Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles County officials announced the postponement of summer events at county parks, including Schabarum Regional County Park in Hacienda Heights.

The decision regarding the Summer Movies and Concerts program was due to “safety concerns and recent ICE activity,” according to the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.

“Out of caution, and in response to recent ICE activity impacting our communities, we are prioritizing safety and well-being of our residents, visitors, and staff,” according to the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation in a social media statement.

The County has canceled the East Los Angeles Rockin’ 4th of July celebration for the same concerns.

The Trump Administration continues its major initiative at removing undocumented immigrants, snatching men, women and children from neighborhoods, parking lots, outdoor markets and more.

The sometimes inhumane treatment of undocumented immigrants and legal residents during enforcement operations has led to violent responses from angry citizens, documented or not, who clashed with ICE officers and local law enforcement.

ICE has shown no qualms about where they conduct enforcement operations, having recently detained patrons of the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - Search efforts for missing hiker Monica Reza will be limited in scope as the initial rescue phase concludes day eight, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

The Sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit with the department’s Homicide Bureau is continuing the investigation. Search efforts will be limited and continuous as data and information further inform the efforts of rescuers, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

“Our hearts go out to Monica’s family, friends, coworkers, and the community who have shown great concern for her disappearance,” said Ryan Vienna, acting captain for the Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station.

Reza, 60, was last seen June 22 around 9:10 a.m. in the Mt. Waterman area near 6000 Foot Gate along Angeles Crest Highway. She was last seen wearing the clothing featured in the provided photo.

The search was conducted by an extensive team, featuring nearly 100 trained searchers, K9 teams, and multiple helicopters working steep, off-trail terrain. Teams from Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange, San Diego, Kern, Tulare counties and the Bay Area assisted.

Once all known trails were searched, efforts were focused on the deep back country of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in steep rugged terrain.

Anyone with information on Reza’s whereabouts is urged to call Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau, Missing Persons Unit Detective Shannon Rincon, or Detective Richie Sanchez at 323-890-5500.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - Searches continue their quest to find a hiker last seen June 22 in the Mt. Waterman area.

Monica Reza, 60, was last seen at 9:10 a.m. Saturday near 60001 Trailhead Avenue near Angeles Crest Highway.

She stands 4 feet 11 inches tall, weighs 101 pounds and was wearing the clothing depicted in the above image.

The Montrose Search and Rescue Team is coordinating the search with other rescue teams from the region.

Anyone with information on Reza’s whereabouts is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Mission Persons Detail at 323-890-5500. 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

POMONA - The man accused of multiple rape counts, making headlines for committing most of these acts in a mobile sex dungeon on wheels will spend nearly 26 years behind bars.

Eduardo Sarabia pleaded no contest to one count of forcible rape, one count of oral copulation by force, two counts of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14, and one count of kidnapping.

Sarabia assaulted one young child between February 2010 and February 2012. A second assault occurred between April 2021 and April 2022, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

Sarabia pleaded no contest June 13.

The high-profile crimes occurred on May 12 and May 13, 2024 between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. A deputy patrolling Highway 39 at mile marker 21 above Azusa and Glendora came upon the van. The deputy called for assistance after hearing a woman screaming inside of the van, which was parked on a turnout along the winding mountain road.

Sarabia emerged and initially complied with the deputy’s commands. At one point, Sarabia ran back into the van where the woman was still screaming. He re-emerged and complied with the deputy, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department radio traffic.

It took between 5 and 10 minutes until backup was able to arrive and help the deputy take the suspect into custody and clear the van of anyone inside.

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Sarabia reportedly met his first victim at the El Monte Metrolink Station and convinced her to accept his offer for a ride. He drove her to the mountains and assaulted her, prosecutors said.

The victim told law enforcement of the assault and it was during a Sheriff’s patrol when the van was discovered.

Sarabia is also ordered to pay restitution, register as a sex offender. He cannot own any dangerous or deadly weapons, must submit to searches and seizures of personal property, submit to an AIDS test and pay other fees, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

A hearing is scheduled June 27 to verify that Sarabia has surrendered any and all prohibited weapons he might own.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - Two women were indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday, accused of spearheading a scheme to defraud nearly $5 million in filed fraudulent Medicare claims.

Normita Sierra, 71, a.k.a. “Normie,” of West Covina, was arrested June 3, charged with nine counts of health care fraud, one count of conspiracy, and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals.

Also arrested Tuesday was Rowena Elegado, 55, a.k.a. “Weng,” also of West Covina, charged with one count of conspiracy, and four counts of illegal remuneration for health care referrals, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The ruse involved billing fraudulent claims to Medicare, which paid more than $3.8 million of the filed $4.8 million claims for medically-unnecessary services for people not terminally ill and for paying kickbacks to marketers to the tune of as much as $1,300 per patient per month.

Once enrolled, those patients – who were not terminally ill – rarely died, and instead were often discharged at around six months at Sierra’s direction, sometimes to her home health company or the other hospice company, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

The kickbacks were often referred to internally using the code phrase “girl scout cookies,” investigators learned.

The scheme lasted from September 2018 to October 2022. Golden Meadows Hospice Inc., and D’Alexandria Hospice Inc., are both owned and operated by Sierra, according to the indictment.

Sierra and Elegado allegedly worked together to pay the marketers to recruit patients to the hospices, knowing that most of those patients were not referred by their primary care physicians for such services, according to the indictment.

Others involved in the scheme included Chino man Carl Bernardo, 53, who pleaded guilty September 2024 to one count of receiving kickbacks in connection with a federal health care program. He is scheduled for sentencing October 23. Fontana man Relyndo Salcedo, 60, a nurse practitioner, pleaded guilty May 22 to one count of health care fraud. He is scheduled for sentencing November 20, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Salcedo, a nurse practitioner, conducted initial assessments for the hospice and found many of the patients ineligible for hospice, but was apparently pressure by Sierra and marketers such as Bernardo. Salcedo exaggerated and falsified the patients’ conditions to appear terminally ill. Hospice physicians then relied on Salcedo’s records to certify the patients as hospice appropriate.

Sierra and Elegado made initial appearances June 3 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

If convicted as charged, Sierra would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each health care fraud count. Sierra and Elegado would face up to five years in federal prison for the conspiracy count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each illegal kickback count.

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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

MOUNTAINS - Investigators seek additional victims of a man accused of threatening at least one person and imprisoning at least one other near a Mt. Baldy hiking trail.

Patrick Michael Flynn, 66, was arrested May 16 in the latest incident, charged with false imprisonment by violence, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

The majority of incidents allegedly perpetrated by Flynn occurred January 12. He was charged with five counts of making criminal threats, and five special allegations of using a deadly weapon, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

“Suspect Flinn is extremely dangerous, violent, and known to carry large knives on his person,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement.

The alleged assaults occurred along the Barrett Stoddard Trail near Mt. Baldy.

Flinn has already appeared in West Covina Superior Court May 20 and 21, with a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 2. He has pleaded not guilty.

Detectives with the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station are seeking additional victims who may have been assaulted, attacked, harassed, and/or threatened.

Any potential victims, or anyone with information on Flinn is urged to call San Dimas Station detectives at 909-450-2700. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

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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

REGION - An Azusa man is looking at a maximum of two years in prison, accused of slapping the rump of a male flight attendant.

A federal grand indictment was returned May 1 against Dennis Wally Woodbury, 49, of Azusa. He is charged with one count of abusive sexual contact April 13 on a JetBlue plane bound from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles International AirPort, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The incident unfolded April 13. While the plane had yet to depart, Woodbury allegedly displayed inappropriate conduct with two male flight attendants.

Woodbury allegedly showed one of the flight attendants a photograph of a dog. The picture contained pornographic imagery in the background. Woodbury later told one of the flight attendants that he should go on a cruise with him then made a crude hand gesture, according to the Department of Justice.

Just after meal service and while the plane was still in the air, the second flight attendant collected passengers’ meal trays and walked past Woodbury. Woodbury, who had been drinking heavily, then used his left hand to slap the victim’s buttocks. Woodbury then yelled that he loved him, according to the Department of Justice.

“Later during the flight, the first flight attendant was in the plane’s front galley when Woodbury entered. Woodbury allegedly then pulled down his trousers and underwear, exposing his genitalia. The first flight attendant told Woodbury that his behavior was inappropriate,” according to the Department of Justice.

When one of the male flight attendants denied the already-soused Woodbury’s request for wine, Woodbury again pulled down his trousers and underwear. The flight attendant said, “Enough, go back to your seat,” according to the Department of Justice.

Woodbury is a former California Highway Patrol captain who had been dismissed from state service.

According to public payroll records, Woodbury recently served as a Riverside County CHP captain.

Woodbury voluntarily surrendered his peace officer certification April 3, 2025, according to the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards & Training. The database did not list reasons for the voluntary surrender.

He also served as captain for the CHP Baldwin Park office in 2017.

Woodbury was charged within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of two years in federal prison, according to the Department of Justice.

Woodbury made his initial federal court appearance in April and is free on $50,000 bond. He is scheduled for arraignment May 12 in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

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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

MONROVIA - A 23-year-old man was sentenced Monday for producing and distributing child sex abuse material in which he recorded his abuse of a child.

David Lisandro Perez Figueroa, a Monrovia resident, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered Perez Figueroa to pay $2,799 in restitution and placed him on lifetime supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Perez pleaded guilty in November 2024 to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography of his abuse of a 2-year-old toddler, which was produced from an unknown date until December 2023.

In July 2023, Perez distributed the sex abuse material through the social media platform X in an account linked to him.

British law enforcement investigating a target in the United Kingdom discovered Perez’s X chat logs and notified federal law enforcement in the US. Federal agents executed a search warrant at Perez’s home December 5, 2023 and arrested him, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

RIVERSIDE - A former elementary school teacher who confessed to possessing hundreds of images of child sex abuse material was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison.

Steven Pilar, 47, of Las Vegas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sunshine S. Sykes, who also ordered him to pay $115,000 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Pilar pleaded guilty in December 2024 to one count of possession of child pornography. He has been in federal custody since August 2024, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Pilar downloaded images and 444 videos of child sex abuse material from the peer-to-peer file sharing service BitTorrent in April of 2020 to his then home in Victorville. After some time he deleted the material, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“At the time of download and possession, Pilar knew these videos and images contained visual depictions of actual children engaging in sexually explicit conduct, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement. “Many of the videos and images that Pilar knowingly downloaded involved a pre-pubescent minor and a minor who had not attained 12 years of age, sadistic and masochistic conduct, and sexual abuse and exploitation of an infant and toddler.”

Pilar was arrested in April of 2020 on state charges, which were dropped so a federal case could be pursued.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

PICO RIVERA - No injuries were reported after a small tornado tore a brief path through Pico Rivera Thursday morning.

The national weather service confirmed that their tornado touched down between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. March 13 in an area just west of the 605 freeway and Whittier Boulevard.

Preliminary data shows wind speeds approached 85 mph. The length of the tornado lasted 1 mile with a duration of about two minutes. The width of the twister was 80 yards and caused exterior damage to homes, cars, and snapped multiple trees, according to the NWS.

A storm survey team from the NWS is surveying damage.