Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A former NFL cornerback was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading no contest to the attempted murder of his girlfriend in La Verne.

Brandon Browner was immediately sentenced to prison time upon entering his plea December 4. The judge also issued a 10-year protective stay-away order for his ex-girlfriend and her children, according to Paul Eakins of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Browner, 34, pleaded no contest to one felony count of attempted murder and two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a child in a negotiated plea agreement, Eakins said.

Browner attempted to kill his ex in front of her own children inside her La Verne home July 8 after breaking in through a window. Browner smothered his ex in a carpet after chasing her and dragging her, prosecutors said.

Browner also allegedly stole a $20,000 Rolex watch in the process, according to the La Verne Police department in a written statement.

La Verne Police pursued Browner into Azusa, where he surrendered on the 210 freeway at Azusa Avenue.

Azusa Police Sergeant Jorge Sandoval in a previous interview said officers responded around 3:20 p.m. July 8 to assist with blocking traffic during a La Verne Police high-risk traffic stop.

Officer Elizabeth Kravig of the California Highway Patrol said CHP officers also assisted with traffic control.

Browner last played with the New Orleans Saints in 2015. He re-joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 as an off-season or practice squad member. He previously played with Seattle from 2011 to 2013.

Browner first joined American football in 2005 when he signed with the Denver Broncos. He has also played for the Calgary Stampeders Canadian Football team and New England Patriots.

Browner is a two-time Super Bowl Champion, winning XLVIII with the Seahawks in 2013 and winning Super Bowl XLIX in 2014 with the Patriots.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - The man who piloted a single-engine plane which crashed in the same area of another deadly plane collision at Brackett Field Airport was identified recently.

The fixed-wing plane is registered to the Curtis Hedlund Corporation, according to the Federal Aviation Administration plane registry.

The address, 16206 Arrow Hwy. in Irwindale, houses Hedlund’s business, Boss Air Mechanical, a full-service air conditioning and heating contractor.

The Beech V35 aircraft Hedlund piloted crashed just before Noon, October 1.

An investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board was nearby investigating the first crash when Hedlund collided with a tree, according to Josh Cawthra of the NTSB.

According to a preliminary report issued by the NTSB, Hedlund was arriving to Brackett Field Airport from Blythe, California when the air traffic control tower cleared Hedlund to make a straight-in approach for runway 8-R.

Witnesses heard a noise, then observed the Beech V35 bank to the left. Its trajectory steepened before the left wing hit the ground. Shortly after impact, the plane ignited, according to the preliminary NTSB report.

The tree the plane struck was 50 feet tall, 900 feet from the approach end of the runway and 185 feet left of the runway centerline.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A lieutenant with the county coroner has identified the man killed in a plane collision near La Verne’s Brackett Field.

Frank E. Owens, 69, was the man killed in the plane that went down just outside of Brackett Field Airport, 1615 McKinley Ave. September 30, according to Lt. Larry Dietz of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Owens is the registered owner of the 177RG Cessna fixed-wing, single-engine plane that crashed into a nearby plant nursery. His listed city of residence is Los Angeles, according to a plane registry with the Federal Aviation Administration.

The pilot was practicing landing and takeoffs in the plane when it went down. The pilot reportedly radioed that the Cessna was experiencing some mechanical problem before the crash.

The female pilot, was seriously injured. Her current condition has not been disclosed.

The September 30 crash and the October 1 crash of a Beech Bonanza fixed-wing aircraft in virtually the same location are not connected and will be investigated separately, according to the FAA.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A former NFL star faces a flurry of charges stemming from a July 8 tirade in La Verne against his ex girlfriend.
 
Brandon Browner, 33, pleaded not guilty July 30 to one count each ofattempted murder, first-degree residential robbery, first-degree burglary, person present, and false imprisonment. He also faces two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a child, according to Greg Risling of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
 
Browner is due back in court August 29. His bail is set at $10 million.
 
Officers responded to a home July 8 after the victim reported her ex-boyfriend forced his way in through a locked window. He physically prevented the victim from fleeing the home, La Verne Police said.

Browner reportedly physically harmed and threatened to kill the victim, taking a $20,000 Rolex watch in the process, La Verne Police said.

A La Verne Police press release provided details of the initial call, but neglected to provide details on a reported pursuit Browner led officers on into Azusa, where he surrendered on the 210 freeway at Azusa Avenue.

Azusa Police Sergeant Jorge Sandoval said officers responded around 3:20 p.m. to assist with blocking traffic during a La Verne Police high-risk traffic stop.

Officer Elizabeth Kravig of the California Highway Patrol said CHP officers also assisted with traffic control.

Browner last played with the New Orleans Saints in 2015. He re-joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 as an off-season or practice squad member. He previously played with Seattle from 2011 to 2013.

Browner first joined American football in 2005 when he signed with the Denver Broncos.

Browner has also played for the Calgary Stampeders Canadian Football team and New England Patriots.

Browner is a two-time Super Bowl Champion, winning XLVIII with the Seahawks in 2013 and winning Super Bowl XLIX in 2014 with the Patriots.
 
If convicted as charged, Browner faces a life sentence in state prison.