REGION - A 21-year-old Glendora man arrested during the U.S. Capitol Breach more than one year ago and accused of destroying windowpanes was sentenced May 13.

Hunter Allen Ehmke was sentenced to four months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. He is also expected to pay $2,821 for destroying five window panes during the breach by protestors at the U.S. Capitol January 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Ehmke was arrested January 13, 2021. He initially pleaded not guilty last year, but changes his plea to guilty January 4, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Ehmke was part of a large crowd of fringe protestors who breached the Capitol during a joint session of Congress, which was ascertaining and counting electoral votes for the presidential election. Ehmke jumped onto a ledge outside of an office featuring multiple window panes.

Ehmke used his right foot to shatter three lower window panes and smashed two more window panes with his right fist, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Investigating the case was the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and U.S. Capitol Police with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and Glendora Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES – A 69-year-old man was jailed April 26, accused by at least two victims of sexual abuse that occurred between 2011 and 2012.

Jesus Ramirez-Ramirez allegedly abused the girls while he was a resident of South El Monte. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed three felony counts of lewd acts with a child against Ramirez April 28, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Ramirez reportedly had access to children and based on the allegations there may be additional victims, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Anyone who may be a victim of Ramirez and who can provide information to aid the investigation is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau toll-free tip line at 877-710-5273, or email specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org.

Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

LOS ANGELES - A federal grand jury indicted a 56-year-old Diamond Bar man who faces two counts of bias-motivated interference with federal protected activities.

Steve Lee Dominguez is accused of shouting racial epithets, driving through a crosswalk against a red light as protesters were crossing and allegedly performed an illegal U-turn to cut off the route of several protesters lawfully crossing the street, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The incident unfolded March 2021 at a Stop Asian Hate rally at Diamond Bar Boulevard and Grand Avenue. The demonstrators were carrying American flags and large signs in support of their cause and were crossing legally in a marked crosswalk, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Dominguez allegedly yelled, “Go back to China!” and other racial slurs at the demonstrators,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement.

“One of the victims was an Asian woman carrying a sign that read, “Stop Asian Hate.” Another victim was a minor Black female rally participant who carried a sign that read, “End the Violence Against Asians.” Another person who was cut off in the crosswalk was a 9-year-old child, and Dominguez’s car narrowly missed coming into contact with her and other victims, according to the indictment. No injuries were reported,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

After the confrontation, Dominguez allegedly stopped his vehicle down the road, exited and continue yelling racial epithets and called law enforcement on the protestors. He identified himself as “John Doe” and claimed protestors were blocking the street and he needed to run a red light because protestors were going to trample his car, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.


Dominguez was scheduled for arraignment May 12 at the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Dominguez faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in federal prison if convicted on the two counts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement.

BARSTOW – A twenty-something couple are accused of murder in the death of their 1-year-old child who was driven all the way to Pomona where family made the grisly discovery in the couple’s vehicle, police said.

Ricardo Mendez, 27, and Antanita Miller, 24, were booked at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga after Pomona officers and Barstow detectives began investigating the suspicious circumstances behind the child’s death.

Pomona officers were called to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center just before 8 p.m. April 25. The child was declared dead by hospital staff upon arrival. The child displayed suspicious trauma, including lesions, bruising and burn marks. Some injuries were in various stages of healing, according to the Barstow Police Department.

A homicide investigation was launched by Barstow Police after Pomona officers notified them that the death likely occurred in the child’s Barstow residence. Miller was detained as she arrived to Pomona Valley. Mendez was detained in the 2100 block of Spencer Street after leaving the family’s Pomona home, according to the Barstow Police Department.

“During the investigation detectives learned that on April 25, 2022, at approximately 7:00 PM, Ricardo Mendez and Antanita Miller arrived unexpectedly at Mendez’s family’s home located in the city of Pomona. Family members located the victim’s lifeless body in the back of Ricardo Mendez’ and Antanita Miller’s vehicle,” according to the Barstow Police Department. 

“Some of Mendez’s family members immediately drove the victim to the Pomona Valley Hospital for treatment. Ricardo Mendez and Antanita Miller stayed at the family home and did not initially go to the hospital.”

A search warrant served at the Barstow home and vehicle occupied by the couple during their grisly journey revealed items believed to be used during the crimes, according to the Barstow Police Department.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to call Barstow Police Detective Matthew Helms at 760-255-5132 or at mhelms@barstowca.org. Information can be provided anonymously by calling the WE-TIP hotline at 1-800-79-CRIME (27469), or at www.wetip.com.

WEST HOLLYWOOD – Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detectives jailed a Pasadena man accused of plying a teen girl with booze and drugs in exchange for lewd images and video.

Alexander Rashaan Miles, 42, was arraigned April 19 on three counts of committing a lewd and lascivious act with a child under 14 years old and one count of persuading or coercing a minor to participate in child pornography. He has pleaded not guilty, according to information from the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Miles was arrested April 15 and booked at the Sheriff’s West Hollywood Station. Through the investigation, detectives believe he was speaking to many victims, mostly female. Snapchat was his weapon of choice.

March 16, the victim told Sheriff’s West Hollywood Station detectives that a man reached out to her through Snapchat in October and November of 2021. He offered alcohol and narcotics in exchange for explicit pictures and videos of the girl, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Detectives with the Sheriff’s Special Victim’s Bureau, Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team and FBI worked on the case. Miles was identified as a suspect, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“The suspect is believed to have been a high school basketball coach for several schools in the San Gabriel Valley and a high school basketball referee in the Los Angeles area,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement.

Anyone who may be a victim of Miles is urged to call the Sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau Detective S. French at 323-526-5154, or Sgt. D. Payne at 323-526-5154. Information can be provided anonymously by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

Miles is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Pasadena Superior Court May 3.

MOUNTAINS – A 69-year-old man reported missing by the Chino Police Department April 13 was found dead in a crashed vehicle one day later.

Michael Bell died from traumatic blunt force to the head and suffered neck trauma. His death was ruled accidental, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Bell was last seen in Ontario driving a white Acura MDX. Authorities tracked his cell phone, which last gave a location somewhere north of Azusa along Highway 39, according to the Chino Police Department.

April 14, firefighters and the California Highway Patrol were called by a passerby around 12:45 p.m. to a vehicle discovered over the side of Highway 39 south of Robbs Gulch near mile marker 23.20. Bell died at the scene, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Bell was driving north on Highway 39 at an unknown speed. For undetermined reasons, Bell’s Acura veered off the roadway and crashed down an dirt and rock embankment, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Bell suffered from undisclosed medical issues and may have been disoriented, according to the Chino Police Department.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

REGION - Authorities are asking for the public to help find a missing 69-year-old man who was last seen in the city of Ontario.

Michael Bell’s cell phone signal was last tracked to somewhere along Highway 39 in the Azusa Mountains, authorities said Wednesday. Bell suffers from undisclosed medical issues and may be disoriented, according to the Chino Police Department.

Bell is 6 feet 3 inches tall, has black hair, blue eyes, and last wore a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and tan slippers. He is driving a white Acura MDX with license plate DP997WR, according to the Chino Police Department.

Anyone with a knowledge of Bell’s whereabouts is urged to call the Chino police department at 909-628-1234. Reference case # 22-03228.

MOUNTAINS – The county coroner identified recently the driver found in a crashed vehicle that was reportedly discovered by a hiker March 17.

Manhattan Beach resident Thomas Katsky, 31, was found in a 2015 Toyota Corolla along Mt. Baldy Road near Shinn Road. Los Angeles County firefighters were called around 7 p.m. A firefighter pronounced Katsky’s death at 7:23 p.m.

The cause of death was listed as multiple blunt force injuries. The death was ruled accidental, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

It is unknown how long the crash occurred before being discovered.

LOS ANGELES – More than $1.3 million was bilked from Amazon by a third-party seller who will plead guilty to wire fraud charges.

During a filing Monday in U.S. District Court, Ting Hong Yeung, a 41-year-old Hacienda Heights man, was charged with wire fraud, accused of defrauding Amazon of $1.3 million. A plea agreement was also filed Monday in which Yeung will pay restitution, some of which will be paid in gold and silver bars seized from a search of his home, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Operating under the Amazon third-party names of “Speedy Checkout,” Special SaleS” and “California Red Trading Inc.,” Yeung advertised expensive merchandise, such as furniture and home décor at rock bottom prices to drive up sales. He then provided bogus tracking numbers to customers, continually delaying refunds to complaining customers long enough for Amazon to disburse funds into his business bank accounts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Yeung collected payment for items that were never shipped and relied on Amazon to issue refunds to his disgruntled customers under its “A-to-Z guarantee”,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement.

Occasionally, Yeung would ship customers cheap crystal ornaments to generate tracking numbers for customers while stalling customer complaints and demands for refunds. He also used Amazon’s messaging service to lie to customers that their products were being shipped, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Amazon disburses funds from purchases into a seller’s bank account every two weeks after the seller has provided proof of shipment, which is why Yeung continually delayed refunds.

Occasionally, Yeung would also defraud Amazon by purchasing items on credit cards in the name of other people and false identities. Yeung would initiate returns after the goods were delivered to his customers, falsely claiming the items were “different from what was ordered.” He would then return lower-value items than what was ordered so he collected both the refund and proceeds of the original sale, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Yeung is expected to make an initial court appearance April 12.

This case was investigated by the FBI.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

UPDATE, 9:28 p.m.: All six aboard the crashed Sheriff’s helicopter are in stable condition, authorities said Saturday night.

Aerial footage from a broadcast news helicopter showed three crew members walking into Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center after being taken by a Los Angeles County Fire Department helicopter.

Aboard the copter were two pilots, three medics and a doctor from UCLA.

MOUNTAINS - A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s helicopter crashed in the San Gabriel Mountains injuring the crew aboard Saturday afternoon.

The crashed helicopter still poses a fire risk and firefighters have asked all other personnel near the copter to get back, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s radio traffic.

The helicopter crashed near Highway 39 and East Fork Road.

All five crew members were extricated from the crashed helicopter. There was one critical patient, Two with moderate injuries and two with minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Firefighters were dispatched to the crash around 4:26 p.m.