Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - An argument and suspected gang rivalry led to a shooting early Wednesday, Covina Police announced.

The shooting took place in the 400 block of East Cypress Street. Police were called to the scene at 1:48 a.m. and detained four suspects in a nearby vehicle, from which a handgun was recovered, according to the Covina Police Department.

No one was injured.

Three men and the juvenile were arrested and booked on suspicion of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, Covina Police said.

The juvenile was additionally booked on suspicion of attempted murder. The juvenile was transferred to a juvenile facility.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Two men armed with weapons and suited in tactical gear were arrested Tuesday after they allegedly forced their way into a Covina home to try and take back $6,000 stolen by the resident who allegedly took it from the dispensary he was fired from, police said.

Shannon Hunter and James Harper were located in a vehicle as they fled scene. The men were allegedly hired by the owner of a Rowland Heights marijuana dispensary who sought to take back the stolen cash, according to the Covina Police Department.

The home invasion robbery occurred in the 600 block of South Calvados Street around 11:38 p.m. The suspects fled before police arrived.

The suspects were found during an area search. After detaining the suspects, officers saw Hunter and Harper had marked “security” clothing, badges, tactical vests and weapons, both real and replica, Covina Police said.

“The victim went to the dispensary to collect their final paycheck, and also stole approximately $6,000 from the business while there. The business owner sent Harper and Hunter, posing as security guards, to recover the stolen money,” Covina Police said in a written statement.

Hunter is a prior convicted felon and was also charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

COVINA – Three people were arrested after a probation search uncovered drugs and a weapon.

Officers searched an occupied room at Vanlee Hotel, 1211 E. Garvey Ave., at 9 a.m. November 17. The probation search was conducted on a convicted felon who is also a parolee, according to the Covina Police Department.

COVINA - Police announced October 30 the arrest of a man who allegedly used an air rifle to destroy property in and around Cypress Elementary school late last year.

Justin Lee Estep, 32, is accused of using what has been described previously by investigators as a large bore air rifle to cause destruction at homes and other buildings in the Covina area from November 2019 to January 2020.

Estep was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism, according to the Covina Police Department.

Covina officers in the patrol division and detective bureau developed new leads in the investigation and identified Estep as a suspect. A search warrant was written and executed, helping investigators to find and seize from Estep’s vehicle a high-powered air rifle wrapped in camouflage cloth, lead projectiles, an air tank and air compressor, according to the Covina Police Department.

Additional evidence was discovered inside the suspect’s residence, Covina Police said.

The vandalism occurred in the area of the 300 block of W. Cypress St. in unincorporated Covina.

The vandalism was first covered by SGV CityWatch at the beginning of the year.

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 - Three people were arrested after another large crowd of protestors turned up at the reported home a deputy who fatally shot a man in Gardena.

The three were accused of various crimes, ranging from trespassing, to assaulting a peace officer and lynching — the latter is a confusing use of the term, according to Lt. Ryan Davis of the Covina Police Department.

“At some point there was an intoxicated person who came onto the property and pushed an officer,” Davis told SGV CityWatch. “As he was attempting to make an arrest, the crowd basically surrounded the officers and started pulling her away.”

The protestor was pulled away from the officer. Eventually, an unlawful assembly was declared and the crowd was dispersed roughly after 7 p.m. with the help of officers from Azusa, Glendora, West Covina and the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.

The woman who allegedly assaulted an officer was later seen near the Covina Police Department and arrested, Davis told SGV CityWatch.

One of the people who pulled the protester away from the officer during the arrest was also found and taken into custody, Davis told SGV CityWatch. That person was booked on suspicion of lynching, which the California Penal Code describes as removing someone from police custody by means of a riot, Davis told SGV CityWatch.

Police originally responded to the home, which is located near San Bernardino Road and Hollenback Avenue, to keep protesters off the private property.

The protests began around 4 p.m.

Protesters allegedly placed Post-It notes and larger signs on the deputy’s home and walkway, Davis told SGV CityWatch. Protestors also wrote messages in chalk on a public as well as the private walkway claiming that Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy Miguel Vega is a murderer, Davis told SGV CityWatch.

One other person was arrested on suspicion of trespassing and for not providing his name to an officer.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - Police arrived en mas Thursday night to a neighborhood to quell a group of protestors who reportedly found the home of the deputy who fatally shot an 18-year-old man in Gardena.

The deputy reportedly lives in the area of Hollenbeck Avenue and San Bernardino Road. Protesters stood in the street, on the sidewalk and walked all over the front yard of a home believed to belong to Miguel Vega July 30.

Police from Covina, Glendora, Azusa and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department arrived to push back protestors who left behind signs at the home. Most, if not all, of the signs were removed by police.

In a video posted to social media, law enforcement could be seen going in and out of the home, talking to whoever was inside.

Deputies descended on Andres Guardado, who was employed as a security guard, at a Gardena business June 18.

Deputies claim they saw a gun on Guadardo’s person. Guardado ran from deputies a brief distance into an alley. He was shot and killed by deputy gunfire.

A gun was reportedly found in Guardado’s possession. Deputies allege he reached for his weapon during the foot pursuit.

Guardado’s death has strained the somewhat current tenuous relationship between law enforcement and the public, amidst calls for defunding law enforcement and amidst destructive protests and rioting.

Compounding the investigation is the allegations that shortly after shooting Guardado, deputies ripped surveillance cameras from a nearby business without a search warrant.

A security hold was placed on the autopsy report for Guardado — a standard procedure in police shooting investigations, but the very public family squabble between embattled Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva and County authorities took an unexpected turn.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner defied the Sheriff’s security request and made public the preliminary results. Guardado was shot five times in the back, according to the coroner report.

An independent autopsy confirmed the county coroner’s findings.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

COVINA - No injuries were reported after an alleged DUI driver in an RV drove through an active railroad crossing and struck a westbound Metrolink train after crashing at a nearby business, police said.

The railroad gates were down when the unnamed driver in the RV allegedly drove through them on southbound Grand Avenue. A Metrolink train was already through the intersection, according to Lt. Dan Regan of the Covina Police Department.

The RV struck the back of the train according to Paul Gonzales, public affairs manager for Metrolink.

The collision is considered only a misdemeanor offense. The driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI, issued a citation and released.

The collision happened around 6:41 p.m. July 11.

“The train continued to go westbound, stopping in Covina, Baldwin Park and ultimately El Monte,” Regan told SGV CityWatch.

The train’s engineer apparently did not known a collision happened. Covina Police informed Metrolink of the crash and Metrolink dispatchers ordered the train to stop so the train’s crew could inspect for damage, which was located towards the rear of the train, Gonzales told SGV CityWatch.

During the investigation, Covina officers were told that the RV’s driver collided with some property at a business in the 4700 block of N. Grand Ave., Reagan told SGV CityWatch.

The driver was hauling some sort of trailer behind his RV, but it jackknifed at the business and separated from the RV. It was left at the scene.

The first collision occurred in the county area of Covina. The California Highway Patrol responded to the abandoned trailer to write a report, Reagan told SGV CityWatch.

Metrolink workers repaired the broken gate arms.

The railroad tracks between the Pomona North Metrolink station and the Covina station we are temporarily closed while repairs are made and an investigation was conducted.

The Los Angeles bound train that was struck by the RV was canceled at the El Monte station, while a San Bernardino bound train was canceled, Metrolink said.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office could potentially additionally charge the driver with hit-and-run and for a potential issue regarding a suspended license, Reagan told SGV CityWatch.

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 – The man seen in a video instigating a fight with complete strangers and attempting to gun down his victim was taken into custody July 6.

Vincent Ortega, a 31-year-old El Monte resident, was taken into custody, but not before he fled from a traffic stop in the 500 block of South Citrus Avenue while carrying a backpack containing a loaded handgun, ammunition, stolen credit cards, IDs and drugs, Covina Police said.

Ortega was identified by investigators as the gunman in the March 23, 2020 shooting that occurred in the 1900 block of East Cienega Avenue. A fight broke out between two men when an SUV approached.

An occupant of the SUV exited and forcefully took the necklace of an onlooker to the fight. The onlooker and fighting men turned their attention on the robbery suspect and began fighting him.

The robbery suspect, later identified as Ortega, retrieved a handgun while fleeing to the SUV and fired twice, hitting one of the three other men in an arm.

The shooting victim smashed out the rear window to the SUV seconds before it was driven away at high speed. The shooting victim was hospitalized and later released.

Ortega was the passenger in the July 6 traffic stop. After fleeing the vehicle, Ortega ran into an occupied home in the 200 block of West Casad Street. Ortega was taken into custody shortly after fleeing and no one inside the home was harmed, Covina Police said.

Ortega was also arrested by Claremont Police in June on suspicion of grand theft auto, possession of a handgun and ammunition, but Ortega bailed out and failed to show at his court hearing. A warrant was issued for his arrest, Covina Police said.

Ortega was booked on suspicion of burglary, being a felon in possession of a handgun and ammunition, identity theft, resisting arrest, drug offenses and attempted homicide, Covina Police said.

Ortega is scheduled for a court appearance Wednesday, July 8.