Written by AARON CASTREJON
​CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A rider on a reported stolen Suzuki motorcycle decided to play hide & seek with police Sunday after fleeing on foot.

The motorcyclist was found on the extension of the San Gabriel River Trail bike path just east of City of Hope January 21. Officers attempted to stop the motorcyclist around 1:49 a.m., but he refused, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

The pursuit reached speeds of 79 miles an hour. The rider, identified as 33-year-old El Monte man Sergio Alejandro Tejada Perez, bailed from the stolen motorcycle and tried to hide in some bushes near the 605 freeway and 210 freeway interchange.

Perez was booked on suspicion of evading, possession of a stolen vehicle and drug paraphernalia charges.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - The driver of a reported stolen vehicle surrendered after a standoff on the 605 freeway near Arrow Highway Monday night.

Law enforcement apparently pursued the driver from Bell Gardens to the Irwindale area where the driver crashed up an embankment near Santa Fe Dam and disabled the Kia Sportage the suspect was driving around 9:30 p.m. September 25.

Earlier during the pursuit in Santa Fe Springs, the suspect stopped and barricaded inside the Kia Sportage for about 45 minutes before allegedly using the vehicle against a CHP cruiser to escape, according to KCAL 9 news.

Traffic on the northbound 605 freeway near Arrow Highway was blocked while the suspect refused to exit.

When the suspect did finally exit, a K9 helped to take the suspect down.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - A robbery suspect who led authorities on a wild chase through Irwindale and multiple other cities December 22 was arrested in Baldwin Park.

The pursuit was televised and showed the suspect fleeing as fast as 95 miles per hour, refusing to stop for stop signs, red lights and traveling on the wrong side of the road as he evaded Irwindale officers who attempted to stop him for allegedly trying to rob at least seven different victims, including children, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

One of the armed robberies was reported around 4:37 p.m. in the 6600 block of Irwindale Avenue Thursday. The suspect, Hector Damian Silvaruiz, was located in a black Honda Accord on Gladstone Street and Dugan Avenue in Azusa.

At least two of the seven victims were children, as young as 7 and 8 years old. A hammer was used during the attempted robberies. No one was injured, but a number of vehicles were vandalized. A hammer was recovered by officers, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Silvaruiz led officers on a 40-minute, 28-mile pursuit through multiple cities: Irwindale, Azusa, Duarte, Bradbury, Monrovia, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena and Altadena using the 210 freeway and surface streets, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

The pursuit was canceled due to the dangerous driving of Silvaruiz, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Officers locate Silvaruiz in Baldwin Park. He was placed into custody at 1:17 a.m. Friday.

The Glendora man was booked on suspicion of robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, evading arrest, vandalism, and a number of vehicle code violations. He is being held at the West Covina City Jail in lieu $75,000.00 bail, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Silvaruiz is scheduled to appear in the West Covina courthouse Wednesday, December 28.

IRWINDALE – A juvenile wannabe biker found the San Gabriel Riverbed a paltry hiding spot after fleeing Irwindale Police on an itsy bitsy motorcycle November 22.

Officers attempted to stop the 17-year-old biker on an unregistered mini bike through the city. The teen, who is unnamed because of his age, fled into the riverbed at Live Oak Avenue and abandoned his baby ride, according to Irwindale Police Department.

“The police helicopter located the suspect hiding in some brush in the riverbed and directed ground officers to the hiding spot. The suspect was taken into custody without incident,’ according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

The teen was booked and eventually released to a parent pending a future court date, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

IRWINDALE – An Azusa man is facing felony evading charges and more after leading police on a pursuit into Baldwin Park August 25.

Esteban Steven Valenciano, 27, is accused of operating his ride without a license and is on Post Release Community Supervision. He was also found with an undisclosed amount of cocaine, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Officers attempted to stop Valenciano for a traffic violation at Irwindale Avenue and Arrow Highway around 5:30 p.m. but he refused to yield. The chase tore its way into Baldwin Park when Valenciano lost control of his green Honda motorcycle and ate pavement at Badillo Street and Ramona Boulevard in Baldwin Park.

Valenciano was hospitalized for injuries considered not life-threatening and was released pending charges of felony evading, possession of a controlled substance, a probation violation and driving without a motorcycle license, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE – An officer used the pursuit intervention technique to disable a vehicle driven by a man who took off during a traffic stop early Tuesday morning.

The pursuit last 17 miles as it sped through freeways and surface streets in Irwindale, Azusa, San Dimas, Glendora and back to Irwindale, ending right where it all started at the Arco gas station, 16000 E. Foothill Blvd., according to Sgt. Rudy Gatto of the Irwindale Police Department.

An officer witnessed the driver, identified as Ruben Escobedo, commit an illegal u-turn at Foothill Boulevard and Irwindale Avenue around 12:15 a.m. April 26. While a citation was being written, Escobedo sped off during the traffic stop in his white 1994 Honda Accord, Gatto told SGV CityWatch.

The pursuit went south on Irwindale Avenue to the east 210 freeway. Escobedo exited onto Citrus Avenue in Azusa briefly before re-entering the east 210 freeway. Escobedo exited onto westbound West Covina Boulevard from the south 57 freeway. The pursuit entered the west 210 freeway from northbound Barranca Avenue, Gatto told SGV CityWatch.

The pursuit intervention technique was used to stop the pursuit at Irwindale Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. Escobedo was arrested without further incident and booked on suspicion of felony evading and possession of a controlled substance, Gatto told SGV CityWatch.

Escobedo is being held in lieu of $75,000 bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina Courthouse April 28, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

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 stealing his girlfriend’s vehicle after assaulting her was arrested after evading Industry Station deputies into Irwindale Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Anthony Cole, alleged shoved and punched his girlfriend of several years and her juvenile daughter. He fled in the girlfriend’s vehicle, which was located on Baldwin Park Boulevard in the City of Industry area. Deputies attempted to stop the driver, according to Lt. David Petrocelli of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Industry Station.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m.

A pursuit began at eastbound Live Oak Avenue at Arrow Highway in Irwindale.

“As the suspect entered the intersection of Azusa Canyon Road and Los Angeles Street in the City of Irwindale the suspect collided with another driver turning left in the intersection,” Petrocelli told SGV CityWatch.

A chain reaction collision occurred. Three other vehicles were struck and the stolen vehicle rolled over. The suspect, identified by deputies as Cole extricated himself from the wreck and briefly fled on foot before being arrested, Petrocelli told SGV CityWatch.

Los Angeles County Firefighters were dispatched at 1:36 p.m.

The collision left a mess of twisted vehicles strewn across railroad tracks used by Metrolink and Union Pacific Railroad, necessitating train traffic to hault, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Cole submitted to a mandatory medical clearance prior to being booked, according to Sgt. Fitch of the Sheriff’s Industry Station.

There were no serious injuries. Irwindale Police traffic investigators are handling the collision investigation, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

The roadway was reopened at 3:15 p.m.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

IRWINDALE - Police arrested a man September 8 accused of firing upon motorists along the 210 freeway as he headed westbound into Irwindale where he caused more chaos.

Police responded to the 600 block of Live Oak Avenue around 6:37 a.m. to a call of an armed man holding an ambulance driver and his coworker at gunpoint. the driver fled, but officers found the suspect in a red 2015 Peterbilt semi at Live Oak Avenue and Myrtle Avenue and attempted a traffic stop, but the driver refused, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

The suspect committed several dangerous violations of the California Vehicle Code during a slow speed chase. He briefly escaped on foot after stopping at Peck Road and Wayland Way in Monrovia, but he was taken into custody.

“The officers were forced to physically detain the suspect, during which an electro-muscular disruption technology (EMDT) device was successfully deployed. He was then arrested without further incident,” according to the Irwindale Police Department in a written statement.

Officers recovered a loaded handgun from the suspect, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Investigators learned the suspect, identified as 37-year-old Jonathan Gomez from El Paso, Texas, brandished the handgun and fired it at at least two motorists.

“In one instance, the suspect fired upon a disabled motorist, forcing him to run across the freeway and in another instance, the suspect fired into an occupied vehicle, striking the vehicle with gunfire. Luckily no one was injured in any of these incidents,” according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Gomez was medically cleared and eventually jailed. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. He potentially faces charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, resisting arrest, evading arrest, driving under the influence of drugs and a number of weapons violations, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call Irwindale Police Detective Diego Cornejo at 626-430-2290 or at [email protected]. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoopers.org.

IRWINDALE – A Duarte man led officers on a brief pursuit before surrendering Saturday, Irwindale Police said.

Officers attempted to stop Lewis Rayshur Searles, 31, for a vehicle code violation early Saturday morning, but he fled into Duarte where he was taken into custody, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Searles was arrested around 5:11 a.m. June 19, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

A leaded handgun, narcotics and drug paraphernalia were discovered in the vehicle Searles drove, according to the Irwindale Police Department.

Searles is being held in lieu of $35,000 bail. He was scheduled for an appearance in the West Covina Courthouse June 22, according to Los Angeles County booking records.