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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A small brush fire has been stopped after scorching three acres near the 605 freeway.

Firefighters and a helicopter were dispatched to the San Gabriel River west of the 605 freeway and Arrow Highway around 4:16 p.m. No structures were threatened, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Irwindale Police.

The fire's cause is under investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - An El Monte man was killed after being hit by a vehicle on Arrow Highway Tuesday night.
 
The man was hit on westbound Arrow Highway east of Maine Avenue at 8:50 p.m. The pedestrian was reportedly not in a marked crosswalk when hit, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department.
 
The victim, identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner as 32-year-old Kevin Daniel Martinez Ruiz of El Monte, died at the scene.
 
Los Angeles County Fire paramedics made the pronouncement, Gatto said.
 
The driver remained at the scene. Alcohol and drugs are not believed to be factors in the crash.
 
Any witnesses to the collision are asked to come forward and provide details on the crash by calling Detective Cpl. Armando Lopez at 626-460-2290. Lopez can be emailed at alopez@irwindaleca.gov.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A semi and possibly a box truck collided on the eastbound 210 freeway east of Irwindale Avenue Wednesday afternoon.
 
A Sig Alert was issued for two hours for the HOV, No. 1, 3 and 4 lanes of traffic. A semi hauling a trailer of garbage collided with what was described as a box truck just before 1:30 p.m. The box truck reportedly overturned, according to the California Highway Patrol.
 
Crews are on scene to upright the box truck and tow away the trailer from the heavily damaged semi.
 
The Los Angeles County Fire Department requested a helicopter to transport an unknown number of patients, but a ground ambulance has been summoned instead.