Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A brush fire burned about eight acres on a Hacienda Heights hillside Friday.

Firefighters have 15 percent containment on the brush fire that ignited near 14710 E. Orange Grove Ave., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene just before 3 p.m. August 14 and observed a half-acre of fire burning between houses, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Eventually, a second-alarm was requested, doubling resources at the scene.

Flames began spotting near homes near Rockhill Drive, but were not considered a threat, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A youth pastor will have to answer to allegations that he sexually assaulted an underage acquaintance, investigators said.

Jonathan Tsai was arrested July 21 — a little more than six months after the allegations came forward. The victim alleged Tsai sexually assaulted when she was 12 years old and the abuse continued until she was 18, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The abuse happened while Tsai was pastor at Home of Christians Eastern Los Angeles Church in Hacienda Heights. He is currently head pastor at the church, now called Abundant Life Ministries.

“Her family became close with the suspect and his family. During visits to the victim’s home, the suspect sexually assaulted the victim,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

Two additional victims were identified and reported being assaulted by Tsai while they were youths, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

The West Covina Police Department announced Thursday, August 6 that detectives are also investigating Tsai for alleged assaults in West Covina.

Tsai was booked at the Walnut Sheriff’s Station. He was held in lieu of $1.4 million bail before posting bond.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed four charges of lewd acts on a child under 14 years old, one count of oral copulation of a person under 16 and one count of sexual penetration of a person under 16.

Tsai’s next court date is scheduled for August 26.

Anyone who may have been a victim of Tsai is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau tip line at 877-710-5273, or call the West Covina Police tip line at 626-939-8688.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS – No injuries were reported after four suspects entered a home while the residents were present Tuesday afternoon, a Sheriff’s lieutenant said.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A man was treated for undisclosed injuries after three suspects entered a residence during a home invasion robbery Wednesday afternoon.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS – An unidentified driver died after their SUV destroyed a power pole early Tuesday morning.
 
The crash occurred at Annellen Street and South Stimson Avenue just after 3:36 a.m. June 30. The crash caused energized power lines to fall across the road, preventing first responders from approaching the SUV, according to the California Highway Patrol.
 
According to CHP traffic logs, two people remained trapped in the SUV until the power lines were de-energized.
 
The cause of the crash is under investigation.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - Detectives are continuing their search for the trigger man who killed a 20-something victim June 28.

Deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Industry Station responding to a gunfire call around 12:38 a.m. were soon told of a man down. Deputies found him laying on the side of the road, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

UPDATE 9:50 p.m.: All forward progress on the fire in Hacienda Heights has been stopped, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Acreage stands at 15.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A small brush fire is burning  in the hills above Hacienda Heights.

Firefighters stated 15 acres have been scorched so far near Colima Road and Punta del Este Drive. There is no threat to structures yet, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The fire is moving uphill.

Sheriff's deputies are calling for voluntary evacuations in the neighborhoods near the fire.

A nearby radio tower is potentially threatened, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - No damage was done after a three-and-a-half-acre fire burned in the hills of Hacienda Heights early Thursday.

Firefighters were dispatched to East Skyline Drive and South Turnbull Canyon Road just before 2 a.m. June 4. A full brush fire response was dispatched including helicopters equipped with night vision.

At 4:18 a.m., firefighters had forward progress stopped, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department radio traffic.

The fire burned in the border with Whittier. The Whittier Police Department kept access the the canyon restricted while firefighters worked, according to the Whittier Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A man was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center Saturday morning with mysterious injuries deputies believe he may have suffered in a collision.

The injured man was reportedly walking through yards near South Turnbull Canyon Road before 7 a.m. March 28.

Deputies were called to the area around 6:50 a.m. The man was found in the 3600 block of South Turnbull Canyon Road, according to Lt. Chris Garcia of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s industry station.

According to sheriffs radio traffic, the man was very confused. He had injuries deputies believed were consistent with a traffic collision, including a large swollen injury to his head.

The man had briefly mentioned being with his sister and being in an automobile, but deputies were unable to obtain solid information about his last known whereabouts, according to Sheriff’s radio traffic.

A Sheriff’s helicopter briefly searched Turnbull Canyon Road along the hills south of Hacienda Heights, but no obvious crash site could be found.

The man, described as Hispanic and in his 20s, was transported by firefighters to a hospital.

An update on the man’s condition and his possible last known whereabouts were not readily available.

HACIENDA HEIGHTS - A parolee and three women were taken into custody Sunday night after they threatened and attacked a couple as part of ongoing drama, a Sheriff’s lieutenant said.

The four suspects tracked down the victim and her boyfriend to Glenthorne Street. The parolee, identified as 19-year-old Leonardo Castro-Verdugo and brandished a handgun. The victim and her boyfriend were chased after escaping, according to Lt. James Long of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Industry Station.

Castro-Verdugo also allegedly pointed the gun at the victims and threatened to shoot them. The butt of the gun was used to break a window on the victims vehicle. One of the victims, in turn, damaged the suspect vehicle, long told SGV CityWatch.