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] ********** 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. ********** 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 former elementary school teacher was jailed September 11 amidst a child sex assault investigation. Richard Joseph Jadrich, 68, was officially charged with one count of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, one count of continuous sex abuse of a child and a second count of lewd and lascivious acts with a child under 14, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records. Jadrich is a former Covina Valley Unified School District employee. In addition to teaching band at Sierra Vista Middle School, Jadrich also reportedly taught at other district schools.. The alleged assaults are said to have taken place December 1, 2005, January 1, 2006 and October 2, 2006, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records. Although the Covina Police Department previously stated Jadrich was being held without bail, Los Angeles County booking records show he posted bond September 13. His next scheduled court date is December 10 in West Covina Superior Court. Anyone with information on this case is urged to contact Covina Police Detective G. Hagle at 626-384-5621, or by email at: [email protected]. ********** 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 - Investigators released a sketch of a suspect wanted for shooting and murdering a man in front of his wife and three children June 22. The man was shot and wounded in front of his wife, 11 year-old daughter and two 9-year-old twin boys in the 1100 block of East Wanamaker Avenue. The man was taken to a hospital for treatment and later died, according to the Covina Police Department. The 28-year-old man and his family were out walking around 9:35 p.m. The suspect, only described as a Latino man age 20 to 25 years old, walked in between the man and his wife. A verbal confrontation and sued and the man was shot in the chest twice, according to the Covina Police Department. The suspect fled the area on foot. He is further described as 5 feet 5 inches tall and having a thin build. Anyone with information that may help identify the suspect is urged to call Detective Preciado at 626-384-5622. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Precautionary patrols were performed Friday after authorities received a phoned threat to Gladstone Middle School.
The Azusa Police Department received a phoned threat to the school around 10:15 a.m. The Covina Police Department and school administrators were then notified, according to Sgt. Rodriguez of the Covina Police Department. The school was locked down as a precaution as well. The phone number was initially pinged to Gladstone Middle School and further investigation revealed the phone number belonged to a Covina resident reportedly unrelated to the threat, Rodriguez told SGV CityWatch. Rodriguez was not sure of what exactly the threat was, nor was he sure of what the caller sounded like. The caller was unidentified and no arrests were made, Rodriguez told SGV CityWatch. Police patrolled the school until the end of the day. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Investigators released images of a man accused of committing two separate sexual batteries December 2.
The batteries occurred at Walmart, 1275 N. Azusa Ave., between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The suspect escaped the store on a bicycle and he is considered to be a public safety threat, according to the Covina Police Department. Anyone who can help identify the suspect, or who may be a victim, is urged to call the Covina Police non-emergency line at 626-331-3391. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A driver is in custody, accused of killing a pedestrian on Grand Avenue north of Covina Boulevard late Friday night and leaving the scene.
The pedestrian, only described as a middle-aged male, was reportedly outside of a marked crosswalk when the collision occurred in northbound lanes. He died after being taken to a hospital, according to Sgt. Keith Sutherland of the Covina Police Department. First responders were sent to the location around 11:13 p.m. Friday, January 5. The driver called police to report the collision. Officers located the driver at a nearby business and took them into custody, Sutherland told SGV CityWatch. Alcohol and drugs did not factor into the crash, Sutherland told SGV CityWatch. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor GLENDORA - Two juveniles were arrested after attempting to evade Covina police officers during a pursuit Tuesday night.
The joyriding juvies were found in a Kia Optima taken in Garden Grove around 11 p.m. September 19. Officers attempted to pull over the driver at North Grand Avenue and East Cypress Street, but the driver refused to stop, according to Sgt. Seok Lee of the Covina Police Department. The juveniles ran from the Optima on Sunflower Avenue near the 210 freeway. The passenger was immediately arrested upon fleeing the vehicle. The driver ran north up into the South Hills area and attempted to hide in some bushes, but was quickly found by searching officers, Lee told SGV CityWatch. Lee did not immediately know if any weapons or stolen property were found in the vehicle. |
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