Mountain Views News          Saturday, September 13, 2014

5

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 13, 2014 

Arcadia Police Blotter

Helen Romero Shaw, 

Public Affairs Manager for the Gas 
Company, Addresses Arcadia 
Chamber Meeting

For the period of Sunday, August 31st, through Saturday, September 6th, 
the Police Department responded to 1,022 calls for service of which 112 
required formal investigations. The following is a summary report of the 
major incidents handled by the Department during this period.

Sunday, August 31:

 At approximately 3:51 p.m., an officer responded to the Santa Anita 
Mall, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, in reference to a stolen vehicle. An 
investigation revealed that while a female and male were arguing, the 
male subject forcefully took the female�s keys and stole her vehicle. Shortly 
after, officers recovered the vehicle in a nearby parking lot. The 21-year-
old Black male was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for 
booking.

 Just before 7:17 p.m., an officer was dispatched to Nordstrom at the Santa 
Anita Mall, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a theft report. The 
officer discovered the 24-year-old Armenian male stole a Burberry jacket 
and two designer watches, valued at $1,085. The suspect was arrested and 
transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

Monday, September 1:

 At about 6:49 a.m., officers reported to A&J Restaurant, 27 Las Tunas 
Drive regarding an attempted commercial burglary report. Officers 
discovered two unknown subjects attempted to enter the location by 
prying the rear door. Both suspects are described as males wearing black 
hooded sweatshirts and dark pants. One of the suspects was wearing a 
black hat, black knee high socks, and black shoes. Officers conducted an 
area check, but the suspects were not located.

 At approximately 10:12 p.m., officers were dispatched to Metro PCS, 158 
East Duarte Road, for activation of an audible alarm. An investigation 
revealed unknown suspect(s) cut a hole in the metal security gate, removed 
the recording device for the security cameras and left with more than 
$20,000 worth of cellular phones. The suspect(s) were outstanding at the 
time of the report.

Tuesday, September 2:

 Around 2:05 a.m., an officer initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle for 
expired registration in the area of Baldwin Avenue and Huntington Drive. 
An investigation revealed the vehicle had fraudulent registration tags and 
the driver did not have insurance. The 26-year-old Hispanic male was 
issued a citation and released in the field. The vehicle was stored. 

 Just after 8:52 a.m., officers responded to Vons, 618 Michillinda Avenue, 
in reference to a theft of gasoline report. Officers discovered two unknown 
suspects attempted to siphon gasoline from a vehicle in the parking lot, 
but were scared off by a security guard. The suspects are described as two 
Asian males driving a 2-door, silver Mercedes Benz. 

Wednesday, September 3:

 Shortly after 8:20 a.m., an officer conducted an enforcement stop on 
a vehicle in the area of Golden West Avenue and Huntington Drive for 
not having license plates on the vehicle. Upon contacting the 54-year-old 
Asian male driver, the officer detected a strong odor of marijuana emitting 
from inside the vehicle. An investigation revealed he was in possession of 
1.4 grams of marijuana. He was arrested and transported to the Arcadia 
City Jail for booking.

At about 7:38 p.m., an officer responded to Burlington Coat Factory, 1201 
South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a theft report. An investigation revealed 
a store employee made numerous fraudulent returns over the course of 
one month. The 26-year-old Hispanic male was arrested and transported 
to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. During the booking process, he was 
found to be in possession of a controlled substance. The violation was 
added to his charges. 

Thursday, September 4:

 At approximately 9:54 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle 
in the area of Huntington Drive and First Avenue for failing to yield to a 
pedestrian. A records check revealed the driver, a 40-year-old Hispanic 
male, was never issued a license. The subject was cited and released in the 
field. The vehicle was left legally parked.

 Around 4:03 p.m., an officer responded to the Subway parking lot, 411 
East Huntington Drive, regarding a traffic collision. A witness observed 
an unknown subject collide into a parked vehicle. The suspect fled the 
scene; however, the vehicle was located in an adjacent parking lot. 

Friday, September 5: 

 Just after 11:53 a.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 1800 
block of Highland Oaks Drive in reference to a sounding burglary alarm. 
An investigation revealed unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a rear 
door and fled undetected with jewelry. No evidence was located. 

 At about 11:08 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 2300 block 
of South Baldwin Avenue regarding a battery report. An investigation 
revealed a male subject did not like his neighbor�s decorative statues on 
their front porch and went to their house to demand they be removed due 
to their bad luck/negative energy. During the altercation, the 52-year-old 
White male �chest bumped� one of the neighbors. He was arrested and 
transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

Saturday, September 6:

 Just after 9:05 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in 
the area of Santa Anita Avenue and Camino Real Avenue for expired 
registration. Upon contacting the driver, the officer detected a strong odor 
of alcohol emitting from inside the vehicle. An investigation revealed the 
49-year-old White male was under the influence of alcohol with a blood 
alcohol content greater than .08%. He was arrested and transported to the 
Arcadia City Jail for booking.

 At approximately 10:36 p.m., an officer responded to a residence in 
the 200 block of Las Tunas Drive in reference to a domestic altercation 
between a male and female subject. Although both subjects engaged in the 
altercation, the 33-year-old White male was determined to be the primary 
aggressor. He was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for 
booking. 

By Joan Schmidt

 Attendees to the recent Arcadia Chamber of Commerce Government Forum 
Meeting were treated to a very special Guest Speaker, Helen Romero Shaw, Public 
Affairs Manager for the Southern California Gas Company, which oversees 
ten cities in the west San Gabriel Valley as well as several communities in Los 
Angeles County. Ms. Shaw gave quite an informative presentation. 

 Ms. Shaw began, �Natural Gas is a foundation fuel for a clean and renewable 
energy future, and the Southern Gas Company is the largest natural gas 
distribution company in the United States with 8000 employees, serving 20 
million consumers from Visalia down to Mexico with its 6 million meters and 
20,000 pipelines across Southern California!� Some natural gas uses include 
cooking, heating, and transportation- autos and even school buses in Arcadia. 

 The Federal Clean Air Act of 1970 (Amended in 1990) has facilitated 
California�s climate change goals by regulation of ozone, a colorless, reactive 
oxidant gas that is a major constituent of atmospheric smog and nitrogen 
oxide. (Ground level smog is formed in the air by the photochemical reaction 
of sunlight and nitrogen oxide-NOx, facilitated by a variety of volatile organic 
compounds (VOCs) which are photochemically reactive hydrocarbons. Current 
state carbon dioxide pathways miss the federal ozone target, but natural gas is 
helping us reach the Federal Ozone Target. The Gas Company has been working 
with manufacturers and has gone beyond the benchmark. Electric vehicles may 
have �0� emission, but their power plants release emissions.

 Ms. Shaw said the biggest polluters include trucks and railroads; �We have to 
work with them to go to natural gas�we are launching new research, putting 
more into refueling stations�currently UPS and Foothill Transit use natural 
gas.�

 Ms. Shaw also spoke of decarburization of electricity, �If it�s not windy or if 
the sun is not out, backup fuel is natural gas�We�re the pathway-from organic 
waste to renewable power to gas, decarburizing the pipeline�Take electricity, 
convert it to gas-methane or hydrogen gas�You cannot store electricity, but you 
can store natural gas-underground storage is below abandoned oil fields.�

Advantages of natural gas are it�s abundant, affordable, domestic and clean. 
Natural gas is non-transitional. Pipelines are very safe; they�ve been around 150 
years. �We are constantly checking them for pipe corrosion or leaks�look at all 
pipelines under high pressure. If they don�t meet criteria, they are replaced.�

 Ms. Shaw also told us pipelines are rented out to large companies. No more 
pipelines can be built, so Southern Ca Edison rents the pipelines and pays a tariff.

 The big success is that the Gas Company has an energy efficiency program, 
�we�re not producing, but buying and we make sure there is no impact on the 
water table.�

 Ms. Shaw also explained that the Gas Company gets natural gas from the 
Midwest. �We take custody of gas when it comes into the state.�

 The Federal Government is in charge of Pipelines; �We run Smart Pig �it tells 
us how thick it is, if there are leaks�we have certain standards for pipelines�we 
are adding valves now�companies, even cities puncture our gas lines�call 811 
and a team will go out and take care of it.�

 Of course, Ms. Shaw feels the Gas Company has the �best crew�. And after 
hearing her presentation, I would certainly agree.


CITY ASKS RESIDENTS AND 
BUSINESSES TO COMPLY WITH NEW 

STATE WATER RESTRICTIONS

Monrovia Police Blotter

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 411 service 
events, resulting in 81 investigations. To see a complete listing of crimes reported, go 
to http://www.crimemapping.com/map/ca/monrovia for crime mapping. For Police 
Department news and information, visit our website and follow us on Twitter.

Panhandling / Drunk in Public � Suspect Arrested

On September 8 at 10:39 p.m., an employee from a fast food business in the 400 
block of West Huntington reported a male subject soliciting patrons and reaching 
into vehicles as they waited in the drive-thru. Officers arrived and located the 
subject; he was determined to be intoxicated and unable to care for himself. He 
was arrested and held for a period of sobering.

Theft from a Vehicle

On September 8 at 3:16 p.m., the victim of a theft from a vehicle that occurred in 
the 200 block of East Cherry Avenue came to the Police Department to report 
the crime. The victim parked his vehicle in his driveway, but did not lock it. The 
victim left an iPad and laptop computer in the vehicle. When the victim returned 
to his vehicle the next morning, he found his property was missing. The crime 
occurred sometime during the night on May 25 to 26

.

Missing Person Located

On September 9 at 7:39 p.m., a group home in the 100 block of East Central Avenue 
called police to report that an adult resident from the home was missing. The 
subject was described as being mentally challenged and not being familiar with 
the area. Officers obtained as much information as possible about the subject, 
then conducted a thorough investigation and eventually located the subject.

Grand Theft Auto � Suspect Arrested

On September 9 at 10:21 p.m., a police agent conducted a traffic stop in the 1700 
block of South Mayflower Avenue for a vehicle code violation. During the initial 
contact, the driver became belligerent and confrontational. The agent requested 
an additional backup unit and with assistance, the subject was detained. During 
the confrontation, the dispatcher was running a computer check of the license 
plate and learned the vehicle stopped was a stolen vehicle; the driver was arrested 
and taken into custody.

Bear Incident

On September 10 at 9:57 a.m., a resident in the 200 block of East Olive Avenue 
called police to report a mother bear and her cub in a tree in their front yard. 
Officers responded and monitored the bears until the Department of Fish and 
Wildlife could respond. Media arrived in the area and began broadcasting the 
incident. California Fish and Wildlife arrived and cleared the officers from the 
area. They monitored the bear and her cub from a distance to allow them to leave 
the area and return to the Foothills, but the bears remained in the tree into the 
evening.

 As the story was broadcast on television, a large crowd of bystanders and 
vehicles began to form in the area. Police shut down the 200 block of Olive 
to through vehicle and pedestrian traffic in an effort to allow the bears to feel 
comfortable and not threatened to leave the area. Officers monitored the bears 
throughout the evening and eventually they left the area during the night.

Critical Missing Located / Mental Evaluation

On September 10 at 11:06 p.m., an adult female was reported missing to police. 
The subject is on medication and had not taken it that day. She has been reported 
missing several times in the past. Police conducted a thorough search for the 
subject, but were unable to locate her. Local hospitals and agencies were notified 
and the subject was entered into the law enforcement missing person�s system. 
The subject came into the police department lobby the next morning. She was 
removed from the missing persons system and was picked up from the station by 
her mother. Later, that morning, the subject went missing again. She was located 
by police again and taken to a hospital, where she was held for mental evaluation.

Detective Bureau Case Follow-up

Grand Theft Investigation � Two Suspects Arrested

On September 5, 2014, officers investigated a grand theft at a business in the 600 
block of West Huntington. The suspect had purchased an iPad from the business 
and later returned the box stuffed with paper and woodchips, resealed to look 
as if it had never been opened. Store employees discovered the crime later and 
reported it to police. Through investigation, the officer learned the suspect had 
repeated this crime at several locations. At one location, the suspect listed his 
driver�s license number and was identified.

 Surveillance of the suspect was conducted in Chino Hills, Alhambra and 
Walnut by the Monrovia Police Department Special Enforcement Team and the 
West San Gabriel Valley Anti-Crime Task Force. The suspect vehicle was located 
at one of the locations, so search warrants were obtained and served, which led to 
the recovery of the iPad and additional property, including resealing equipment. 
Two suspects were arrested in this case.

Grand Theft / Burglary � Suspect Identified

On July 16, 2014, officers investigated a crime where a female suspect had cashed 
an altered payroll check at a business in the 1200 block of South Myrtle. The check 
was altered and the account listed was not for the corporation listed. A Detective 
investigated the case and discovered the suspect cashed several checks throughout 
Los Angeles County. One of the cashed checks contained a thumbprint, which 
later returned to a female residing in Rosemead. A photo lineup was conducted 
and the suspect was positively identified. A search warrant was obtained and 
served. Numerous computers and check writing materials were recovered. 
Charges will be filed with the District Attorney�s Office.

DUARTE, CA, September 11, 2014 � The City of Duarte has passed Resolution 
14-R-21 making it a code violation for residents or businesses to fail to comply 
with the recently passed State Emergency Regulations addressing severe 
statewide drought conditions. Regulations include: (1) using potable water on 
outdoor landscapes causing runoff into adjacent properties; roadways, parking 
lots, or private/public walkways; (2) using a hose to wash a vehicle except 
when the hose is fitted with a shut-off nozzle; (3) using water on driveways and 
sidewalks; and (4) using potable water in a fountain or other decorative water 
feature except where water is part of a recirculating system. Violations of these 
regulations may result in fines. Specifically, the City is treating violations as an 
infraction utilizing written warnings combined with sufficient time for the 
violation to be corrected. If, in some cases, warnings fail, the City can then issue 
citations with penalties ranging from a fine of $75 for the first offense, $150 for 
the second, and $300 for the third. 

 The decision to move forward with Statewide restrictions came after a State 
Water Resources Board survey showed previous conservation measures failed 
to achieve the 20% reduction in water usage sought by Governor Brown back 
in January of this year. These regulations were also reaffirmed more recently 
on August 14th when the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) 
issued a resolution requiring all water agencies such as the City�s water system 
owner, California American Water company to inform their customers about 
the four statewide, mandatory water restrictions. Within 10 days of this ruling, 
California American Water published notice of the Emergency Regulation 
in both local newspapers and on their respective website. They also, within 
20 days, provided direct mail notice to their customers of the newly enacted 
emergency regulations. They, like the City, will also continue to publicize the 
restrictions throughout April of 2015. Additionally, Cal Am shall assist in 
assuring compliance by working with the City�s Code Compliance division 
charged with enforcing the mandatory restrictions. 

 In a prior resolution passed by the Duarte City Council on May 14th, the 
City had previously asked Duarte residents and businesses to take immediate 
action to �voluntarily� conserve water. Duarte residents were encouraged to 
take simple steps to save water, including taking shorter showers, not leaving 
water running, checking for leaks, washing only full laundry loads, promptly 
fixing defective plumbing or sprinklers, and watering only when landscaping 
needed it during early morning hours. 

 Since 2009, the City has been taking steps to conserve water. For example, 
City street crews have utilized drip irrigation, regularly inspected and replaced 
broken sprinklers, utilized weather sensing irrigation clocks, and regularly 
replaced turf with drought tolerant shrubs. Most recently, the Facilities 
Maintenance Division of the Parks and Recreation Department has also 
taken measures to conserve water at the City�s facilities by installing water free 
urinals, automatic toilet flush systems, and low-flow shower heads.

 California American Water is an investor-owned water utility providing 
water service to about 28,000 households and businesses, in the cities of 
Bradbury, Duarte, El Monte, Irwindale, Monrovia, Rosemead, San Gabriel, San 
Marino and Temple City, as well as unincorporated portions of Los Angeles 
County and the Baldwin Hills area. It is these communities that comprise the 
Los Angeles service area. The majority of the water service in the Los Angeles 
district is groundwater, pumped from the region�s main and central basins. In 
the City of Duarte, California American Water has seven wells that provide 
approximately 95% of the local water.

 For additional information on water conservation, visit the Utilities section 
ofwww.accessduarte.com or www.saveourh20.org. Local residential or 
business violations may also be reported to the City�s Code Compliance 
Division by calling 626-357-7938. 

DUARTE HIGH SCHOOL TO HOST TWELFTH ANNUAL 

FOOTHILL CITIES COLLEGE FAIR

DUARTE, CA., September 8, 2014� The annual Foothill Cities College 
Fair will take place on Wednesday, September 17, 2013 from 5:30 p.m. 
to 7:00 p.m. atn the Duarte High School campus, 1565 E. Central Ave. 
Admission is free. The event occurs annually in conjunction with Duarte 
High School�s annual �Back to School Night.� 

 Students and their parents can compare the programs and opportunities 
offered by more than 40 colleges and universities from throughout 
California and the United States. Among the many learning institutions 
already confirmed will be local community colleges, private and state 
universities, and career colleges, including: University of California �Los 
Angeles, La Sierra University, California State University Northridge, 
National University, Azusa Pacific University, Cal Poly Pomona, 
Humboldt State, Concordia University and many more.

 The Foothill Cities College Fair is presented by the Duarte Unified 
School District and the City of Duarte, Duarte�s Promise; The Alliance 
for Youth. For more information about the twelfth annual Foothill Cities 
College Fair, please call Duarte�s Promise at Duarte City Hall at (626) 357-
7931, ext. 260.