DIAMOND BAR – A free etching event to help track catalytic converters and possibly prevent their thefts is scheduled for April 1, deputies announced recently.

The Etch and Catch Event is scheduled for Thursday, April 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Cavalry Chapel Golden Springs, 22324 Golden Springs Dr., in Diamond Bar.

Attendees must schedule an appointment: https://bit.ly/318IAay

Catalytic converter thefts continue to plague communities far and wide.

Vehicles that are a prime target for thieves include SUVs, such as the Toyota Sequoia, Toyota 4Runner, and trucks, such as the Dodge Ram, Toyota Tacoma and Toyota Tundra.

DIAMOND BAR – The driver of a black sedan hooked a u-turn against a red light, appearing to antagonize a group of protesters at a Diamond Bar intersection Sunday.
 
The incident at Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue was caught on cell phone video and shared via Instagram. The driver nearly struck one protestor while turning around.
 
The driver also allegedly yelled racial epithets at the protestors during the “Stop Asian Hate” protest March 21, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
 
“The suspect’s vehicle license plate was captured on video footage and investigators are attempting to identify the male white in his 50’s,” deputies said in a written statement.
 
“Based on what we have learned, this is being investigated as a hate crime,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva in a social media statement.
 
The facts in the case will eventually be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing, deputies said.

DIAMOND BAR - A 9-year-old child emerged from a vehicle amidst a suffocating cloud of tear gas as Sheriff’s deputies attempted to corral a dangerous pursuit suspect Tuesday evening.

The child was the unwitting participant of a frenetic and dangerous chase from throughout Walnut, Chino Hills, Chino, Ontario and Diamond Bar.

The suspect, 30-year-old Margaret Hassan of Pomona, refused to pull over for deputies and fled in a desperate attempt at escaping them.

Deputies were reportedly surprised that the child was inside the vehicle during the entire ordeal.

Hassan, the child’s mother, is accused of repeatedly using her car to rear-end another vehicle near the Sheriff’s Walnut/Diamond Bar Station during a road rage incident just before 3:30 p.m. March 9, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The victim flagged down deputies who located Hassan nearby. She escaped at high speed and allegedly and brazenly pushed through vehicles stopped at red lights to keep evading deputies; vehicles that bounced around like toys.

Hassan continued to sideswipe, bump and crash into multiple vehicles during the pursuit until her red sedan became disabled at Diamond Bar Boulevard and Gentle Springs Lane. Hassan held deputies at bay for hours as they worked towards a peaceful resolution.

The Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau and Crisis Negotiation Team worked to get Hassan to surrender.

As deputies surrounded the sedan with armored vehicles, the woman attempted to barricade the sedan’s interior with random belongings.

The child was rescued after she stumbled out of the gassed sedan and soon after, Hassan was removed from the vehicle and detained. She was examined at a hospital before being booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, child endangerment and felony evading.

If your vehicle was struck by the suspect vehicle during this pursuit, please contact our station at 909-595-2264.