 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor 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. At least nine homes suffered various damage after being hit by what deputies described as large bore air rifle bullets.
The shootings took place over a six-week period around unincorporated Covina communities and within Covina city limits. Projectiles hit homes, front yards, backyards and objects on private property, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station. “These are relatively large projectiles, not like what you might expect from a traditional BB or pellet gun. These are actual bullets fired from an air rifle as powerful as some pistols,” the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station said in a written statement from January 2020. Some residents were home when the shots were fired. Incidents occurred:
Such weapons use compressed air to fire the large bore projectiles, usually lead. The sound emitted closely resembles that of a paintball gun. Estep was issued a citation and released October 30, according to Los Angeles County booking records. He was scheduled to make an appearance November 2 in Los Angeles County Superior Court.  PHOTOS/Courtesy of the Covina Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - Police announced the arrest of two men who tried, but failed to take a 250-pound bronze statue from a Covina business. The crime was discovered by police called to a report of suspicious men in the 300 block of East Rowland Street around 2:27 a.m. August 5. Police could only find a tipped-over shopping cart and the statue inside, Covina Police said. “Officers recognized the statue as one which had previously been affixed to a pedestal in front of a nearby business,” Covina Police said in a written statement. Officers recognized the two suspects from nearby surveillance footage — suspects who had multiple run-ins with police.
On Tuesday, police located and arrested Robert Johnson, 31, and Dakota McConnel, 23. Both are transients who frequent the Covina area. The suspects were booked on suspicion of grand theft. McConnel is additionally charged with a warrant from a previous case and Johnson was additionally charged with possession of burglary tools, Covina Police. Transient Jailed by Covina Police Re-Arrested After Alleged Burglary, Vandalism Outside Station5/13/2019  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - A man is facing additional accusations Monday for taking his anger out on public property near the Covina Police Station after his drugs and paraphernalia were confiscated during an arrest. Samuel Tavares, 29, a local transient, was arrested just before 7 a.m. and booked on suspicion of felony vandalism. Tavares was originally arrested Monday morning on suspicion of possessing drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine, according to Sgt. Ryan Davis of the Covina Police Department.
He was originally released around 4:30 a.m. May 13 after the drug arrest. Police responded more than two hours later to the park outside the Covina Police Department where the suspect allegedly knocked over a trash can, ash tray and tore out several plants near the front lot area. “He damaged approximately $700 to the front of the building,” Davis said. “When we arrested him, he indicated he was upset he got arrested for the drug charges, because a lot of people are using drugs, and he was upset because we kept his methamphetamine as evidence.” He was additionally booked on suspicion of burglary after he was able to reach through a gate and obtain a blanket and another item from an overflow storage area at the police station, Davis said.  PHOTO/From the Northview High School Facebook page. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor COVINA - An estimated value of more than $10,000 in damage was discovered at Northview High School’s baseball field February 9, Covina Police said. Unknown vandals dug numerous holes across the field and sprayed graffiti across signage and banners at the field, 1016 W. Cypress Street, according to Covina Police Public Information Officer Sgt. David Rodriguez. “This past weekend there us for a loop. Honestly, I haven’t put my head around it yet. We’ll rebound somehow, go back and keep working," said Northview High School Baseball Head Coach Dan Roddy. The damage was first reported to officers at 7:15 a.m. Saturday, according to Covina Police Lieutenant Trevor Gaumer.
Roddy discovered the vandalism was discovered by Roddy as he arrived that morning for opening day. Two games scheduled for that day were cancelled, Roddy said. Detectives are working on identifying a suspect or suspects in the vandalism. Anyone who may know the suspect or suspects responsible is urged to call the Covina Police Department at 626-384-5808. |
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