Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor EAST LOS ANGELES - A Sig Alert has been issued for all lanes of the north and south 710 freeway south of Whittier Boulevard after fallen cables have caused traffic to come to a halt. The California Highway Patrol is reporting drivers who are not stuck are exiting the freeway on nearby onramps. At least one vehicle may have been damaged by the falling cables. Construction is being done in the area. A crane operator became trapped by the fallen cables until he was freed from his equipment, according to the CHP.
An off-duty Sheriff’s deputy reported that some of the wire are sparking, the CHP said. It is unclear if all the fallen cables are live power lines. CHP officers report traffic signals around the 710 and 60 freeways are out. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor CHINO - The suspect sought by investigators for shooting to death his ex-girlfriend and the attempted murder of a man was found in Mexico, Chino Police reported. Julio Cesar Rocha, 25, was brought back to the U.S. and was booked at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga April 24. Rocha was wanted on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in a March 21 shooting that left ex-girlfriend, 25-year-old Thalia Flores dead, Chino Police said.
A male victim who was with Flores at the time suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. Flores was shot while she sat in a parked vehicle in the 12500 block of Central Avenue. She reportedly ended her relationship with Rocha shortly before she was killed. Rocha is being held in lieu of $3 million bail. He was scheduled for an appearance in Rancho Superior Court. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A Pasadena man accused of murdering an Arcadia woman was arrested April 19 as he was leaving his home Friday morning. Heber Enoc Diaz, 27, was sought in the murder of 76-year-old Chyong Tsai, whose body was found in her Arcadia backyard in the 300 block of East Forest Drive April 9. Diaz was arrested at 10:30 a.m. and booked on suspicion of murder, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Tsai’s stolen white Lexus RX 300 was found abandoned in the 900 block of Colorado Boulevard in Los Angeles the night of April 18, the Sheriff’s Department said.
A motive for the killing has not been revealed. Tsai died from the combined effects of multiple sharp force injuries, multiple blunt trauma and asphyxia, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. Diaz is being held without bail. The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office Tuesday, April 23. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - The man and woman sought in a Carson homicide and the woman’s teen daughter are still missing after their 2013 BMW turned up abandoned in San Diego Friday. Maricela Mercado, 40, and Roman Cerratos, 39, are wanted by homicide detectives in a murder after a man was found dead behind the wheel in Carson April 16. Mercado’s 15-year-old daughter, Alora Benitez, was seen leaving with the two suspects soon after the murder, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. San Diego Police recovered the abandoned BMW, Sheriff’s deputies said. The suspect’s are considered armed and dangerous.
Benitez was last seen around 9 a.m. April 17 as she, Mercado and Cerratos left their Torrance home. A man was found dead in the front seat of a white Audi parked in the 400 block of East Carson Plaza Drive in Carson April 16. Benitez is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 100 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone who knows Benitez’s or the suspects’ whereabouts is urged to call Detective Lawler or Detective Blagg of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Information can be provided anonymously by calling L.A. Region Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - Firefighters report one person died in a crash that ignited a half-acre brush fire above Azusa Friday. The vehicle plunged about 200 feet over the side of Highway 39 near mile marker 34, north of Coldbrook Campground. The crash ignited in heavy brush, but the fire was kept to one-half acre due to the green vegetation in the area. The U.S. Forest Service and Los Angeles County Fire Department worked together to beat back the flames.
The heat from the fire kept rescuers from reaching the vehicle, but once the fire near the vehicle was quenched, rescue crews were able to find a fatality. The roadway is closed while crews remain on scene. Mile marker 32 to Crystal Lake Road is closed, but CHP officers will be escorting some drivers down the mountain, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - A collision on Highway 39 in the San Gabriel Mountains has sparked a small brush fire Friday. The crash occurred on Highway 39 near Coldbrook Campground just after 9:30 a.m. The U.S. Forest Service has called for a full brush fire response for a 200-square-foot fire in oak underbrush burning uphill in steep terrain. A rescue crew from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has found the vehicle about 200 feet over the side and are checking for patients. Los Angeles County Firefighters are also en route to assist with ground crews and helicopters. It is unknown if there are any victims inside the crashed vehicle near Coldbrook Campground on Highway 39. The fire's heat is preventing Sheriff's tactical medics from reaching the crashed vehicle. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A church volunteer jailed on accusations of sexually assaulting a girl and molesting her sister was officially charged Tuesday. Chee Lim Chook, also known as Desmond Chook, faces two felony counts each of oral copulation of a person under 18, sexual penetration of a person under 18 and distributing or showing pornography to a minor as well as one count of unlawful sexual intercourse, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Chook also faces a misdemeanor count of child molesting. He is scheduled to be arraigned May 8. One victim was 16 when the alleged abuse took place on or between November 2016 to November 2018 at the church she was a member of, River of Life Community Church, 20430 Yellow Brick Rd.
Chook is also accused of molesting the girl’s sister on or between February 2018 and February 2019. Chook is described as a family friend of the victims, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Allegations srufaced February 21, 2019. “The victim stated that the suspect would have sex with her at the church as well as provide her with pornography to watch,” the Sheriff’s Department said. Chook faces a possible maximum sentence of seven years in state prison if convicted as charged Santiago said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A 15-year-old girl is still outstanding and may be accompanying her mother and the mother’s boyfriend who are accused of murder in Carson. Alora Benitez was last seen around 9 a.m. April 17 as she, her mother and an adult male left their Torrance home in a white 2013 BMW four-door sedan, which features Nevada license plate MARIMAR, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A man was found dead in the front seat of a white Audi parked in the 400 block of East Carson Plaza Drive in Carson April 16.
Benitez’s mother and the mother’s boyfriend are considered armed and dangerous. Benitez is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 100 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone who knows Benitez’s or the suspects’ whereabouts is urged to call Detective Lawler or Detective Blagg of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Information can be provided anonymously by calling L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch LOS ANGELES - A 43-year-old man was identified as the driver found dead after his sedan was found crashed and submerged on a basin. Mario Andrade was the driver identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. His city of residence as not readily available. The vehicle went over the side of San Gabriel Canyon Road around 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, April 16. Andrade was ejected from his sedan as it plummeted 300 feet over the side of the road, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The sedan was found in the water-filled basin just south of Morris Dam. It was submerged in 17 feet of water, the CHP said. A dive team with the Los Angeles County Fire Department searched, but found no additional victims. It is unclear what direction Andrade was traveling when the sedan went over the side. Alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the crash, the CHP said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - A vehicle has been found over the side of San Gabriel Canyon Road, crashed into the water at Morris Dam. Los Angeles County Firefighters are requesting a dive team to examine the vehicle. One victim has been found deceased on the ground, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The crash was dispatched to firefighters just before 10:30 a.m. at 9501 North San Gabriel Canyon Road. A Los Angeles County Fire dive team will search the water for any possible victims below the surface. |
Archives
January 2024
Categories
All
|