Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - A man clad in a security uniform was booked on suspicion of attempted murder in the stabbing of another man near the Sierra Madre Villa station Thursday morning.

What started out as a verbal argument led to a physical altercation and to one of the men being stabbed multiple times. The suspect was quickly arrested by deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau.

The incident began at 7:30 a.m. at 149 N. Halstead St.

The victim received multiple stab wounds to his upper torso. He was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital where he was last listed in critical, but stable condition, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

“While the suspect was wearing a security guard uniform, it is important to note the suspect was not employed by or contracted with Metro and was utilizing the Metro system for transportation purposes,” according to the Sheriff’s Department in a written statement.

Public arrest records show that Transit Services deputies arrested 37-year-old Antonio Olivera and booked him on suspicion of attempted murder. He is being held at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles in lieu of $2 million bail ahead of a schedule appearance in Pasadena Superior Court Monday, April 21.

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - The Sierra Madre Villa Station is closed as authorities investigate a stabbing Thursday.

A man is reportedly in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times at the Sierra Madre Villa Station parking structure, 149 N. Halstead Ave., around 7:45 a.m. April 17.

Detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau are investigating the crime.

A suspect is reportedly in custody.

Metrolink A Line riders are asked to use the Pasadena Arts line 40 at Allen Station as an alternate route. An alternate station to board the A Line is the Arcadia Station at 1st & Santa Clara, next to REI, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - The fast-moving Eaton Fire reportedly killed two people, the Los Angeles County Fire Department chief said Wednesday.

As daylight broke and winds lessened somewhat, authorities have tallied 100 destroyed structures. More than 10,600 acres burned as firefighters struggled with containment, which is still at 0 percent.

There are a high number of significant injuries. The cause of the two deaths are not yet known, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone.

More than 500 personnel are battling the blaze. Los Angeles County firefighters are working in unified command with the U.S. Forest Service and Pasadena Fire Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - Pasadena City College police officers reportedly used force to subdue and detain a suspect accused of sexually assaulting a male on a bus October 9.

The suspect reportedly followed the victim after the assault onto the Pasadena City College campus, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd. although the victim was allegedly sexually assaulted, he declined medical attention, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau.

The suspect, who was not identified, was arrested on suspicion of sexual battery and transported to the Pasadena Police Department jail for booking.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - A man who is described as unstable allegedly kidnapped his 4-and-6-year-old nephews and fled with them to Upland Wednesday.

He took the children from the 500 block of Rosemead Boulevard in unincorporated Pasadena August 28. Deputies were able to track the suspect through a cellphone, according to Sgt. Kearney of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Temple Station.

The man has no custodial rights to the children. The mother of the children, the suspect’s sister, believed he intended to harm her children, according to the Upland Police Department.

Before the suspect was located in Upland, law enforcement surrounded and searched a residence near Fruit Street and Amherst Street in La Verne, according to Sgt. Figueroa of the La Verne Police Department.

In Upland, the suspect led officers on a pursuit with the children in tow. The chase was over quickly.

“At the conclusion of the pursuit, the suspect was taken into custody and spontaneously stated that he wanted to take the children to Heaven,” according to the Upland Police Department.

The children were unharmed, but were examined as a precaution, according to the Upland Police Department.

Booking records show a Vartan Khoren Gurunian, 34, was arrested at 9:11 p.m. He was booked on suspicion of kidnapping a victim under 14 years of age. He is being held in the Sheriff’s Temple Station jail in lieu of $150,000 bail.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - A suspect was booked on suspicion of attempted murder Wednesday after a woman was beaten and dragged from a train station onto the 210 freeway.

The shocking assault took place around 5:40 a.m. at the A Line Allen Station August 7. After being punched and knocked down, the woman was dragged away onto the railroad tracks and then the 210 freeway, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Transit Services Bureau.

​The woman was hospitalized in stable condition.

The suspect fled the area, but was arrested by deputies near Allen Avenue and Villa Street.

Los Angeles County booking records show Juan Pablo Flores, 33, was arrested August 7 by Transit Services Bureau deputies. He was booked on suspicion of attempted murder and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued a statement in the wake of the attack:

“I am outraged to hear of yet another attack on our Metro system. I want to commend the transit deputies who responded quickly and apprehended the suspect. This incident is a perfect example of why we need to urgently address safety issues, not only on the Metro train system, but also at stations.
I expect a full report from Metro on what security measures will be put in place to increase security, especially during early morning commute hours.

“Our Metro Board has already taken some steps to improve public safety, including enforcing fares. But, it’s obvious to me that our Metro system commuters are still confronted with serious safety issues that cannot be ignored.”

Flores is scheduled for an appearance in Pasadena Superior Court Friday, August 9.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - Investigators named the 41-year-old man who died on a train platform in Pasadena July 24.

Isaac Hackett was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner. He was a Monrovia resident.

While the medical examiner continues to defer the cause of death, a recent crime report published by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Transit Services Bureau suggests Hackett fell.

“Officers assigned to Pasadena PD conducted the preliminary investigation and stated the male fell from the apartment complex located above the station,” according to the Transit Services Bureau in a written statement.

>>READ THE ORIGINAL STORY

It is not publicly clear if Hackett fell accidentally, was pushed, or possibly jumped.

A Line train service temporarily bypassed the Memorial Station during the investigation, according to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - An assault that occurred on the A Line train June 24 over a dropped cell phone certainly brings the adage “no good deed goes unpunished” to mind.

The incident occurred around 9:21 p.m. on an A Line train at the Memorial Park station. The victim, a 30-year-old man, told deputies a female suspect assaulted him with 15-inch deer antlers after he handed back a dropped cellphone to the sleeping passenger who owned it, according to Kari Mercer, public information officer with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Transit Services Bureau.

The man sustained several contusions, a 1-inch laceration to his head, a 1-inch laceration to his left hand and a puncture wound on his right forearm.

The suspect armed with deer antlers, a 38-year-old Asian woman, apparently was looking in earnest at the dropped cellphone. The victim worried she was going to steal it, Mercer told SGV CityWatch.

“Fearing the female was going to steal the phone, the victim picked up the phone, woke the sleeping passenger and gave it to him. The suspect became irate, pulled deer antlers from her bag, and struck the victim multiple times on his head and arms,” Mercer said in a written statement.

The homeless suspect was located, arrested and booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - Pasadena City College Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies searched and found no credible threats regarding the community college Monday.

An anonymous tip was sent Sunday through the campus’s website that there was a threat involving the library. The library remained closed Monday morning for several hours during the search, according to Alex Boekelheide, executive director of Office of Strategic Communications & Marketing at PCC.

Boekelheide declined to specify what the threat may have been and referred to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The library was clear to re-open by 11 a.m. Monday, Boekelheide told SGV CityWatch.

Anyone can send in an anonymous tip to provide suspected crime information through the Lancer Anonymous Tip Reporting feature that can be accessed through the PCC website.

The campus notes that the anonymous tip feature is not intended for in progress crimes. For emergencies, or crimes in progress, call campus police at 626-585-7484.

PASADENA - A Montebello resident was identified as the driver of a van who led multiple agencies on a pursuit that ended with his death July 30.

Adam Youines, 35, was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Youines inched the vehicle he drove towards Pasadena officers after he stopped in a strip mall parking lot in the 600 block of North Lake Avenue. Officers were compelled to fire their weapons repeatedly at him. He died at the scene.

Towards the end of the pursuit, Youines could be seen in a video holding a gun to his own head. He reportedly made demands to speak to his mother.

Youines was described as an armed carjacking suspect who initially led Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies on a pursuit in South El Monte. The pursuit reportedly lasted only minutes before it was cancelled after a deputy crashed into another vehicle before 2 a.m.

Youines continued to evade authorities along surface streets and freeways in the Monrovia, Acadia and Pasadena areas.

The California Highway Patrol ended their portion of the pursuit when Youines kept to surface streets. Pasadena Police began pursuing the suspect at 2:25 a.m.

Monrovia Police trailed Pasadena officers who continued to pursue Youines until he stopped in the strip mall parking lot.

“Detectives from the Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery/Homicide Unit responded to the crime scene to commence an immediate follow-up investigation,” according to the Pasadena Police Department in a written statement.

The crash involving the deputy occurred at Rosemead Boulevard and Glendon Way in Rosemead. The deputy, who was en route to the chase on the 605 freeway, was briefly hospitalized. The other driver was reportedly uninjured.