Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 7, 2010

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com

5

Public Safety

Mountain Views News Saturday, August 7, 2010

Arcadia Police Blotter

Sierra Madre Police Blotter

For the period of Sunday, July 25, through Saturday, July 31, the Police Department responded to 870 
calls for service of which 132 required formal investigations. The following is a summary report of the 
major incidents handled by the Department during this period.

Sunday, July 25:

1. Between 12:30 a.m. and 6:30 a.m., two cars were burglarized in a driveway in the 00 block of West 
Naomi. Unknown suspect(s) entered the locked vehicles by unknown means and stole golf clubs, 
CD’s, and prescription glasses for a total loss of $1,320.

2. Three vandalism incidents occurred between 1:20 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Unknown suspects shot at 
victims’ cars with a BB gun or similar weapon and damaged windshields and windows in the 00 block 
of West Naomi, 600 block of East Live Oak, and 1000 block of South Sixth.

Monday, July 26:

3. Units responded to the 800 block of Southview around 12:34 p.m. in reference to a deceased person. 
Investigation revealed that a 42-year-old male Asian suffered an apparent selfinflicted gunshot wound.

4. Shortly after 6:30 p.m., a traffic stop was initiated at Colorado and First for excessive speed. A record 
check of the 33-year-old male Caucasian driver revealed that he had 5 outstanding misdemeanor 
warrants totaling almost $26,000. The man was arrested without incident.

Tuesday, July 27:

5. A 60-year-old male Asian was arrested for commercial burglary and check fraud at Wells Fargo 
Bank, 444 East Huntington, around 1:10 p.m. He attempted to open an account by using a fraudulent 
check.

6. A victim came to the station around 10:51 p.m. to report a strong-arm robbery that occurred at 
1300 South Golden West. She advised that she was putting groceries into the trunk of her car when a 
male suspect pulled her purse from her shoulder. The suspect then fled in awaiting vehicle.

Wednesday, July 28:

7. A commercial burglary occurred between 5:30 p.m. on July 27 and 7:00 a.m. on July 28 in the 1300 
block of Michillinda. Unknown suspects made forced entry into a residential construction site and 
stole over $13,400 in tools and equipment.

8. Around 1:00 p.m., units were dispatched to HSBC Bank, 1107 South Baldwin, in reference to an 
embezzlement report. During a bank fraud investigation, a 19-year-old female Asian bank employee 
admitted to stealing $2,000 from a customer’s cash bank deposit. The suspect was taken into custody 
and booked at the City jail.

Thursday, July 29:

9. A commercial burglary occurred around 7:25 a.m. at Residence Inn, 321 East Huntington. Two 
male Hispanic suspects, in their 20’s, followed a female victim into the lobby and then sat down at 
a table next to the victim. When she left the table, the suspects grabbed her designer handbag and 
diaper bag and fled in a waiting vehicle driven by a female Hispanic.

10. Officers responded to the 100 block of West Longden around 8:06 p.m. regarding a mentally 
unstable subject. Investigation revealed that the 25-year-old male Caucasian was a schizophrenic 
who had not taken his medication, and he threatened to kill family members. He was detained and 
transported to a hospital for a 72-hour evaluation.

Friday, July 30:

11. Two male juveniles, a 16-year-old African-American and a 17-year-old Hispanic, were arrested 
around 1:28 p.m. for residential burglary. The suspects initially entered a home in the 300 block of 
Monte Vista, but left the house when they encountered a resident. The suspects then went to a home 
in the 400 block of Vaquero, rang the door bell, and when no one answered, they pried open a window 
to the backdoor. A resident was inside the house at the time and notified police.

12. Shortly before 4:00 p.m., loss prevention personnel from Nordstrom recognized a female subject 
from a previous shoplifting incident where no arrest was made. The suspect was followed and was 
later seen concealing a pair of jeans in her purse. A private person’s arrest was made, and the 21-year-
old African-American suspect was taken into custody for commercial burglary.

Saturday, July 31:

13. A consensual contact was made with a solo male occupant in a vehicle parked in the 00 block of 
Alta around 1:35 a.m. The odor of marijuana was detected and a consent search revealed a baggie 
of marijuana. During the citation process, the subject provided officers with another person’s 
identification. His true identity was later discovered, and a record check indicated that he had a 
$30,000 outstanding misdemeanor warrant. The 30-yearold African-American was arrested at the 
scene without incident.

14. Between 7:00 p.m. on July 30 and 9:00 a.m. on July 31, a commercial burglary occurred at Vision 
21 Art and College Prep Center, 411 East Huntington. Unknown suspect(s) smashed a window and 
stole four computers, five 18-inch monitors, and a digital camera for a total reported loss of $4,200

During the week of Sunday, July 25th, to Saturday July 31st, the Sierra Madre Police Department 
responded to approximately 276 calls for service.

Tuesday, July 27th:

9:08 AM – A residential burglary occurred in the 00 block of W. Carter Ave. Suspect(s) entered the 
home through an unlocked front door and stole the following items: A Dewalt saw, Coleman Cooler, 
a soft cloth cooler, a Wilson nylon bag, two Wilson tennis rackets, and a plastic tool box containing 
several tools. The crime occurred between 4:30 pm on Monday, July, 26th and 8:00 am on Tuesday, 
July 27th, 2010. The property loss was estimated at $420.00. 

5:15 PM – A Felony/Battery Investigation occurred in the 400 block of E. Laurel. An off-duty L.A. 
Sheriff’s Deputy called 911 to report that he had just been flagged down by a victim of domestic 
violence. The crime had just occurred a few minutes earlier inside a nearby residence. The crime 
occurred between 3:30 and 5:15 pm on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010. The Pasadena Police Department’s 
helicopter was dispatched to assist in setting up containment as patrol officers tried to find the suspect. 
A male suspect fled the scene prior to our arrival and has not yet been arrested. 

Wednesday, July 28th:

12:10 AM – A prowling incident occurred in the 100 block of Esperanza Ave. Two suspects were seen 
looking into cars. A resident gave chase as officers were dispatched to the apartment complex. The 
two men were described as male Hispanics, wearing long sleeved brown shirts and brown pants. One 
male suspect possibly had a beard. The Pasadena Police Department’s helicopter was dispatched to 
assist in setting up containment. Neither man was apprehended.

12:50 PM – An attempted residential burglary occurred in the 00 block Monterey Lane. Suspect(s) 
cut a rear security screen and unlocked the screen door. The crime occurred between 11:30 am and 
12:15 pm on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010. The homeowner was unable to ascertain if anyone had 
entered the home. No loss was reported.

1:08 PM – An attempted residential burglary occurred in the 800 block North Auburn Ave. Suspect(s) 
attempted to open a locked sliding glass door to the rear of the house. The residential burglar alarm 
activated and the suspect(s) fled. The crime occurred between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm on Wednesday, 
July 28th, 2010. The homeowner reported no loss. 

Thursday, July 29th:

5:34 PM – A residential burglary occurred in the 400 block of Mariposa Ave. A suspect talked the 
resident into exiting his home. The suspect than distracted the homeowner, as his accomplices 
entered the victim’s home and stole $500.00 cash, a jewelry box and a credit card from inside. The 
crime occurred at approximately 4:14 pm on Thursday, July 29th, 2010. The suspect was described as 
a heavy set Hispanic, 35 – 40 years old, 5’11’’, 250 to 300 lbs. He was wearing a bright blue and white 
checkered shirt, dark pants and a green baseball type hat. He said his name was Jose. The total loss 
was estimated at $2368.00.

Saturday, July 31st:

10:02 AM- A petty theft occurred in the 00 block of North Hermosa Ave. Suspect(s) entered the 
carport area and stole a battery charger and a green suitcase. The crime occurred between 8:30 am, 
Monday, July 26th and 7:30 pm, Friday, July 30th, 2010. The loss was estimated at $214.00. 

National Night Out Brings Out The Crowds


“Friends Helping Friends Prepare”

An Emergency Preparedness Event and Ice Cream Social

 

 On Saturday, August 14, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., volunteers working with the Sierra Madre Individual 
Emergency Preparedness Plan (S.M.I.P.P.) will be on hand at the Sierra Madre Public 
Library to help you develop a workable emergency plan for you and your family. Don’t 
miss this opportunity to help ensure that you and your loved ones are safe and provided 
for, should an emergency such as an earthquake, fire or mudslide, occur. There will also 
be educational and fun preparedness activities for the youngsters starting at 4:30 in the 
Children’s Room. At 6:15 we will be raffling off preparedness supplies, and holding the 
Adult Summer Reading Program Amazon Kindle Grand Prize Drawing.

The dog days of August would not be complete without a Friends of the Library Summer Ice 
Cream Social. Everyone is invited to drop by the Library patio between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. 
to cool off and enjoy a sweet, refreshing treat.

The Sierra Madre Public Library is located at 440 West Sierra Madre Boulevard in Sierra 
Madre. For more information, please call (626) 355-7186, or visit our website at www.
sierramadre.lib.ca.us. This program is free and open to the public.


Sierra Madre’s National Night Out Event 
brought out hundreds of residents to learn 
about the latest in Safety Tips for the family. 
The Sierra Madre Search and Rescure, 
Sierra Madre Police Department and the 
Sierra Madre Volunteer Fire Department all 
had booths.

 Attendees were treated to dinner from In 
N Out Burger and ice cream from the Ice 
Princess, an old fashioned Ice Cream Truck.

THE WORLD AROUND US


Spacecraft Camera Yields Most Accurate Mars Map Ever

 
A camera aboard NASA’s Mars Odyssey 
spacecraft has helped develop the most accurate 
global Martian map ever. Researchers and the 
public can access the map via several websites and 
explore and survey the entire surface of the Red 
Planet.

 The map was constructed using nearly 21,000 
images from the Thermal Emission Imaging 
System, or THEMIS, a multi-band infrared 
camera on Odyssey. Researchers at Arizona State 
University’s Mars Space Flight Facility in Tempe, 
in collaboration with JPL, have been compiling 
the map since these observations began eight 
years ago.

 The pictures have been smoothed, matched, 
blended and cartographically controlled to make 
a giant mosaic. Users can pan around images and 
zoom into them. At full zoom, the 
smallest surface details are 330 feet 
wide. While portions of Mars have 
been mapped at higher resolution, 
this map provides the most accurate 
view so far of the entire planet.

 The new map is available to 
everyone at: http://www.mars.asu.
edu/maps/?layer=thm_dayir_100m_
v11

 Advanced users with large-
bandwidth, powerful computers and 
software capable of handling images 
in the gigabyte range can download 
the full-resolution map in sections 
at: http://www.mars.asu.edu/data/
thm_dir_100m

 “We’ve tied the images to the 
cartographic control grid provided 
by the U.S. Geological Survey, which 
also modeled the THEMIS camera’s 
optics,” said Philip Christensen, 
director of the Mars Space Flight 
Facility. “This approach lets us 
remove all instrument distortion, so 
features on the ground are correctly 
located to within a few pixels and 
provide the best global map of Mars to date.”

 Working with images from the new map, the 
public can contribute to Mars exploration by 
aligning the images to within a pixel’s accuracy 
at NASA’s “Be a Martian” website, which was 
developed in cooperation with Microsoft Corp. 
Users can visit that site at: http://beamartian.jpl.
nasa.gov/maproom#/MapMars

 “The Mars Odyssey THEMIS team has assembled 
a spectacular product that will be the base map 
for Mars researchers for many years to come,” 
said Jeffrey Plaut, Odyssey project scientist at JPL. 
“The map lays the framework for global studies of 
properties such as the mineral composition and 
physical nature of the surface materials.”

 Other websites build upon the base map. At 
Mars Image Explorer, which includes images from 
every Mars orbital mission since the mid-1970s, 
users can search for images using a map of Mars 
at: http://themis.asu.edu/maps

 “The broad purpose underlying all these sites 
is to make Mars exploration easy and engaging 
for everyone,” Christensen said. “We are trying to 
create a user-friendly interface between the public 
and NASA’s Planetary Data System, which does a 
terrific job of collecting, validating and archiving 
data.”

 For more information about NASA’s Odyssey 
spacecraft, visit: http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/odyssey

Perseid Meteors Return August 12

 MEANWHILE, CLOSER TO HOME, it’s time 
once again for nature to put on its late-summer 
fireworks show: the Perseid meteor shower. The 
best viewing of this annual meteor display is 
typically before dawn on August 12. At its peak, 
the shower could produce up to 100 meteors per 
hour.

 The name “Perseid meteors” derives from the 
fact that they appear to fall from the constellation 
Perseus, but they are not associated with it. The 
meteors are actually leftover debris from comet 
Swift-Tuttle. The Perseid meteors recur each year 
when Earth passes through that comet’s debris 
trail.

 

For your best view, get away from city 
lights. Look for state or city parks or 
other safe, dark sites. Lie on a blanket 
or reclining chair to get a full-sky view.

 You can contact Bob Eklund at: 
b.eklund@MtnViewsNews.com.


THEMIS 100 meter global daytime mosaic

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Bob Eklund beklund@sprynet.com (310) 216-5947