Police Department is fully cooperating with the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office,” according to the Azusa Police Department in a written statement.

The president of the Azusa Police Officers’ Association, C.J. Wilkins, pulled no punches in airing out his displeasure with Iniguez and  Azusa Police administration, specifically Police Chief Mike Bertelsen.

“Mr. Iniguez is attempting to abuse his power as a senior member of the LA County District Attorney’s Office, and using it to get him out of trouble. Fortunately for Mr. Iniguez, Azusa PD is currently being led by a Police Chief whom is cowering to Iniguez’ political pressure,” Wilkins said in a written statement. “The Chief will seek to please Mr. Iniguez and investigate a “by the book” arrest, instead of supporting his officer, who is a seasoned field supervisor…”

Bertelsen shot back almost immediately to defend the decision to investigate.

“The union does not speak for the City of Azusa or the Azusa Police Department,” Bertelsen said in a written statement. “The men and women of our police department do an outstanding job every day serving our community with honor and they have my full support. We are committed to accountability and transparency and we are fully cooperating with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and Attorney General’s office in this matter.”

The police department is legally obligated to investigate civilian complaints, regardless of who made the complaint, Bertelsen said in a written statement.

“Unfortunately, police unions sometimes engage in bullying tactics and “no confidence votes” when their departments initiate more accountability. Sadly this is the latest example. The union’s leaders have resisted implementation of body-worn cameras and internal affairs investigations into alleged on-duty and off-duty misconduct,” Bertelsen said in a written statement.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

REGION - The transient who admitted to setting the Ranch 2 Fire that burned above Azusa was sentenced to prison time recently.

Osmin Palencia, 37, pleaded no contest March 16 to one count of arson during an emergency. He was sentenced to five years in state prison. He must also register as an arson offender, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Palencia surrendered himself at the Azusa Police Department August 16, 2020.

The Ranch 2 fire burned more than 4,237 acres of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

Investigators from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Azusa Police quickly learned after the fire erupted that arson was to blame and named Palencia as a suspect.

Palencia is a transient who lived In the San Gabriel River near where the fire erupted, Azusa Police said.

The Ranch 2 Fire was first reported around 2:45 p.m. August 13, 2020.

The fire ignited along Highway 39 and Ranch Road, near homes nestled in the San Gabriel Mountains