 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - The 12-year-old boy who claimed two men tried to kidnap him while he walked to school admitted to making the story up. During the investigation, detectives determined the incident did not occur. Detectives then interviewed the boy who admitted to fabricating the story, West Covina Police said in a written statement. The 12-year-old alleged he was followed by a man in a black Mercedes as he walked to Traweek Middle School the morning of September 5. The boy alleged the driver tried to lure him into the car when a man on a bicycle arrived and tried to force him inside.
Police investigated two possibly-related incidents September 4. One incident police determined was not an attempted kidnapping. The victim and the caller could not be located in the second incident, West Covina Police said. “The West Covina Police Department wants the public to know that we have no evidence that leads us to believe there is anyone driving around the schools attempting to lure students into vehicles. The West Covina Police always encourages the public and students to be aware as they walk throughout the city and if possible walk in pairs,” West Covina Police said.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Detectives are investigating the attempted kidnapping of a middle school student September 5.
A 12-year-old boy at Traweek Middle School, 1941 E. Rowland Ave., reported the attempted kidnapping at 7:20 a.m. A man in a newer four-door black Mercedes approached the boy while he walked to school. Another man on a bicycle attempted to force the boy in the car, according to the West Covina Police Department. The two suspects fled in unknown directions. The student was uninjured. Detectives are attempting to link two possibly-related incidents from September 4. At 1:18 p.m. Wednesday, a man tried to lure a 10-year-old girl into his vehicle at Workman Avenue and Lark Ellen Avenue. At 3:06 p.m., a man in a black sedan was witnessed following a girl also near Lark Ellen and Workman, West Covina Police said. The driver in the September 5 incident is described as a white man, 20 to 30 years old. He wore sun glasses and a dark shirt. The suspect on the bicycle is described as a Hispanic man in his 20s. He wore a ski mask and a black hooded sweatshirt. Anyone with suspect information is urged to call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8688.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Two men were arrested on suspicion of murder after being detained during a SWAT operation in La Verne, West Covina Police announced. Elijah Thomas Rouse, an 18-year-old La Verne man, and Shaun Cardarelli, a 37-year-old San Gabriel man, are being held in lieu of $1 million bail. Evidence collected during the search warrant served in La Verne August 27 led investigators to believe the disappearance of John Aguila is connected to a burning body found in Upland Friday. San Bernardino County Firefighters responded to the San Antonio Heights area for a small brush fire near North Mountain Avenue and Euclid Avenue August 23 around 3:30 a.m. The body was located while flames were being extinguished. The burned body has yet to be positively identified.
Aguila, 28, was last seen and heard from August 22 around 4:30 p.m. His abandoned car was found in San Dimas August 23 — bloodied gloves and clothing found within. A motive for the killing is either unknown or has yet to be publicly disclosed. Rouse and Cardarelli are scheduled to appear in Pomona Superior Court August 29.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A man in his 70s was pulled from the water of a mobile home complex pool Monday and died at the scene of a likely accidental drowning, police said. Police and West Covina firefighters were called to the 3000 block of Valley Boulevard for a reported drowning August 26 around 7:51 p.m. The victim was described as having little swimming experience, according to Sgt. Huston Clements of the West Covina Police Department. The victim was identified as 75-year-old Derek Tejung Lai of West Covina, according to Lt. Larry Dietz of the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
The death appears to be accidental, but an autopsy has yet to be performed. A relative was present during the drowning and had great difficulty pulling Lai out, Clements said. Clements was unsure if Lai was a resident of the mobile home complex where he drowned. 
VIDEO/Courtesy of West Covina Police.
Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor
WEST COVINA - Police released video of a person of interest seen leaving a San Dimas neighborhood after abandoning the car of a missing person.
The car was found Friday, August 23 -- one day after John Brian Mananghaya Aguila was last heard from by family members. Bloodied gloves and clothing were found during a search after the vehicle was impounded, West Covina Police said in a written statement. The driver of the 2017 Honda Civic was determined to not be Aguila.
Fingerprints obtained from the car allowed investigators to identify a person of interest.
Three people in a La Verne apartment complex in the 1400 block of Third Street were detained during a search warrant issued by the West Covina Police SWAT team. It is unclear if any of the three detainees are under arrest. Anyone who has information on any suspects, or who knows Aguila’s whereabouts is urged to contact the West Covina Police at 626-939-8557, or leave an anonymous message on a recorded line at 626-939-8688.  PHOTO/Courtesy of the West Covina Police Department. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor LA VERNE - A missing persons investigation led West Covina detectives to La Verne Tuesday where three people of interest were detained, police said.
John Brian Mananghaya Aguila, 28, has not been seen or heard from since August 22 at 4:30 p.m. He failed to show up to work and his being gone is out of character, West Covina Police said in a written statement. Aguila’s 2017 Honda Civic was found abandoned in San Dimas Friday, August 23. It was searched after being impounded and bloody gloves and clothing were found within, West Covina Police said. Surveillance footage showed the Civic was parked in San Dimas by a male determined to not be Aguila. The driver walked away from the car. Fingerprints collected from the Civic helped identify a person of interest. The West Covina Police SWAT team served a search warrant at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of Third Street in San Dimas August 27 around 8:30 a.m. Aguila was not inside the apartment unit, West Covina Police said. It is unclear if any of the three detainees are under arrest. Anyone who has information on any suspects, or who knows Aguila’s whereabouts is urged to contact the West Covina Police at 626-939-8557, or leave an anonymous message on a recorded line at 626-939-8688.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA – A resident was tied up, her mouth taped and her home ransacked by four masked men early Friday. The home invasion robbery occurred in the 3400 block of South Flemington Drive around 1:30 a.m. August 16. A sledge hammer was used to break a rear sliding glass door, according to Lt. Michelle Figueroa of the West Covina Police Department. Figueroa did not immediately know what, if anything, was taken. Detectives are still determining the loss.
The resident was apparently uninjured during the robbery. Figueroa did not have a detailed description of the four suspects or a possible vehicle involved. Anyone with information on possible suspects is urged to call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8500.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Industry Station deputies arrested Thursday the suspect wanted on suspicion of burglarizing a little league snack bar in May, West Covina Police announced. The unidentified suspect was arrested August 1. A speaker and $500 in cash were taken from the snack bar at the Eric Fuentes Memorial Field at Cortez Park, 2441 E. Cortez Ave. between 10 p.m. May 19 and 5 p.m. May 20, according to the West Covina Police Department. West Covina American Little League volunteer Freddie Soltero reached out to CityWatch in May about the burglary. He said a WCALL coach discovered a metal roll-up door was ajar, a chair propped under the window. The coach discovered the speaker and cash were missing.
After West Covina Police published a surveillance video screenshot of the suspect, two people identified him. Despite suspect booking information being public record, Lt. Jeff Munn of the West Covina Police Department deferred identification of the suspect to the detective handling the case.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Sheriff’s deputies have taken a possible criminal threats suspect into custody after the driver stopped at West Covina Plaza. The driver evaded Industry deputies into West Covina just after 10 p.m. The pursuit continued slowly onto Lakes Drive from Vincent Avenue. The driver stopped briefly and appeared to be giving up, but continued to drive until he finally surrendered near Regal Edwards Theater. The suspect finally surrendered without further incident.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A helicopter helped police search for a man described as a wanted felon who ran from them Friday night. The unidentified suspect fled officers during a traffic stop in the area of Cameron Avenue and Azusa Avenue around 9:30 p.m. July 13, according to Lt. Jeff Munn of the West Covina Police Department.
Munn declined to specify who the wanted felon is, what he was wanted for or even why officers initiated a traffic stop. No other suspects were outstanding. |
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