Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Three people were injured after a vehicle crashed into a tree on Azusa Avenue Sunday.

The crash was reported around 4:35 p.m. on Azusa Avenue near Glentana Street. Two occupants in the vehicle were transported by ground ambulance in critical condition. One occupant suffered minor injuries, according to Dispatch Supervisor Cheryl Sims of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

It is unclear what direction the vehicle was traveling and unclear what caused the crash.

A Covina Police supervisor was unable to provide anymore information.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Police investigated and determined Monday that a text message interpreted as a threat is benign.
 
The text message stated for students not to come to school and was followed by the letters “C.O.” A screenshot of the text was shared by students, some of whom interpreted the two letters to mean Charter Oak, according to Sgt. David Rodriguez of the Covina Police Department.
 
A parent and student came forward to police with the message early Monday.
 
The message seemed to be generated from some anonymous site and appeared to be created on either Snapchat or a cellphone text message app, Rodriguez said.
 
A Covina Police school resource officer remained on campus Monday to patrol the campus and investigate the message.

The school sent a letter to parents describing the anonymous message, which did not contain any mention of weapons.

"We take these threats very seriously and in turn, called Covina P.D. immediately," according to the letter.

​The person who created the message was not found.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Eight high schoolers self-extricated from a rolled over SUV after crashing on Grand Avenue Friday.

The collision occurred in the 100 block of North Grand Avenue around 11:04 p.m. The SUV was south on Badillo Street. The driver may have drifted towards a parked vehicle, causing the driver to over-correct and roll the SUV, according to Lt. Trevor Gaumer of the Covina Police Department.

The SUV ended on its roof.

Four of the eight high schoolers ended up hospitalized with injuries that were described as non-life-threatening, Gaumer said.

Patrons at the nearby McDonald’s, 121 S, Grand Ave., reported the SUV was traveling on Grand at about 50 or 60 miles per hour, Gaumer said.

The teens had already self-extricated by the time officers and firefighters arrived, Gaumer said.

It is unclear if drugs, alcohol or distracted driving may have also played a roll.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A Glendale man accused of using a beer mug to severely injure a bar patron was arrested along with two accomplices, Police said.

Vidal Larios, 40, and Baldwin Park women Elizabeth Franco, 40, and Angel Franco, 23, were all arrested Thursday without incident after community tips led to their identification, Covina Police said in a written statement.

The California Highway Patrol and a Pasadena Police helicopter assisted in apprehending all three suspects.

The beatdown occurred August 17 at 11:54 p.m. Larios and another bar patron were playing a game of pool. The victim left to use the restroom and Larios followed with a beer mug in hand.

Larios entered the bathroom where he allegedly struck the victim in the head, knocking him unconscious. The victim was later found with a skull fracture, Covina Police said.

Larios and Elizabeth Franco left the bar together after the attack.

All suspects were booked on suspicion of battery resulting in severe bodily injury and assault with a deadly weapon. Larios is additionally held on a parole violation, Covina Police said.

Elizabeth and Angel Franco are both being held in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Larios is being held in lieu of $80,000 bail.

All three suspects are scheduled to be arranged in Citrus Municipal Court Friday, September 21.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Police plan a DUI and driver license checkpoint scheduled for Friday, September 29.
 
The checkpoint is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Saturday, September 30, according to Covina Police in a written statement.
 
Officers will be looking for signs of alcohol and drug intoxication in drivers, while also checking for proper licensing. Specially-trained officers will evaluate drivers who are suspect of driving DUI, Covina Police said.

“In California, alcohol involved collisions led to 1,155 deaths and nearly 24,000 serious injuries in 2014 because someone failed to designate a sober driver. Over the course of the past three years Covina PD officers have investigated over 57 DUI collisions which have resulted in approximately 14 injuries,” Covina Police said in a written statement.

Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Covina Police Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Police have released security footage of a man suspected of knocking his victim unconscious in a Covina bar bathroom August 17.

The victim and suspect were playing a game of pool when the victim walked into the bathroom. The suspect, armed with a beer mug, followed soon after and left the bathroom alone. He place the mug on the ground and left with a female companion, according to the Covina Police Department.

The victim was found on the bathroom floor, unconscious. He suffered a scull fracture in the attack, Covina Police said.

The attack occurred inside Clancy’s Sports Bar, 961 N. Azusa Ave., around 11:54 p.m.

The motive for the attack is unclear.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic man, 40 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 180 pounds and he wore a mustache. He wore a green polo shirt, blue jean pants and fled in a silver vehicle with paper plates.

Anyone with information on the suspect is urged to call the Covina Police Department at 626-384-5620. Reference case #18-23973.