Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A neighborhood was on locked down Tuesday as officers searched for as many as two burglary suspects, police said.

Search focused on the 1600 block of East Doublegrove Street October 1. A confirmed burglary took place at a residence on the corner of East Autumn Drive and Doublegrove, according to Lt. Tim Rodgers of the West Covina Police Department.

Officers were first called to the home at 4:30 p.m. Officers reported seeing two people fleeing the area. Officers were unable to find any suspects, Rodgers told SGV CityWatch.

It was not immediately clear what was taken from the home.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A 22-year-old gang member was arrested March 19, accused of a number of charges after initially trying to elude authorities in a vehicle stolen from a dealership he allegedly also burglarized, police said.

The vehicle had yet to be reported stolen, taken from a La Puente dealership. Officers pursued the driver, who is also a parolee-at-large, until he crashed into a tree and ran, according to Sgt. Chris Palaganas of the West Covina Police Department.

Authorities attempted to stop the driver at Temple Avenue and Del Valle Avenue for a vehicle code violation March 19 around 2:03 a.m.

The driver disabled the vehicle after striking a tree at South Glendora Avenue and West Spruce Street in West Covina. He fled for a short distance on foot. He received some injuries from the vehicle’s airbags which deployed during the crash, Palaganas told SGV CityWatch.

The suspect was taken into custody and booked on suspicion of providing a fake name to officers, felony evading, driving a stolen vehicle, and possession of drug paraphernalia, Palaganas told SGV CityWatch.

Industry deputies are handling the dealership burglary, Palaganas told SGV CityWatch.

WEST COVINA – A Long Beach man will have his day in court December 6, accused of fleeing a business after committing a burglary, only to cause a crash that eventually killed one person.

Luis Alberto Banuelos, 32, was behind the wheel when he crashed at Sunset Avenue and Cameron Avenue around 9:10 p.m. December 1. Banuelos was booked on suspicion of DUI, assault with a deadly weapon and hit and run causing injury, according to the West Covina Police Department.

After the crash, witnesses saw three suspect fleeing the scene. Officers caught Banuelos after a search.

One person injured in the crash died after being hospitalized, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Banuelos is being held in lieu of $50,000 ahead of an appearance in the West Covina courthouse, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Investigators are still seeking the two unidentified suspects. Anyone with information on this crash is urged to call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8653.

WEST COVINA – Police announced Wednesday the arrests of two men accused of a committing multiple robberies and burglaries in the San Gabriel Valley.

Brandon Cerda, a 35-year-old El Monte man, and Rolando Perez, a 39-year-old Covina man, were arrested and booked on suspicion of robbery, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Perez was arrested January 5, Cerda was arrested January 4, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

“Detectives believe the two were committing these crimes together using two different vehicles, a white Porsche Cayenne and a white Chevrolet Silverado. The vehicles have already been located by detectives and processed for evidence,” according to the West Covina Police Department in a written statement.

Cerda pleaded not guilty to two counts of robbery and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court case summary. He is scheduled for another appearance at the West Covina courthouse February 24.

Perez pleaded no contest January 6 to one charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He faced others charges, including receiving stolen property and being a felon in possession of ammunition and has since been sentenced to state prison, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court case summary.

Anyone who may have been a victim of this duo is urged to call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8688.

WEST COVINA – Two men stole a 5-foot-tall, 200-pound safe from a home July 1, West Covina Police announced.

The safe containing firearms, ammunition and personal documents, was taken after the suspects broke through a rear sliding door at a home around 8:40 p.m., according to the West Covina Police Department.

The safe is a Heritage model. It has a 14-gun capacity, is dark gray or black, features the factory sticker on the door, a number keypad and a five-spoke handle, according to the West Covina Police Department.

The crime was caught on camera.

Both suspects appeared dressed in light-colored clothing, had hoods over their heads and wore dark gloves. One suspect appeared to wear dark-colored shoes.

The suspects fled in what is believed to be a dark-colored, four-door car.

Anyone with information on this burglary is urged to call West Covina Police Detective Loyola at 626-939-8500, or call the West Covina Police watch commander at 626-939-8556.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Two thieves were arrested early Sunday after ripping an entire ATM from a West Covina bank and leading police on a chase into Azusa.

With a commercial flatbed truck and chains, Charles Fettel, 35, and Raymond Loftin, 36, ripped a standalone ATM from the chase bank, 455 N. Azusa Ave., around 1:34 a.m. March 21. After seeing the ATM had been yanked from its spot at the bank, officers followed a debris trail and found a destroyed ATM and an abandoned flatbed truck, according to the west Covina Police Department.

While conducting an area search, officers attempted to pull over a suspicious vehicle, but the driver refused to stop. He and his passenger fled officers to a business area on South Dugan Avenue in Azusa, according to the West Covina Police Department.

After colliding into a fence, the driver and his passenger fled on foot.

Officers from West Covina, Azusa and Irwindale searched for the suspects, according to reports from the scene. Both suspects, who are San Bernardino residents, were eventually found. They were booked on suspicion of burglary and grand theft.

Fettel is Being held in lieu of $75,000 bail. Loftin is being held on a no-bail warrant, the West Covina Police Department said.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

​WEST COVINA - A man accused of breaking into a bowling alley Saturday night was caught near the scene of the crime, a West Covina police sergeant said.

The suspect accused of burglarizing Bowlero, 675 S. Glendora Ave., surrendered without further incident after being caught near the business. Officers first responded to the scene around 8:45 p.m., according to Lt. Tony Cortina of the West Covina Police Department.

Cortina did not know the method of entry, but did say that some items were potentially taken from the bowling alley, possibly from the pro shop.

A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s helicopter was called to assist with securing the location due to the business’ size, Cortina told SGV CityWatch.

The suspect was on foot when he was caught.

Officers do not believe that there are any outstanding suspects, Cortina told SGV CityWatch.

WEST COVINA – Two burglary suspects were arrested and a third suspect is outstanding after the latter attempted to carjack a hospital employee April 13.

Officers, responding to an unspecified location for a burglary investigation, pursued the suspects who refused to stop around 4:35 a.m. Monday, according to the West Covina Police Department.

The suspects abandoned their vehicle and fled on foot in the 14000 block of Donaldale Avenue in La Puente. While officers were setting a containment, one suspect attempted a carjacking, West Covina Police said.

WEST COVINA - Two men were hospitalized after being stabbed while attempting to interrupt a vehicle burglary, police said.

Police learned of the stabbing after responding to a local hospital to investigate two stabbing victims. There was apparently a struggle between the men and the suspect who stabbed both of them, West Covina Police said.

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.