Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - An operation carried out through through the month of June and the first week of July yielded a treasure trove of illegal fireworks, an unregistered firearm and the arrest of one Fullerton man, police said Thursday.

In all, 9000 pounds of illegal fireworks were seized during four different operations. In one operation, investigators discovered 8000 pounds of illegal mortar style fireworks, found in a home in the 1300 block of Sherway Avenue during a search warrant, according to the West Covina Police Department.

At the Sherway Avenue operation, Timothy Tillman, a 43-year-old Fullerton man, was arrested at the scene. He was booked into the West Covina Jail on felony charges related to the possession and intent to distribute illegal fireworks.

“The West Covina Police Department and WCFD remind the public that all fireworks are illegal in the City of West Covina, and their use poses a serious risk to community safety. These efforts are part of a citywide initiative to prevent injuries, fires, and property damage during the holiday season,” according to the West Covina Police Department in a written statement.

For more information or to report illegal fireworks, call the West Covina Police Department non-emergency line at 626-939-8500.

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Two Los Angeles men were charged with one count each of murder in the January 17 slaying of a La Puente man.

Sonny Ruiz, 23, and Drygani Gonzalez, 24, were arrested May 2 by West Covina Police detectives in the killing of Michael Varela, 24, according to the West Covina Police Department.

READ THE ORIGINAL STORY>>>

Varela died at a hospital.

Ruiz and Gonzalez are being held without bail in the Men’s Central Jail in Los Angeles ahead of a scheduled appearance in Pomona Superior Court May 8.

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The arrest records in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The persons named in this article have only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - An unknown number of suspects took off with a trailer full of camping gear that was parked outside a home February 21.

The suspects used the cover of night, having pulled the trailer up and over the chocks after cutting the lock in the area of South Lark Ellen Avenue and East Walnut Creek Parkway, according to owner Kristin Sauceda, whose son is in the Boy Scouts.

The trailer was taken between 10:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m.

“It had all of the troops camping gear and supplies as well as food since we were getting ready to go on a camping trip this weekend,” Sauceda told SGV CityWatch.

An estimated $20,000 in gear was stolen, which includes tents, custom made patrol boxes which hold all of the scouts cooking supplies, $1000 worth of groceries, tables, easy ups, camp stoves, propane, Dutch ovens, a Dutch oven table, a mini smoker and other miscellaneous supplies, Sauceda told SGV CityWatch.

The trailer was not even parked for 12 hours before it was stolen. Security cameras would normally have captured the theft, but they were temporarily down due to construction and neighbors’ cameras could not capture anything, Sauceda told SGV CityWatch.

Anyone with information on this theft can call the West Covina Police Department at 626-939-8500.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Police are close to wrapping up the scene of a shooting in an alleyway between residences and a strip mall Friday night.

The shooting took place near the 200 block of South Bandy Avenue.

Callers reported the shooting around 5:56 p.m. January 31. Bullets struck a wall, according to Lt. Matt Nelson of the West Covina Police Department.

Opposite of the homes are businesses along Glendora Avenue, including The Detail Hub, Elevate Barbershops and Tina’s Tavern.

Notifications were made to area hospitals for any gunshot victims, but no victims have been reported. Bullet fragments have been recovered, Nelson told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Three suspects implicated in a November 2024 double shooting were arrested, the West Covina Police Department announced recently.

Keyon Wilkes, a 23-year-old La Puente man, Johnny Pardo, a 33-year-old West Covina man and Michael Turner, a 45-year-old Gardena man, are accused of a shooting at Tina’s Tavern, 328 S. Glendora Ave. November 9.

Turner was arrested November 9. Wilkes was arrested December 12. Pardo was arrested January 18, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Turner was officially charged with one count of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm. He pleaded not guilty January 21, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

Wilkes was charged with one count of assault on a person with a semiautomatic firearm, and two special allegations of use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

Wilkes posted bond January 17 and was released.

Pardo’s case is still under review by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Pardo posted bond and was released January 19.

A reported argument led to the shooting which occurred around 11:30 p.m. November 9. First responders arrived to one victim wounded in a parking lot, another was found inside the bar.

Both men wounded men were conscious while being loaded into ambulances. A white sedan was towed from the scene as evidence.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A man hospitalized after being shot late Friday night died from his wounds, police said.

The victim was found shot in the 600 block of South Sunset Avenue. First responders were sent to the scene around 9:13 p.m., according to the west Covina Police Department.

It is not immediately clear if the victim was shot at the location or perhaps dropped off there.

No suspects are in custody.

Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call the West Covina Police Department Tip Line at 626-939-8688. 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

WEST COVINA - A Covina High School student was robbed in broad daylight Tuesday.

The girl was robbed of a gold necklace by a suspect described as a 16-year-old Latino male. The robbery happened around 3:11 p.m. January 14, according to Lt. Brian Daniels of the West Covina Police Department.

The robbery occurred near West Rowland Street and South Armel Drive. The teen suspect was last seen running northbound on Armel Drive, Daniels told SGV CityWatch.

The teen suspect was described as wearing a black and gray puffer jacket and black pants, according to an email alert sent by Covina High School officials.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A La Puente man is facing assault with a deadly weapon charges and more, accused of unloading a handgun during a reported road rage incident.

Javier Arturo Ramirez was officially charged with one count of shooting at an inhabited vehicle, two counts of assault with a firearm on a person, and three felony enhancements, according to Los Angeles Superior Court records.

Ramirez pleaded not guilty November 14.

Ramirez, 21, is accused of shooting at another driver and at a passenger during what is described as a road rage shooting in West Covina November 8. The shooting occurred in the 300 block of South Azusa Avenue just before 10 p.m.

Both victims were uninjured, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Ramirez was located and arrested in Pomona November 10.

Ramirez is being held without bail ahead of another scheduled appearance in West Covina Superior Court Thursday December 12.

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The arrest record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Arrest information is public record and was distributed by government sources. The person named in this article has only been arrested on suspicion of the crime(s) listed and is presumed innocent.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - After several hours of negotiations, a man was smoked out of a home November 12, after he attempted to blow up the residence.

During negotiations, the suspect allegedly pointed a handgun at officers from within the home, according to the West Covina Police Department.

First responders were called to the 700 block of North Broadmoor Avenue to a reported fire alarm call just before 1:30 a.m. The suspect within stated he wanted to burn his home down.

“When officers arrived, the male subject, who was outside, quickly entered the residence. As officers approached the location they smelled an odor of gas and something burning. When officers attempted to make contact with the male, officers observed the subject walk up to a window and point a firearm at them,” according to the West Covina Police Department in a written statement.

The West Covina SWAT Team responded, as well as a crisis negotiation team. Officers determined the suspect was alone in the residence, according to the West Covina Police Department.

A search warrant was written. As negotiations continued to go nowhere, tear gas was propelled into the home. Suspect Michael Samaniego, 40, was arrested and booked on suspicion of assault on a peace officer with a firearm and resisting an officer by use of force, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Samaniego is being held without bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in West Covina Superior Court November 14.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A reported argument led to a shooting at a popular bar late Saturday night.

The shooting unfolded at Tina’s Tavern, 328 S. Glendora Ave., around 11:30 p.m. November 9. First responders arrived to one victim wounded in a parking lot, another was found inside the bar.

Both men who were shot were conscious while being loaded into ambulances.

​Both victims were hospitalized with injuries deemed not life-threatening.

A white sedan was towed from the scene as evidence. No suspects have been arrested, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Investigators broke down the scene around 1:40 a.m.

Multiple attempts to speak with a West Covina Police supervisor were unsuccessful.

It is not publicly clear if a suspect is in custody.