Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A passerby’s curiosity led to the discovery of a fatal crash last week and the rescue of the driver, police said.

Investigators are still determining the cause of the crash after a vehicle sped through the intersection of Cypress Street and Azusa Canyon Road February 20. The westbound vehicle hopped the sidewalk, crashed through a metal barrier, chain link fence and into a mine.

The vehicle descended about 180 feet into the mine after flying across an access road and landing on a berm. The passenger was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene. The driver extricated himself and attempted to climb to the bottom of the quarry, according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department.

The passenger killed, 25-year-old Ontario man Isaac Lefebre, was identified by Sarah Ardalani, public information officer with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner

A driver happened to see a gaping hole in the chain-link fence around 2:30 a.m. and found the crash. Surveillance footage from a nearby business showed the collision actually occurred around 1:16 a.m., Gatto told SGV CityWatch.

The Olive Pit Mine, where the crash occurred, was closed at the time of the crash. Other Irwindale quarries do run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, Gatto told SGV CityWatch.

The day after the crash, the Irwindale Police Department requested the assistance of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station Mountain Rescue Team with repelling down the side of the mine to recover evidence.

It is not yet clear if alcohol, drugs, or street racing contributed to the crash.

IRWINDALE – Authorities named the man found dead near Rivergrade Road February 17.

Jeric Wauford, 26, was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. He died of a gunshot wound of the abdomen. His death is listed as a homicide.

Wauford was found dead around 11:30 a.m. along Rivergrade Road near Brooks Drive, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, which is leading the investigation.

It is not publicly clear how authorities were alerted to the shooting, or even when the shooting may have occurred.

Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoopers.org.

IRWINDALE – Southern California Edison crews continue to repair equipment damaged during a fatal Monday crash.

An estimated 141 customers remain without power near the crash that occurred on eastbound Arrow Highway at Gayhurst Street around 4:26 p.m. February 21.

A 2019 grey Kia sedan being driven eastbound on Arrow Highway struck a 2016 Ford pickup truck that was turning south from westbound Arrow to Gayhurst Street. The Kia then struck a power pole, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

The driver of the Kia died at the scene. His female passenger was extricated from the vehicle and taken by helicopter to a trauma center. The driver of the Ford truck was uninjured and spoke with investigators.

“SCE crews are currently on-scene to restore power and to repair the damaged utility pole. This work is expected to take 24-hours to complete,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a statement posted at 1:42 a.m.

It is unclear if alcohol and/or drugs were factors in the crash.

Anyone with information on this fatal collision is urged to call Irwindale Police Officer Shawn Cory at 626-430-2244 or by email at [email protected].

Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or alcrimestoppers.org.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A vehicle reportedly plummeted an estimated 200 feet down into a quarry early Sunday morning, a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatch supervisor said.

The crash near East Cypress Street and North Azusa Canyon Road around 2:46 a.m. killed one person at the scene. One person was taken to a trauma center, according to Dispatch Supervisor Diaz of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The Irwindale Police Department had traffic redirected during a collision investigation. The closure was lifted at 6 a.m.

The Irwindale Police Department has not yet returned a call for details on what may have led to a crash.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - Southbound Rivergrade Road from Brooks Drive to Lower Azusa Road is closed after a man was found dead from apparent gunshot wounds.

The male was found dead in the area of Brooks Drive and Rivergrade around 11:30 a.m. February 17, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

It is not yet publicly clear how long the victim was there and if the wounds were self-inflicted or not.

Anyone with information on this victim in the shooting is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

IRWINDALE - Police visited an El Monte driver at her home Friday and arrested her February 10 on suspicion of felony hit and run and driving without a license.

The crash occurred at Arrow Highway and Vincent Avenue around 2 p.m. The suspect 38-year-old Gabriela Reyes, fled her Ford F-150 on foot after the crash, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Two people were hospitalized.

“Using information from witnesses and obtained during their investigation, our detectives identified the driver who left the scene,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

Due to the county's "zero bail" policy, she was later released with a citation to appear in court, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

IRWINDALE – A man accused of using a hammer to cause several thousand dollars in damage to seven vehicles last week, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Ricardo Rangel, 38, allegedly damaged the vehicles near Ramona Boulevard and the southbound 605 freeway off ramp around 12:37 p.m. January 28, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

No one was injured.

“All of the vehicles he attacked were occupied at the time, some of which had children as passengers,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Officefiled seven felony counts of felony vandalism against Rangel who remains in custody in lieu of $30,000 bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina courthouse Thursday, February 3.