Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A driver allegedly wanted for equipment violations led police on a pursuit and barricaded himself for several hours inside of his vehicle, police said.

Officers originally attempted to stop the driver, Marcelo Patricio Carrillo, 38, for allegedly driving without headlights in the area of Azusa Avenue and Vine Street February 6 just before 11:30 p.m.

The pursuit took surface streets north into the city of Azusa.

Carrillo allegedly struck a parked vehicle at the end of the pursuit and refused to exit his vehicle. West Covina officers, with assistance from the Covina and Azusa Police Departments, surrounded Carrillo’s vehicle and negotiated with him to surrender.

Carrillo allegedly kept a firearm on his lap throughout the standoff, Rodgers told SGV CityWatch.

Officers even used Carrillo’s mother who pleaded with him over a bull horn to surrender peacefully, but the suspect did not listen.

Flash bang grenades and tear gas were used and Carrillo was flushed out and arrested. He was booked on suspicion of evading a peace officer, reckless evading and carrying a loaded firearm in public, Rodgers told SGV CityWatch.

Carrillo was finally removed from the vehicle around 2:30 a.m.

Carrillo is scheduled to appear in the West Covina courthouse February 8.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - An attempted murder and carjacking suspect is being held without bail after a brief chase October 6.

Quentin Marcus Barringer, a 19-year-old Los Angeles man, was caught after escaping police on foot.

Officers initially tried to stop Barringer for reported vehicle code violations around 12:41 p.m. Friday at Valley Boulevard and South Nogales Street, according to Lt.

After a brief vehicle chase, Barringer fled on foot into a neighborhood in the 2600 block of East Highcastle Street. Some residents were evacuated during a search, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Barringer is being held without bail at the Inmate Reception Center in Los Angeles ahead of a scheduled appearance in the West Covina Courthouse October 10.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Three suspects were caught in West Covina August 18, allegedly found with a handgun, cutting tools and seven catalytic converters.

A resident confronted three men who were reportedly taking his catalytic converter in the early morning hours in the 1100 block of East Foothill Boulevard in Upland. One of the suspects allegedly brandished a firearm and threatened to kill the resident, according to the Upland Police Department.

The suspects fled in a Dodge Charger Hellcat, but were located by responding officers at Foothill Boulevard and Vineyard Avenue. The driver refused to stop and fled westbound on the I-10 freeway.

The suspects fled into West Covina where the driver lost control while exiting the freeway and crashed. The suspects briefly fled on foot, but were captured. One suspect even climbed a tree to elude capture, but an Upland PD K9 convinced him otherwise.

“The vehicle turned out to be stolen, had battery powered saws, and 7 catalytic converters inside. All three were booked on multiple felonies with bail enhancements,” according to the Upland Police Department in a written statement.

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.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WHITTIER - A high-speed freeway pursuit in West Covina that took to surface streets ended with the rider surrendering to California Highway Patrol officers early Friday morning.

A CHP officer attempted to pull over the rider for excessive speed on the I-10 freeway at Pacific Avenue just after 4:30 a.m. January 27. The rider refused to stop and took off westbound, eventually exiting onto Puente Avenue, according to California Highway Patrol radio broadcasts.

After a very brief stint on surface streets along Merced Avenue and Baldwin Park Boulevard, sometimes doing 90 miles per hour, the rider entered eastbound on the I-10 freeway and then quickly exited, only to go westbound again.

The pursuit made a brief appearance in El Monte on Garvey Avenue and Durfee Avenue, where the suspect entered the southbound 605 freeway all the way into the Whittier area.

After escaping to surface streets in the Whittier area, the rider decided to stop and surrendered to officers in the area of Slauson Avenue and Norwalk Boulevard.

WEST COVINA – Police recovered a vehicle stolen out of San Gabriel November 1 after the driver escaped first during a pursuit and after fleeing on foot.

Officers received a notification from the city’s Flock Safety camera network around 8 p.m. Officers located the stolen Mercedes S58 and attempted a traffic stop, but the suspect refused, according to West Covina Police Community Relations Officer Alexus Napoles.

Much of the suspect search concentrated in the area of North Homerest Avenue and East Workman Avenue.

“A containment was set up and the area was checked, but the suspect was not located,” Napoles told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA – A suspect was booked on suspicion of felony domestic battery, forced oral copulation felony evading and resisting arrest in a string of crimes ending with a lengthy barricade.

Raul Sanchez, a 45-year-old West Covina man refused to stop for officers when they attempted to pull him over July 12. He was accused of battery and attempted rape in the 200 block of North Broadmoor Avenue, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Officers were dispatched to the neighborhood around 9:11 p.m.. Officers were told Sanchez was armed with a handgun. Officers located Sanchez as he was driving in the area, but he refused to stop and led police on a pursuit.

The chase scurried along several SoCal freeways, including the I-10, 710 and 105 freeways, and surface streets in West Covina, Whitter and Inglewood.

Sanchez returned to the 200 block of North Broadmoor and collided with the rear of a parked vehicle. Officers boxed in Sanchez who attempted to free the jammed vehicle by accelerating in reverse, kicking up sparks and smoke.

“The suspect made threats that he had a gun and was not giving up. The suspect refused to exit the vehicle and West Covina SWAT team was deployed. The suspect was taken into custody at approximately 2:25 am after the deployment of chemical agents and a police K9,” according to the West Covina Police Department in a written statement.

Sanchez was booked at the West Covina Jail and is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.

“The suspect did not possess a gun on his person when he was taken into custody. It is not known yet if there is a gun in the vehicle. The vehicle was towed and taken back to the police station and will be searched by detectives in the near future,” according to the West Covina Police Department in a written statement.

WEST COVINA – Two men were arrested, accused of attempting to steal a tailgate from a Toyota pickup truck June 8, the West Covina Police Department said.

Arrested were Anthony Yuban Venegas, 26, and James Michael Aguirre, 31. Venegas was arrested and booked on suspicion of felony reckless evading, attempted grand theft and receiving stolen property. Aguirre was booked on suspicion of attempted grand theft and grand theft, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court records.

Two suspects were spotted around 1:44 a.m. in the area of Cameron Avenue and Lark Ellen Avenue by a patrol officer. The men fled into a vehicle and led officers on a brief pursuit along surface streets until crashing into some shrubbery in City of Industry, according to Alexus Napoles, community relations officer with the West Covina Police Department.

Both suspects, later identified as Venegas and Aguirre, fled the crash, but officers found them and arrested them.

Officers discovered a tailgate taken from somewhere else, tucked inside the crashed vehicle, according to the West Covina Police Department.

“Both suspects were also wanted out of Orange County and had felony warrants for their arrest,” according to the West Covina Police Department.

Venegas is being held without bail. His next scheduled appearance in the West Covina courthouse is June 21, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Aguirre is being held in lieu of $65,000 bail. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the West Covina courthouse September 8, according to Los Angeles County booking records.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - A U-Haul truck was recovered after the driver finally surrendered at the end of a pursuit and crash at Dodger Stadium Thursday.

Officers attempted to stop the driver of a U-Haul truck after locating at Workman Avenue and Azusa Avenue around 1:40 a.m. December 23. Officers were notified of the stolen vehicle through the city’s flock camera system, according to the West Covina Police Department.

The driver refused to stop and led police on a chase to Dodger Stadium where the driver crashed.

“The suspect barricaded himself inside of the vehicle and refused to comply with officers' commands. However, after a substantial amount of time the officers were able to get the driver into custody without incident,” according to the West Covina Police Department in a written statement.

The suspect’s name was not given.

WEST COVINA – Traffic is flowing again after a motorcyclist from La Puente crashed into another vehicle and died at the end of a high-speed pursuit Wednesday morning.
 
The unidentified rider who was traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour refused to stop for CHP officers conducting a construction crew protection operation on the I-10 freeway in the Pomona area around 1 a.m. August 18, according to Officer Rodrigo Jimenez of the California Highway Patrol.
 
The rider sped past the CHP from the I-10 westbound near Kellogg Drive. Officers caught up to the rider near Azusa Avenue.
 
The rider entered surface streets on West Covina Parkway and fled south on Glendora Avenue when officers lost sight of him, Jimenez told SGV CityWatch.
 
The rider reportedly ran a red light and broad-sided a Toyota Camry occupied by a 35-year-old female driver and 40-year-old male passenger in the No. 2 lane of Glendora Avenue at Merced Avenue, Jimenez told SGV CityWatch.
 
The rider died at the scene. The driver and passenger in the Camry were taken to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.
 
The CHP Multidisciplinary Accident Investigation Team is investigating the fatal crash. West Covina Police assisted with traffic control and the West Covina Fire Department rendered aid at the scene, Jimenez told SGV CityWatch.