Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - A dog did not survive a very destructive house fire Saturday.

Three properties were damaged by the fire in the 1000 block of East Bell Street November 9. First responders were sent to the home just after 1:30 p.m. November 9. No people were injured, according to the Pasadena Fire Department.

The one of the properties that burned is a total loss.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

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 - A death investigation is underway after a body was found on an A Line train platform early Wednesday.

First responders were sent to the Memorial Station, 125 E. Holly St., at 4 a.m. July 24. The victim is described as a Black man in his 40s, according to Lt. Matt Campeau of the Pasadena Police Department.

Campeau would not elaborate if there was anything suspicious about the man’s death.

The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner is on scene.

A Line train Service has been restored to the Memorial Station after trains temporarily bypassed the location during the investigation, according to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

UPDATE: At 8:42 a.m. the Sig Alert was cancelled, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - Nearly 12 hours after going into effect, a Sig Alert on the westbound, 210 freeway near Lake Avenue remains mostly in effect after a manufactured home being towed became dislodged and fell into traffic lanes.

All lanes, except the HOV and No. 1 lane of the West 210 freeway just east of Lake Avenue remain closed, according to Officer Garcia of the California Highway Patrol.

At 5:40 a.m. Tuesday, the Sig Alert was extended for possibly an additional two hours, Garcia told SGV CityWatch.

The crash was reported to the CHP around 6:53 PM Monday, June 24. After the home fell off of the trailer, the trailer of another semi was damaged after striking the manufactured home. A white Honda SUV crashed into the home as well.

Minor injuries were reported, according to the Pasadena Fire Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - A man in his 20s was able to pull himself from under an L Line train after he somehow got pinned underneath January 14.

Firefighters on scene assessed the man who suffered only minor injuries. Trains were stopped in both directions temporarily, according to Pasadena Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian.

The man became pinned under the train near the platform of the Sierra Madre Villa station just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday.

As a precaution, the man was taken to an area hospital for evaluation, Derderian told SGV CityWatch.

It’s unclear how or why the man ended up on the tracks.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - No injuries were reported after a fire engulfed a vacant house Thursday night.

Firefighters successfully extinguish flames within 25 minutes arriving to the 700 block of East Villa Street, preventing the spread of fire to nearby trees and homes. First responders were sent to the house around 7:39 p.m., according to the Pasadena Police Department.

“The residence was found to be vacant, having been boarded up, and no occupants were discovered inside. Given the circumstances, an Arson Investigator promptly arrived at the scene,” according to the Pasadena Police Department in a written statement.

Anyone with information on this case is urged to call the Pasadena Police Department at 626-744-4241. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - Firefighters are evacuating residents while they investigate a hazmat call Monday morning.

The incident is unfolding in the 900 block of East Del Mar Avenue. People are asked to avoid Del Mar between Mentor Avenue and Wilson Avenue, according to the Pasadena Fire Department.

There is apparently no threat to the public, according to the Pasadena Fire Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - A vehicle and a light rail train collided Thursday morning the driver of the vehicle to the hospital, authorities said.

The collision between the vehicle and a metro A Line train occurred at East California Boulevard and South Raymond Avenue around 9:18 a.m.

The driver of the vehicle, the only occupant inside, had to be extricated by Pasadena Firefighters. She was hospitalized with significant injuries, according to Lisa Derderian, public information officer for the city of Pasadena.

Active Incident: Pasadena Fire and Pasadena Police are on scene at Raymond Avenue and California Boulevard for a Metro A-line train and vehicle collision. There is one patient requiring extrication.

Traffic will be impacted in that area. Please avoid the area.

The area where the collision occurred is normally heavily impacted with traffic on a normal day. Traffic in the surrounding area will continue to be very heavily impacted as an investigation continues, Derderian told SGV CityWatch.

Right now, there is no metro train service between the Delmar station and South Pasadena station due to the collision. Bus bridges are being requested, according to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - The threat of lightning, strong winds and hail forced the evacuation of the Cruel World Music Festival Saturday night, leaving many fans irate since the storm never hit Pasadena.

Just after 9 p.m., a strong thunderstorm was detected near Mt. Wilson moving southwest to between Pasadena and Monrovia. Forecasters predicted the storm would produce wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour, brief heavy downpours, frequent lightning and pea-sized hail, according to the National Weather Service.

Cruel World was taking place at Brookside near the Pasadena Bowl.

“At the direction of Pasadena Fire Department, the venue was evacuated due to unsafe weather conditions and lightning strikes in the area, verified by the National Weather Service,” in a statement posted to the Cruel World website.

Famed rocker Iggy Pop was in the middle of a music set when the audio was cut to the fans’ dismay. An announcer stated severe weather was approaching the festival site and attendees needed to evacuate.

“If I don’t get a refund I’m about to file a chargeback because the event “was not as described or defective.” Tickets clearly state “RAIN OR SHINE” which in turn only resulted in one lightning bolt so far in the distance that cancelled especially when there was NO RAIN!!!” wrote one attendee.

“I’m not buying it. There was more shelter IN the event than there was in the wide open golf course where we all got aimlessly herded to for nearly an hour. Something is fishy, because there was no storm in the additional hour it took to even leave the parking lot,” wrote another attendee.

“I can’t believe a few distant lightning strikes shut this whole thing down. Between the Adam Ant no show and abruptly cutting Iggy Pop mid performance and killing the headliner Siouxsie’s performance (the reason many of us were there) this show was a shit show,” another attendee wrote.

Others were more understanding.

“From noon until 9 PM Cruel World was a fabulous show. We missed a band and a half for lightning people saw. Safety first. I will return for Cruel World 2024,” one attendee wrote.

British New Wave singer and musician Gary Numan issued a statement on the day’s events

“This morning our bus broke down on the way to the Cruel World festival so we were about 4 hours late arriving. Our set went incredibly well though, amazing crowd, got to see some great bands and more than a few old friends. But, the festival was cut short (due to lightning apparently) and everyone evacuated. Sadly Siouxsie was not allowed to play. It was a somewhat bizarre and disappointing end to what had been a really good day. Not sure what the end result will be. Thank you to everyone that came to watch us play today. We had the best time.”

The predicted storm briefly hit the Arcadia and Monrovia areas before quickly dissipating.

Festival organizers promised that Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees and that Iggy Pop will perform Sunday, May 21, with Siouxsie slated to perform an extended set for her only North American performance for 2023.

The National Weather Service predicts a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms before 11 a.m. and before 11 p.m. Sunday, May 21. Much of the day is expected to be partly cloudy with a high near 79 degrees.