Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - A suspect is still outstanding after a shooting took place Saturday night.

Deputies have just ended a neighborhood search in the area of Klingerman Street and Continental Avenue around 11:50 p.m. A search of at least one residential property yielded no suspects after the resident reported seeing someone run into their yard.

At least two were wounded by gunfire around 10:40 p.m. Preliminary information suggests that the victims were juveniles, according to Deputy Koerner of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

Deputies were en route to a “check the welfare call” when the gunfire erupted, Koerner said.

A passerby flagged down a deputy to report gunfire erupting nearby, according to Sheriff's radio traffic.

The victims’ conditions were not readily available.

Firefighters were dispatched to the scene at 10:41 p.m. Firefighters waited four minutes to be cleared in, after which they were told that the victims were transported by a private party, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

No other information is available.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

Woman Carjacked at Gunpoint in South El Monte Friday

SOUTH EL MONTE - Two men stole a driver’s silver 2011 four-door Honda CRV at gunpoint Friday night, a Sheriff’s sergeant said.

Two suspects, described as adult male Hispanics, took the driver’s car at gunpoint at 2650 Rosemead Blvd. near the Thuan Fat Supermarket, according to Sgt. Durante of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Temple Station.

The victim, who was carjacked around 7:10 p.m., was uninjured.

The suspects, described as being in their 20s, fled eastbound on Garvey Avenue.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - A cause of death is being determined after a man was found dead in the San Gabriel River Friday morning.

The body was discovered by a passerby near Peck Road around 7 a.m.

A cause of death is still being determined. The man’s name has not yet been released since next of kin has not been notified, according to Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CItyWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE – Fire investigators are determining the cause of a massive fire that destroyed a furniture business Friday morning.
 
Firefighters were dispatched to Master Design Furniture, 2622 Chico Ave., at 12:30 a.m. The 50-foot by 200-foot building is considered a loss, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
 
Firefighters first on scene reported heavy fire conditions throughout the building.
 
With assistance of second-alarm personnel, firefighters knocked down flames in about one hour.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - Coroner investigators will work to determine the cause of death after a person was discovered in a riverbed Tuesday morning.
 
A passerby discovered the body in the area of Peck Road and Durfee Avenue before 7 a.m. December 18. Coroner investigators have already recovered the body, according to Lt. Marsha Williams of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Temple Station.
 
Firefighters were called at 6:58 a.m. and arrived to the scene at 7:10 a.m., according to Vanessa Lozano of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
 
It is unclear yet if foul play was a role in the death.
 
Homicide detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department have been called to investigate.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - Sheriff’s deputies plan a DUI/driver license checkpoint for Friday, September 7.
 
The checkpoint will operate in an undisclosed area of town from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, September 8.
 
Authorities want to reiterate to drivers that “DUI doesn’t just mean booze.” California has seen an increase in drug-impaired crashes, resulting from marijuana and prescription drug usage.
 
Specially-trained deputies will examine drivers suspected of being impaired.
 
Funding for this checkpoint is provided to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - Deputies took refuge after hearing gunfire while responding to a gunshots call Sunday afternoon.

Deputies have surrounded an apartment complex in the 2500 block of Central Avenue and are attempting to gain entry in the apartment unit where they believe gunfire came from, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s radio traffic.

As deputies attempted to enter the property, about six to seven gunshots rang out from a unit on the top level. A deputy reported seeing a large amount of smoke from the unit, possibly caused by the gunfire itself.

Deputies knocked on the front door of the unit in question, but no answer was heard.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - The driver of a sedan and a big rig both died after the rig slammed into the stopped sedan and went over a guardrail, descending on Peck Road Sunday.

The crash occurred at 4:28 a.m. on the eastbound 60 freeway at Peck Road. It is unclear how many vehicles were involved, according to Officer Elizabeth Kravig of the California Highway Patrol.

The No. 2, 3, 4 and 5 lanes of the eastbound 60 will remain closed until further notice, Kravig said.

The big rig was hauling cantaloupe.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - Two men, one of them armed, attempted to hold up a United States Postal Service semi-truck hauling mail on a freeway on ramp August 27.
 
The driver of the semi was stopped at the metered light on the southbound Rosemead Boulevard on ramp to the eastbound 60 freeway around 6:30 p.m. Monday. Two men in a vehicle stopped ahead of them exited and approached the driver, according to Gina Jojola, public information officer for the East Los Angeles CHP Office.
 
At least one of the suspects was armed, according to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
 
The men failed to take anything and fled the scene, Jojola said.
 
Suspect descriptions were not readily available.
 
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is investigating the attempted robbery.
 
Anyone with information on the case is urged to call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455. Once given the automated attendant, say the word “representative” and refer to case number 2670663-ROBB.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

SOUTH EL MONTE - A second-alarm fire destroyed a large commercial building Monday evening.

No injuries were reported in the 800-foot by 500-foot building at 1703 Floraldale Avenue, which was dispatched at 6:22 p.m. Heavy smoke and fire was observed by the first engines to arrive on scene, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department radio traffic.

Knockdown was declared at 7:13 p.m.