 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The deaths of a mother and adult son in a Baldwin Park home last year resulted from a cute drug toxicity, coroner investigators said.
Susie Drake, 73, and Joseph Drake, 50, died from acute fentanyl and morphine toxicity, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. Their deaths were ruled accidental. The mother and son were found dead inside the home by responding Baldwin Park officers after officers were initially called for a medical response to the 3900 block of Kenmore Avenue December 4, 2018, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Relatives inside the home called firefighters after finding Joseph unresponsive around 4:42 a.m. Firefighters were dispatched to a cardiac arrest call at the home, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Officers found the dead mother in a separate room.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor BALDWIN PARK - Trains have been halted in the area after a Metrolink train bound for San Bernardino struck an unknown object on the tracks. The collision occurred somewhere west of the Baldwin Park Metrolink station, according to Metrolink Spokesman Scott Johnson, who did not yet know if the object was a person or something else. The collision occurred around 7 p.m. November 21.
An initial tweet from Metrolink stated debris was hit on the tracks. A later tweet stated a person was hit. Baldwin Park Police are on scene, focusing an investigation near Hamburger Lane, according to police radio traffic. Train 330 bound for San Bernardino is stopped near the Baldwin Park station. Train 332 also bound for San Bernardino is holding in El Monte. Train 335 bound for Los Angeles is holding at the Covina Metrolink Station.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The man who orchestrated a series of attacks six years ago that left two dead and four wounded was sentenced recently. Ulises Jose Gutierrez, 26, was sentenced to life without parole. Gutierrez was convicted in September on two counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder, according to Paul Eakins, public information officer for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Jurors found true special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and that he was an active participant in a criminal street gang as well as allegations that he used a firearm and a knife, caused great bodily injury and committed the crimes for the benefit of a gang, Eakins said. Three other men have already been sentenced and two others are awaiting sentencing in a series of attacks that terrorized Baldwin Park from May until October 2013. Under Gutierrez’s direction, Francisco Moran, Gustavo Cruz, Arturo Mendoza, Johnny Balbuena and Elton Bennett targeted people they believed to be associated with a rival gang or otherwise opposed to them, according to court testimony. According to court testimony, on May 24, Cruz and Mendoza drove to a house on Maine Avenue and confronted Raymond Vasquez, 22, who was outside. A second vehicle driven by Balbuena arrived moments later and Gutierrez got out and fatally shot Vasquez with an AK-47 rifle, Eakins said.
On July 19, Gutierrez and Moran drove to a bus stop at Los Angeles Street and Merced Avenue and confronted Maurio Sotelo, 20. Moran fatally shot the victim with a handgun. Earlier that night, Gutierrez and Moran approached a man walking on a sidewalk in a residential area and Gutierrez shot and wounded him, Eakins said. Gutierrez shot and wounded a teenage boy on June 21. The next night, Bennett shot and wounded a man who was an innocent bystander in front of his home. On Oct. 2, Gutierrez stabbed a woman with a knife, Eakins said. On July 19, 2018, 31-year-old Moran of Baldwin Park was sentenced to 82 years to life in prison after a jury found him guilty of one count each of first-degree murder and attempted murder with gun and gang allegations. On Oct. 10, 2019, 29-year-old Gustavo Cruz of El Monte was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison and waived six years of credit for time already served in jail after pleading no contest to one count of second-degree murder. On Oct. 16, 2019, 29-year-old Arturo Mendoza of Baldwin Park was sentenced to 21 years in prison and waived six years of credit for time served after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter. 24-year-old Johnny Balbuena of Baldwin Park was sentenced to 50 years to life in state prison November 5 after being convicted of one count of first-degree murder and found true gun and gang allegations. 26-year-old Elton Bennett of Baldwin Park faces up to 80 years to life in prison after a jury convicted him in April of two counts of attempted murder and found true gang and gun allegations. His sentencing is scheduled for December 12.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor BALDWIN PARK - Police are searching for the driver who killed a pedestrian Wednesday night. The unidentified pedestrian was struck and killed on Pacific Avenue between Vineland Avenue and Stichman Avenue around 5:30 p.m. November 6. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Sgt. Andy Velebil of the Baldwin Park Police Department.
Velebil did not have a suspect or vehicle description. Traffic on Pacific near Stichman is being diverted onto side streets while the investigation continues, Velebil said. Anyone with information on the hit and run is urged to call Baldwin Park Police at 626-960-1955. |
Archives
January 2024
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed