Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – The Azusa transient accused of causing the brush fire still burning across the San Gabriel Mountains was charged Wednesday.
Osmin Palencia, 36, was charged with one felony count each of arson during a state of emergency and arson of a structure or forest, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Public Information Officer Ricardo Santiago. The Ranch 2 Fire began burning near Highway 39 and Ranch Road in the Azusa foothills Thursday, August 13. The fire has since scorched 4,300 acres and is 19 percent contained as of the morning of August 19, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. After Azusa Police publicized Palencia as a suspect in the Ranch 2 Fire, he surrendered to officers Sunday, August 16. His bail is set at $435,000. If convicted as charged, Palencia faces a possible maximum of 23 years in state prison. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - An aggressive attack kept the Dam Fire above Azusa from burning out of control Thursday.
Roughly 300 acres have burned near the Morris Dam along Highway 39. The fire scorched heavy brush as it moved north away from the foothills. People were evacuated north of Morris Dam up to Crystal Lake Road. Highway 39 into the Azusa Canyon will remain closed until Sunday, according to the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station. Non-residents will not be allowed up the mountain past El Encanto Restaurant, according to the Azusa Police Department. The fire was first dispatched just before 1:30 p.m. July 30. Firefighters from the US Forest Service and Los Angeles County Fire Department worked for suppress the flames. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - A motorcyclist died after crashing on Highway 39 in the mountains above Azusa Sunday morning. The crash occurred just north of mile marker 23.11 around 7:26 a.m. July 26. CHP officers have closed both north and southbound lanes, according to the California Highway Patrol. All lanes of Highway 39 were closed at 8:30 a.m. and are expected to remain closed for three hours, the CHP said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – Federal investigators announced the arrest of a Pasadena man and a recent Azusa resident for their alleged involvement in a ransom plot that ended with the victim being buried in the desert after being beaten to death.
Pasadena man Anthony Valladares, 28, and Alexis Ivan Romero Velez, 24, a recent Azusa resident, were arrested July 14 with the execution of search warrants by the FBI and the San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the US Attorney’s Office said. Prosecutors allege Valladares was the hired muscle used to subdue, intimidate and beat Rouchen “Tony” Liao, 29. Velez was the driver, according to an affidavit. “According to the affidavit, Valladares admitted that he was hired to assist in the kidnapping, agreed to accept $1,000 for the job, and restrained Liao during the kidnapping. Romero admitted, according to the affidavit, that he was recruited by Valladares and was the driver during the kidnapping,” according to the Department of Justice in a written statement. Valladares and Velez allegedly worked with two Chinese nationals who fled the country after the killing. Guangyao Yang, 26, and Peicheng Shen, 34, were charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to kidnap, attempted extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act and threat by foreign communication, investigators said. Yang and Shen, who last lived in West Covina before they fled, were captured and are being held by Chinese authorities. Liao, a Santa Ana resident, was kidnapped July 16, 2018 in San Gabriel by three men and forced into a dark-colored Toyota Sienna minivan, which was followed by two suspects in a Range Rover SUV. The kidnapping occurred around 7:30 p.m. at San Gabriel Square, 140 W. Valley Blvd. Liao was possibly coaxed to the area on the premise of conducted a business deal, the FBI said. After Liao was kidnapped and taken to a Corona home, demands were made to deposit $2 million within three hours to several Chinese accounts. Liao’s father also received “proof-of-life” 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 believe Liao died July 17, 2018. The Following day, Yang and Shen allegedly drove to the Mojave Desert to dispose of Liao’s body. 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. Liao’s remains were discovered by a hiker June 12, 2019 near Mojave in the area of Cache Creek Road and Highway 58. The manner of death is undetermined. Liao’s remains were identified by the Kern County Sheriff’s Office - Coroner Section. The kidnapping charge carries a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - Authorities named the man who was recovered in a submerged vehicle that plunged over a mountain road. Abraham Tapia Jr., a 26-year-old Azusa man, was identified by Investigator Nani Cholakians of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. Tapia was in a vehicle that veered off of Highway 39, down the mountainside and into the San Gabriel Dam July 2. The Chevy Camaro crashed through a chain link fence and became submerged in the water around 10:20 p.m. A passenger, 26-year-old Azusa man Andres Peralta, freed himself, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Peralta was taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. The driver of the vehicle was nowhere to be found, the CHP said. Rescuers searched for the vehicle and discovered its location at 4 a.m. Friday. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau successfully lifted the destroyed Camaro July 4. Tapia was found after the vehicle was recovered. The Body and Destroyed Vehicle Were Recovered July 4. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor AZUSA - A search will resume later Friday morning after a vehicle went over the side and into the water near Morris Dam.
One person from the vehicle was found near the crash scene. That person was transported by ground to a nearby hospital for treatment, according to dispatch supervisor Troy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The crash was reported around at 10:23 p.m. July 2, according to Lt. Ed MacKenzie of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station. The crash occurred along San Gabriel Canyon Road at mile marker 21.67 The vehicle is submerged as much as 17 feet deep. A passerby either observed the crash as it happened, or saw the damage and called authorities, MacKenzie told SGV CityWatch. The crash damaged a reported 100 feet of chain link fence along the roadway, according to the California Highway Patrol. The Los Angeles County Fire Department sent a dive team and used sonar to locate the vehicle, but an extensive search that included a helicopter did not yield an additional victim, according to fire department radio traffic. Search operations will resume with the Sheriff’s Department after 7 a.m., MacKenzie told SGV CityWatch. “Our Emergency Services Detail handles our dive team. They’re trying to get in touch with the folks up on the mountain,” MacKenzie said regarding the continued search operations. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A man accused of setting arson fires in around Azusa and Covina pleaded not guilty Thursday. Jose Javier Salgado, 39, faces 12 counts of arson during a state of emergency, nine counts of arson of property and three counts of arson of a structure or forest, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Santiago was arraigned Thursday. Prosecutor Arthur Leahy of the DA’s Arson Explosives Section said Santiago set nine fires April 4 and set three more April 15 near mini-malls in and around the border between Azusa and Covina. Three fires burned roughly within an hour of each other late April 15, a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatch supervisor said.
A particularly large fire was set behind the Covina Walmart Supercenter, 1275 N. Azusa Ave., at 10:36 p.m. April 15. Firefighters finally knocked down the blaze at 11 p.m., according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatch Supervisor Michael Pittman. The fire destroyed pallets, a forklift and forced people to evacuate the store. Bail is set at $4.87 million. Salgado faces a possible maximum sentence of 27 years in state prison if convicted as charged, Santiago said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - One person was killed Friday after a white BMW slammed into a gate on San Gabriel Canyon Road north of Morris Reservoir in the San Gabriel Mountains. The collision was reported just before 12:30 a.m. April 24. A white BMW slammed into a heavy metal gate used to close the road, according to California Highway patrol traffic logs.
One person was declared dead on arrival, a second person was taken to Foothill Presbyterian Hospital with undisclosed injuries, according to Dispatch Supervisor Troy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The road was cleared by 5:10 a.m. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The investigation continues into the death of a man whose body was found near a freeway on ramp in Azusa Thursday afternoon. Carlos Zuniga Medina, 29, was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. He died from gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide. The body was found just before 3:18 p.m. April 9 on the Vernon Avenue on ramp. Medina was declared dead on arrival, according to Dispatch Supervisor Troy of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. A Sig Alert for the on ramp from Vernon Avenue to the eastbound 210 freeway was initiated at 3:53 p.m. Thursday. The Sig Alert was canceled at 1:14 a.m. Friday, according to Officer Patrick Kimball of the California Highway Patrol Traffic Management Center.
April 8, police were called to a reported shooting victim at that same location after 10 p.m. No victim had been found. It is unclear if Wednesday nights call and Thursday nights discovery of a dead man are connected. The California Highway Patrol Investigative Services unit is determining the circumstances of the shooting, according to Officer Rodrigo Jimenez of the California Highway Patrol Baldwin Park Officer. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor BALDWIN PARK - A DUI checkpoint will be held in the unincorporated area of Azusa starting at 8 p.m. Friday, March 13, the Baldwin Park CHP Office said. Placing checkpoints on roads with identified DUI problems and detaining drivers for a very limited time “helps to assure we conform to the guidelines,” according to Baldwin Park CHP Captain Susan Estrem. Officers trained in detecting impaired drivers will be equipped with hand-held breath testing devices in an effort to get an accurate blood-alcohol concentration. All vehicles will be checked, traffic permitting. If traffic volume becomes too heavy, every third and fifth vehicle will be checked to maintain objectivity, the CHP said. Estrem added that checkpoints can “reduce the number of drinking drivers on the road, even though arrest totals do not rise dramatically.” A major value of checkpoints is their psychological influence. The Checkpoint Is Scheduled for 8 p.m. CLICK TO READ MORE |
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