Written by AARON CASTREJON 
CityWatch Editor 

WEST COVINA - A house fire claimed the life of a resident March 5.

Pack rat conditions hindered firefighters’ ability to search the home in the 2100 block of E. Thackery Street. Firefighters were dispatched at 10:12 a.m., according to the West Covina Fire Department.

Firefighters arrived five minutes later and saw smoke and flames from the home. A neighbor believed someone might still be inside, according to the West Covina Fire Department.

“At approximately 10:37 a.m., firefighters located an elderly female inside the residence and removed her from the structure. Despite rapid intervention by firefighter/paramedics, the victim was pronounced deceased at the scene,” according to the West Covina.

The fire was knocked down within 25 minutes.

The victim was identified as 76-year-old Janet Capps. She died from inhalation of products of combustion and thermal burns. Her death was ruled accidental, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

The cause is currently under investigation by the West Covina Fire Department Investigation Unit with assistance from the West Covina Police Department, in coordination with regional investigation task forces. Damage to the home is estimated at approximately $200,000, according to the West Covina Fire Department.

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The death record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Information about the decedent(s), including cause and manner of death, is public record and was distributed by government sources.

Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - An assault suspect held law enforcement at bay for four hours before he was taken into custody Thursday.

Joshua Phillip Day, a West Covina man, is accused of attacking and wounding his grandparents, 77 and 74 years old. First responders were called to the 1700 block of West Mossberg Avenue just before 12:30 p.m. New Year’s Day.

The victims were attacked as the result of an argument, according to the west Covina Police Department.

Members of the West Covina SWAT team took over the operation and took day into custody.

One of the victims was treated and has already been released from the hospital. The other victim remains in critical condition, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Day is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail ahead of a scheduled appearance in West Covina Superior Court Tuesday, January 6.

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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.


Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - One person died in a freeway crash New Year’s Day.

The No. 3 & 4 lanes remain closed on the west I-10 freeway at Sunset Avenue. The crash was reported around 6:34 p.m. January 1.

Preliminarily, a dark-colored sedan, described as either a Kia or a somehow lost control, struck another vehicle, struck the divider then stopped on the right shoulder, according to California Highway Patrol traffic logs.

The dark-colored sedan started smoking and a Good Samaritan reported the driver was not moving. Additional callers heard the crash from nearby and called 9-1-1.

At 7:18 p.m., the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner reported an estimated arrival of three to four hours.

A Sig Alert was issued for the No. 3 & 4 lanes.

The victim’s name will not be publicly revealed until next of kin have been notified.

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Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Traffic investigators are still determining the circumstances leading to a fatal crash Tuesday morning.

A motorcycle and vehicle collided at South Grand Avenue and East Virginia Avenue around 6 a.m. September 30. First responders found the motorcyclist was ejected from his ride. Life-saving measures were implemented, but he died at the scene, according to Sgt. Hawkins of the West Covina Police Department.

The driver of the vehicle involved remained at the scene.

Edwin Sanchez, 50, died of multiple blunt traumatic injuries. His death was ruled accidental, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.

Investigators with the West Covina Major Accident Investigation Team stayed until 5 p.m.

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The death record in this article is being redistributed by SGV CityWatch and is protected by constitutional, publishing and other legal rights. Information about the decedent(s), including cause and manner of death, is public record and was distributed by government sources.


Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Firefighters discovered the body of a driver inside a burned out, destroyed vehicle that crashed into a freeway structure early Friday.

The crash occurred on the eastbound I-10 freeway at the Pacific Avenue off ramp. First responders were sent at 3:49 a.m. September 26 and found an engulfed vehicle heavily damaged.

Images from the scene showed the vehicle absolutely engulfed by flames, damage rendering the vehicle virtually unrecognizable.

“Fire Personnel extinguished the fire to find a solo occupant deceased within the vehicle,” according to the West Covina Fire Department in a written statement.

No other vehicles were found at the scene and it is believed this was a solo collision, according to the West Covina Fire Department.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.

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Copyright 2025. All stories and original images published here are the exclusive property of SGV CityWatch and may not be republished in any form without the permission of this organization.

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 - At least two people were injured in a violent crash early Wednesday morning.

It is still too early to tell what caused the collision at West Cameron Avenue and South Sunset Avenue June 18, according to Lt. Tim Rodgers of the West Covina Police Department.

First responders were sent to the crash around 3:38 a.m. A light pole was reportedly damaged in the crash between a black Dodge truck and red Dodge Avenger, Rodgers told SGV CityWatch.

The intersection was closed down for at least two hours during an investigation. A resident on her way to work noted the intersection remained closed as of 5:30 a.m.

The roadway has sensory opened.

No one was arrested and no one died, Rodgers told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - Foul play is not suspected in an apartment fire that killed a pet cat Saturday night.

Firefighters were able to contain flames to one second-story unit at an apartment in the 1600 block of Amar Road. A pet rabbit was rescued and two residents require medical attention. Adjacent apartment units sustained water damage, according to the West Covina Fire Department.

Residence occupying the affected apartment unit had already evacuated and nearby residence were evacuated with help from first responders.

“Arson Investigators from our Fire Investigation Unit are investigating this incident with no foul-play suspected at this time,” according to the West Covina Fire Department in a written statement.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - An adult was found deceased near South Hills Country Club Monday morning.

The body was found behind chain link fencing. First responders were sent to the scene at Cameron Avenue and Barranca Avenue around 7:20 a.m., according to Lt. Armas of the West Covina Police Department.

“There’s no foul play, no outstanding suspects. That’s where we’re at with it,” Armas told SGV CityWatch.

Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor

WEST COVINA - One person was killed and three others were hospitalized in a early-morning collision Friday.

Traffic investigators believe the driver of a black Toyota sedan was driving on the wrong side of the road in the 1700 block of Puente Avenue when the sedan crashed head-on into a white Honda sedan February 21, according to the West Covina Police Department.

The crash occurred around 12:16 a.m.

Four people were in the white Honda. A rear passenger died at the scene. The other three occupants were hospitalized, as well as the driver of the black Toyota, according to the West Covina Police Department.

Of the two men and one woman hospitalized, one is listed in critical condition, and one in stable condition. One patient has already been released.

The wrong-way driver is still hospitalized.

The West Covina Police Major Accident Investigation Team is handling the case.

Anyone with information on this crash is urged to call the West Covina Police 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.