Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

SOUTH PASADENA - A man was killed Wednesday after a crash on a speeding motorcycle, police said.

The rider was northbound on Fremont Street at high speed and crashed into a curb while attempting to pass slower vehicles on the right and struck the rear of a moving truck, according to the South Pasadena Police Department.

The rider died at the scene.

The crash occurred just before 10 a.m. January 8.

All lanes of Fremont Avenue between Columbia and Buena Vista Street we’re closed for an investigation.

The motorcycle was reported stolen out of Burbank, South Pasadena Police said.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

SOUTH PASADENA - No one was injured after the driver of a grey or blue Toyota four-door fled a crash with a Gold Line train January 7.

The crash occurred at the crossing near Monterey Road at Pasadena Avenue just after 6:30 p.m. The vehicle was west on Monterey Road when it either stopped under the descending railroad crossing arms, or partially went through the already down gate arms, according to Sgt. Matt Ronnie of the South Pasadena Police Department.

The train sustained only a dent in the collision.

“As the train passed through, so did the car. It left,” Ronnie said.

There were apparently no witnesses to the crash. No other motorists witnessed the crash and no one on the train, except for the engineer, saw the collision, Ronnie said.

By the time officers were called to the crash, there was already a 20-minute delay, Ronnie said.

Metro officials went to the scene to determine if the train was safe to continue or if passengers needed to evacuate to another train, but it was able to continue through, according to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Twitter.

SOUTH PASADENA - A threatening phone call originating in Mexico was made to a small business December 28 and a demand for money to be transferred via Western Union was completed, South Pasadena Police said.

The call was placed to the business in the 400 block of Fair Oaks Avenue at 4:30 p.m.

“The caller told the employee to remove money from the store’s cash register and leave the building or she would be harmed. The employee complied, activating the robbery alarm system as she left the business,” according to the South Pasadena Police Department.

In fear of her life and the lives of her coworkers, the victim stayed on the phone with the unidentified male caller, South Pasadena Police said.

After arriving to the business to investigate the robbery alarm, officers found the victim un harmed at another business.

The money was transferred to Mexico where the call originated, South Pasadena Police said.

“The South Pasadena Police Department encourages the community to be aware of these types of telephone scam,” South Pasadena Police said.

Anyone with information ton this incident, or who may have been a victim of a crime with similar circumstances is urged to call the South Pasadena Detective Bureau at 626-403-7297. 

Police encourage residents to sign up for the Federal Trade Commission’s scam alerts at ftc.gov/scams.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

SOUTH PASADENA - Police discovered two concealed handguns and more December 17 during a traffic stop.

At 10:20 p.m., officers stopped a vehicle in the 800 block of Garfield Avenue. Without specifying, police discovered a 9 millimeter Glock handgun and an 11-inch kitchen knife concealed passenger Pedro Flores, South Pasadena Police said.

SOUTH PASADENA - A Culver City man was arrested after he fled police through four cities and attempted to take refuge in a home December 17.

Police responded to a report of a suspect attempting to open vehicle doors and attempting to enter a home in the 1300 block of Chelten Way just after 8 a.m. The suspect left the scene at high speed and refused to stop for officers who tried to pull him over, according to the South Pasadena Police Department.

SOUTH PASADENA - A South Pasadena Police officer administered a nasal spray to a man suffering a likely overdose October 3.

The man was on the floor, struggling to breathe. Pasadena Police Officer Randy Wise administered four milligrams of nalaxone to the man until he regained consciousness, South Pasadena Police said.

SOUTH PASADENA - Firefighters are investigating the cause of a blaze that eventually damaged two homes August 21.

South Pasadena firefighters were dispatched just after 3 p.m. to a home in the 700 block of Charter Oak Street to smoke and flames through the roof. The flames then spread to the roof of a neighboring home, according to the South Pasadena Fire Department.

SOUTH PASADENA - An officer discovered $116,000 and nearly three pounds of marijuana in the trunk of a vehicle during a July 9 traffic stop.

Upon approaching the vehicle, which was stopped around 1 a.m. in the 1100 block of Huntington Drive, the officer smelled burning marijuana from within. When asked about the smell, the driver admitted to smoking, South Pasadena Police said.

SOUTH PASADENA - A boy described as a high-functioning autistic was reunited with his mother after the boy unlocked the front door and walked away from home, police said.

The boy was discovered wandering in the 1400 block of Grevelia Street around 7 p.m. He was gone for a few minutes when a neighbor walking her dog found the boy, according to Sgt. Matthew Ronnie of the South Pasadena Police Department.

The neighbor walked the boy to the station, which is roughly one block from where the boy and mother live, Ronnie said.

“The neighbor saw the child’s picture on Facebook and called the mom,” Ronnie said. “She came to the station immediately.”

The Department of Child and Family Services spoke with the mother to help provide information on resources for the child.

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SOUTH PASADENA - A young boy who does not speak and who may be hearing impaired was found wandering the 1400 block of Grevelia Street Monday evening, police said.