Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - Investigators have publicly named a 19-year-old suspect wanted in connection with the double murder of two men and wounding of two others at a Halloween party in unincorporated Covina.

Joel Daniel Garcia Is wanted for attempted murder, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Garcia stands 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighs 160 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. Garcia should be considered armed and dangerous.

A large group of people gathered for the Halloween party the night of October 29 in the 17000 block of East Bellbrook Street in Vincent, which is unincorporated Covina.

A fight spilled out into the driveway where the shooting occurred. One victim, identified as 20-year-old Ronnie Benitez, died at the scene. A second victim, 33-year-old Vladimir Umana, died at a hospital. Two other victims were hospitalized and their conditions are not publicly known.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Garcia is urged to call the Los Angeles County sheriffs homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Remain anonymous by calling LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through the P3Tips mobile app, or lacrimestoppers.org.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

VINCENT - A driver died at the scene of a crash July 28.

The collision destroyed a power pole and damaged part of a residential cinder block wall at North Vincent Avenue and East Queenside Dr.

Los Angeles County Firefighters we’re dispatched around 1:49 p.m.

The driver of the crashed vehicle was unresponsive. CPR was being performed, according to the California Highway Patrol.

It is unclear if the driver died from crash injuries, or from a medical emergency which led to the crash.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

VINCENT - A likely cooking fire caused an estimated $100,000 in damage to the building at a shuttered school in unincorporated Covina early Friday, a Sheriff’s sergeant said.

Firefighters discovered one building at the site, 16209 E. San Bernardino Rd., fully involved with flames just before 2 a.m. April 9, according to Dispatch Supervisor Michael Pittman with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

“The captain said the fire appeared to have started in one of the classrooms along the east side,” according to Sgt. Pete Shupe of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station.

Evidence at the scene indicates a cooking fire started by squatters inside the classroom grew out of control, according to a report Shupe read.

One firefighter received minor injuries and was taken to an area hospital to be checked, Pittman told SGV CityWatch.

The building is on the former Griswold school site.

Firefighters reported flames were knocked down at 2:41 a.m., Pittman told SGV CityWatch.

VINCENT - A green, hinged box wrapped in tape was completely benign, a Sheriff’s lieutenant said Thursday.

The military-style box was found sitting next to a resident’s vehicle in the 16000 block of East Bridger Street in the unincorporated community of Vincent around 10:43 p.m.

Initially, SGV CityWatch was told the Sheriff’s Arson/Explosives Detail was called to the scene.

Arson/Explosives technicians were never called after all, according to Lt. Mark Skaggs of the San Dimas Sheriff’s Station.

The box may have come from a nearby construction site.

VINCENT - A worried resident found a green box with tape wrapped around it near his parked vehicle Wednesday night, prompting a response by bomb squad technicians.

The Sheriff’s Arson Explosives/Detail was called to the 16000 block of East Bridger Street around 10:43 p.m. The item is a small, hinged, green box, according to Lt. Elisabeth Sachs of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station.

The box has a military look to it, Sachs said.

San Dimas deputies are awaiting the arrival of Arson/Explosives technicians to examine the box.

Near the scene is a construction site and it is unknown if the box is connected to the construction.

Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor

VINCENT - Sheriff’s deputies and Covina Police searched for a reported man with a rifle seen walking towards Gladstone High School Thursday morning, but no one was found.
 
A passerby saw what they believed was a man carrying a scoped rifle on Tudor Street east of Lark Ellen Avenue around 8:47 a.m., according to Sgt. Mark Skaggs of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station.
 
The lockdowns have since been lifted.
 
“Because of the proximity of Gladstone High School, Covina PD was called and Gladstone High School was placed on lockdown,” Skaggs said.
 
The suspect was seen exiting a light-colored sedan, Skaggs said.
 
The suspect was walking eastbound to Enid Street and Gladstone High School, said Lt. Trevor Gaumer of the Covina Police Department.
 
Out of an abundance of caution, Gladstone was placed on lockdown and officers spent 45 minutes searching the campus to ensure the suspect did not gain access, Gaumer said.
 
Gladstone High School was apparently conducting student registration when the lockdown occurred.
 
Nearby Alice M. Ellington Elementary School, 5034 N. Clydebank Ave., was also placed on temporary lockdown, according to Azusa Unified School District officials.
 
San Dimas deputies ended their search without a suspect found roughly one hour after being called.