Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA – A man was jailed Wednesday in a series on vandalisms committed at a Pomona residence. Through the investigation, detectives learned suspect Mel Fredric Brencius, 47, is suspected committing further vandalism and additional crimes in Hacienda Heights, Fullerton, Irvine, San Dimas and Idyllwild. In addition to vandalism, Brencius is accused of stalking and criminal threats, according to the Pomona Police Department. “The suspect was pouring paint on the victim’s houses, vehicles, and slashing their tires,” Pomona Police said.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed 18 counts against Brencius, which include felony vandalism, stalking and criminal threats. Brencius is being held in the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles in lieu of $550,000 ahead of a scheduled appearance in Pomona Superior Court September 8. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A man accused of pimping out three victims in Pomona recently pleaded no-contest to the charges against him. Deshawn Sanders, 22, pleaded no contest to multiple charges, including human trafficking, pimping and assault with a deadly weapon -- stemming from a December 28, 2017 investigation on the Holt Avenue corridor, Pomona Police said. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and must register as a sex offender for life for another agency’s investigation of a minor being trafficked, Pomona Police said.
Sanders was arrested April 28, 2018 for his crimes. The Los Angeles Police Department Human Trafficking Unit and the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Unit also investigated Sanders trafficking victims in their jurisdictions. One of these cases involved a minor as a victim, Pomona Police said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA – The suspect accused of fighting with another man, causing severe head trauma that led to the victim’s death was tracked down and arrested February 26. Pomona man Quintial Brown, 26, was arrested in the 3100 block of West Temple Avenue. He was booked on suspicion of murder, robbery, criminal threats and witness intimidation. Brown allegedly fought with his victim, 60-year-old Jorge Luis Lopez, December 29, 2019 in the 600 block of East Holt Avenue. Brown was released due to insufficient evidence at the time and potential self defense issues, Pomona Police said.
The victim was hospitalized with severe head trauma and died January 13, Pomona Police said. Investigators discovered new evidence in the circumstances prior to the fight and the case against Brown was resubmitted with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, which issued an arrest warrant, Pomona Police said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - 15 years plus 375 years to life is what is ahead for a man convicted of raping his biological daughters and two other victims, Pomona Police announced. Arthur Mendez, a 45-year-old Pomona man, was convicted on 24 counts in November 2019 related to the assaults, according to the Pomona Police Department. Charges included: -One count of forcible penetration with a foreign object -Five counts of rape by force or fear -One count of lewd and lascivious acts with a minor age 14 or 15 -Nine counts of willful child endangerment -One count of sodomy by force or fear -One count of forcible penetration with a victim under age 14 -One charge of oral copulation with a child younger than 14 -One count of sodomy by force on a child under 14 -Four counts of lewd acts on a child by force At sentencing, Mendez had counts 12 and 13 of willful child endangerment because they are outside the statute of limitations, according to Shaira Davila-Morales, chief of media relations for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers became aware of the assaults in 2018 when they responded to a 14-year-old runaway. The girl, one of Mendez’s daughters, told officers of what transpired. “The 14-year-old disclosed that her biological father had been sexually abusing her for approximately 2 months and her twin sister for approximately 1 year,” the Pomona Police Department said in a written statement. “The victim also stated her 10 and 12-year-old sisters had witnessed the sexual abuse.” During a 2019 preliminary hearing where Mendez’s daughters appeared, two additional victims came forward, Pomona Police said. Both additional victims are now 26 years old. One victim was raped between the ages of 9 and 12 years old. The other was raped at 16. Mendez was found guilty after a four-day trial. Mendez must also register for life as a sex offender, Davila-Morales said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - The suspect wanted in the killing of a 37-year-old man in Pomona was found and arrested in Victorville December 5, Pomona Police announced.
William Pool, 27, was arrested on suspicion of murder in the July 2019 death Gregory Cummings. The arrest was possible after detectives received information of Pool’s whereabouts, Pomona Police said in a written statement. The Pomona Police Special Investigations Unit and Major Crimes Task Force located Pool standing outside a residence and ordered everyone out of the home. They eventually placed Pool in cuffs. Pool is accused of shooting Cummings to death in the 1400 block of West Grand Avenue. He was found unconscious on the ground by first responders. He died at the scene. Pool is being held in lieu of more than $3 million bail as he awaits a scheduled appearance in Pomona Superior Court January 8, according to Los Angeles County booking records. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A Baldwin Park man accused in the first-degree murder of his work supervisor in La Puente was sentenced Wednesday. Rafael Sanchez, 32, was found guilty of one count of first-degree murder in the death of pizza parlor supervisor Daniel Anthony Sanchez, 21, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The jury also found true the allegation that a knife was used during the killing.
Rafael Sanchez faces 26 years to life in state prison, Santiago said. Daniel Sanchez was stabbed in the neck and back March 10, 2018, after Rafael told him to do his work Rafael is scheduled to be sentenced January 15, 2020 in Pomona Superior Court. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - The suspect accused of making threats against Citrus College at the beginning of the years is scheduled for a court appearance. Terrell Lee Bennett, a 31-year-old Chino man, is scheduled for a pretrial hearing in Pomona Superior Court Tuesday. Bennett faces one felony count each of making criminal threats and unlawful possession of ammunition. Bennett was taken into custody January 15 during an hours-long lockdown of Citrus College after the suspect called police and threatened the school. Bennett called Glendora Police at 11:17 a.m. and threatened to shoot up the school. Within 11 minutes, police had the campus and surrounding streets locked down. Mutual aid from numerous surrounding agencies arrived soon after to assist, Glendora Police said.
Bennett surrendered peacefully on the Citrus College campus nearly five hours after making the threats, according to the Glendora Police Department. After being arrested, Bennett made statements alluding to a desire to die by officer gunfire, police said. Bennett was enrolled in online courses at Citrus College and was scheduled to appear for an in-person class, Glendora Police said. Nearby Azusa Pacific University was also placed on lockdown during the search. If convicted as charged, Bennett faces a possible maximum of 10 years and four months in state prison. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - The adult suspects accused of killing a 17-year-old runaway are scheduled for a preliminary hearing Friday. Christian Granados and Frediz Lopez, two 20-year-olds from Los Angeles, were charged with the murder of Sylmar runaway Johanna Lisette Mejia Gaytan. Her body was discovered in a culvert near East Fork Road November 24, 2018. Granados and Lopez were arrested by Sheriff’s Homicide detectives in the early part of December, 2018. A 16-year-old Compton girl was also arrested and charged with murder, according to Deputy Morgan Arteaga of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Both men pleaded not guilty to Gaytan’s murder in late June 2019. The charges include a special circumstance allegation that the suspects were active participants in a criminal street gang and that the murder was carried out to further the activities of the criminal street gang, according to Los Angeles County do Attorney’s Office Public Information Officer Ricardo Santiago.
The status of the teen suspect’s case is not publicly known. A resident called 9-1-1 around 12:15 p.m. Saturday November 24, 2018 after discovering Gayton’s body. Deputies from the San Dimas Station arrived to East Fork Road at mile marker 1.25 and declared Gayton dead at the scene, Gayton’s body was in a culvert adjacent to a turnout. Her death is listed as a homicide resulting from blunt head trauma, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner- Coroner. The preliminary hearing is scheduled at Pomona Superior Court. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - The 28-year-old part-time district staff member accused of sexually abusing a student had her arraignment postponed. Jessica Marie Esparza is accused of engaging in the illicit relationship when the alleged victim was 16 years old. The alleged acts occurred over the course of a year, according to Lt. Robert Chivas of the Azusa Police Department. Arraignment has been delayed to May 28. Esparza is charged with one count each of unlawful sexual intercourse, sodomy of a person under 18, sexual penetration of a person under 18 and two counts of oral copulation with a person under 18, authorities said.
The alleged acts are believed to have occurred from March 2016 to October 2017. Esparza is a part-time Azusa Unified staff member. The alleged victim is a student of the district, according to Azusa Unified Superintendent Linda Kaminski. Administrators were made aware of the allegations Friday, May 3. They then notified Azusa Police officers around 2:20 p.m. the same day. “The district has a zero-tolerance policy regarding misconduct of any kind as the safety and security of our students is our chief priority,” Kaminski said in a written statement. “Breaches of trust are disheartening and will not be tolerated. As such, we remain to acting swiftly and aggressively to safeguard all of our learning environments.” The district is also conducting its own investigation, Kaminski said, and believes this was an isolated incident and that there are no other victims. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor POMONA - A 50-year-old Inglewood man was arrested outside his home March 27, accused of killing his 58-year-old girlfriend and her dog. Chaumon Tyner was booked on suspicion of murder Wednesday after witness statements and physical evidence collected at the murder scene pegged Tyner as a suspect, Pomona Police said. Ronny Wall was found dead, along with her dog, inside her apartment at Serenity Villas Apartments, 150 E. Bonita Ave., March 18. Firefighters discovered the scene after being called to the location at 6:50 a.m.
Pomona homicide investigators found signs of a struggle. An arson fire was also started at the scene, Pomona Police said. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed one count each of murder, arson of an inhabited dwelling and cruelty to an animal March 29. Tyner was also scheduled to appear in court the same day. |
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