Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - The U.S. Department of Justice announced two Chinese nationals have been indicted in the $2 million ransom plot involving the kidnapping and possible murder of a Santa Ana man. Guangyao Yang, 25, and Peicheng Shen, 33, have been charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, attempted extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act and threat by foreign communication, the DOJ said. “Tony” Rouchen Liao, 28, was abducted by three men in San Gabriel July 16, 2018. He was taken in a dark-colored Toyota Sienna minivan. The minivan was followed by two suspects in a Range Rover SUV. The captors demanded $2 million in exchange for Liao’s return, according to the FBI Los Angeles Field Office.
The kidnapping occurred around 7:30 p.m. at San Gabriel Square, 140 W. Valley Blvd. Liao was potentially coaxed there on the premise of collecting a debt, investigators said. Shen was one of the suspects seen taking Liao from the San Gabriel Shopping Center, investigators said. Liao, a Chinese national who operated a Costa Mesa luxury car dealership, is believed to be dead. After Liao was kidnapped and taken to a Corona home, demands were made to deposit $2 million within three hours to several Chinese accounts. Lio’s father also received photos of his son physically retained in a closet: his arms bound behind him, his legs bound together and his eyes taped shut, investigators said. No more demands were made and nothing was ever heard from the captors again. Investigators learned Yang and Shen drove to the Mojave Desert to possibly dispose of Liao’s body two days after the kidnapping. An internet search connected to Yang revealed efforts to learn how fast a body decomposes in soil. Shen apparently had the closet where Liao was held re-carpeted, investigators said. One of the three suspects was seen by witnesses to the kidnapping and was referred to as “David,” the FBI said. An attorney for the Liao family has offered a $150,000 reward for information leading to Liao’s safe return, on top of a $25,000 reward offered by the FBI. Anyone with information leading to the suspects or Liao is urged to call the FBI Los Angeles Field Office at 310-477-6565. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced the case against the Azusa man accused of sexually assaulting a woman who accidentally entered his car was dismissed Friday. The case against Luis Geraldo Peña, also known as Javier Martinez, was dismissed Friday, February 22 after his victim was unavailable to appear in court, according to DA Public Information Officer Ricardo Santiago. It was never divulged why the victim was unavailable to make an appearance.
The incident occurred August 24, 2018. The victim requested an Uber ride and waited for her vehicle. A different Uber ride arrived. The victim entered the vehicle anyway. “Once inside the vehicle the female victim realized something was wrong when the driver began asking her inappropriate questions. The driver then reached over and began inappropriately touching the victim,” Azusa Police said. The victim fought off Peña and exited the vehicle, Azusa Police said. Detectives identified Peña as an Azusa man, located him and arrested him. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - One person died at the scene of a crash on Angeles Crest Highway above La Cañada Flintridge Monday.
The crash was reported at 2:55 p.m. near mile marker 31.10. A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s tactical medic was lowered by helicopter to the scene and declared the patient dead, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Someone on the road climbed down to the crash. They were initially believed to be an occupant of the crashed vehicle, firefighters reported. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Police announced the husband of a woman found murdered and stashed in a closet in their North Hollywood apartment was the bloodied man found near the 210 freeway in Azusa Saturday. The unidentified husband is accused of stabbing to death 48-year-old Tanya Menchaca. Her body was discovered in their apartment in the 11300 block of Tiara Street by officers arriving to investigate an argument call just before 2 a.m. Menchaca was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. The husband was found hours later near the 210 freeway in Azusa. California Highway Patrol officers responded to the westbound 210 freeway onramp at Vernon Avenue at 8:33 a.m. February 23 to a reported pedestrian in traffic lanes, according to Officer Stephan Brandt of the CHP Traffic Management Center.
CHP officers found a vehicle with blood staining the interior of the vehicle and the trunk lid, according to CHP radio traffic. Firefighters also responded to a medical call nearby at 8:34 a.m. to Mountain View Elementary School, 201 N. Vernon Ave., and found a person bleeding, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Fuentes. The husband was taken to Foothill Presbyterian Hospital for treatment. The three children of the husband and wife were found unharmed in the apartment, apparently unaware of what happened, the LAPD reported. The LAPD North Hollywood Station could not be reached for booking information. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A grandmother is dead, her two grandchildren received minor injuries, after a driver hit them from behind and fled the scene Wednesday. The collision occurred around 1:15 p.m. in the 14800 block of Escalona Road in La Mirada February 20. The woman and her grandchildren were walking long the road northbound when a 2015 to 2017 dark grey four-door Toyota Camry struck them, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. All three victims were taken to a hospital where the grandmother later died, the Sheriff’s Department said.
The Toyota Camry should have damage to the front passenger side on the headlight and bumper. There is no suspect description. Anyone with information on a suspect is urged to call the Sheriff’s Norwalk Station at 562-863-8711. Information can be provided anonymously by calling L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner named the 38-year-old man who died after falling from an icy trail Sunday. Ernesto Alonso Rodriguez died after falling 180 feet from a trail near Mt. Wilson Red Box Road February 17. One of the victim’s fellow runners ran to a nearby facility to call for help around 10:50 a.m. It was not immediately known what trail the four runners were on, according to Lt. Lopez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station. Rodriguez’s body was retrieved by rescuers many hours after he fell.
The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team and Montrose Search and Rescue Team responded along with Los Angeles County Firefighters and a rescue helicopter from the Sheriff’s Department. The treacherous conditions in the area made rescue difficult by helicopter, leaving only ground units to reach Rodriguez, Lopez said. The California Highway Patrol had a road closure in effect into the evening hours. The coroner was on scene past 7 p.m. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - The body of a trail runner who slipped and fell from the icy terrain near Mt. Wilson Observatory Sunday was retrieved by rescuers after an hours-long effort, a Sheriff's lieutenant said. One of the victim’s fellow runners ran to the Red Box Ranger Station near Mt. Wilson Red Box Road to call for help around 10:50 a.m. It was not immediately known what trail the four runners were on, but the victim lost some footing and slipped 180 feet over the side, according to Lt. Lopez of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station.
The Altadena Mountain Rescue Team and Montrose Search and Rescue Team responded along with Los Angeles County Firefighters and a rescue helicopter from the Sheriff’s Department. The treacherous conditions in the area made rescue difficult by helicopter, leaving only ground units to reach the victim, Lopez said. The victim, only described as a male, was pronounced dead at the scene, Lopez said. As of 7:03 p.m., the California Highway Patrol still had a road closure in effect. The coroner was still on scene. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - Campers can now access Highway 39 to Crystal Lake Road after a series of rockslides kept the roadway largely impassable. On February 14, Caltrans lowered the closure from mile marker 32 to 17.8 due to further rock and mudslides. By Friday, February 15, the roads were deemed safe for travel up to Crystal Lake Road, Caltrans said. Large volumes of mud and rock cascaded onto Highway 39 (San Gabriel Canyon Road) just after 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 5. A reported 40-foot high wall of mud and rock blocked both sides of the roadway.
Nearly 80 ten-wheeler dump truck loads of mud and rock were removed from the roadway, Caltrans said. The road remains closed in both directions from Crystal Lake Road to Angeles Crest Highway due to rockslides beyond Crystal Lake Road. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A 35-year-old man was arrested February 7, accused of posing as a 13-year-old boy to lure underage girls into perverted conversations. James Anthony Gonzales was booked at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lomita Station on suspicion of committing lewd acts on children. Gonzales, posing as a teen boy, used an instant messaging app, TikTok and others, to initiate the perverted talk, the Sheriff’s Department said.
Gonzales operated under the following screen names: TikTok
Lanzo Lanzostiles Lanzostiles4322 Lanzostiles77 In the 310 lets go soul0072 (He has also used the phone number 213-433-3824.) Meetme.com Lanzo Stiles Gmail yamakisaki@gmail.com Snapchat lanzostiles yamakisaki Anyone with a child who may be a potential victim is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Human Trafficking Bureau at 323-526-5156. Information can be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Gonzales is scheduled to appear in Torrance Municipal Court February 27. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - Caltrans is working to clear a rockslide that forced authorities to close both lanes of Angeles Crest Highway. The road is closed at Red Box Road, about 14 miles north of the 210 freeway. It is unknown how long the cleanup will take. The closure will last until further notice, Caltrans said. |
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