Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - Surveillance video helped the police identify and arrest a Baldwin Park men accused of breaking in to a business and tunneling his way into a neighboring restaurant.

Officers discovered an unlocked door to a business in the 15600 block of Arrow Highway December 17 while responding to a burglary alarm around 3:30 a.m. Once inside, officers found a long-gone suspect had tunneled through a wall into neighboring Marino’s Tacos, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Surveillance video gave officers a suspect description and a search started.

A man matching the description was found in the 5100 block of Azusa Canyon Road. That man, Jose Zavala, 35, was taken into custody.

As the investigation progressed detectives suspected Zavala was responsible for an additional burglary in the 15500 block of Arrow Highway, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

On December 20, the case against Zavala was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and multiple burglary counts were filed against him, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A witness’s suspicions paid off after a vandalism suspect was caught at a historic church November 22.

A suspicious person was seen outside Our Lady of Guadalupe Mission church, 16239 Arrow Hwy., last Wednesday. Officers were dispatched to the church and detained the suspect. Once inside, police determined the suspect shattered a stained glass window to get in, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

“While inside, the suspect ransacked the inside of the historic mission,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

Martin Garcia, 25, was booked on suspicion of vandalism and second-degree burglary. He has
since had an arraignment at the West Covina Courthouse November 28. He is being held in the Men’s Central Jail ahead of a scheduled mental competency hearing in Hollywood Superior Court December 12, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE – Two men in a stolen vehicle were caught after trying, but failing, to escape police December 6.

Officers attempted to detain both suspects after it was discovered the men were cruising in a stolen vehicle in the 4800 block of Sabre Lane, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Both suspects ran during the traffic stop. One of the suspects made an abysmal attempt at scaling a wall, but when he realized he had no spider powers, he surrendered.

“During their investigation, officers also found the suspects were in possession of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

The vehicle was returned to the owner.

The driver, 23-year-old Hector Manuel Cesena of El Monte, and La Puente man Enso Manuel Naranjo, 40, were both booked on a combination of grand theft auto and drug-related charges. Both men are being held without bail due to Post Release Community Supervision violation holds, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Both men are scheduled to appear in the West Covina courthouse Thursday, December 8.

IRWINDALE – A Baldwin Park man was arrested July 10, four days after allegedly igniting a destructive blaze at an Irwindale business.

Jose Carlos Estrada, 41, is accused of igniting a fire that burned up a stack of more than 200 plastic pallets, steel shelving material and a metal shipping container July 6. The property burned behind a closed business in the 5300 block of North Irwindale Avenue just before 1 a.m., according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Surveillance video of the arson helped investigators identify the suspect who had previous run-ins with Irwindale officers.

A patrol officer located Estrada driving a vehicle near Irwindale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard July 10 around 5:10 p.m. After a traffic stop, officers found items in Estrada’s vehicle tied to the arson. Also found was drug paraphernalia, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Firefighters saved the business, but the loss from burned property is estimated at nearly $10,000, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Estrada is being held at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles in lieu of $50,000 bail. He was scheduled for an appearance in the West Covina courthouse July 12.

IRWINDALE – A felon from Compton was jailed July 5, found with a concealed, loaded weapon while apparently unresponsive in a vehicle, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Martis Diontrea Thomas, 43, allegedly fought and resisted officers who had to break open windows to the locked vehicle after he failed to respond to attempts to wake him. The officers feared Thomas may have been under the influence, or suffering from a medical condition, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Officers were called to the rock quarry in the 13500 block of Live Oak Avenue just after 6 a.m. July 5.

The loaded and unregistered handgun was found concealed on Thomas, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Thomas was medically cleared to be booked on suspicion of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possessing a concealed firearm inside a vehicle and possessing an unregistered firearm.

Thomas was released on $35,000 bond after being booked at the West Covina jail, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

IRWINDALE – A man with an impressive rap sheet is still behind bars Wednesday after breaking into a residence Easter Sunday.

27-year-old Jacob Ray Degolyer was caught as he fled on foot from the 15800 block of Hidalgo Street. Degolyer is accused of forcing open a side window to a residence by removing a window screen, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

The adult daughter of the homeowner was inside the room Degolyer allegedly climbed into. Her screams alerted the homeowner who confronted the burglar who eventually ran from the home, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Officers arriving to the home found and arrested Degolyer.

“Mr. Degolyer has an extensive criminal history that includes prior theft, weapons and robbery convictions,” according to the Irwindale Police Department.

March 23, 2016, Degolyer led Glendora Police on a pursuit after he was caught driving erratically in the 800 block of West Arrow Highway. Degolyer fled officers through surface streets and two freeways, passenger in tow, to La Puente where both ran from the stolen vehicle.

The California Highway Patrol and Glendora officers could not track both suspects in the dark streets of La Puente, but after developing a connection between the vehicle owner and Degolyer, the suspect was tracked to a San Dimas home where he was arrested.

Irwindale Detectives presented the case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office April 19. Two felony burglary counts were filed against Degolyer. He is being held without bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina Courthouse May 2.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A stubborn driver was finally caught while running through a flood control channel March 18 after crashing a vehicle into the cement structure.

Los Angeles man Talsa Garron Walker, 39, allegedly refused for 30 minutes to provide identification to verify his driving status during a traffic stop in the 2000 block of Buena Vista Street around 11:07 p.m. Walker allegedly resisted arrest and fled, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

“He broke away from the officers and then sped away from the scene in the Honda, leading the officers on an approximate 1.5 mile high speed pursuit through the city of Irwindale,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

Walker crashed through a chain link fence at Alpha Street west of Avenida Barbosa, launched the Honda into the flood control channel and crashed.

Walker allegedly continued to flee, on foot this time, for about one mile before being hit with a stun gun while resisting in the 200 block of Longden Avenue, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Walker was treated at the scene by Los Angeles County Firefighters and later hospitalized before being booked on suspicion of felony evading, resisting arrest with violence, a number of vehicle code violations and an outstanding warrant, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Walker is being held in lieu of $135,000 bail in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina Courthouse March 22, according to Los Angeles County booking information.

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.

IRWINDALE – Police found a man who allegedly threatened multiple people with a knife after attempting to rob a woman November 20.

Mark Anthony Quintanilla, 25, attempted to take a woman’s purse at knifepoint Saturday in the 4300 block of Irwindale Avenue around 7:02 p.m., according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Quintanilla then allegedly chased a witness to the attempted robbery and threatened that witness with a knife. A second witness fled to the safety of a vehicle after also allegedly being chased by Quintanilla who also struck the victim’s ride, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

“Quintanilla fled into a nearby residential area before officers arrived, however he was located hiding under a vehicle in the 15000 block of Ballentine Place and was arrested without incident,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

Quintanilla, a West Covina resident, was booked on suspicion of attempted robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and making criminal threats.

Quintanilla is being held in the West Covina Police jail in lieu of $70,000 bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina Courthouse November 23.

IRWINDALE – A woman died after being struck by a driver who was found in West Covina Saturday morning, Irwindale Police said.

The suspect, Adrian Ortega, a 21-year-old La Puente man, was stopped by West Covina Police at Francisquito Avenue and Sunset Avenue shortly after the deadly crash and linked Ortega’s vehicle to the hit and run, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Police responded to a reported bicyclist down on eastbound Huntington Drive on the San Gabriel River bridge around 1:40 a.m. March 27. The woman suffered significant traumatic injuries and Los Angeles County Firefighters declared her dead at the scene.

Irwindale officers went to the West Covina traffic stop and took Ortega into custody. He was booke don suspicion of vehicular manslaughter, felony drunk driving and felony hit and run charges. He was held in lieu of $100,000 bail until being released on bond, according to Los Angeles County booking records.