Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA – Two women accused of theft fled a Kohl’s store Wednesday and led officers on a short chase before being hauled off to a jail cell.

Tamia Lanae Jenkins, 23, and Melinda Marie Lewis, 29, are accused of organized retail theft, among other charges. Police were called to Kohl’s, 1225 S. Lone Hill Ave., to investigate around 7:45 p.m., according to Sgt. Tim Crawford of the Glendora Police Department.

Officers located two suspects who refused to stop for them and tried to evade the officers through the Glendora Marketplace parking lot until the chase ended behind Best Buy, 1307 E. Gladstone St.

Crawford did not immediately know what items were taken from Kohl’s, but among the charges included evading police with Wanton Disregard for safety, grand theft, organized retail theft with intent to sell/exchange/return, obstructing or resisting a peace officer, providing false identification to a peace officer, possession of burglary tools, driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to Glendora Police booking records.

Lewis was additionally booked for a felony warrant and misdemeanor warrant, according to Glendora Police booking records.

Lewis is being held in lieu of $145,000 bail at the Glendora jail. Jenkins was issued a citation and released. Lewis was scheduled for an appearance in the West Covina Courthouse April 29.

GLENDORA – Coroner investigators are determining the cause of death for a man who died in a neighborhood Easter Sunday.

Los Angeles County firefighters and Glendora officers were called to an unresponsive man in a vehicle in the 600 block of South Pasadena Avenue at 5:44 p.m. April 17. Firefighters declared the man dead at the scene, according to Sgt. Stein of the Glendora Police Department.

The man was identified as 33-year-old German Temiquel Castro. The cause of death has been deferred, pending additional investigation, according to Lt. Brian Kim of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Stein had no other details regarding the death, or potential causes.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA – A pursuit suspect and his passenger were arrested Wednesday morning after fleeing Covina Police into Glendora.

The driver crashed at the end of the vehicle pursuit, leaving his female passenger behind near the 210 freeway and Sunflower Avenue. The suspect reportedly fled into a home occupied by a resident, according to Lt. Tony Zavala of the Covina Police Department.

Covina patrol officers attempted to stop the driver of a 1990s Honda Civic at Barranca Avenue and Covina Boulevard around 11:16 a.m. March 23. The Civic was reported stolen Tuesday in Whittier, Zavala told SGV CityWatch.

The driver surrendered and was taken into custody around 11:41 a.m. The passenger was also arrested, Zavala told SGV CityWatch.

Both suspects are facing grand theft auto charges. The driver will additionally face felony evading and burglary charges, Zavala told SGV CityWatch.

The suspects’ names are not yet available as officers are still confirming their identification.

GLENDORA – An armed suspect was caught while running from officers after he crashed a stolen vehicle during a pursuit, the Glendora Police Department said.

David Rivas, 34, allegedly fled from officers when they tried to stop him March 11. Rivas ran briefly from officers who eventually chased him down and arrested him. A handgun was located, according to the Glendora Police Department.

Rivas was arrested just after midnight at Gladstone Street and Citrus Avenue.

“A handgun was also located near where Rivas was arrested, and it was determined Rivas tried to discard it,” according to the Glendora Police Department in a written statement.

Rivas was booked on suspicion of the unlawful taking of a vehicle, receiving known stolen property, evading a peace officer with wanton disregard for safety, hit and run, resisting a peace officer, being a felon/addict in possession of a firearm, being a prohibited person in possession of ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm in public, possessing a controlled substance, possessing a controlled substance while armed with a  loaded firearm, being a gang member while carrying a loaded firearm, carrying a concealed weapon, altering/forging/falsifying registration and for a felony warrant. 

Rivas is being held in Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina courthouse March 15. 

GLENDORA – An observant passerby tipped off police to a reported catalytic converter thief who was allegedly found with more stolen converters.

The suspect was seen removing and taking a catalytic converter in the 600 block of South Grand Avenue March 2. Officers were called and they stopped the suspect as he attempted to leave the area, according to the Glendora Police Department.

Once the suspect was detained, officers discovered three cut catalytic converters, a realistic airsoft handgun and tools alleged to have been used in the crimes, according to the Glendora Police Department.

Sergio Lara, 31, was arrested at 11:09 a.m. and booked at 11:40 a.m. He was held in lieu of $20,000 bail and was scheduled for an initial court appearance March 4, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

He was booked at the Glendora jail on suspicion of felony vandalism, grand theft, possession of burglary tools and being a felon in possession of pepper spray, according to the Glendora Police Department.

GLENDORA – Three suspects were arrested February 15, accused of following their victim who withdrew $10,000 from a bank and stealing it from the victim’s unoccupied vehicle.

The three suspects, who remain publicly unidentified, were arrested the same day of the crime after Chino Police investigators identified the suspect vehicle through surveillance video and believed the suspects were in Glendora, according to the Chino Police Department.

Glendora Police officers were called to help and found the three suspects at the Route 66 Promenade parked at the Foothill Credit Union, 645 S. Lone Hill Ave. The detention was caught on video by a passerby who provided photos and video to SGV CityWatch.

The suspects were detained until Chino Police detectives and officers arrived to take them into custody.

​The stolen cash was returned to the victim, according to the Chino Police Department.

All three suspects were booked on suspicion of conspiracy and vehicle burglary. They were booked at the West Valley Detention Center, according to the Chino Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - A reportedly-armed man was subdued Friday morning after he was allegedly seen brandishing a weapon, the Glendora Police Department said.

The suspect was witnessed brandishing a weapon in the area of Sunflower Avenue near the 210 freeway around 9:24 a.m. January 28. Police searched for the man who had used the nearby access road to make his way to Lone Hill Avenue and Auto Centre Drive, according to Lieutenant Marty Barrett of the Glendora Police Department.

The suspect was allegedly waving around the firearm. After officers subdued the man, they discovered it was a replica BB gun, Barrett told SGV CityWatch.

The suspect, later identified as Luis Diaz Rogel, allegedly refused to comply to surrender and police had to speak with Diaz for roughly 10 minutes before he was subdued, Barrett told SGV CityWatch.

Diaz was arrested at 10:08 a.m. He was booked on a misdemeanor offense at 3:28 p.m, according to Los Angeles County booking records, after being medically clear.

He was reportedly hit with a stun gun.

Diaz was released on a citation at 4:28 p.m., according to Los Angeles County booking records.

GLENDORA – Two men suspect of taking a catalytic converter January 20 were found and taken into custody with the help of the city’s FLOCK license plate reader system, the Glendora Police Department said.

Saul Osorio Henriquez, 34, and Julian Avila, 29, were booked on suspicion of grand theft, vandalism, possession of burglary tools and delaying an officer.

Police arrived to the 700 block of West Route 66 around 2:13 p.m. Thursday to search for suspects in a catalytic converter theft.

Officers did not elaborate how they identified the suspect vehicle, leading to the FLOCK cameras to pinpoint the suspects’ location.

The suspects were found in a business parking lot and fled from officers, who established a containment search. Both men were located eventually and a search of the vehicle revealed multiple catalytic converters, cutting tools and a jack, according to the Glendora Police Department.

Osorio Henriquez is on county probation for vehicle theft. Avila is on Post Release Community Supervision for assault, according to the Glendora Police Department.

Both men are scheduled for an appearance in the West Covina Courthouse January 24.

GLENDORA - A victim sitting in a parked vehicle near Gladstone Park fled a suspect who attempted to take his vehicle at knifepoint December 21, a police lieutenant said.

The incident occurred around 12:07 a.m. near Gladstone Park, 600 E. Gladstone St. The suspect approached the victim sitting in a 1998 Toyota Camry and produced a small, fixed-blade knife. The victim did not give up the vehicle and ran away, according to Lt. James DeMond of the Glendora Police Department.

The suspect also fled the scene.

A helicopter was overhead nearby searching for that suspect, but for a completely different carjacking in another city.

“The helicopter was related to a carjacking that occurred in Montclair that the Sheriff’s Department was tracking over to another house in Glendora where that suspect ran from,” DeMond told SGV CityWatch. “So he was a suspect in another carjacking in Montclair and he tried to do one here.”

It was unclear Wednesday morning if the suspect was ever arrested after the attempted carjacking in Glendora.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

GLENDORA - A kitchen appliance either discarded or accidentally left in a shopping center parking lot turned out to be completely benign Friday night.

The undisclosed item left in the Glendora Marketplace Parking lot near Best Buy, 1307 East Gladstone Street, brought a large contingent of police officers who directed vehicle traffic and pedestrians away from the scene.

Officers were called to inspect the kitchen appliance at 7:05 p.m., according to Lt. Shelley Gold of the Glendora Police Department.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Arson/Explosives Detail was called to inspect the item and determined that it was safe, Gold told SGV CityWatch.

Glendora officers took the kitchen appliance as “found property” and are keeping it in the event that someone may have purchased it and accidentally left it behind in the parking lot and would like to claim it, Gold told SGV CityWatch.

The kitchen appliance had instructions included with it.

The area was opened up to vehicle and pedestrian traffic around 10 p.m., Gold told SGV CityWatch.