Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

VINCENT - Law enforcement determined there was never a credible threat against students of a Covina-Valley Unified School Wednesday after being made aware of a social media threat Tuesday night.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station informed district officials of “an individual’s social media post regarding a non-specific online threat” to Manzanita Elementary School, according to an email obtained by SGV CityWatch.

The school is located at 4131 N. Nora Ave. in the unincorporated area of Vincent.

San Dimas deputies performed patrols of the campus during the morning drop-off.

This reporter headed to the school in the Noon hour and observed deputies continuing their patrols to the front and rear of the campus.

What the social media threat stated has not been publicly shared.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

VINCENT - A woman between 20 and 30 years old allegedly armed with a large metal object is considered stable, but in critical condition after being shot by a deputy Saturday morning.

The woman was seen by multiple witnesses as she swung the metal object, described as a large pipe wrench, at passing motorists and vandalized vehicles in the area of North Vincent Avenue and East Cypress Street around at 10 a.m. November 26.

A deputy, called to the scene, saw the woman walking in the middle of the street armed with the pipe.

“As the female approached the patrol unit, she shattered the rear window of the vehicle with the pipe wrench. The female suspect then charged toward the deputy and a deputy involved shooting occurred,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement.

The pipe wrench was recovered at the scene.

A civilian SUV was found with two shattered windows on Vincent Avenue just south of the crime scene. At least one other vehicle also suffered a shattered windshield near the intersection where the deputy shooting occurred.

A resident who asked that her name not be used witnessed some of the commotion as the suspect swung the wrench pipe at passing motorists. One driver was reportedly forced to drive northbound in southbound lanes to avoid their vehicle being struck.

One pedestrian familiar with the resident said the suspect threatened her with the wrench pipe.

A mess of bloodied cloth, the suspect’s shoes, evidence markers and the pipe wrench were scattered about the asphalt.

It is unclear if the suspect suffered from mental issues, or was under the influence.

LOS ANGELES – The 19-year-old suspect wanted in connection with a shooting that left two men dead and two other wounded surrendered November 10.

Joel Daniel Garcia surrendered at 11:35 a.m. to U.S. Customs and Border Control in Otay Mesa.

Garcia was transferred to the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit. He was booked at the Sheriff’s Norwalk Station at 7:18 p.m., according to Los Angeles County booking records.

As of Thursday he is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Norwalk Station. He is scheduled to appear at the Pomona courthouse November 14.

VINCENT - A man reportedly armed with a black semi-automatic handgun robbed a 7-Eleven in the early morning hours of Saturday, July 9.

The robbery occurred after 3:30 a.m. at the 7-Eleven, 15942 E. San Bernardino Rd. The suspect reportedly took cash during the robbery. He was last seen fleeing on foot southbound from the 7-Eleven, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station radio traffic.

It is unclear if the suspect ran to a vehicle, or some other type of transportation.

​The suspect was described as a black man 35 to 40 years old. He stood 6 feet tall, he was dressed in all dark clothing and had a thin build.

VINCENT - The at-fault driver who reportedly made an unsafe exit onto Arrow Highway was airlifted to a trauma center after being extricated from his vehicle, the California Highway Patrol said.

The crash occurred in the 800 block of Arrow Highway March 7 around 2:20 p.m. in Unincorporated Azusa.

The driver, listed as a 32-year-old Azusa man, exited south in a Honda Accord from a 7-Eleven driveway onto Arrow and in the path of another driver, according to Officer Rodrigo Jimenez of the California Highway Patrol Baldwin Park Office.

The 19-year-old driver of a Lexus IS 250 swerved, but still crashed into the left side of the Honda, Jimenez told SGV CityWatch.

Firefighters extricated the Honda driver and he was transported by helocopter to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, a level 1 trauma center.

Due to his injuries, the Honda driver has yet to face charges, Jimenez told SGV CityWatch.

The driver of the Lexus was relatively uninjured.

VINCENT – No one was injured and no residents were impacted after a large fire gutted a building at an abandoned school early Tuesday.

Los Angeles County Fire Department arson investigators are assisting Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputies in determining the cause of the fire at the former Tri-Community Adult School, 16209 E. San Bernardino Rd., according to Cpt. Ron Haralson, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Firefighters were dispatched at 2:43 a.m. and once on scene saw heavy smoke and fire. The fire heavily damaged the cafeteria portion of the school, Haralson told SGV CityWatch.

More than 100 firefighters, including West Covina firefighters, battled the blaze.

Heavy equipment was summoned to break open the walls and roof of the cafeteria to better apply water and foam. No other areas of the school were destroyed, Haralson told SGV CityWatch.

San Bernardino Road between Irwindale Avenue and Vincent Avenue has been closed off for fire personnel and investigators to continue working on scene, which may be well into the morning, Haralson told SGV CityWatch.

The cause remains under investigation.

A building at the abandoned school was subject to an estimated $100,000 in damage April 9 when a possible transient cooking fire ignited in a classroom, authorities said in a previous interview.

A firefighter was injured in the April 9 fire.

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 - Three dozen drivers and pedestrians were cited September 23 in a safety enforcement operation in unincorporated Vincent.

The operation took place at Lark Ellen Avenue and Gladstone Street, where CHP officers focused on motorists and pedestrians who failed to yield the right-of-way, or made unsafe and illegal actions, according to California Highway Patrol Baldwin Park Office Public Information Officer Rodrigo Jimenez.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

VINCENT - A man is recuperating after being shot in his left hand early Tuesday morning.

Deputies were called to a local hospital August 18 after the shooting took place. The man reported being shot in the area of Cypress Street and Lark Ellen Avenue around 2:30 a.m. August 18, according to Lt. Ed Mackenzie of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station.

The man was walking with a friend when when a black 90s BMW drove by. One of the group of people inside the car opened fire, Mackenzie told SGV CityWatch.

The people inside the BMW were only described as Hispanic males.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
​CityWatch Editor

​VINCENT - Deputies seek two men, one armed with a handgun, who robbed a dispensary early Monday.

The suspects took an unknown amount of money and marijuana product from the dispensary at 16731 Arrow Hwy. at 5:45 a.m. August 19, according to Sgt. McGrattan of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s San Dimas Station.

The business is listed as Azusa’s Finest.

“There’s very little information. Marijuana dispensaries generally don’t like to draw attention to themselves,” McGrattan said.

No vehicle was seen.

Two Hispanic men, one in his 20s and one in his 30s fled the location.

Although McGrattan said an unknown amount of money was taken, a preliminary crime broadcast stated $2,000 was taken along with product and a cell phone.