 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - Police are still investigating a three-vehicle crash that severely injured one person and sent two more to the hospital. The crash at Irwindale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard was reported around 1:56 p.m. One patient was transported to an area hospital in traumatic full arrest, according to Inspector Scott Elliott of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The injuries for the others were not as severe, Irwindale Police said.
A driver entering the main thoroughfare from one of the businesses along the south side of Foothill Boulevard clipper an eastbound driver. The first vehicle was sent into westbound lanes and was hit by another driver, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department. An update on the victim hospitalized in full arrest was not available. Alcohol and drugs are not suspected in the crash. Foothill Boulevard between Las Lomas Road and Irwindale Avenue remained closed for about four hours before the roadway was cleared just before 6 p.m. How the collision occurred has yet to be disclosed. Rat Rescued, Suspect Jailed After Irwindale Carjacking Spills Into El Monte, Avocado Heights1/30/2019  PHOTO/Courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - A carjacking suspect was tracked into Avocado Heights after he ditched the first stolen vehicle, tried to carjack another victim and got into an altercation with a bicyclist before vandalizing a McDonald’s Monday, police said. Angel Bernal, a 26-year-old Los Angeles man on Post-Release Community Supervision, was arrested through the teamwork of at least three law enforcement agencies who were following the suspect’s path of crime. Irwindale officers responded to the Arco AMPM, 15875 Arrow Hwy., at 9:08 p.m. January 28 after a victim said the suspect, later identified as Bernal, flashed a handgun tucked in his waistband. Bernal allegedly took off with the dark blue Jeep Liberty west on Arrow Highway, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department. After the Liberty was registered as stolen, the vehicle’s LoJack system activated. At 10:15 p.m., El Monte Police located the Jeep abandoned at a cul de sac in their city with the help of the LoJack system, Gatto said. The victim’s pet rat had a backseat ride during the ordeal and was recovered safely in the stolen vehicle. “They [El Monte Police] received word of an attempted carjacking that occurred a few blocks away,” Gatto said. “The suspect description matched that of the suspect in our case.” The suspect failed to commit the second carjacking and reportedly fled on foot. El Monte officers were soon flagged down by a bicyclist who reported getting into an altercation with the same suspect, Gatto said.
Bernal fled onto a bus. Later that night, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies responded a vandalism in progress at McDonald’s, 13814 Valley Blvd., in Avocado Heights. After being detained by deputies, Bernal was identified through surveillance images as the same man who committed a trail of crimes originating to Irwindale. The handgun Bernal had was never located, Gatto said. Bernal is being held without bail after being booked on several felony charges. Iriwndale police are working with El Monte officers and Industry deputies to possibly prosecute their crimes with Irwindale’s, Gatto said.  PHOTO/Google Maps. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - An envelope that visually looked suspicious was later found to pose no threat at a City of Hope Facility Tuesday. Staff at a mail processing location at the City of Hope FLASH building, 2240 Buena Vista St., thought the way the envelope was addressed and labeled looked suspicious while screening incoming mail, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department. Supervisors at the Facilities, Logistics and Support Hub notified police and Los Angeles County firefighters. Emergency protocols at the facility were initiated, which included evacuation of about 100 employees, Gatto said.
Irwindale Police, firefighters, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Arson/Explosives Detail and Sheriff’s Hazmat Detail determined no crime was committed. “There were no explosives, no hazardous materials inside. It was basically something that would have normally been sent to them,” Gatto said. Authorities cleared the area around 5:20 p.m. The FLASH building, which has an Irwindale address on the Duarte border, is separate from the City of Hope hospital. Hospital operations were not impacted.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE – Firefighters are on scene of a two-acre vegetation fire inside Santa Fe Dam Recreational area Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters were dispatched at 12:19 a.m. and arrived two minutes later to Santa Fe Dam, 15501 Irwindale Ave. Firefighters on scene did not provide a size-up of how large the fire was, but had forward progress stopped at 12:39 p.m., according to a representative of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. No one was injured and no structures were threatened, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.  PHOTOS/Courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - Traffic will be intermittently impacted for about eight hours while crews transport 38 Rose Floats from their respective build facilities Monday.
Intermittent street closures will occur at 6 a.m. for vehicle staging and float judging in the 16000 block of Avenida Padilla in Irwindale and the 1300 block of West Optical Drive in Azusa, Irwindale Police said. The first full street closure will begin at 1 p.m. in the 16100 block of Ornelas Street in Irwindale for float judging and vehicle staging, Irwindale Police said. The impact of intermittent full and partial road, lane and intersection closures will be felt most along Irwindale Avenue, Arrow Highway and through Live Oak Avenue beginning at 2:30 p.m. when the float escorts are scheduled to begin. Floats from Irwindale will find their way west on Avenida Padilla and south on Irwindale Road. Azusa-built floats will travel west on Ornelas Street. All floats will journey south on Irwindale Avenue to Arrow Highway. The floats will travel west on Arrow and take Live Oak Avenue west. It will take an estimated eight hours to move all the floats, Irwindale Police said. Temporary "No Parking" restrictions will be in effect on portions of Irwindale Road, Adelante Street and Ornelas Street throughout the day, Irwindale Police said. Access to and from the the Irwindale Gold Line Station and adjacent parking structure will be temporarily blocked during the float caravan. “Members of the community are allowed to observe the floats as they pass through the city, however all parking and vehicle/pedestrian traffic laws will be strictly enforced,” Irwindale Police said. “No one will be allowed to approach, touch or access any of the floats at any time.” The California Highway Patrol will be assisting Irwindale Police with portions of the road closures. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the California Highway Patrol at 1-800-TELL-CHP (1-800-835-5247) or the Tournament of Roses at (626) 449-4100.  PHOTO/Courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - After being told there was no gasoline available due to remodeling, an El Monte man heavily destroyed items and displays inside an AMPM Thursday night, causing an estimated $3,000 to $5,000 in damage. Alfred Martinez, 31, was taken into custody at the Arco gas station/AMPM, 16000 E. Foothill Blvd., December 20 after officers arrived around 10:21 p.m. and found him acting erratic in the parking lot, Irwindale Police said. Martinez arrived to the Arco with his wife and children to pump gas. When he was told he couldn’t get gasoline, he became enraged. “Several shelves, food racks, and displays were knocked over, broken, or damaged during the man’s outburst. Containers of snacks, food, alcohol, convenience items and miscellaneous merchandise were also damaged or destroyed,” Irwindale Police said. The clerk was uninjured. He hid behind a counter and called 9-1-1.
Martinez was booked on suspicion of felony vandalism and public intoxication. He is being held in lieu of $20,000 bail and is scheduled to appear in Citrus Municipal Court in West Covina December 24.  PHOTO/Courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - A wild pursuit sped through Irwindale Streets Friday morning, ending with a crash and brief struggle.
Leslie Ryan Teeter, 26, was taken into custody after being medically cleared for booking December 14. Teeter was originally wanted for speeding, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto the Irwindale Police Department. An officer attempted to stop Teeter on eastbound Arrow Highway at Maine Street around 12:14 a.m. Teeter refused to stop. Teeter sped in his silver 1998 Honda Accord, running red lights, stop signs and driving in opposing lanes of traffic, Gatto said. Teeter failed to negotiate a turn from southbound Motor Avenue to eastbound Gladstone Street and crashed into yellow pylons. Teeter struggled with officers before being taken into custody. He was booked on suspicion of felony evading police, resisting arrest and driving on a suspended license. Speedster in Honda Pilot Cited After Officer Locates More Than 44 Pounds of Weed During Traffic Stop12/8/2018  A driver was arrested and cited after he was caught hailing more than 44 pounds of marijuana on the 605 freeway Saturday morning, December 8. PHOTO/Courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - Police arrested and cited a man for transporting illegal marijuana for sales after an officer discovered the large haul during a traffic stop Saturday morning.
The officer discovered more than 44 pounds of weed in large plastic bags in the back of the driver’s Honda pilot December 8. He smelled the marijuana after stopping the driver for erratic driving and speeding on the 605 freeway, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department. The officer stopped the suspect on 605 freeway off ramp at Arrow Highway at 12:30 a.m. after the driver was speeding around 80 miles per hour and driving erratically, Gatto said. Gatto wasn’t sure if it was on the north or south 605 off ramp. “The officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana during his interaction with the driver. The driver admitted he was carrying marijuana in the back,” Gatto said. “He consented to a search of the vehicle and the officer subsequently located marijuana.” The driver reportedly cultivated the marijuana outside of Irwindale and was busy transporting it to an unincorporated location for sales, Gatto said. The driver was arrested and later released on a citation. The marijuana will be held until the conclusion of the suspect’s court case, after which it will be destroyed, Gatto said.  PHOTO/Stock image. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - No one was injured and no buildings were damaged after a spot fire ignited in Irwindale Monday morning.
Firefighters located a 50-foot by 50-foot vegetation fire in the 2300 block of Buena Vista Street after being dispatched around 7:17 a.m. Firefighters checked at least two different locations of where the fire may have originated from after observing black smoke in the area before finding the source, according to a representative with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Firefighters got a handle on the flames and left the scene around 9 a.m. The cause is under investigation.  PHOTO/Courtesy of Kristin Wright. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor IRWINDALE - Police detectives identified through grainy video a tow truck driver who likely accidentally ran over a sleeping transient on Peck Road October 3.
Detectives identified the tow truck company, tracked down the driver and spoke to him regarding the collision. Detectives believe the driver had no idea the collision occurred, said Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department. “Apparently, the deceased wasn’t actually a pedestrian. He was a transient ... and was sleeping in the entrance driveway and when the tow truck pulled in it drove over him and that’s what killed him,” Gatto said. The driver told detectives didn’t even know the man was sleeping there, Gatto said. Oscar Alfonso Sapien, 43, died from blunt force injuries. The death was ruled accidental, according to Sarah Ardalani, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. No charges are being recommended by Irwindale Police detectives or the Irwindale Police accident investigator. Sapien’s body was discovered near the entrance of a fueling station near 5640 Peck Road. A customer found Sapien near the entrance to the unmanned clean energy gas station. The customer called 9-1-1 around 6:11 a.m. The collision occurred roughly 10 to 15 minutes before police were called, Gatto said. The case will be reviewed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, but no charges are anticipated, Gatto said. |
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