 Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - One person was transported from the scene of a house fire Sunday after officers exchanged gunfire with an armed man to the front of a burning house, a county fire captain said. It is unclear if the armed man was the patient transported. When this reporter pressed to confirm that detail, Los Angeles County Fire Department Communications Division PIO Aaron Katon only repeated that one patient was transported. Firefighters and El Monte police officers responded to a structure fire in the 5100 block of Elrovia Avenue around 6:53 p.m. September 13. “El Monte PD got on scene first, found a house on fire with a gentleman sitting in the front yard with multiple firearms,” Katon told SGV CityWatch. El Monte officers instructed firefighters to stage one block away from the scene due to the danger. Officers then exchanged gunfire with the suspect, Katon told SGV CityWatch. Firefighters were cleared to enter the home and extinguish the flames. The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, Katon told SGV CityWatch. No one else was injured, Katon told SGV CityWatch. It is unclear if any deaths occurred. County fire dispatchers and communications personnel have declined to confirm deaths to this reporter in recent years, possibly due to a change in reporting protocol. The El Monte Police Department could not be immediately reached for comment. ********** Copyright 2026. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - Officers uncovered a treasure trove of tools common in catalytic converter thefts after four suspects attempted to escape police Wednesday. The driver took off after officers attempted to stop him for a vehicle code violation at Garvey and Durfee avenues around 1:18 a.m. August 5. The pursuit lasted roughly five miles before the suspect crashed in Pico Rivera near Peck Road and Rooks Road, according to Lt. Snook of the El Monte Police Department. All four suspects were found relatively quickly, with one reportedly attempting to hide from a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s helicopter by seeking refuge under a bush near a pipeline, Snook told SGV CityWatch. Not only did the vehicle display false license plates, officers reportedly found inside a floor jack, reciprocating saw, saw blades, gloves and ski masks, according to the El Monte Police Department. The adults arrested were:
The charges include felony evading, conspiracy, possession of burglary tools and resisting arrest, according to the El Monte Police Department. ********** 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. ********** Copyright 2026. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide investigators arrested a suspect in the July 10 murder of a teenager. South El Monte man Jonathan Alberto Castelan, 18, was arrested Monday, July 20. He was booked at the Sheriff’s Industry Station. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office officially charged Castelan with one count of murder in the stabbing death of 15-year-old Aziel Zacapala. Castelan was additionally charged with one count each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon. He was additionally charged with the special allegation of causing great bodily injury. Castelan pleaded not guilty to the charges July 22, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records. El Monte Police officers were called by hospital staff July 10 and informed of three stabbing victims, two adults and Castelan; the latter died at the hospital. The adults were admitted in stable condition. It is unclear if investigators learned a motive for the attack. Castelan is scheduled to next appear in Pomona Superior Court August 24. ********** 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. ********** Copyright 2026. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - A man suffering stab wounds was found dead in a Walgreens parking lot early Sunday morning. The death was reported in the 3600 block of Peck Road just after 7:30 a.m. April 12, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The death of 59-year-old Anthony Leyva was ruled a homicide, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. It is unclear if detectives have identified a suspect. Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org. ********** The death record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Information about the decedent(s), including cause and manner of death, is public record and was distributed by government sources. Copyright 2026. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - Two men were arrested March 5, accused of being involved in a Los Angeles robbery. The robbery occurred in the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Division March 4. LAPD investigators identified the suspects and the case led to an El Monte home, according to Lt. Mark Snook of the El Monte Police Department. Around 3 p.m., LAPD requested assistance from El Monte Police officers with a containment near Lambert Avenue and Richwood Avenue, Snook told SGV CityWatch. During the operation, two suspects attempted to escape on foot, but were eventually caught nearby. No other suspects are at-large, Snook told SGV CityWatch. The containment was ended sometime around midnight. ********** Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - Two people were arrested November 15 after an assault with a deadly weapon occurred with at least one suspect armed with a knife. The assault stemmed from a traffic collision at Valley Boulevard and Arden Drive around 1 p.m., according to Lt. Gutierrez of the El Monte Police Department. People were treated at the scene by medics. Injuries were not considered serious, Gutierrez told SGV CityWatch. It was not immediately known what charges the suspects would face. Booking information for the suspects was not readily available. ********** Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - No arrests have been made yet after a stolen plane was found parked at the San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte Monday. The plane was stolen out of Brackett Field in La Verne late Sunday night or early Monday morning, according to Lt. Aram Choe of the El Monte Police Department. An alert was sent to the surrounding police agencies that cover cities with airports. El Monte Police did a check at the San Gabriel Valley airport, 4233 Santa Anita Ave., and located the plane, Choe told SGV CityWatch. The plane was flown out of Brackett Field and landed in La Verne, Choe told SGV CityWatch. The plane is a Cessna 172 Skyhawk fixed wing aircraft. It is registered to a Yorba Linda man, according to Federal Aviation Administration data. It is not immediately known if airport personnel cleared the Cessna for takeoff, or if it was taken without clearance. ********** Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not republished in any form without the permission of this organization.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - Street closures remain in effect while authorities investigate a police shooting that led to one suspect receiving injuries considered not life-threatening Monday. Officers were investigating a stolen vehicle report April 14 in the area of Garvey Avenue and New Deal Avenue. At some point, a shooting occurred and one suspect was struck by gunfire, according to Sgt. Burse of the El Monte Police Department. The shooting occurred around 11:50 a.m. “No officers were injured. We have two suspects in custody. We’re still developing information at this point. LASD Homicide is responding for the investigation,” Burse told SGV CityWatch. The areas of Garvey Avenue and Valley Boulevard remain closed, as well as Garvey Avenue between Peck Road and Tyler Avenue, according to the El Monte Police Department.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - A man is out of the hospital and in custody Thursday, booked on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer. Use of force was needed on the suspect who originally used a knife to threaten neighbors in the 10000 block of Bodger Street just before 11 p.m. April 9, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. “When [El Monte] officers arrived on scene, they located the suspect armed with a knife and gave him numerous verbal commands to drop the weapon,” to which he allegedly did not comply, according to the Sheriff’s Department in a written statement. Police shot the man as he advanced towards them while armed. He was treated at a hospital and later released to El Monte Police custody. The LA County District Attorney’s Office Justice System Integrity Division responded and will conduct its own independent investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Anyone with information on this incident is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.  Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor EL MONTE - Sheriff’s homicide detectives are investigating the Monday shooting death of a man. A man was found shot in the 2300 block of Peck Road April 7 around 9:30 p.m. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Detectives have yet to reveal the possible circumstances leading up to the fatal shooting. Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org. |
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