Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor COVINA - The cause of death for a transient woman found dead near Arrow Highway and Azusa Avenue July 31.
Joann Saunders, 54, was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. Addition investigation may help determine her cause of death. Firefighters responded to the flood control channel near El Pollo Loco, 1405 N. Azusa Ave., for a medical call. Firefighters informed Covina Police of Saunders’ death around 5:45 p.m. Investigators with Covina Police believe Saunders initially died of natural causes, according to Sgt. Mike Robison of the Covina Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A 19-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in state prison for causing the overdose death of a 16-year-old girl.
Treyvon Love Ollo was found guilty of one felony count of furnishing a controlled substance to a minor. Jurors also found true a special allegation that the defendant committed great bodily injury to the victim during the commission of the crime, according to Sarah Ardalani of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. The girl Visited Ollo at his Covina home June 30, 2017 and he provided her drugs. The girl, believing the drugs were cocaine, snorted the substance. The girl overdosed and paramedics were called to render aid, but the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. The drugs were later determined to be Fentanyl, a powerful opioid used as a painkiller. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Capital murder charges were formally brought against the Long Beach man who went on a two-month killing spree that took the life of his ex-wife and a woman he believed to be his ex-wife. Miguel Angel Prieto, 43, was charged with four felony counts, including two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. The felony complaint includes a special circumstance allegation of multiple murders. Additionally, the charging document contains a special allegation that the defendant personally and intentionally discharged a handgun, which caused great bodily injury and death to the victims, according to Sara Ardalani of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The complaint also includes that Prieto was previously convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2015. On April 11, Prieto went to his ex-wife’s Covina apartment and fatally shot Maria Perez, 42. Witnesses and family identified Prieto as a suspect. He was located in Long beach hours after the killing and taken into custody. Four days before murdering Perez, Prieto is accused of opening fire on a woman he believed to be her aunt inside a Long Beach restaurant. During the investigation, Covina detectives gathered evidence implicating Prieto as the gunman in an Azusa killing February 9 in which Prieto shot a man he believed to be his ex-wife’s boyfriend and killed a woman parked in the 1500 block of West McKinley. >>READ THE FULL STORY: Man Charged in Ex-Wife's Slaying Likely Connected to Attempted Double Murder in Azusa Prieto was scheduled to be arranged Thursday, but his court appearance was continued to June 28 in Pomona Superior Court.
If convicted as charged, Prieto the death penalty or life in prison without parole. A decision on seeking the death penalty will be made at a later date. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A $20,000 reward was extended as detectives continue searching for information leading to the person who pulled the trigger, killing a 15-year-old girl in Covina.
Anyone with information on the suspect is urged to call the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Information can be provided anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor REGION - The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office may soon file charges against the Glendale pastor accused of sexually assaulting a preteen girl in a Covina motel.
Douglas Rivera, 40, posted bond after turning himself in at the Covina Police Department February 11. Since Rivera bonded out of jail, the DA’s office was able take more time in filing the case ahead of his scheduled appearance in court April 18, according to Sarah Ardalani of the DA's office. Rivera bonded out of jail, mere hours after surrendering himself February 11. Covina detectives were asked to perform some follow-up investigation before presenting the case to the DA’s office, according to Lt. Ric Walczak of the Covina Police Department. The case was presented to the DA's office in March, Walczak said. Lengthy case filings are a very typical scenario when a suspect bonds out of jail, Walczak said. Rivera, the pastor of a Glendale church, was booked on suspicion of indecent exposure with a prior, oral copulation and burglary after he forced his way into a room where two Chinese preteen girls were staying at the Vanllee Hotel and Suites, 1211 E. Gavey Ave. February 7. The girls were here as part of a school trip from China. Rivera allegedly drove up to the girls’ room around 10:08 p.m., peered through the open drapes from his truck and masturbated, according to Covina Police. Rivera then exited his truck, stood outside the room and pretended to talk on his cellphone for 30 minutes. Rivera allegedly forced his way in when the girls opened the door thinking he was their chaperone, Covina Police said. Surveillance pictures of Rivera and his dark-colored Dodge Ram 4500 truck were shared publicly, helping Covina detectives to quickly identify the Baldwin Park resident after a plethora of tips were phoned in to Covina Police. Covina detectives served a search warrant at Rivera’s home and located the truck parked there two days after the assault occurred. The Dodge Ram 4500 was coated with a truck bed liner spray in an attempt to alter its appearance, Covina Police said. Rivera spent four days on the lam and recorded a video professing his innocence before finally turning himself in. |
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