Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - A metal chair. A rock. A broken glass pipe. All weapons allegedly used by the four suspects accused of brutally beating to death a 20-year-old Glendora man, prosecutors said.

Hercules Balaskas, an 18-year-old man from Glendora,  Jacob Hunter Elmendorf, a 19-year-old man from La Verne, Francisco Amigon, a 19-year-old man from La Verne and outstanding suspect 21-year-old Matthew Capiendo Luzon were charged today with three counts of first degree murder with special circumstances, first-degree residential robbery and kidnapping, according to Sarah Ardalani of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The suspects also face three special circumstances of lying in wait and murder during the kidnapping and robbery of Julian Hamori-Andrade, whose body was found dumped 30 feet over the side of Highway 39 Wednesday, May 30.

Prosecutors accuse Balaskas of beating Hamori-Andrade with the metal chair. Luzon, who is still on the run, is accused of using a rock and broken glass pipe to further beat the victim once he was taken to the mountainside, Ardalani said.

Balaskas, Amigon and Elmendorf were to be arraigned Thursday, but their court appearance was continued to June 6 in Pomona Superior Court, Ardalani said.

If convicted as charged, all four suspects face the death penalty or life in state prison without parole.

The decision to seek the death penalty will be made at a later court appearance.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - The search is on for a shooter after officers discovered a man suffering from at least one gunshot wound Thursday.
 
The man was found in the 800 block of Rio Rancho Road by officers responding to a gunshots call at 12:30 a.m. He was taken to a hospital where he remains.
 
There is no suspect description or possible motive available.
 
Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call the Pomona Police Department at 909-620-2085. Information can be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - A shooter drill will take place inside one building on the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona campus at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
 
The drill will take place inside Building 94, which borders the Quad area of campus. Cal Poly Police will respond to the building with lights and sirens and use simulated gunfire, Cal Poly Police said.
 
The drill will take place until Noon.
 
Officials expect no disruption to the rest of the campus.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - Police are investigating a multi-vehicle collision that took the life of one person May 27.
 
The collision was reported to police around 9:07 a.m. at Towne Avenue and Kingsley Street. The injured were treated at the scene. Two of the injured were hospitalized and one later died of their injuries, Pomona Police said.
 
Pomona resident Shugeith Gonzalez Alvia, 41, was the victim who died, according to Kristy McCracken, investigator with the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
 
Anyone with information on the crash is urged to call the Pomona Police Department at 909-620-2085. Information can be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).
 

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - A teen armed with a handgun was apprehended early Wednesday after he and his friends fled officers during a foot chase.
 
Officers descended upon a suspicious gathering of teenagers huddled around a vehicle in the 2000 block of Palmgrove Avenue around 12:15 a.m. As the teens fled, officers pursued one boy who appeared to have a gun tucked in a pocket.
 
“The officers gave chase of one male juvenile who was intently grabbing at his pants pocket. The juvenile was seen removing a handgun from his pants and discarding it in the front yard of a random residence,” Pomona Police said.
 
The loaded firearm, and boy, were recovered.
 
Officers initially believed they stumbled upon a vehicle burglary in progress. Pomona Police did not state if a crime occurred where the teens were congregating.
 
Officers provided extra patrol of the area where the teens were found as a result of citizen requests to patrol high-volume call locations, Pomona Police said.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CItyWatch Editor

POMONA - A teen girl was taken from the streets of Pomona after being used for prostitution, police said.
 
The girl was found during a surveillance operation by Pomona Police Major Crimes Task Force units along the Holt Avenue Corridor Friday, May 18. The girl’s trafficker remains at large, Pomona Police said.
 
The girl was interviewed and appropriate resources were provided to her, Pomona Police said.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - A man is in unknown condition after being shot in the upper torso and crashed Sunday afternoon.

Police responded to the 1300 block of Elysian Avenue just before 2 p.m. and found the driver slumped over the wheel of his vehicle. The victim was rendered aid at the scene and taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center for treatment, Pomona Police said.

The driver was southbound on Cordova Street when he was shot.

It is unknown if the shooting is gang related.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - Police will conduct a DUI/driver license checkpoint and saturation patrols Friday, May 18.
 
The checkpoint, scheduled to start at 9 p.m., will last until 3 a.m. the following morning at an undisclosed location in town. The saturation patrols, scheduled to start at 7 p.m., will last until 3 a.m. Saturday, Pomona Police said.
 
Pomona Police will focus on areas with a high frequency of DUI collisions and arrests.
 
Funding for these operations is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

POMONA - A fire burned a detached garage at a residence Thursday.
 
No one was injured in the blaze, which was reported in the 1000 block of North Towne Avenue around 11:25 p.m. Firefighters arrived and found the detached garage at the single-story home fully engulfed according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
 
The cause is under investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - The man who pleaded no contest to the first-degree murder of an acquaintance whose bludgeoned body was found in the nearby mountains was sentenced to 26 years to life in prison.
 
Phillip Von Wade, 22, admitted to using an axe to kill Rahkeem “Rocky” Reyes after luring him to Von Wade’s West Covina home September 5, 2016. Reyes’ body was found several days later in the Azusa Canyons.
 
Von Wade was apparently commissioned by Reyes to create a Batman costume for him for an upcoming San Diego Comic-Con event, but missed two deadlines, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.

Family members frantically searched for Reyes after his disappearance. Reyes’ vehicle was found hours after he was reported missing, located in the 1500 block of McWood Street in West Covina.

Wade was arrested September 8, 2016.

West Covina detectives, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide detectives and San Dimas Search and Rescue personnel worked to locate the body, West Covina Police said in a written statement.

The body was found along East Fork Road, mile marker 2.5.