Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department released a critical incident briefing on the fatal shooting of an armed suspect clad in a bulletproof vest in Diamond Bar.

The suspect, 30-year-old Benjamin Chin, decided to shoot off rounds from a semi-automatic weapon while clad in an armored vest on Crooked Creek Drive in Diamond Bar June 19, 2023. His mother pleaded with him and physically tried to get him to stop shooting, but chin stabbed his mother in the back with a knife.

Chin’s escapades were caught on residential security video and deputy body camera recordings.

Chin’s mother approached deputies as they readied weapons. A deputy’s body cam recording showed one of her hands covered in blood. She pleaded with deputies to not kill her son.

Chin continued to saunter from Crooked Creek Drive eastbound to Diamond Bar Boulevard where he apparently aimed his weapon at a driver who was forced to stop.

Body cam video shows the confrontation between deputies and Chin, who either ignored, or could not understand commands to drop the weapon and surrender.

Deputies shot Chin, who was struck several times and slowly collapsed to the street.

Chin was treated by both deputies and Los Angeles County Fire paramedics. He was transported to a hospital where he later died. His mother survived her wounds.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - Homicide investigators over the weekend named the suspect who was shot and killed by deputies after he decided to randomly fire his assault weapon throughout a Diamond Bar neighborhood.

Benjamin Chin, 30, had been shot several times in the upper torso after allegedly refusing to comply with commands from deputies to drop his weapon. He was hospitalized and died the evening of the shooting, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station received 911 calls of a stabbing around 11:36 a.m. Monday, June 19. More 911 calls followed from witnesses reporting gunfire, according to Lt. Hugo Reynaga of the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau.

Chin stabbed his mother once in the back.

Some time after stabbing his mother, the suspect retrieved a bulletproof vest and high-powered rifle. His mother followed him for about a half mile to Crooked Creek and Diamond Bar Boulevard where the suspect reportedly began firing rounds in the air from his rifle.

The suspect reportedly pointed his rifle at an approaching driver who quickly fled the area. The suspect then crossed onto Diamond Bar Boulevard and allegedly pointed a rifle at a pedestrian. A deputy used a patrol car to create a barrier between the pedestrian and suspect, Reynaga said.

Two deputies verbally ordered the suspect to drop the weapon. He reportedly refused and the deputies fired on him striking him three times, Reynaga said.

The mother was treated for her wounds at a hospital and released that afternoon.

The suspect’s vest was equipped with two trauma plates, one in front and one in back. It is not readily clear if the suspect was struck on those trauma plates.

A knife was retrieved along with the suspect’s weapon.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

UPDATE, 8:42 p.m.: A 40-year-old live-in caretaker has been arrested and booked on suspicion of murder after two women were found dead at a care facility June 24.

Jianchun Li was arrested at 2:25 p.m. He is being held in lieu of $4 million bail, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

ABC7 News revealed that the location was described by neighbors as care facility for the elderly and the neighbors witnessed caretakers exiting the location with their hands up at the order of deputies.

Li has a scheduled appearance in Pomona Superior Court Tuesday, June 27/

DIAMOND BAR - Two women were found dead in a neighborhood early Saturday and a suspect has been detained.

First responders were sent to a residential area in the 23800 block of Sapphire Canyon Road around 8:07 a.m. June 24. Both women were declared dead at the scene, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“A person of interest is detained in connection with the two deaths in this case where foul play is suspected,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement.

Investigators are reassuring the community that there is no safety concern at this time.

Investigators have yet to reveal any possible motive, nor have they revealed the likely method used in the deaths.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

DIAMOND BAR - A murder suspect was identified and arrested June 14, the same day a body was discovered near the 60 freeway.

Sercan Naldoken, 32, was arrested at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana at 10:22 p.m., a little more than 12 hours after an officer discovered a woman’s body ditched behind a freeway sound wall.

An officer investigated an unoccupied white Honda Acura parked on the shoulder of the east 60 freeway just east of Diamond Bar Boulevard around 10:45 a.m. June 14, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The officer stopped behind the Acura and, after seeing the vehicle was empty, searched the surrounding area. He found the body of a 56 year-old Downey woman behind the sound wall adjacent to the Acura, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Initially, investigators believed the woman’s death to be homicide.

Naldoken, also a Downey resident, was booked on suspicion of murder. He is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles.

DIAMOND BAR - A man in his 80s was found dead on Brea Canyon Road near the 57 freeway early Sunday morning.

The body was found on Brea Canyon Road one half mile north of Tonner Canyon Road early Sunday morning, according to Sarah Ardalani, public information officer with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Los Angeles County fire fighters were dispatched to a medical emergency call at 5:31 a.m. July 24. Firefighters declared the man dead at the scene and immediately requested Los Angeles county sheriffs deputies, according to county fire department radio traffic.

The man has yet to be identified publicly until next of kin are notified. There was no cause of death yet.

The investigation has been turned over to the Los Angeles County sheriffs homicide Bureau.

A portion of Brea Canyon Road was shut down with the combined help of the California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Diamond Bar/Walnut station during the investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

DIAMOND BAR – The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office sought additional details and asked law enforcement for further investigation into a fatal crash that killed a pedestrian.

23-year-old Daniel Salazar was accused of DUI driving May 1 and crashing his 2007 Toyota Prius into a stalled 2012 International Truck Tractor and a woman standing on the right shoulder of the eastbound 60 freeway east of Brea Canyon Road.

Salazar, a Pomona man, was booked at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Walnut Station. The case against him was rejected. He was detained only and he was released May 3 at 10:44 p.m., according to Los Angeles County booking records.

“On May 3, we asked law enforcement for further investigation,” according to Ricardo Santiago, public information officer with the DA’s office.

Santiago did not elaborate further.

Ana Cruz-Sanchez, a 29-year-old Rialto woman, was standing on the right front side of the semi. The Prius struck Cruz and the right front side of the semi after drifting onto the shoulder, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Cruz died of blunt force trauma at the scene. Her death was ruled accidental, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

The CHP believes alcohol or drugs contributed to the crash.

Salazar was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital medical Center with minor injuries.

A Sig Alert was issued at 6:28 a.m., affecting lanes 1 through 4 for nearly six hours. It was cancelled at 12:23 p.m.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

DIAMOND BAR - One person was declared dead at the scene of a big rig fire that shut down the east 60 freeway, leaving only the HOV and a connector road open.

The California Highway patrol responded to report have a sedan versus a big rig on the shoulder of the eastbound 60 freeway under the 57 freeway overpass just after 6 a.m. May 1. Passersby reported seeing a woman in sweatpants and a bra laying in traffic lanes just ahead of the crash, according to California Highway Patrol traffic logs.

It is not yet clear if the woman died as a result of the fire, or if she was struck by a passing vehicle. It was also not clear if there were any other injuries reported.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

DIAMOND BAR - A reported solo collision killed one person on the trans road from the eastbound 60 freeway to the northbound 57 in diamond bar Thursday morning.

The collision occurred around 12:08 a.m. January 6. It is unclear if the victim died inside the crashed vehicle. There was an earlier report from a driver that someone was struck in the middle lanes of the 60 freeway just before the trans road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

At 1:11 a.m., a Sig Alert was issued for the eastbound 60 trans road to the northbound 57 freeway.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

DIAMOND BAR - A motorcyclist died in an early morning crash on the northbound 57 freeway Saturday.

The crash occurred south of Diamond Bar Boulevard. CHP officers were dispatched at 2:10 a.m. August 21. The No. 2, 3 and 4 lanes were affected for several hours, according to Officer Moises Marroquin of the California Highway Patrol.

A three-hour Sig Alert was issued for the above mentioned lanes just before 3 a.m.

Just before 7 a.m., the Sig Alert was extended for an additional 30 minutes, but was canceled just before 8:30 a.m.

​The rider was only described as a Hispanic man about 40 to 50 years old, Marroquin told SGV CityWatch.

Marroquin did not know if any other vehicle was involved.

The fatal collision was possibly tied to another CHP call of a person decapitated in lanes of traffic that was dispatched at 2:11 a.m. on the north of 57 freeway just north of Lambert Road near a wall. That incident also required the No. 2, 3 and 4 lanes to be shut down.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

DIAMOND BAR - One person was killed after the vehicle they were in overturned at the center divider of the 60 freeway early Saturday morning.

The crash was reported to the California Highway Patrol just after 3 a.m. July 31. A witness described a sedan, possibly a Toyota, crashed into the center divider and landed on its roof on the eastbound side of the 60 freeway just east of Diamond Bar Boulevard, according to CHP traffic logs.

The victim was trapped inside the overturned sedan and eventually died at the scene.

At 3:18 a.m., CHP officers requested Caltrans to close the freeway to all traffic and by 3:29 a.m., officers initiated a traffic break.

At 4:46 a.m., the CHP announced that the No. 6 lane was only open to traffic.

At 7:34 a.m. all lanes were opened, the CHP announced.