Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch

WALNUT ISLANDS - Investigators are searching for anyone involved in a marijuana operation that led to a destructive residential fire Monday morning.

Roughly 400 Marijuana plants were discovered after firefighters extinguished the blaze. No one was injured and no other structures were damaged, according to Sgt. Starkly of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Walnut/Diamond Bar Station.

Firefighters were called just before 9 a.m. to the 19800 block of Florencita Drive December 12 in an unincorporated area identified as Walnut Islands.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Arson/Explosives Detail is investigating.

The home has been red-tagged, Starkey told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

LOS ANGELES - A former employee of Mt. San Antonio College has been named as the driver who struck and killed a pedestrian in a likely deliberate act.

James Milliken, 38, was placed in custody. He was booked on suspicion of murder and is being held in lieu of $2 million bail, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Milliken allegedly struck and killed Raphael Barragan near a building on the Mt. SAC campus, 1100 South Grand Ave., around 7:30 a.m. December 1. First responders found a victim suffering from trauma. He died at the scene. Milliken was detained, taken to a hospital, and later admitted, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Milliken was a part-time driver with the campus’ ACCESS program from October 2016 until his resignation in September 2021, according to Mt. SAC President William Scroggins.

A Facebook account belonging to James Milliken reveals a lengthy post in which he unloads anger at what he describes being degraded, discarded during his time as a Mt. SAC employee.

“From the very beginning I was treated with disrespect. The first incident was something most Psychologists call a microaggression; however these humiliations and deep-cutting comments said by many individuals in the workplace are only said to or about African American employees,” Milliken said in his Facebook post.

Milliken alleges an untold number of employees labeled him with the “N word.”

Milliken named Barragan as one of his aggressors.

“Dealing with this person who not only threaten me on multiple occasion [Sic]. But also convinced others to take part in the harassment and take up a threatening posture against me.

Milliken also said employees allegedly blamed him that personal items were no longer acceptable due to a bottle of lotion he placed on his desk, which caused a ban on such items, Milliken posted.

Milliken was also furious about how he was treated for growing out his hair. Some employees allegedly called him a thug.

“Losing Ralph has been heartbreaking for our campus community. The circumstances of his passing are additionally painful,” Scroggins said in a written statement.

Milliken was scheduled for a December 1 appearance in Pomona Superior Court. He is being held in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WALNUT - The president of Mount SAC identified a man Thursday who was likely killed in a deliberate collision on campus.

Ralph Barragan, 63, was first hired at Mt. San Antonio College in 2007 and spent his entire career there as a bus driver for the ACCESS program, which caters to special-needs students. He was a bus driver, shuttling special needs students around campus, according to Mt. SAC president William Scroggins.

“This is as tragic a situation as we can imagine on our campus. Our hearts and sincere condolences go out to Ralph’s family and countless friends,” Scroggins said in a written statement.

Deputies and firefighters were called to the mount sac campus, 1100 South Grand Ave., around 7:30 a.m. December 1. They found a collision: a vehicle versus pedestrian near Building 9A and found a victim suffering from trauma. He died at the scene. The driver was detained, taken to a hospital, and later admitted, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

“Everyone knew Ralph. He was always smiling, greeting staff and students by their names, and befriending everyone he met,” according to Vice President of Student Services Audrey Yamagata-Noji. “We are shocked and saddened by his passing. He will be missed, but not forgotten.”

It is not yet publicly clear if investigators have determined a motive, or have arrested the driver.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WALNUT - A pedestrian died after being targeted in a collision on the Mt. San Antonio College campus , homicide investigators said Thursday.

The driver was hospitalized and admitted, the pedestrian died. Investigators have not publicly revealed why the crash was intentional.

Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were called to Mt. SAC, 1100 S. Grand Ave., near Building 9A around 7:30 a.m. December 1.

“When deputies arrived, they located the pedestrian unresponsive and suffering from trauma. Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the pedestrian deceased at the scene,” according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in a written statement. “The driver of the vehicle was transported to a local area hospital where he was treated and subsequently admitted.
There is no threat to the campus, according to a written statement issued by Mt. SAC campus.