Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Residents have been displaced, but uninjured in an apartment fire Monday.

As many as 25 units are affected by the fire that burned at 1375 W. San Bernardino Rd., according to the Covina Police Department.

Los Angeles County firefighters were dispatched just after 9:30 a.m. The fire was soon upgraded to a 2nd-alarm response, doubling resources at the scene. The fire was eventually upgraded to a 3rd-alarm within 30 minutes, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Flames were knocked down around 10:57 a.m.

The West Covina Fire Department and West Covina Police Department assisted at the scene.

It is unclear if a cause has been determined. Investigators with LA County Fire are on scene.

Residents affected by the San Bernardino Road apartment fire in Covina are being evacuated to Covina Park recreation hall, 340 N. Valencia Pl. where additional resources can be found.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Two women are facing child endangerment charges, accused of driving recklessly while arguing with each other on city streets.

An officer on patrol witnessed the acrobatics in the 100 block of East Badillo Street around 5:20 p.m. March 8. The drivers were caught on camera as the drivers chased each other while performing 360-degree turns, speeding and nearly colliding into other vehicles.

“Both vehicles were stopped and found to have small children in vehicles. Each driver was arrested for child endangerment,” according to the Covina Police Department.

Tencha Nieves, a 28-year-old Pomona woman, and Ashley Bates, a 29-year-old Azusa woman, were arrested. Both women were officially charged with one count each of willful cruelty to a child, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

Both women appeared in West Covina Superior Court March 11 and each pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Bates is scheduled for a pretrial hearing April 22, Nieves is scheduled for April 24.

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The arrest records in this article are being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and are protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The persons named in this article have only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and are presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - An ex-substitute teacher was arrested March 5, accused of unlawful sex acts with a minor.

Christopher Michael Confair, 34, was a substitute teacher from 2021 to 2025 in the Covina-Valley Unified School District. He also served as a boys basketball coach at Northview High School.

He was set to appear in court Friday, March 7, but posted bond the day of his arrest, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

It is not yet publicly clear when the alleged acts took place, nor how many victims there may be, but Covina Police investigators said the victims range from middle school to high school.

Investigators believe there may be more victims.

Any victims, or anyone with information that may help this case, are urged to contact Covina Police Detective C. Hagle at 626-384-5621, or [email protected].

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A man reportedly took his own life Thursday after a disturbance inside a home.

A family member got into a struggle with the man who expressed suicidal desires in an attempt to dissuade him. No one else was killed or injured, according to Lt. Ryan Davis of the Covina Police Department.

The incident unfolded on East Grovecenter Street west of South Starglen Drive. First responders were called to the scene around 9:30 a.m.

The family member fled the home after struggling with the suicidal man.

Members of the Covina Police Department SWAT team arrived to attempt to de-escalate the situation.

A handgun was used, Davis told SGV CityWatch.

As of 12:30 p.m., officers remained on scene awaiting the arrival of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A former behavioral therapist at mental health provider Foothill Family was arrested, accused of unlawful sex acts with a minor.

Matthew Martinez, 25, was arrested February 5. He served as behavioral therapist at Foothill Family from 2023 to January 2025, according to the Covina Police Department.

Foothill Family has several facilities, including in Duarte, Covina, Pomona and El Monte, with corporate offices in Pasadena.
https://www.foothillfamily.org/services/mental-health-care/

Martinez is currently not employed by Foothill Family, according to the Covina Police Department.

Martinez is being held without bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in West Covina Superior Court Friday, February 7.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims. Anyone with information on this investigation is urged contact Covina Police Detective C. Hagle at 626-384-5621 or by email at [email protected]

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A man was arrested Friday after reportedly firing a rifle into an apartment unit occupied by a family.

The suspect, 48-year-old Juan Gerardo Gonzalez, shot into the apartment unit in the 800 block of West Glentana Street around 6:52 p.m. Thursday. The mother, father and two children within the unit were able to flee through a second-story window, according to the Covina Police Department.

No one was injured.

A resident spoke with CityWatch and said around eight to 10 rounds were fired into the victims’ door.

“Family escaped through a window with the help of a neighbor with a ladder,” the resident said, adding “[the suspect] is a new neighbor just out of prison.”

As officers arrived to the apartment, Gonzalez fled in a vehicle, leading officers on a pursuit onto the westbound 210 freeway and south on the 605 where, due to Gonzalez’s reckless driving, they lost sight of him, according to the Covina Police Department.

West Covina Police officers located Gonzalez in his vehicle, performed a high-risk traffic stop and detained him until detectives took him into custody, according to the Covina Police Department.

Gonzalez was arrested at 12:14 a.m. Friday and booked on suspicion of attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a weapon, assault with a deadly weapon and other felony charges.

Gonzalez is being held in lieu of $1 million bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in West Covina Superior Court January 28.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Four juveniles took to the sewers in a desperate, yet failed attempt to outrun police January 14.

The teens first robbed a convenience store in the 1000 block of North Citrus Avenue around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday. One of the teens jumped the counter and flashed a handgun, according to the Covina Police Department.

The same group reportedly robbed a convenience store roughly 20 minutes later in the 500 block of South Azusa Avenue. Officers located the suspect vehicle, but the driver refused to stop, according to the Azusa Police Department.

The juveniles ended the pursuit in Arcadia and fled the vehicle, which officers later discovered was stolen.

The juveniles fled into a flood control channel, leading to an underground search with the help of Covina Police K9 Diego who, according to police bodycam video, sunk his fangs into one of the juveniles.

A handgun was recovered, according to Covina Police.

Assisting with the search were the Arcadia Police Department, Irwindale Police Department and Foothill Special Enforcement Team.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - The Los Angeles County District Attorney charged a man with nine felonies and a misdemeanor, accusing him of sexually assaulting two girls beginning in 2022.

Joshua Daniel McGinn, 41, was re-arrested December 18 by Covina Police officers. He was initially arrested October 2. He was released October 4 at that time due to insufficient evidence, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

McGinn is being held without bail in the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Among the charges are four counts of oral copulation with a person under 18, one count of sexual penetration by force, one count of touching someone intimately against their will for sexual arousal, two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with someone more than three years younger, one count of contacting a minor for a sexual offense and one count of possessing obscene matter of a minor in a sexual act, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.

McGinn is scheduled to appear in West Covina Superior Court January 6.

McGinn is a former Charter Oak High School teacher in Covina.

If convicted as charged, McGinn faces a maximum sentence of 13 years and six months in state prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The case is being prosecuted by the office’s Sex Crimes Division and investigated by the Covina Police Department.

Additional victims, or anyone with information on this case are urged to call Covina Police Detective G. Hagle at 626-384-5621, or 626-384-5808.

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - A man said to be in his 60s died inside a Home Depot Wednesday morning.

Police do not suspect foul play. First responders were called to the Home Depot, 963 W. Badillo St., around 8:15 a.m., according to Lt. Josh Turner the Covina Police Department.

The man possibly suffered a medical emergency, Turner told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - The Charter Oak High School teacher accused of sexually abusing a minor was released two days after his publicized arrest.

Joshua McGinn, was released October 4, the day he was scheduled to appear in court. He was released due to insufficient evidence, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

It is not publicly clear what specifically led to the findings of insufficient evidence.

McGinn is accused of committing unlawful sexual acts with a minor. These alleged acts are said to have occurred in 2022, according to the Covina Police Department.

McGinn’s future as a teacher is unclear.

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.