Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A deputies suspicions were spot on August 31 after detaining a man seen acting suspiciously inside of a vehicle, parked outside a Starbucks in unincorporated Covina.
The vehicle was spotted at the Starbucks at Citrus Avenue and Arrow Highway. During a check of the vehicle license plate, the deputy discovered the driver was wanted on suspicion of murder, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. After the deputy and made a request for additional assistance, the driver was taken into custody without incident. Sidney Clarke, a 28-year-old Brea resident, is accused of gunning down 21-year-old Logan Kahmar August 30. The shooting took place in a residence at 650 N. Tamarack Ave. Evidence led investigators to pin Clarke as a suspect, according to the Brea Police Department. Brea police detectives reportedly found additional evidence linking Clarke to the murder. Clarke is being held in lieu of $1 million bail in the Orange County Jail. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Detectives are piecing together why a two-month-old child died at a home Sunday morning.
First responders were sent to the 1100 block of North Conwell Avenue just before 6 a.m. Sunday, August 7. Life-saving measures were used to try and revive the infant, but she was ultimately declared dead at the scene at 6:14 a.m., according to the Covina Police Department. The mother was out of state. The infant and the infant’s 4-year-old and 1-year-old siblings were being watched by a babysitter, according to the Covina Police Department. Detectives already have, or are soon serving a search warrant at the home to collect potential evidence in this investigation. Detectors are working with the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services and Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A man who likely jumped in front of a Metrolink train sustained life-threatening injuries Monday evening.
The man broke free from a Good Samaritan who tried to pull him off the tracks. Witnesses told police the man intended to kill himself, according to Lt. Anthony Zavala of the Covina Police Department. First responders were called to Glendora Avenue at the railroad tracks at 7:21 p.m. July 24. The Good Samaritan was uninjured, Zavala told SGV CityWatch. The Metrolink train, line 334 headed to downtown San Bernardino, struck the pedestrian. The train was held between Glendora Avenue and Cypress Avenue during the investigation. Trains resumed service with the delays up to 90 minutes, according to Metrolink. The train that struck the pedestrian was eventually canceled after moving ahead to the Pomona North Station. Police are working to confirm the man’s identity. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A decomposing body was discovered by a gardener clearing some residential brush in the area of an elementary school Tuesday afternoon.
The discovery was made in the 500 block of East Thelborn Street. First responders were called around 3:11 p.m. First responders located a the body of a male, according to Lt. Anthony Zavala of the Covina Police Department. “Based on the decomposition of the body, it looks like he might have been there a while,” Zavala told SGV CityWatch. A resident driving by the scene observed what appeared to be a body covered up on the sidewalk, a coroner van, yellow crime scene tape around the entire residential property and a large police presence. No foul play is initially suspected. The body was obscured by brush near a home across from Barranca Elementary School, 727 S. Barranca Ave. It is not quite clear exactly how long the body was there before being discovered. The identity of the male has yet to be revealed. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A student was quickly identified as the culprit who phoned in a threat of a school shooting at Sierra Vista Middle School Wednesday morning.
The phone call, made at 8:09 a.m., was traced to inside a classroom at the school, 777 E. Puente St. Using security video from the classroom, the student was identified as having placed the threat, according to Sgt. Marquez of the Covina Police Department. The student is reportedly special needs. The caller told dispatchers that a police presence was needed because there was going to be a shooting. The school and officers determined within an hour that the threat was not credible, Marquez told SGV CityWatch. “The classroom actually had a camera, so we ended up reviewing the camera and it showed the kid actually making the phone call,” Marquez told SGV CityWatch. “Please be assured we are pursuing all legal and disciplinary action as threats to schools are not a joke,” said Danielle Traviseo, principal of Sierra Vista Middle School, in a email message sent by the school. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Homeland Security has joined numerous local agencies with a search of Covina High School after a series of threats were made against the campus Wednesday.
The calls sounded like prerecorded messages sent to both the school, 463 S. Hollenbeck Ave., and the Covina Police Department. Covina Police began fielding the calls around 9:30 a.m., according to Lt. Josh Turner of the Covina Police Department. The threats indicated there would be explosions at the school. Covina Police fielded recurring calls over a 10 to 15-minute span, Turner told SGV CityWatch. Only a handful of teachers and administrators remain on campus. Roughly eight bomb-sniffing K9s are assisting. The Los Angeles County Fire Department is also assisting along with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Pasadena Police, San Gabriel Police and California Highway Patrol, Turner told SGV CityWatch. Detectives are trying to pinpoint the location of the calls. Written by AARON CASTREJON CiyWatch Editor COVINA - Covina detectives are still trying to determine what led an older driver to crash into a Metrolink train heading for San Bernardino Friday morning. A Honda CRV and the Metrolink train collided while the vehicle was driven southbound on Barranca Avenue in the No. 1 lane, according to Sgt. Ray Marquez of the Covina Police Department. A passenger on the train only complained of pain, Marquez told SGV CityWatch. The collision occurred at 10:20 a.m. February 10. Train 308, which struck the Honda CRV, was able to arrive at the Covina Metrolink Station to allow the 100 passengers to exit and seek alternate transportation, according to Metrolink Spokesperson Karen Bakar. A large crane lifted the twisted Honda CRV from the Metrolink Right of Way. The tracks were opened to resume train service at 12:39 p.m. As of Friday evening, there was no status update for the driver’s condition. Detectives were still at the hospital where the driver is being treated, according to Sgt. Seok Lee of the Covina Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor UPDATE, 9:48 a.m.: Police announced both girls were found.
COVINA – Two 12-year-old girls are missing and possibly in distress after one of the girls phoned her mother, the Covina Police Department said. Both girls are believed to be in East Los Angeles after one of the missing girls, Navaeh Bolagh, contacted her mother November 3 and said she was with her friend, Celina Heredia and, an unknown older male. Navaeh was last heard from at 7 p.m., according to the Covina Police Department. The Covina Police Department was notified at 9:59 p.m. about Heredia being missing. At 10:39 p.m., Bolagh was reported missing. Both girls are students of Sierra Vista Middle School. Anyone with information on the girls’ whereabouts is urged to call the Covina Police Department at 626-384-5808, or call Covina Police Detective jardery@covinaca.gov, or at 626-384-5617. You may also contact Detective Preciado at 626-384-5622, or at opreciado@covinaca.gov. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Detectives are looking for any possible additional victims of a Covina man who was originally arrested in July and accused of possessing child porn. He was later discovered to have sexually assaulted a girl.
Ramon Jeremiah Elias-Zavala was arrested twice in less than a month for the alleged crimes. A search warrant was served at Elias’ Covina home July 15 after investigators received multiple tips that he was in possession of child porn. He posted bail and was released, according to the Covina Police Department. Investigators learned afterwards that Elias was communicating with an underage female. Detectives were able to identify and speak with the girl who told them that Elias had sexually assaulted her several times, according to the Covina Police Department. Elias was arrested August 9 and booked on suspicion of rape and he remains in custody. Anyone who may have contacted Elias or who has a relative who may have contacted Elias is urged to call Covina Police Detective Manny Esquival at 626-384-5621. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - The Covina Police Department is asking for assistance in identifying the person or persons responsible for possibly murdering a man found dead on a service road April 11.
Although the County coroner does not yet list a cause of death for 25-year-old Daniel Diaz, Covina Police Det. Manuel Esquivel said injuries on the body were consistent with an assault. Officers were called to a report of a “man down” near 427 S. Barranca Ave. at 2:52 p.m. Diaz was found unresponsive and Los Angeles County firefighters would soon declare Diaz dead at the scene, Esquivel said. “Diaz’s appearance was disheveled. He had injuries consistent with being assaulted and it appeared he was placed on the service road,” Esquivel said in a statement. It is believed Diaz was assaulted and later died at a currently-unknown location. Diaz was transient and was known to frequent the area of Grand Avenue and the I-10 freeway in West Covina. Anyone with information that can aid the investigation is urged to call Esquivel at 626-384-5621. Provide information anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org. |
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