Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 2, 2013

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, February 2, 2013 

ARCADIA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATE 
& WATER PARCEL TAX 

 Arcadia Unified School District Superintendent Joel Shawn will give a State of the District update 
at 8am Thursday, February 7, at the Arcadia Chamber Government Affairs Forum, sponsored by 
Expedia. Dr. Shawn’s presentation will also include a discussion of the water parcel tax and its effect 
on the School District. 

Additional updates will be provided by representatives from City, County, and State government offices, 
the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension, the San Gabriel Valley Business Coalition and the 
Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte Town Council. 

Scheduled speaker for the March 7th Government Affairs Forum is City Engineer Phil Wray who will 
talk about the timeline and traffic routing for the bridge construction over Santa Anita Avenue which 
begins in late April or early May. 

Join us to hear informative presentations at the monthly Government Affairs Forums led by co-chairmen 
Pete Ulrich, former Arcadia City Councilman, and Mary Dougherty, former President of the 
Arcadia School District Board of Education. The Forum, held the first Thursday of each month, is 
free and open to the public. RSVPs are appreciated to the Chamber office: 626-447-2159 or info@
ArcadiaCaChamber.org.

CHURCH BUILDINGS VANDALIZED

Public Help Sought To Help Identify Vandals

On January 30th, the Arcadia Police Department 
made a public appeal for assistance in 
apprehending the criminals responsible for 
vandalizing two churches in the city.

 According to the release, the churches had been 
broken into and vandalized within the last two 
weeks. The first incident occurred overnight, 
Saturday to Sunday, January 19-20, 2013, at the 
Church of the Good Shepherd, 400 West Duarte 
Road. The suspect(s) forced open a door to the 
church office, ransacked the interior, and threw 
clergy robes on the ground. A fire extinguisher 
was discharged in the office and the suspect(s) 
burned part of a portrait hanging on the office 
wall before making off with a guitar and other 
sound equipment.

Early this morning, shortly after 2:30 a.m., the 
police department received a 9-1-1 call from a 
passerby reporting suspicious activity at Holy 
Angeles Church, 330 Campus Drive. Arcadia 
Police and Fire units arrived on scene and 
discovered an administrative building on the 
church property had been broken into and there 
was smoke inside the building. Evidence of a 
small fire was found against an interior hallway 
wall, having burnt a small area of carpet and 
papers. It appears the suspect(s) broke an office 
window to gain entry. Once inside, two religious 
statues and a DVD player were broken and tossed 
to the ground inside a small chapel, and an 
interior officer door was kicked in. It appeared 
the suspect(s) also rummaged through several 
rooms inside the building.

These crimes are being investigated by Arcadia 
Police Detectives. Due to the similarities of the 
crimes and the proximity of the churches, it is 
our belief the crimes may be related and it is our 
desire to inform the community; and specifically, 
other area religious facilities to be on watch for 
similar or suspicious activity. Although neither 
crime involved entry to the church sanctuaries, 
both events involved religious artifacts or items 
and we are treating these as religious based hate 
crimes. 

Anyone with information on this incident 
is encouraged to contact the Arcadia Police 
Department at (626) 574-5150. If you prefer 
to provide information ANONYMOUSLY, you 
may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-
TIPS (8477), texting the letters TIPLA plus your 
tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the tip page 
at Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers, http://
lacrimestoppers.org/

Kid’s Night Out - Friday, February 8th

Be My Valentine!

 Kid’s Night Out provides kids a night of fun and play so mom and dad can enjoy an evening out

or a quiet evening at home. This event is held at the Arcadia Community Center, 365 Campus

Drive, Arcadia, California 91007, from 6-11pm. Recreation Staff and Volunteers offer dinner,

themed games, movies, and supervision for children ages 4 and above. All activities will be

geared toward elementary school children; anyone younger must be potty trained.

 Accommodations cannot be made for special dietary needs. The cost is $15.00 per child and

also includes snacks and beverages. Pre-registration is mandatory and a $2 registration fee is

applicable for those participants not registered in any other fall classes.

 Registration for Kid’s Night Out can be done on-line at www.ci.arcadia.ca.us, by fax,

626.821.4370 or by coming into the Recreation Office, 375 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007.

 For more information please call 626.574.5113!

ARCADIA POLICE BLOTTER

For the period of Sunday, January 20th, through Saturday, January 26th, the Police Department 
responded to 721 calls for service of which 105 required formal investigations. The following is a 
summary report of the major incidents handled by the Department during this period.

Sunday, January 20:

1. At approximately 6:42 a.m., officers responded to Church of the Good Shepherd, 400 W. 
Duarte Road, in reference to a commercial burglary. Officers discovered that suspect(s) forced open a 
door, and vandalized the inside of the church. Further investigation revealed the suspect(s) also stole a 
clock, a guitar and two microphones. There were no surveillance cameras and no signs of the suspects 
in the area. 
2. At about 8:42 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 900 block of Arcadia Avenue regarding 
a battery. An investigation revealed a female victim was pushed to the ground by her male friend’s 
girlfriend. As a result, the victim suffered a fractured ankle, and was transported to the Arcadia Methodist 
Hospital for treatment. A 63-year-old, Hispanic female was arrested for battery with a serious bodily 
injury, and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.


Monday, January 21:

3. At approximately 4:10 p.m., officers responded to Macy’s at the Westfield Shopping Town, 
400 S. Baldwin Avenue, regarding two subjects in custody for theft. The subjects concealed several 
accessories in their jackets, and exited the store without paying for the items. Two Hispanic males, ages 
16 and 18, were arrested for petty theft and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for processing. 
4. At about 10:22 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 2000 block of Highland Oaks Drive 
regarding a residential burglary. Officers discovered the suspects entered through a locked, rear sliding 
glass door. Further investigation revealed bedrooms had been ransacked and property stolen, to include 
cash, watches and jewelry. A surveillance camera captured images of two suspects, however their faces 
remained hidden. The unknown suspects fled in a dark-colored sedan.


Tuesday, January 22:

5. At approximately 11:22 a.m., officers were dispatched to the Santa Anita Race Track, 285 W. 
Huntington Drive, in reference to a possible assault with a deadly weapon. Investigation revealed 
that two subjects were involved in a physical altercation, in which one of the subjects lunged at the 
other with a knife. There were no injuries reported. The 55-year-old, White male was arrested for 
assault with a deadly weapon and transported to Arcadia City jail for booking.
6. At about 6:48 p.m., officers responded to the 1000 block of Valencia Way regarding a 
residential burglary. During their investigation, officers discovered the patio door leading into the 
home had been forced opened. There were no witnesses and no property was missing. 


Wednesday, January 23:

7. At approximately 6:43 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for having dark-
tinted front windows on Foothill Boulevard near California Street in Monrovia. During a consensual 
search of the vehicle, officers discovered several gloves, handheld flashlights, screwdrivers and hex 
keys. Further investigation revealed evidence that linked the driver and passenger to recent burglaries 
in the area. The 21 and 23-year-old, Black males were arrested for possession of burglary tools and 
residential burglary, and were transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 
8. Around 9:16 p.m., officers responded to the 200 block of Huntington Drive in reference to 
a traffic collision involving two vehicles. The two involved vehicles were driving in the westbound 
lanes of Huntington Drive and collided head on. It is unknown which vehicle was driving the 
wrong way. One of the vehicles was driven by a male driver and the other vehicle was driven by a 
female driver with a female passenger. All three persons involved were transported to Huntington 
Memorial Hospital for treatment. The female driver was in critical condition and the other driver 
and passenger were in serious condition. 


Thursday, January 24:

9. At about 3:06 p.m., officers were dispatched to 24 Hour Fitness, 125 N. First Avenue, in 
reference to a commercial burglary. Investigation revealed that suspect(s) broke into the victim’s 
secured locker, and stole cash from inside a wallet. There were no surveillance cameras or witnesses. 
10. At approximately 10:05 p.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for displaying 
false plates in the area of Santa Anita Avenue and Colorado Boulevard. Investigation revealed the 
vehicle was stolen. In addition, a records check revealed the passenger had an outstanding felony 
warrant. The 40-year-old and 47-year-old, Hispanic males were arrested for the stolen vehicle and 
outstanding warrant, and were transported to the Arcadia City Jail for processing. 


Friday, January 25:

11. At about 12:47 a.m., officers responded to the 000 block of San Miguel Drive in regard to 
a residential burglary occurring while the resident was home. Investigation revealed the suspect 
entered through a front window after ringing the doorbell twice. The resident contacted the suspect 
inside her living room and screamed. The suspect fled through the front window and entered the 
passenger side of a maroon Jaguar before driving away. The suspect is described as a Black or 
Hispanic male, late teens to early twenties, about 5’8, and can be identified if seen again. 
12. At approximately 9:48 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the Arcadia Police Department 
in reference to a petty theft that occurred earlier in the evening at the Westfield Shopping Town 
parking structure, 400 S. Baldwin Avenue. The victim discovered her passenger side mirror had been 
stolen. There were no witnesses or surveillance cameras.