 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION - A 21-year-old Glendora man arrested during the U.S. Capitol Breach more than one year ago and accused of destroying windowpanes was sentenced May 13.
Hunter Allen Ehmke was sentenced to four months in prison and 36 months of supervised release. He is also expected to pay $2,821 for destroying five window panes during the breach by protestors at the U.S. Capitol January 6, 2021, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ehmke was arrested January 13, 2021. He initially pleaded not guilty last year, but changes his plea to guilty January 4, 2022, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Ehmke was part of a large crowd of fringe protestors who breached the Capitol during a joint session of Congress, which was ascertaining and counting electoral votes for the presidential election. Ehmke jumped onto a ledge outside of an office featuring multiple window panes. Ehmke used his right foot to shatter three lower window panes and smashed two more window panes with his right fist, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Investigating the case was the FBI Los Angeles Field Office and U.S. Capitol Police with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office and Glendora Police Department.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - Investigators believe the man who robbed a Glendora Chase Bank January 8 is the same man who robbed a bank in Victorville November 24.
Investigators have dubbed the suspect as the “Cartel Bandit.” In one or both bank robberies, the suspect passed a note to a bank teller. In the note, the suspect demanded cash and detailed how the Mexican cartel would exact revenge if police are called. The Glendora robbery occurred at the Chase Bank, 1905 E. Route 66. Police responded to the bank at 4:30 p.m., according to Lt. Marty Barrett of the Glendora Police Department. In the Glendora robbery a gun was threatened, according to Laura Eimiller from FBI Media Relations. She noted that no weapon was actually seen. It was not specified if the suspect fled with any money. The suspect is still at-large. Anyone with information on the robbery suspect is urged to call the FBI at 310-477-6565.  PHOTO by Aaron Castrejon. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor REGION – The suspect accused of stabbing an Uber driver and holding law enforcement at bay into the nighttime hours appeared in court February 20. Ricky Andrew Alvarez, 23, pleaded not guilty to one felony count each of assault with a deadly weapon (knife), assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury; and assault with a deadly weapon by means likely to produce great bodily injury on transportation personnel or passenger, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Public Information Officer Ricardo Santiago. The allegation includes that Alvarez inflicted great bodily injury upon the victim. Alvarez allegedly stabbed an Uber driver multiple times February 17 just before 1 p.m. Witnesses helped Glendora Police locate Alvarez, who fled into a room at the Glendora Motel, 330 W. Route 66, where five other people associated with him were staying. The Uber driver was treated on scene by paramedics and was taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to the Glendora Police Department. The regional Foothills Special Enforcement Team, a SWAT team made of officers from nearby police departments, responded to assist in apprehending the people barricaded inside one of the hotel rooms. After hours of negotiations, the six exited the motel and where detained.
One of the six was transported to an area hospital for undisclosed reasons. Also arrested from the hotel room were Frank Zavalza, 30; Bridgette Irene Hamlin, 23; Luis Davila, 23; and Larissa Breann Cano, 21. The four others arrested were booked on suspicion of identity theft and obstructing an officer. Cano and Hamlin were additional booked for warrants, according to Glendora Police booking records. Alvarez is being held in the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina Courthouse March 16.  Google Maps. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - More than one month after police discovered his body, investigators have publicly identified a transient found dead near some railroad tracks. Christopher Bingham, 45, was identified by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. His cause of death has been deferred, pending additional investigation.
Glendora Police officers conducting homeless outreach along the tracks frequented by Burlington Northern Santa Fe trains discovered Bingham’s body June 13 near Grand Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. Police do not believe Bingham was struck by a train.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - April 8 will likely be the last pretrial hearing for a Glendora man accused of sexual battery and molesting a 17-year-old girl. It has been six months since suspect Patrick Adam Nelson, 40, was arraigned on charges of child molesting and sexual battery. Superior Court Judge Robert Serna said at the March 8 pretrial hearing that both sides will either reach a deal, or a jury trial date will be set. Talks between the prosecution and defense fell through previously. The victim and her parents allege Nelson, their neighbor, has been harassing them by pointing a surveillance camera at their home, revving his truck loudly, driving the truck recklessly up and down the street and throwing loud parties, Deputy District Attorney Mari Henderson said at the February 6 pretrial hearing. Serna ordered Nelson, a no-show at prior pretrial hearings, to appear March 8 based on the harassment allegations. Upon his entering the courtroom, SGV CityWatch recognized that Nelson is the son of Glendora Mayor Pro Tem Judy Nelson. Patrick has been active in the Glendora community as a member of Friends of Rotary and has managed Mrs. Nelson’s Library Services in Pomona. Based on the allegations, additional felony charges against Nelson were considered prior to the March 8 hearing, but will no longer be pursued, Henderson said.
There were 13 addition witness interviews conducted by Glendora Police that as of March 8 had not been turned over to the defense, said Stephanie Johnson, the lawyer representing Nelson. Johnson claims the victim’s parents have not been so innocent and have been harassing Nelson. A book Nelson gave the family was returned to him: torn and tossed in the bed of his truck, someone from the victim’s family called his home phone and also harassingly called out the name of Nelson’s dog while he was dog walking, Johnson said. Both Nelson and the victim’s family have known each other for a long time. Serna reminded Nelson of the protective order placed against him. Johnson has yet to return phone calls requesting an interview. Attempts to reach Deputy District Attorney Henderson and Mayor Pro Tem Judy Nelson were unsuccessful. Nelson allegedly fondled his 17-year-old neighbor’s breasts and rear while giving her a back rub July 8, 2018, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Nelson was arrested August 3, 2018. He pleaded not guilty September 17 to two misdemeanor counts of child molesting and sexual battery. If sentenced as charged, Nelson faces a possible maximum sentence of one year in jail.  PHOTO/Courtesy of the Glendora Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES – The 30-year-old man accused of threatening to unleash gunfire at Citrus College was officially charged Thursday. Terrell Lee Bennet faces one felony count each of making criminal threats and unlawful possession of ammunition, according to Venusse Navid of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Bennett pleaded not guilty in West Covina Superior Court. Bennett faces a maximum of 10 years and four months in state prison if convicted as charged, Navid said. Bennett, initially identified as a Chino resident, was identified by the County DA’s office as living in Pomona.
Bennett called Glendora Police at 11:17 a.m. January 15 and threatened to shoot up the school. Within 11 minutes, police had the campus and surrounding streets locked down. Mutual aid from numerous surrounding agencies arrived soon after to assist, Glendora Police said. Nearby Azusa Pacific University was also placed on lockdown during the search. Bennett is enrolled in online courses at Citrus College and was scheduled to appear for an in-person class the day he made the threats, Glendora Police said. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Arson/Explosives Detail was summoned to the scene just before 11:40 a.m. after Bennett’s car was located. The silver four-door car was parked in the S1 parking lot, which rests in the corner of Citrus Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. While not stated by Glendora Police, a bomb-sniffing dog preliminarily detected a scent of explosives on the car, according to police radio traffic. However, Arson/Explosives technicians found no bombs inside the car, Glendora Police said. Officers began a room-to-room search of each building at 12:38 p.m. About three hours later, Bennett surrendered peacefully on the Citrus College campus at 3:42 p.m. -- nearly five hours after making the threats, according to the Glendora Police Department. Bennett made statements after being arrested alluding to a desire to die by officer gunfire, police said.  PHOTO/Google Maps. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor LOS ANGELES - A Covina man accused of four separate incidents of peering into women’s stalls at Citrus College was officially charged Wednesday.
Phillip Joseph Osuna III, 25, was charged with four misdemeanor counts of unauthorized invasion of privacy, peeking, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Osuna is accused of four incidents taking place in women’s restrooms at Citrus College from August 30 to September 20. If convicted as charged, Osuna faces a maximum possible sentence of two years in jail, Santiago said. Feds’ Investigation in Drugs, Fraud, Identity Theft Leads to Arrests Across San Gabriel Valley8/17/2018  PHOTO/Stock image. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor REGION - Federal authorities arrested 12 people tied to a local street gang in a widespread investigation into narcotics, fraud and identity theft. A total of 17 tied to the Puente 13 gang were named in a series of indictments returned by a federal grand jury. The investigation was a collaboration between the United States Secret Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The investigation involved wiretaps that revealed to investigators criminal activity by gang members, gang associates and others, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The 12 arrests were made over Tuesday, August 14 and Wednesday, August 15. Crimes allegedly committed include possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin, conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, felon in possession of a firearm, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, illegal possession of access devices (credit cards), possession of access device making equipment, and possession of stolen mail, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. The investigation is five months in the making, having begun when authorities learned that Puente 13 gang member Victor Ponce De Leon, 26, was involved in drug trafficking after communications were intercepted, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. In an indictment, Ponce De Leon, also known as “Dopey,” alleged he was involved in selling an ounce of methamphetamine while armed with a 9-millimeter handgun. A scheme to smuggle narcotics into the Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic was also uncovered, according to an indictment naming 39-year-old Glendora man Ricky Lee Thornburg, also known as “Shorty.” Thornburg is currently incarcerated at Pitchess. Thornburg planned to receive the methamphetamine and heroin, hidden in plastic drinking straws, from a woman who was to visit, but the shipment was intercepted in May, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. An identity theft ring was also uncovered during the investigation, with stolen credit cards and personal identifying information from numerous common victims were found in the possession of multiple defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Arrested were:
>>CLICK TO READ THE CHARGES AGAINST EACH DEFENDANT
Most of the defendants were arraigned in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Thornburg, Basye, Arroyave, Maribel Gomez and Jimenezare expected to soon be brought into court. The Glendora Police Department and Culver City Police Department assisted in the investigation.  PHOTO/Stock image. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor POMONA - The woman who pleaded no contest to sending threatening letters to a Glendora Catholic school was sentenced in court Thursday.
Magaly Esmeralda Alvarenga, 39, was sentenced to three months and eight years in state prison after pleading no contest previously to two counts of criminal threats and one count of stalking, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. From December 2017 and May 2018 Alvarenga mailed several threatening letters to the all-girls St. Lucy’s Priory and Catholic High School. The first letter contained threats to burn down the school and shoot people, Glendora Police said in a previously-published statement. Glendora detectives believed the letter was written by a student initially, since it also specified the stress of school work and strict rules at St. Lucy’s. The letters were even signed with a student’s initials. The two letters sent in May of 2018 also contained a white powder and drugs, according to evidence presented at a preliminary hearing, Santiago said.  PHOTO/Stock image. Written by AARON CASTREJON | Citywatch Editor LOS ANGELES - The Rialto woman arrested after allegedly sending threatening letters, drugs and white powder to a Glendora Catholic school pleaded not guilty Tuesday.
Magaly Esmeralda Alvarenga, 39, pleaded not guilty to eight counts: three counts of criminal threats, three counts of false personation, and two counts of attempted false imprisonment by violence by fraud, according to Sarah Ardalani of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Alvarenga first allegedly sent a letter to the all-girls St. Lucy’s Priory High School, 655 W. Sierra Madre Ave., in December 2017 in which threats of gun violence and burning down the school were made. The letter was signed with the initials of a student, Ardalani said. Alvarenga allegedly sent a letter each on May 10 and May 23, this time packed with white powder and drugs, Ardalani said. Glendora detectives were able to identify Alvarenga as a suspect and arrested her. Alvarenga is being held in lieu of $700,000 bail and is scheduled to return to West Covina Superior Courthouse June 8. If convicted as charged, Alvarenga faces a maximum of seven years in state prison. |
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