Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - To mitigate fire hazards in the foothills, the U.S. Forest Service will conduct controlled burns in the east San Gabriel Valley starting Wednesday, authorities said. Fire will be applied to brush in the Bear Canyon Housing tract above Mt. Baldy Village, one mile northwest of Mt. Baldy Road and Bear Canyon Road January 30 and January 31 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to the U.S. Forest Service. Smoke and flame will be visible from Mt. Baldy Village, La Verne, Claremont and San Antonio Heights.
The project will provide community and infrastructure protection in the event of a wildfire, the U.S. Forest Service said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The woman accused of using her car to intentionally hit a cyclist made her first court appearance Tuesday. Sandra Marie Wicksted, 61, faced one count of murder and four counts of attempted murder after she struck and killed a cyclist and attempted to hit at least four others on a Claremont road November 3, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Wicksted’s criminal complaint alleges she used her vehicle as a dangerous and deadly weapon and that her crimes were willful, deliberate and premeditated.
The collision occurred at Radcliffe Drive and Mills Avenue at 11:35 a.m. November 3. Killed in the crash was 54-year-old cyclist Leslie Pray. During the crash, Wicksted’s green 1996 Mercury Tracer station wagon slammed into a wall and became heavily damaged. Wicksted’s bail was set at $6.1 million. She faces a possible maximum sentence of life in state prison if convicted as charged, Santiago said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor MOUNTAINS - Ground crews and water-dropping helicopters are dousing a small vegetation fire burning in the Los Angeles and San Bernardino County borders.
After initially describing the acreage as larger, firefighters report the fire has burned 15 acres of the Angeles National Forest near Mt. Baldy Road and Shinn Road. No structures are threatened, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The California Highway Patrol and Claremont Police have Mt. Baldy Road at Fergus Falls blocked to traffic. Two water-dropping helicopters from the Los Angeles County Fire Department are providing assistance with the help of night vision. San Bernardino County firefighters are assisting Los Angeles County Fire, along with the U.S. Forest Service. Cause investigators with the Los Angeles County Fire Department are en route to determine the fire’s start. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A Claremont man was convicted October 31 of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl and 14-year-old girl, prosecutors announced Wednesday.
David Dean Lonigro, 53, was found guilty of three counts of lewd act upon a child and two counts each of oral copulation of a person under 16 and sexual penetration by foreign object, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. One victim was abused between January 1 and December 30, 2007. The second victim was abused between January 30 and February 29, 2016, Santiago said. Lonigro gained access to the girls through family connections, according to Deputy District Attorney Babette Huley. Lonigro is scheduled to be sentenced December 3 in Pomona Superior Court. He faces a maximum of more than 14 years in state prison. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - An autopsy is still pending for a man found dead 100 feet over the side of Mt. Baldy Road Sunday.
Andre Marcel Wiggins, 23, from Upland, was identified by Sarah Ardalani, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. Claremont Police received a 9-1-1 call transferred from the California Highway Patrol regarding the body, which was discovered around 9:48 a.m. on Mt. Baldy Road near Potato Mountain Trailhead, according to Lt. Mike Ciszek of the Claremont Police Department. A vehicle was parked near where the body was located, but Ciszek did not know if the vehicle was connected to Wiggins. It is unclear if any foul play is suspected. An autopsy is still pending, Ardalani said. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor ‘Faux Badge Bandit’ Wanted in Four Bank Robberies Across SGV, Santa Clarita
LOS ANGELES - The FBI is seeking information leading to the arrest of a man who has robbed four banks since May 31. The “Faux Badge Bandit,” so named because he has carried a seven-point badge and shoulder holster during some of the robberies, has hit banks in La Verne, Pasadena, Claremont and Santa Clarita, according to Laura Eimiller of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. A handgun has been seen in the holster and has been brandished during the robberies. The “Faux Badge Bandit” may be armed with multiple weapons, Eimiller said. Banks robbed include:
The “Faux Badge Bandit” enters the banks with a bag and issues a demand note for cash. he threatened to shoot the teller’s coworkers if they did not comply, Eimiller said. The “Faux Badge Bandit” is a white man, 6 feet tall, 230 pounds and is 40 to 50 years old. Anyone who has information on the “Faux Badge Bandit” is urged to call the FBI 24 hours a day at 310-477-6565, or cal 911. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor REGION - 6.5 miles of road will close for at least seven hours April 22 for the CicLAvia Heart of the Foothills event.
A brand new route for the CicLAvia event will kick off the event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to celebrate Earth Day, organizers said. Billed as the country’s biggest open streets event, CicLAvia promotes active transportation and good health by organizing car-free streets for people to walk, bike ride, or skate through asphalt streets. CicLAvia is inspired from Bogotá, Columbia’s Cicloviá events. The event will begin at San Dimas Park and Ride, 205 S. San Dimas Ave., follow Bonita Avenue east, turn south on Fulton Road in Pomona, east on Arrow Highway into Claremont, north on South College Avenue and to the Claremont Metrolink Station. CicLAvia is free to attend. |
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