Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - A man threatening to kill himself atop a transmission tower climbed down safely to first responders Saturday afternoon.

The man was spotted on the transmission tower near the 210 and 57 interchange September 2. First responders were called to the location sometime around 4:50 p.m. The man climbed a little more than halfway up the transmission tower. He could be seen holding a large piece of rope, which was tied to the tower.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department, Glendora Police Department, California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department all responded.

The man climbed down to safety sometime before 5:20 p.m., according to Dispatch Supervisor Bernard Peters of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

It is unclear how the man accessed the tower.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - Officers confiscated a loaded handgun, cutting tools and 14 stolen catalytic converters after arresting two juveniles who led them on a pursuit from Glendora to Azusa late Friday night.

Officers arrived to a parking structure near the AMC 12 theaters on the report of a possible catalytic converter theft in progress. After locating a suspect vehicle, officers attempted a traffic stop. The driver refused to pull over, according to the Glendora Police Department.

The driver eventually stopped in the middle of the street in the 800 block of South Cerritos Avenue in Azusa. The two juveniles inside the vehicle ran, but were quickly arrested.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - A female hiker was reportedly robbed at knifepoint early Friday morning, the Glendora Police department said.

The robbery was reported just after 7 a.m. Friday, July 14 in the area of Glendora Mountain Road and big Dalton Canyon Road near Colby Trail. The victim was robbed at knifepoint, according to the Glendora Police Department.

A search was conducted with the help of a Pasadena Police helicopter, but the suspect has not yet been located.

The suspect is described as a white man who stands 5 feet 8 inches tall and has a blonde/grey beard. He wore a dirty white t-shirt, jean shorts and a black hat. The suspect is potentially a transient, according to the Glendora Police Department.

Anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of the suspect is urged to call the Glendora Police Department at 626-914-8250, or call 9-1-1.

GLENDORA - Ground crews and a nighttime water-dropping helicopter made quick work of a two-acre brushfire that ignited at the very top of the South Hills wilderness Park July 4.

First responders were dispatched at 9:12 p.m. Tuesday, July 4. The fire chard light to medium fuels. No homes were threatened, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

At 10:22 p.m., firefighters head forward progress stopped.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LA VERNE - Three burglary suspects were arrested Monday night, caught after an attempt to lose Glendora officers in a La Verne neighborhood during a pursuit.

Glendora officers chased the suspects after they allegedly burglarized Kohl’s, 1225 S. Lone Hill Ave. Officers were called to the store at 6:22 p.m., according to Lt. Mike Henderson of the Glendora Police Department.

The suspects ditched their ride and fled on foot near East Gladstone Street and Damien Avenue, Henderson told SGV CityWatch.

Two female suspects were caught and taken into custody while out on a sidewalk in a neighborhood, Henderson told SGV CityWatch.

The male suspect was found hiding in a residential garage in the 500 block of Lesmar Drive.

Victor Hugo Benitez, was arrested at 2:53 a.m. He is booked on suspicion of evading a peace officer with wonton disregard for public safety, burglary, kidnapping, conspiracy to commit a crime, false imprisonment, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent, intimidating or tampering with a witness, being a felon in possession of a firearm, robbery and a warrant from another police department. He is being held in lieu of $450,000 bail.

Erica Elisabeth Mireles, 29, was arrested at 8:59 p.m. She was booked on suspicion of burglary, grand theft, conspiracy to commit a crime, and on two warrants from another police department. She is being held in lieu of $350,000 bail.

Anissa Nicole Virgen, 19, was arrested at 8:59 p.m. She was booked on suspicion of burglary, identity theft, grand theft, check fraud, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of burglary tools and on a warrant from another police department. She is being held in lieu of $275,000 bail.

All three suspects are scheduled to appear in the West Covina courthouse Wednesday, May 17.

Assisting with the search was the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station, Pomona Police Department, La Verne Police Department and a Pasadena Police helicopter.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - A suspected DUI driver is accused of fleeing police on surface streets and freeways as far as Burbank and back east through Pasadena where the suspect crashed Saturday.

The suspect fled, with a passenger, when officers attempted a traffic stop on a speeding driver in the 1000 block of West Arrow Highway around 2:42 a.m. Saturday, May 13. The pursuit entered the west 210 freeway, according to Sgt. Shawna Celello of the Glendora Police Department.

The driver exited the west 134 freeway onto South Buena Vista Street in Burbank and headed back east on the freeways.

A set of spike strips deployed by the California Highway Patrol disabled the vehicle, which hit the center divider and stopped on the east 210 freeway west of Sierra Madre in Pasadena, Celello told SGV CityWatch.

A female passenger exited and was detained. She was hospitalized and will not face charges, Celello told SGV CityWatch.

The male driver initially refused to exit the vehicle, so a Monrovia Police Department SWAT vehicle was called to help in detaining the male who eventually surrendered, Celello told SGV CityWatch.

The male was cited, released in the field and was hospitalized. He is facing charges including evading officers and driving under the influence, Celello told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - A friend checking up on a man living in an RV parked near a 99 Cents Only Store May 6 discovered the man dead, according to the Glendora Police Department.

The 65-year-old man was found dead inside his RV in the store’s lot, 1788 S. Barranca Ave. First responders were called at 4:37 p.m. who declared the man dead, according to Lt. Mike Henderson of the Glendora Police Department.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner will determine cause of death.

Family of the dead man agreed to arrange to have the RV towed from the 99 Cents Only Store lot. It remained there as of Sunday, May 7.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles Police Department identified the officer killed after his vehicle slammed into the rear of a stopped big rig in Glendora.

Baldemar Sandoval was an LAPD officer with the agency’s Central Division, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

“With great sadness I share that earlier this morning a police officer on his way home from work was involved in a traffic collision on the 210 freeway,” according to LAPD Chief Michel Moore. “I send my deepest condolences to his family, loved ones and friends as we mourn this tragedy.”

First responders were sent to the crash just after 2:30 a.m. on the east 210 freeway west of Grand Avenue. The big rig was stopped in the middle lanes of traffic. A black sedan was seen twisted around the tractor trailer.

Why the crash happened is under investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - One person was killed after a vehicle slammed into the rear of a stalled big rig on the east 210 freeway west of Grand Avenue Saturday.

The No. 2, 3 and 4 lanes remain blocked during the investigation, according to the California Highway Patrol.

First responders were sent to the crash just after 2:30 a.m. April 15.

ABC7 News reports the Los Angeles Police Department is also at the crash scene, but the California Highway Patrol cannot confirm LAPD’s involvement.

GLENDORA - Glendora police detectives and officers made no arrests and no weapon was found after one student overheard another student speak about a weapon Friday.

“One of the students overheard somebody say something to the effect of ‘I have a gun’ and that’s all they heard,” according to Sgt. Shawna Celello of the Glendora Police Department. “There was no clarification to what kind of gun it was and there was no clarification as to where that gun was.”

Police were dispatched to Arrow High School, 1505 S. sunflower Ave., around 10:32 a.m. Friday, March 17.

The student who overheard the talk of a weapon wasn’t able to identify the student who said it.

Officers and detectives finally cleared the school at 12:32 p.m.