Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS – Roughly three acres of brush burned in the mountains above Glendora just south of the San Gabriel Reservoir April 28.

The U.S. Forest Service, aided by Los Angeles County Firefighters, extinguished the baby blaze along San Gabriel Canyon Road near mile marker 21.67. County firefighters were dispatched around 11:19 p.m.

The fire slowly crept downhill as crews from the ground and from the air worked to douse it.

No structures were threatened. The cause is under investigation.

LOS ANGELES - A $10,000 reward will be announced Friday for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of a man in the San Gabriel Mountains March 25.

San Dimas Sheriff’s Station Captain Walid Ashrafnia will be flanked by Homicide Bureau personnel, Sheriff Alex Villanueva and a representative of Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Kathryn Barger to discuss the shooting death of Gerald Purdue.

Described as an avid hiker, 63-year-old Gerald “Myles” Perdue was found dead along Mt. Baldy Road near mile marker 3.09. Deputies were notified at 1:45 p.m.

An overview of a coroner report noted Perdue died on a hiking trail, the victim of a gunshot wound to the chest.

“Deputies from San Dimas Station responded to the location regarding an unresponsive male who was found in a culvert about 60 yards off the road. Upon their arrival, deputies located the victim, a male White in his 60’s who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the torso and pronounced deceased,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau in a previous statement.

Purdue’s vehicle was located at the scene.

Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. 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.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A Covina man who repeatedly cyberstalked two victims, including a teen girl, over a period of years, demanding sexual favors and threatening violence if they didn’t comply, was sentenced to prison time.

Carl De Vera Bennington, 34, was sentenced April 14 to 18 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty in December 2020 to his crimes. He sent hundreds of messages over several years to his victims, whom have never met Bennington in the flesh.

Prosecutors describe Bennington as having a "deep-seated and violent ideology regarding women,” according to a sentencing memo.

When one victim blocked Bennington from contacting her online, he created new accounts and continued his harassment between June and November 2019, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“He insulted the victim, demanded she engage in sex acts with him, and threatened to sexually assault her. When the victim demanded that Bennington stop harassing her, he threatened to kill her and her family,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a written statement.

Another victim deactivated her accounts in 2017 after Bennington’s solicitation for sex. She reactivated her accounts in 2019 and Bennington was there again to send her numerous online messages. He threatened to kill her unless she caved to his sexual demands, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

“Bennington frequently promoted incel (involuntarily celibate) ideology, which involves individuals who are unable to find a willing sex partner,” according to a sentencing memo filed by prosecutors. “The ideology ranges in tone from expressing sadness and self-loathing to advocating the “absolute hatred” of women.”

United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee described Bennington’s messages to his victims as “repeated, cruel” and “sadistic.”

Bennington reportedly suffers from mental health issues, prompting prosecutors to seek enhanced supervision and mental health treatment following his release.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - Described as cold, tired, but otherwise uninjured, a 45-year-old hiker was plucked off the mountainside in the rugged terrain far above the San Gabriel Valley Tuesday.

The hiker, identified as Rene Compean, was found around 3:45 p.m., south of Mt. Waterman near an area described as Twin Peaks East and Triplet Rocks.

Tactical medics from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau hoisted Compean and dropped him off at the Chilao Campgrounds.

Compean was reported missing by a friend at 6 p.m. Monday, April 12. Compean messaged his friend and said that he was lost and his cell phone battery was dying. Earlier in the hike, compean sent a text message showing where he had been hiking.

Rescuers with multiple search and rescue teams sat out overnight Monday and throughout Tuesday to try and find a hiker.

“Unfortunately, Rene did not have his "location" on for his phone, so team members were unable to get his location code from the photo. We were able to send the photo out to the media and on social media platforms hoping someone would recognize the area in the photo and call us to help,” According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Using that photo, deputies enlisted public help possibly identify the locale were Compean was possibly stranded.

With a stroke of luck, a ham radio operator was able to surmise several possible locations were Compean could have been stranded, aiding rescuers.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - With a single photo provided by the man himself, crews are attempting to locate a missing hiker in the Mt. Waterman area of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.

The hiker, only described as a 45-year-old Hispanic man, was reported missing at 6 p.m. April 12. He sent a photo to a friend earlier in the hike and, judging by the spot on his legs, he appears to have traversed a recent burn area, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

The missing hiker’s vehicle was found unoccupied near the Buckhorn campground/ trailhead.

The friend of the missing hiker sent a text. The friend alerted deputies.

“The caller stated his friend ... was lost and his cell phone was dying,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

Anyone who can help locate the missing hiker is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley Station at 818-248-3464.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - One person was just extracted and one person is reportedly pinned under a vehicle that went off the asphalt on Glendora Mountain Road near Glendora Ridge Road.

A 21-year- old woman stuck inside of the vehicle was extracted, lifted into a Los Angeles County Fire helicopter and was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center for treatment, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The crash was dispatched to first responders just after 11 a.m. Easter Sunday.

The vehicle may be as many as 200 feet over the side of the road, according to the California Highway Patrol.