Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A pursuit suspect disabled his vehicle while driving through an Azusa neighborhood early Saturday morning and eventually escaped on foot, a police lieutenant said.

Officers attempted a traffic stop on the driver for excessive window tint in the area of Azusa Avenue and Arrow Highway around 1:13 a.m. October 17. The suspect led officers on a chase, running a red light and a stop sign during his getaway, according to Lt. Josh Turner of the Covina Police Department.

Officers ultimately located a Glock hand gun loaded with an extended gun clip inside the suspect vehicle, Turner told SGV CityWatch.

The pursuit quickly entered Azusa where the chase took the side streets before the driver disabled the vehicle he was in.

The driver struck a dip in the road at high speed at South Louise Ave south of West Paramount Street, Turner told SGV CityWatch.

“The suspect popped two of his vehicle’s tires after hitting a ditch. He then foot bailed from his vehicle into a residential neighborhood,” Turner told SGV CityWatch.

A Covina police K9 and a police helicopter helped officers on the ground search for the suspect, but no suspect was found.

Officers impounded the silver sedan the suspect was driving, Turner told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Azusa officers abruptly ended a pursuit of a reckless Hyundai Elantra that found its way into San Gabriel Valley surface streets.

The white Elantra was abruptly stopped by Azusa officers on Hollenbeck Avenue north of Covina Boulevard. One suspect was taken into custody. It is unclear if a second suspect seen earlier in the chase, was found and arrested.

The driver and his passenger were sought for possibly reckless driving by East Los Angeles CHP officers on the eastbound 60 freeway west of Peck Road. The driver bypassed traffic by using the right shoulder.

Officers attempted to stop the driver on the north 605 freeway near Ramona, but driver kept going into Duarte on surface streets. The chase went onto the East 210 freeway where officers could not keep up while the driver used the shoulder, according to California Highway Patrol radio traffic.

After exiting onto Citrus Avenue, the suspect took numerous side streets and stopped at an Azusa apartment complex near Azusa Avenue and Gladstone Street where the suspects ran on foot.

One or more of the suspects got back in the car and took off again.

San Dimas Sheriff’s deputies joined the chase along with Azusa police officers who used the Pursuit Intervention Technique to stop the driver.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A man caught on camera assaulting a woman in a coin laundromat was arrested this week and was booked on suspicion of indecent exposure and battery, police said.

Jose Luis Ibarra, 23, was taken into custody by Covina officers after he was arrested by Azusa Police July 6. Community members also helped to identify Ibarra, according to the Covina Police Department.

Ibarra was arrested in Azusa the same day he was accused of masturbating inside Coin Laundry, 314 N. Azusa Ave. Ibarra allegedly ejaculated on a 20-year-old woman’s leg and clothing at the laundromat.

Azusa officers jailed Ibarra after he was accused by another woman of following her in the 900 block of East Galatea Avenue. He allegedly exposing himself and masturbated, Azusa Police said.

In addition to the assault at Coin Laundry, Ibarra is suspected of indecent exposure at Walmart, 1275 N. Azusa Ave., Covina Police said.

Police seek additional victims.

Anyone with information on Ibarra is urged to call Covina Police Detective Ramirez at 626-384-5621.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Police announced the capture of a man who admitted to most recently igniting a destructive fire behind a Walmart.

Jose Javier Salgado, 39, was located at Azusa Avenue and Arrow Highway after three suspicious fires were set. He reportedly admitted to setting the fire at Walmart, according to the Covina Police Department.

Salgado was placed on a psychiatric hold, Covina Police said.

Firefighters were sent to the first blaze behind the Covina Walmart, 1275 N. Azusa Ave., at 10:36 p.m. April 15. Firefighters finally knocked down the blaze at 11 PM, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Michael Pittman.

Cardboard, wood pallets and a forklift burned in the Walmart fire which forced the evacuation of those within, but no injuries were reported, Covina Police said.

At 11:34 PM, firefighters were dispatched to a dumpster fire behind Pupuseria Mi Salvador, 474 E. Arrow Hwy. A third fire was ignited at Hollenbeck Park, 1250 N. Hollenbeck Ave. Firefighters were dispatched at 11:48 p.m. to a dumpster fire, Pitman told SGV CityWatch.

Salgado is suspected in setting fires April 4 at Covina’s Guitar Center, the Covina Bowl, Walmart, Ross and Loan Max, Covina Police said. Salgado is also accused of igniting a fire in the area of Newburgh Street and Azusa Avenue.

Azusa Police captures Salgado after the Newburgh fire, was arrested and placed on a psychiatric hold, Covina Police said.

Anyone with information on these fires is urged to call Covina Police Department Detective K. Hulsey 626-384-5616, or LA Regional Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Refer to Covina PD Incident #20-10369, 20- 10375, and 20-10376.

Covina Police Chief John Curley issued a scathing statement via social media Thursday detailing the failure of the California justice system to keep criminals behind bars:

“10 arson fires in less than 2 weeks and unfortunately in California, “serial arson” is not considered “VIOLENT”....just like human trafficking of a child, rape by intoxication, and many others. Disgraceful to our community,” Curley said.

AZUSA - 25 pounds of marijuana, 12,000 Xanax pills and 7.5 ounces of cocaine were located after Covina detectives served a search warrant at an Azusa apartment complex Thursday.

The search warrant was served as part of an investigation stemming from the arrest of a teen at a Covina high school recently where a student was caught carrying Xanax, according to Sgt. Zavala of the Covina Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A vigilant resident is credited with providing police with surveillance footage of a suspect attempting to break into parked vehicles -- footage that led to the discovery of stolen property.

Area transient Dominic Stonerheuark, 20, was caught on Ring security footage trying to open the doors to vehicles parked in a driveway January 5. The footage was taken to Covina Police where an officer recognized the suspect, according to the Covina Police Department.

Sunday, January 6, the investigating officer located Stonerheuark at a laundromat in the 100 block of East Arrow Highway around 10 a.m.

Stonerheuark was found with various pieces of property surrounding him, including methamphetamine paraphernalia and a black gym bag, Covina Police said.

Stonerheuark denied ownership of the gym bag, but claimed the paraphernalia was his, Covina Police said.

Stonerheuark was placed in custody. A search of the gym bag revealed 60 pieces of evidence, including government identification, passports, credit cards, debit cards, vehicle registration, a garage door opener, medication and sunglasses, Covina Police said.

“Based on the names connected with these evidence items, there were nine victims located in the cities of Covina, Glendora and Azusa,” Covina Police said.

Investigators are still attempting to locate some of those nine victims.

“Two Covina victims reported they knew property was stolen from them prior to being contacted by Covina Police,” Covina Police said. “One victim in Covina and another victim in Azusa reported not being aware of the theft of their property until after being contacted by Covina Police.”

None of the nine victims reported forced entry into their vehicles.

Anyone who may be a victim of similar burglaries or who may have information that can aid the investigation is urged to call Covina Police Detective Jason Kerns at 626-384-5616, the Covina Police watch commander at 626-384-5665, or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - Two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder were filed April 19 against a man who is accused of killing his ex-wife and possibly killing another woman and wounding a man in Azusa.
 
Miguel Angel Prieto, 43, was found in a Long Beach McDonald’s hours after allegedly pulling the trigger in the killing of his ex-wife in an apartment in the 1300 block of West San Bernardino Road April 11. During a subsequent investigation after Prieto’s arrest, Covina detectives established a connection to the February 9 double shooting in Azusa, Covina Police said in a written statement.
 
Rocio Sandoval, a 38-year-old Rancho Cucamonga woman, was shot along with a male companion while they sat in a vehicle in the 1500 block of West McKinley Avenue Friday, February 9.
 
The male victim was hospitalized in serious condition, but has since left the hospital, according to Lt. Joe Mendoza of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.
 
Sandoval died from a gunshot wound to the head, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

The victim, 42-year-old Maria Perez, was found by responding Covina officers inside her apartment, 1300 block of West San Bernardino Road around 2:45 p.m. April 11, suffering from a gunshot wound. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, Covina Police said.

Prieto was on probation from an assault with a deadly weapon arrest in 2015 at the same apartment unit where his ex-wife was found shot to death, Covina Police said.

Task force detectives from the Azusa Police Department, as well as members of the Task Force for Regional Auto Theft and Prevention aided Covina detectives in locating and apprehending Prieto.
 
Prieto is being held without bail in the Los Angeles County Men’s Jail.