 Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Police and arson investigators are continuing to investigate a fire that ignited inside a boys bathroom at South Hills High School Friday afternoon.
As of Saturday morning, no arrests have been made. No one was detained the day of the fire, according to Lt. Matt Nelson of the West Covina Police Department. First responders were sent to the school, 645 S. Barranca St., around 1:50 p.m. Friday, April 12. West Covina firefighters remained on scene for a little more than two hours to determine the cause. “It was contained in the boys restroom, there was no structural damage. They were trying to figure out the cause of it, which is inconclusive at this point,” Nelson told SGV CityWatch. Students were evacuated as a precaution.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A substitute teacher is under investigation after students allege he viewed porn on his phone while on campus.
The unnamed teacher was immediately removed from the premises of Cameron Elementary School, 1225 S. Cameron Ave. School administrators notified district officials who then notified police and child welfare services, according to the West Covina Unified School District. “We understand the concern this situation may cause our students and the community. The WCUSD is dedicated to maintaining a safe, respectful and nurturing environment for all our students,” according to the West Covina Unified School District in a written statement. The investigation remains open.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - The community continues to try and make sense of the shocking loss of a 16-year-old West Covina High School student who ended her life March 27.
Samantha Vuong was found in her room, a gun used to end her life, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner. “Samantha Vuong was the sweetest, most beloved, and an amazing artistically bright 16-year-old West Covina High School student, on her junior year. Tragically on Monday morning, 3.27.2023, she passed away in her room,” according to Akura-Jade Vuong, Samantha’s older sister. The West Covina Unified School District issued a statement the morning of Vuong’s death. “We understand that this news will come as a shock to many of you, and we want to extend our deepest sympathies to the student’s family and friends during this difficult time. Losing a member of the WCUSD family is tragic, and we are deeply saddened by this loss,” according to WCUSD Superintendent of Schools Emy Flores. A gofundme account continues to receive donations for Vuong’s funeral and memorial expenses.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - There is apparently no evidence a hacker downloaded or exported any data after a breach of a student and staff portal was discovered February 10.
The hacker reportedly sent out a message Friday to users of the Clever learning portal in an attempt to entice registration with the Clever messaging platform. Those who clicked on the message apparently also saw a racial slur, according to West Covina Unified School District Superintendent of Schools Emy Flores. “It is unfortunate and disgraceful that the hacker chose to use a derogatory and racist slur and we are deeply sorry that this happened,” Flores said in a written statement. An investigation by Clever’s security and engineering teams determined there are no repercussions and vulnerabilities since the district uses ParentSquare, not the Clever messaging system, according to a district message. Any changes made after 9 p.m. February 10 were reversed by the Clever engineering The district will implement added security measures, such as multi-factor authentication.  PHOTOS/West Covina Police. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A man accused of one felony count of criminal threats against South Hills High School was sentenced to three years formal probation Wednesday. Dereck Peña, 22, was also ordered to stay away from South Hills High School, to stay away from his ex-girlfriend for five years and to participate in mental health counseling, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Peña threatened to shoot up his former high school November 7, 2018. He communicated the threats to his ex-girlfriend in a social media video.
Peña was found in his residence and arrested without incident after West Covina detectives determined the source of the threat and video regarding South Hills High School, West Covina Police said. Real machetes, replica body armor, replica handguns and replica rifles were found while searching Peña’s home.  Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - No crime was committed after police responded to a report of home burglars Tuesday afternoon. Administrators at schools near the 1200 block of East Herring Avenue put their campuses on lockdown as a precaution while officers investigated a possible home burglary in progress, according to Lt. Dennis Patton of the West Covina Police Department. West Covina High School and Merced Elementary were reportedly place on lockdown.
Police were called before 2 p.m. to the 1200 block of East Herring. A caller believed a residential burglary was occurring, but no crime occurred. No arrests were made, Patton said. “There was no compromise to any of the student population or the staff,” Patton said. Lockdown at the schools were lifted soon after.  Students line Cameron Avenue near West Covina High School Tuesday, April 23, for the Every 15 Minutes demonstration on DUI driving. PHOTO/West Covina Police. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Two students were killed outside West Covina High School Tuesday in a drunk driving crash -- but the students will be just fine. The mock collision was planned as part of a two-day event with the Every 15 Minutes Program, which challenges high school juniors and seniors to consider the grave realities of DUI driving and its impact on the victims and their family and friends. The mock collision was conducted by the West Covina Police Department, California Highway Patrol, West Covina Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner and a host of volunteers, which includes Custer Christiansen Mortuary in Covina. The mock collision took place on Cameron Avenue near the high school. A mock procedure was conducted with the students being transported to a nearby hospital where they later died. The suspected DUI driver, a West Covina High student, was even jailed, according to Officer David Sifling of the West Covina Police Department. Organizers selected some students from West Covina High School to take part in the program, which will include drunk driving demonstrations and a slideshow delivered by a local trauma surgeon showing people injured and killed in DUI collisions, Sifling said. The students will be secluded at a hotel with little to no contact with family and friends. The students will write letters to their parents.
“The letter will start off ‘Every 15 minutes, someone loses their lives to DUI and today I lost mine and I never got to tell you’,” Sifling said. The juniors and seniors will meet again for an assembly at West Covina High School Wednesday, April 24 at 10:30 a.m. A casket will be rolled into the assembly, followed by “the living dead” students killed in the mock crash. A compilation video fo the two-day event will be shown, highlighting the major events from the crash to the arrest of the DUI driver. “A select few of them will read their letters in front of the students and that’s when the heartbreaking stuff starts happening,” Sifling said. Publicly expressing the shock and sorrow of going through a fatal DUI crash -- even a mock crash -- is still a reeling experience for the students, Sifling said. “The event makes a huge impact on everybody at the school,” Sifling said. |
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