Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

PASADENA - The man Pasadena Police said stabbed his mother to death September 24 will be arraigned October 10, prosecutors said.
 
Alex Edward Evans, 30, is facing one count of murder with the allegation of using a knife as a deadly and dangerous weapon in the slaying of his 67-year-old mother, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
 
Evans allegedly called 9-1-1 around 9:16 p.m. and told the dispatcher he killed his mother inside her home in the 1100 block of north Mentor Avenue, Pasadena Police said.
 
The dispatcher kept Evans on the phone until police arrived. He was ordered out of the home and was detained. Evans’ mother, Katrina Evans, was found dead with multiple stab wounds, Pasadena Police said.
 
Evans faces 26 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, Santiago said.
 
Evans is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

MONTEBELLO - Two men are facing capital murder charges in a drive-by shooting that left a man dead, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said.
 
Bernardo Martinez, 21, and Nicholas Rodriguez, 27, were charged September 25 with one count of murder with the special circumstance that it occurred in a drive-by shooting with the intent to kill. The men are eligible for the death penalty, according to Paul Eakins of the DA’s Office.
 
The men were additionally charged with two counts of premeditated attempted murder and one count of shooting from a motor vehicle. Rodriguez also faces a count of fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s vehicle while driving recklessly, Eakins said.
 
The charges include gun and gang enhancements for both men.
 
The suspects are accused of firing on a group of people in the 600 block of North Garfield Avenue around 1:40 a.m. September 22.
 
Montebello officers found Rudy Elguezabal, 21, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He later died at a nearby hospital. Two other intended victims were unscathed, Montebello Police said.
 
Witnesses described the vehicle used in the drive-by. It was located occupied by Montebello Police who then pursed the suspects when they refused to stop.
 
The suspects crashed and fled officers on foot before being taken into custody. The alleged murder weapon was recovered.

The suspects face the death penalty or life in state prison without the possibility of parole if convicted as charged.

A decision on whether to seek capital punishment will be made at a later date, Eakins said.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - The man who allegedly knocked his victim unconscious with an empty glass beer mug pleaded not guilty September 24.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A fifth man accused of being present at the beating and killing of a 20-year-old Glendora father pleaded not guilty September 20.
 
Andrew Joseph Michael Williams, 19, is charged with one count each of murder, first-degree robbery and kidnapping in the death of Julian Hamori-Andrade, 20, whose beaten body was discovered over the side of Highway 39 above Azusa May 30.
 
Detectives spoke with Williams early on the in the investigation, but was not yet arrested. Detectives built a case against Williams alleging a stronger involvement in Hamori-Andrade’s robbery, kidnapping and killing.
 
“He was involved much more than he led investigators to believe,” according to Lt. Derrick Alfred of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau. “He was present at the assault and disposal of the body,” Alfred said.
 
Williams apparently went into hiding after being interviewed, but was found and taken into custody, Alfred said.
 
Williams was arrested at 8:40 a.m. July 18. He was originally held in lieu of $2 million bail in connection to the murder and was held in the San Dimas Sheriff’s jail while he awaited his appearance in court, according to Los Angeles County booking records.
 
Hercules Dimitrios Balaskas, a 19-year-old Glendora man, Francisco Amigon, a 19-year-old La Verne man, Jacob Hunter Elmendorf, 19, also from La Verne, and Matthew Martin Capiendo Luzon, 21 pleaded not guilty to the same charges September 17.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - The brother-in-law of a man found fatally stabbed outside a bowling alley in El Monte was officially charged in the victim’s slaying.
 
Loi Vi Tran, 40, was charged with one count of murder with the special circumstance allegation of lying in wait. He is accused of stabbing his brother-in-law, 45-year-old Stephen Tran of El Monte, multiple times with a kitchen knife, according to Paul Eakins of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
 
The above charge makes Tran eligible for the death penalty, Eakins said.
 
Tran’s arraignment was scheduled for Tuesday, but it was continued to October 17.
 
Tran, a Calgary man, was visiting family in El Monte. The family went bowling September 15 and just before midnight, the stabbing occurred.
 
“After the group played for several hours that night, the defendant paid for everyone’s games and went outside to wait for them,” Eakins said. “At that point, shortly after midnight, Tran is accused of stabbing his brother-in-law … several times in the chest after an exchange of words.”
 
Stephen Tran was taken to an area hospital where he later died.
 
Loi Tran was detained at the scene and the weapon was recovered.
 
If capital punishment is not sought, Loi Tran could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - The four men accused of kidnapping, robbing, beating a man and dumping his body over the side of a mountain pleaded not guilty September 17.
 
Hercules Dimitrios Balaskas, a 19-year-old Glendora man, Francisco Amigon, a 19-year-old La Verne man, Jacob Hunter Elmendorf, 19, also from La Verne, and Matthew Martin Capiendo Luzon, 21 pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree residential robbery and kidnapping in the May 29 killing of Glendora man Julian Hamori-Andrade, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

The four men were charged May 31.

The suspects also face three special circumstances of lying in wait and murder during the kidnapping and robbery Hamori-Andrade, whose body was found dumped 30 feet over the side of Highway 39 Wednesday, May 30.
 
A Fifth suspect previously not disclosed will face arraignment today, September 18, the District Attorney’s Office said.
 
Andrew Joseph Michael Williams, 19, was arrested at 8:40 a.m. July 18. He was originally held in lieu of $2 million bail in connection to the murder. His role in the killing for now remains undisclosed.

Prosecutors accuse Balaskas of beating Hamori-Andrade with the metal chair. 
 
Luzon further beat Hamori-Andradewith a rock and broke glass pipe once he was taken to the mountainside.
 
The brutal killing beganMay 29 when deputies respondedto a home in the 6100 block of Goodway Drive in the unincorporated area near Azusa for a disturbance callanddiscovered a large blood trail leading from the unoccupied home to the street, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
 
Hamori-Andrade’s body was discovered in the San Gabriel Mountains two days later.
 
Luzon remained a fugitive while his three accomplices were taken into custody. He was was recognized as he exited the AMC Montebello 10 Theater in Montebello around 6:30 p.m. June 30, according to Deputy Joana Warren of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.
 
A motive for the killing is unknown.
 
The four original defendants are scheduled to return to court October 29.

If convicted as charged, all four suspects face the death penalty or life in state prison without parole.

The decision to seek the death penalty will be made at a later court appearance.
 

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A Glendora man pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts after being accused of molesting a 17-year-old girl.
 
Patrick Adam Nelson, 41, is accused of child molestation and battery after touching the girl’s breasts and her rear during a backrub July 8, according to Deputy District Attorney Elyse Rendon of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
 
The case was filed with the DA’s office August 1.
 
The relationship between the girl and Nelson is unclear.
 
Nelson is scheduled to return to court for a pretrial hearing October 23. Nelson faces a maximum sentence of one year in jail if convicted as charged.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - Firefighters from multiple agencies continue their work on the Fork Fire, burning in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Azusa and Glendora.
 
The fire has charred 166 acres with zero percent containment, although the work put forth by firefighters has stopped the forward progress of the flames, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
 
The fire, which was reported just before Noon September 9, forced hundreds of campers to evacuate the Off-Highway Vehicle Area and campgrounds near the fire at East Fork Road and San Gabriel Canyon Road (Highway 39), according to the U.S. Forest Service.
 
One firefighter received a leg injury caused by a falling rock, according to Nathan Judy of the U.S. Forest Service.
 
The U.S. Forest Service was assisted by Los Angeles County Firefighters, CAL FIRE, the Orange County Authority, Santa Barbara County firefighters, the California Highway Patrol, Cal Trans, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies and Southern California Edison in coordinating the evacuation response and fire fight.
 
Power lines were compromised in the area have been restored.
 
San Gabriel Canyon Road two miles north of Sierra Madre Boulevard remains closed.
 
The fire’s cause is under investigation.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - A fire burning in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Azusa and Glendora is holding at about 60 to 70 acres, the U.S. Forest Service announced.

The Fork Fire is burning northwest along Highway 39 near East Fork Road. There is no containment on the fire, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

Campers and recreational vehicles are being evacuated from nearby campsites, as well as the Off-Highway Vehicle area, the U.S. Forest Service said.

Many evacuees are being directed northbound along Highway 39 to Angeles Crest Highway with the assistance of Sheriff’s search and rescue teams from San Dimas Mountain Rescue, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team and Montrose Search and Rescue Teams.

Nortbound and southbound traffic on Highway 39 is closed at East Fork Road, as well as traffic on East Fork Road, Glendora Ridge Road and northbound traffic on Glendora Mountain Road.

Southbound traffic on Glendora Mountain Road is open for evacuees to exit, according to the California Highway Patrol.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

MOUNTAINS - The U.S. Forest Service is responding to a 50-acre brush fire that ignited near the Off-Highway Vehicle area along Highway 39 north of Azusa.

The U.S. Forest Service is initiating a second-alarm brush response and is requesting handcars and a helicopter from the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

The U.S. Forest Service is reporting flames on both sides of Highway 39. Patrons of the Off-Highway Vehicle area are being evacuated on East Fork Road.

The Off-Highway Vehicle area may be evacuated, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The California Highway Patrol is being summoned to close portions of Highway 39.