Transient Jailed by Covina Police Re-Arrested After Alleged Burglary, Vandalism Outside Station5/13/2019  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A man is facing additional accusations Monday for taking his anger out on public property near the Covina Police Station after his drugs and paraphernalia were confiscated during an arrest. Samuel Tavares, 29, a local transient, was arrested just before 7 a.m. and booked on suspicion of felony vandalism. Tavares was originally arrested Monday morning on suspicion of possessing drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine, according to Sgt. Ryan Davis of the Covina Police Department.
He was originally released around 4:30 a.m. May 13 after the drug arrest. Police responded more than two hours later to the park outside the Covina Police Department where the suspect allegedly knocked over a trash can, ash tray and tore out several plants near the front lot area. “He damaged approximately $700 to the front of the building,” Davis said. “When we arrested him, he indicated he was upset he got arrested for the drug charges, because a lot of people are using drugs, and he was upset because we kept his methamphetamine as evidence.” He was additionally booked on suspicion of burglary after he was able to reach through a gate and obtain a blanket and another item from an overflow storage area at the police station, Davis said.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - The Covina Police Department released its annual report for 2018, detailing recent rises in crimes versus historical data on violent crimes and property crimes. Overall violent crime and property crime rates in the last 30 years continue a downward trend, dating back as far as 1988. While property crimes continue to fall after a small spike around 2015, violent crimes have seen a significant increase, according to data from the Covina Police Department.  INFOGRAPHICS/Covina Police. Violent crimes include criminal homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, Covina Police said.
Total Part 1 crimes, which include theft, grand theft auto, burglary, aggravated assault, robbery, rape and homicide saw a 3 percent decrease from 2017 to 2018. Police acknowledge that the provided data pertaining to 2018 crime is still preliminary. Additional crime data can be found at the Covina Police website. Homelessness, as with many cities, was a major issue in Covina as the city worked to mitigate persistent problems for residents. “The homeless crisis consumed resources and we worked closely with a variety of regional partners to mitigate its effects, which included crime and disorder,” according to Covina Police Chief John Curley. “We saw calls for service related to homelessness increase and despite our efforts, repeat offenders monopolized city resources.” The Covina Traffic Unit, which conducts traffic investigations and enforcement, reported injury and non-injury collisions decreased from 2017 to 2018. Four fatal collisions were reported in 2018, Covina Police said. Click here to read the FULL REPORT.  Google Maps. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A man accused of being under the influence of drugs was arrested on the Covina High School campus Friday and was found in possession of ammunition before officers located a gun nearby. The man ran into a school office at Covina High School, 463 S. Hollenbeck Ave., at 7:54 a.m. He was acting erratic, claiming someone was chasing him, Covina Police said. The Covina Police school resource officer arrived to the office and detained the man after believing he was under the influence of a controlled substance. The man was placed in custody after a background check revealed he had outstanding warrants. A single bullet was found in the man's possession, Covina Police said.
After being questioned about a firearm, the man led the school resource officer to some bushes near the school and a loaded semi-automatic handgun was found, Covina Police said. “The suspect was arrested without incident and any potential threat to the school was eliminated,” Covina Police said in a written statement. 34-year-old George Gonzales from Rialto was booked on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is being held at the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles in lieu of $105,000 bail.  IMAGE/Twitter user Miguel Puente. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A garage fire destroyed part of a home in Covina early Monday. Firefighters were dispatched to the fire at 6:37 a.m. in the 500 block of La Serena Drive April 8. All occupants evacuated the home before firefighters arrived. Flames were knocked down at 7:05 a.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The fire was contained to a garage. The fire’s cause is under investigation.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Three people were arrested Friday morning, accused of burglarizing a church near Charter Oak High School. Two suspects caught in the act of burglarizing the church fled towards Charter Oak High School after deputies investigated a potential third burglary suspect found with stolen property, according to Lt. Mark Skaggs of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Station. A resident near Charter Oak High School, 1430 E. Covina Blvd., called San Dimas deputies at 6:15 a.m. March 29 after discovering discarded musical instruments and a suspicious person in their driveway. When a deputy arrived, the suspicious person was gone, but he returned and was soon detained. “Those instruments we recovered were stolen,” Skaggs said, adding that additional stolen paperwork was found. The suspicious person had more musical instruments and documents deputies believe were stolen from a church on Bonnie Cove Avenue and Cypress Street in Covina.
Deputies went to search the church for signs of a burglary when a male and female suspect fled the building and towards Charter Oak High School, Skaggs said. “One of them ran up to a fence and was detained outside the fence by deputies. A male suspect jumped the fence and double-back eastbound into the original ... location and that’s where deputies detained him,” Skaggs said. Charter Oak High School was briefly placed on lockdown during the search. Covina Police are working in tandem with deputies on the investigation. The suspect found in the driveway was arrested on suspicion of burglary by San Dimas deputies. The two suspects who fled the church were arrested by Covina Police, Skaggs said. Booking information was not yet available.  PHOTO/Courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheri9ff’s Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A suspect sought by Sheriff’s detectives in a Pico Rivera investigation was arrested early Thursday morning. A high-risk search warrant was served in the 300 block of West Edna Place March 28 on behalf of a Sheriff’s Department gang unit based out of the Pico Rivera Station, according to Lt. Sue Burakowski of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau. Further details regarding the search warrant will not be known, since a portion of the search warrant is sealed, Burakowski said.
The SEB publicized the arrest on social media at 6:55 a.m., announcing an armed suspect was taken into custody.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA (County) - Four men made off with another man’s cell phone Sunday afternoon after one suspect brandished a handgun. The incident occurred near North Conwell Avenue and East Brookport Street in unincorporated Covina around 4:30 p.m. March 24. The victim claimed he was followed by the suspects in a vehicle. Two of the suspects approached him and demanded his cell phone, according to Lt. Elisabeth Sachs of the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station. A struggle began between the suspects and the victim. The driver then approached the victim and pointed a handgun at him, Sachs said.
The armed suspect took the phone after demanding it from the victim. All the suspects fled in the vehicle. No one was injured, Sachs said. There is no description of the suspects or their vehicle, Sachs said.  Google Maps. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Firefighters are treating at least 10 people feeling sick at a county business complex Thursday afternoon. The 10 employees are all suffering minor side effects from fumes wafting over from a nearby roofing operation in the 1300 block of North Grand Avenue. Firefighters were called just before 2 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The address is a Department of Motor Vehicles Business Service Center. Three ambulances have been called to the scene, firefighters report.
One patient was transported by firefighters to a nearby hospital, according to a representative with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Two females carjacked their victim as she sat inside her white Kia Forte in a Walmart parking lot February 25. The woman sat in her car outside Walmart, 1275 N. Azusa Ave., around 11:10 p.m. when two females in hooded sweatshirts walked up to her and began talking with her. They then demanded her Forte, but the woman refused, according to Sgt. David Rodriguez of the Covina Police Department. One of the suspects then brandished a knife tucked in her waistband at which point the victim relinquished her car, Rodriguez said.
The carjacking wasn’t reported to officers until 11:30 p.m. The Forte was last seen being driven away east through the Walmart lot. Both suspects are female Hispanics under 110 pounds and around 5 feet tall. They were described wearing hooded sweatshirts and jeans. One of the suspects carried a scooter with her. The ages of the suspects were not available, Rodriguez said. Anyone who witnessed the carjacking or who may know the suspects is urged to call Covina Police at 626-384-5595. 
VIDEO/Credit Courtesy.
Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor
COVINA - A porch pirate was caught on camera taking a package from a home February 12.
The woman casually walked across the front lawn, took the package and walked away through the neighborhood in the 500 block of Elspeth Way. The package was delivered around 11 a.m. Several hours later, the resident arrived to pick up her package and she realized it was no longer there, said Covina Police Detective Sergeant Ray Marquez.
The resident, who wished her name not be used, discovered her package was stolen later that evening after reviewing her ADT security footage.
“I know use Amazon lockers to receive packages, or have them mailed to my place of employment,” the resident said. “I would just ask residents to call PD when they see someone suspicious. If you see something, say something.” Marquez also agrees to have packages delivered to your workplace, if it is allowed, or to have them delivered to a trusted neighbor. The suspect remains outstanding. She is only described as a white or Hispanic woman in her late 20s with blond hair, Marquez said. Anyone who recognizes the suspect is urged to call the Covina Police Department at 626-384-5595. |
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