Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - Road closures are in effect after a driver struck and killed a pedestrian Tuesday night.

Officers were called just before 9 p.m. to a male down and bleeding in the street at El Monte Avenue and Lower Azusa Road.

The male was declared dead at the scene by Los Angeles County firefighters, according to Lt. Knight of the El Monte Police Department.

The suspect driver did not remain at the scene. The description of the driver and vehicle are not available, Knight told SGV CityWatch.

All lanes of Lower Azusa Road are closed between Pal Mal Avenue and Persimmon Avenue. All lanes of El Monte Avenue are closed between Lower Azusa and Douglas Street, Knight told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

EL MONTE - Fire investigators and El Monte building inspectors are examining a fire at the former site of a highly-controversial church Sunday morning.

The fire burned in a one-story commercial building at 2600 Tyler Ave. Firefighters were dispatched at 8:54 a.m. March 6. The fire, which burned in some façade on the street-side of the structure, was knocked down at 9:18 a.m., according to Dispatch Supervisor Jeremy Stafford of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The building apparently used to house the First Works Baptist Church, whose pastor was known for anti-gay rhetoric. Two people were caught on grainy security video January 23, 2021 as they ignited an object that caused a fire inside the building.

The building apparently now houses a different church, according to Lt. Pete Rasic of the El Monte Police.

“I think it is a Christian church. I think it’s a church that’s new to the building,” Rasic told SGV CityWatch.

A quick Google search shows Celestial Church of Christ LA Mother Parish as occupying the address, however the City of El Monte business directory still lists First Works Baptist Church at the location.

Preliminarily, the cause may be electrical, Rasic told SGV CityWatch.

One person inside the church was displaced, Stafford told SGV CityWatch.