Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The ex seasonal coach accused of attempting to solicit sex with what turned out to be an undercover private investigator walked free June 24 after his case was rejected. Stephen Cristopher Garcia, 34, was released and his arrest was converted into a detention only. The code in Los Angeles County booking records states “DA REJECT PER 849.5PC A DETENTION ONLY.” Garcia was freed at 2:36 p.m. With it being Saturday, June 29, it may not be clear until Monday as to the precise reasons why the case was rejected. It is unclear if this is a done deal, or if investigators are being given time to collect and present more evidence to resubmit the case. Covina Police detectives were called to Superior Grocers, 1375 N. Citrus Ave., at 4:45 p.m. June 20 about a man intending to meet a 14-year-old boy for a sexual encounter … except that teen does not exist: the whole ordeal was a sting, according to the Covina Police Department. Garcia, 34, was contacted by Creep Catching Unit, a private group started to expose online predators, with the use of a fake social media profile. A meeting was arranged through text messaging and, upon contact, the encounter was streamed live on YouTube, according to the Covina Police Department. The case’s rejection is even more puzzling, considering that the live YouTube broadcast from CC Unit has Garcia stating multiple times that he intended to meet a teen boy for sexual purposes. “Ghost”, the man who runs CC Unit, produced copied messages allegedly from Garcia’s text logs that the ex-coach admitted on camera to making.
Garcia is described as a former seasonal walk-on coach in the Covina-Valley Unified and is apparently no longer employed, according to a district statement.
Garcia allegedly was found in possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia, but it is unclear if he will face any related charges. ********** 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 POMONA – A Glendora man arrested in the shooting death of a Good Samaritan who intervened in an alleged vehicle burglary in Covina was hit with a deluge of charges Monday.
Trevor Howard Thompson, 34, was charged with one felony count each of murder, attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic firearm, attempted carjacking, second-degree burglary of a vehicle, resisting an executive officer, vandalism and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Thompson, a Glendora man, is accused of shooting and killing 38-year-old Joey Casias December 21 in the 1800 block of East Covina Boulevard. Casias and possibly one other person confronted a suspect, believed to be Thompson, in the 1100 block of North Charter Drive around 11:18 p.m. The suspect was chased to the 1800 block of East Covina Boulevard where Casias was shot and killed. In a written statement, the DA’s office further stated that Thompson allegedly broke into a parked BMW, attempted to carjack one of the Good Samaritans and attacked another. Casias was shot when he tried to stop the attack. A suspect was spotted December 22 by a UPS delivery driver in the 5100 block of North Bonnie Cove Avenue. The driver recognized the suspect from news reports, according to the Covina Police Department. Officers located Thompson in an outdoor patio to an apartment. “Thompson initially refused to surrender to officers and fired a round inside the patio area,” the Covina Police Department said in a written statement. Thompson also allegedly disabled a camera on a police robot sent to conduct surveillance on Thompson. Thompson climbed out of the patio while armed with the handgun to make an escape, but was taken down with less-lethal rounds. Arraignment was scheduled December 27 in Pomona Superior Court, but has been continued to December 28. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - The man who admitted to killing an innocent woman, his estranged wife and attempting to shoot and kill two others will be spending decades behind bars.
Miguel Angel Prieto, who previously pleaded guilty to the above-mentioned crimes, was sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison, authorities announced recently. In a blood-thirsty hunt for his estranged wife, Prieto shot a man and woman inside a vehicle parked on an industrial side street in the 1500 block of West McKinley Avenue in Azusa February 9, 2018. Prieto apparently believed the woman to be his estranged wife, Maria Perez. The man survived his wounds, the woman did not. The woman was identified as Rocio Sandoval, 38. April 7, 2018, Prieto ventured to the restaurant of Perez’s uncle in Long Beach and shot at a woman inside the restaurant he believed to be Perez’s aunt. Prieto went to Perez’s Covina apartment April 11 and it was there that she was shot multiple times and killed, prosecutors previously said. Witnesses and neighbors were able to identify Prieto as the gunman. He was located in Long Beach hours after his estranged wife’s slaying and arrested. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A man and woman were jailed Friday after investigators discovered that two more suspects involved in a kidnapping and attempted murder from February were hiding out in Los Angeles.
Kristine Mina, 33, and Dominic Garcia, 49, were located at a residence in the 6200 block of La Mirada Avenue in Los Angeles March 5 and arrested at the home. With the aid of Monrovia Police and Baldwin Park Police, Covina investigators identified three suspects. The first suspect to be locked up, Sammy Wilson, was jailed March 2 and eventually charged with one count each of attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, kidnapping, and street terrorism, according to Public Information Officer Pamela Johnson with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. After dual search warrants were served at a Covina residence in the 100 block of North Vecino Drive and an Azusa residence in the 500 block of North San Gabriel Avenue March 4, investigators believed the two remaining suspects were in Los Angeles. Mina, a Covina resident, was arrested after she was seen during a surveillance operation on the Los Angeles home. Covina detectives, with the assistance of the Los Angeles Police Department, Hollywood Division, contained the home after developing a hunch that the final suspect, Montclair man Dominic Garcia, was still inside, Covina Police said. Garcia eventually exited the home and was taken into custody. A search warrant for the Los Angeles home was then safely executed, Covina Police said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA – A Long Beach man pleaded guilty to killing a random woman in the vengeful search for his
estranged wife, whom he also shot to death nearly three years ago. Miguel Angel Prieto, 46, pleaded guilty to one count each of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, crimes that spanned three months. “Given the senseless and brazen crimes committed by Miguel Angel Prieto, he will be sentenced to two consecutive life sentences,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón. Prieto shot a man and woman inside a vehicle parked on an industrial side street in the 1500 block of West McKinley Avenue in Azusa February 9, 2018. Prieto apparently believed the woman to be his estranged wife, Maria Perez. The man survived his wounds, the woman did not, prosecutors previously said. The woman was identified as Rocio Sandoval, 38. >>READ THE FULL STORY: Man Charged in Ex-Wife’s Slaying Likely Connected to Attempted Double Murder in Azusa April 7, 2018, Prieto ventured to the restaurant of Perez’s uncle in Long Beach and shot at a woman inside the restaurant he believed to be Perez’s aunt. Prieto went to Perez’s Covina apartment April 11 and it was there that she was shot multiple times and killed, prosecutors previously said. Witnesses and neighbors were able to identify Prieto as the gunman. He was located in Long Beach hours after his estranged wife’s slaying and arrested. >>READ THE FULL STORY: Long Beach man Arrested, Accused of Murdering Ex-Wife in Covina Apt. Sentencing is scheduled on March 3 in Department T of Pomona Superior Court. 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 POMONA - The woman accused of stabbing her two-year-old son to death more than a year ago has pleaded not guilty in her son’s killing. Xa Dinh Ngo, 39, also referred to as “Michelle” Ngo, Entered her plea Monday, April 27, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Ngo faces one count of murder with a special allegation of using a dangerous and deadly weapon, a knife, in the death of her son, Elvis Puente. Ngo allegedly stabbed her son to death multiple times, prosecutors said. Ngo was briefly hospitalized after a Covina patrol sergeant found Ngo running down the road in the 300 block of North Second Avenue, half-naked and with blood splatters on her body, January 11, 2019 around 3:30 a.m.
Ngo was uncooperative with officers once detained, but alluded to a possible victim, Covina Police said. Officers learned Ngo’s address and discovered a small fire on the second floor of her townhome at 141 E. Italia St. once they arrived. Her son was discovered dead. Ngo was arrested by Covina Police detectives on suspicion of murder once she was discharged. It is unclear if Ngo suffered from a mental condition, or was under the influence of drugs. If convicted as charged, Ngo could face a maximum of 26 years to life in state prison. |
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