SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014

VOLUME 8 NO. 50

POWER OUTAGE SHUTS DOWN 
SIERRA MADRE ELEMENTARY 
SCHOOL DURING RAINSTORM

SIERRA MADRE POLICE NAB BURGLARY SUSPECT

Alert Resident And One Minute SMPD Response Time Lead To Arrest 

Following the mantra, “See Something, Say Something”, an alert resident 
called the Sierra Madre Police Department early Wednesday morning, a 
call which led to the arrest of a suspected burglar. The resident noticed a 
‘stranger’ walking the streets around 2 am and made the fateful call.

On the previous two days, there had been a rash of burglaries of unlocked 
garages and vehicles in Sierra Madre and SMPD had stepped up patrols, 
especially on the east end of town. According to Director of Public Safety, 
Chief Larry Giannone, the officers on patrol “observed a vehicle blacked 
out driving slow in the area”. SMPD Sergeant Gonzalez caught up with the 
vehicle when it parked in a driveway on San Gabriel Court. When the officer 
approached the suspect, the suspect gave false information to Gonzalez, and 
the resident at the San Gabriel Court address had no knowledge of either the 
car or the man it. SMPD proceeded to detain the suspect. 

SMPD arrested the driver, Christian Castaneda, 21, of Azusa, pictured 
above). Castaneda, who was convicted of Grand Theft on last month, 
is on felony probation from that conviction. He was found to have in his 
possession at the time of his arrest a large quantity of methamphetamine.

In addition to the drugs, police retrieved stolen property from recent thefts 
inside the vehicle. There was also stolen property from thefts in Azusa, 
Glendora, Arcadia and Monrovia in the car. Giannone said, “The initial 
count we have is approximately 300 pieces of evidence, primarily stolen 
goods, stolen mail, items bought at stores with victims credit cards, stolen 
credit cards, checks, GPS devices, phones, wallets, etc.”

Just hours before the arrest and a few hours after several Sierra Madre thefts (see inset), the suspects are said to have 
purchased a large quantity of merchandise in Glendora with a stolen credit card. Castaneda was booked at the Pasadena 
Jail. His bail is set at $30,000. 

Upon further investigation the SMPD learned that there were in fact two suspects, the driver of the vehicle and one person 
who fled when he saw the police approaching. The vehicle had been reported stolen from an Azusa residence with stolen 
plates from Glendora.

 

Anyone with information regarding these incidents please call the Sierra Madre Police Department’s Detective Bureau, at 
(626) 355-1414.

S. Henderson/MVNews


Burglary Suspect Christian Castaneda

Sierra Madre Elementary at 1 pm Friday. Photo courtesy Lisa Spagai

Power Has Been Restored at Pasadena Unified’s Sierra Madre 
Elementary-Classes Will Resume Monday, December 15

 The Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) announced early Friday 
morning that Sierra Madre Elementary School would be closed Friday, 
December 12 due to a power outage resulting from the major overnight storm. 
Families were notified about the cancellation of classes earlier this morning 
via phone message. Parents on social media also helped spread the word. 

 Sierra Madre Middle School is not affected by the power outage and SMMS 
students followed their regular schedule.

 “Residential Burglary (garage)

A residential garage burglary occurred in the 500 block of Camillo 
Road. This incident occurred between Tuesday, December 09, 2014, 
at 10:00 pm and Wednesday, December 11, 2014 at 6:00 am. 

 Unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked 2004, white 
Honda, parked in the driveway. The suspect(s) ransacked the Honda 
then took and used the garage door remote control and opened the 
garage door. The suspect(s) entered the garage and stolen a black, 
Kandal 29 inch bicycle, a Craftsman circular saw, and fled. The 
garage is attached to the home and the residents were home at the 
time of the theft. The loss is valued at approximately $1,500.00

 Residential Burglary (garage)

 A residential garage burglary occurred in the 2000 block of Lilliano 
Drive. This incident occurred on Wednesday, December 10, 2014, 
between 12:30 am 6:30 am. 

 Unknown suspect(s) entered the victim’s unlocked 2009, silver 
GMC pickup truck parked in the driveway. The suspect(s) 
ransacked the pickup truck then took a pair 
of sunglasses and the garage door remote control. The suspect(s) 
opened the garage door with the remote control, entered the garage 
and ransacked it. At this time, it is unknown if anything was taken 
from the garage. The garage was also attached to the home and the 
residents were home at the time of the incident. The garage door 
remote control and the sunglasses are valued at approximately 
$230.00. 

Note: At press time, it was unclear if Castaneda would be charged 
with these crimes. Report Courtesy Sgt. R. Enriquez, SMPD 

RECENT THEFTS IN SIERRA MADRE

Inside this week: 


CITIZEN OF THE YEAR NOMINEES SOUGHT

The Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 2014 
Citizen of the Year. To be eligible, a person must be a resident of Sierra Madre. 
The accomplishment(s) or project(s) for which they are being nominated must 
have been of benefit to the community of Sierra Madre and its citizens during 
2014. They must have served without remuneration on the project for which 
they are being nominated, and members of the Chamber of Commerce Board 
of Directors are not eligible.

If you would like to nominate someone, nomination forms are available at 
www.sierramadrechamber.com.

You can also pick up nomination forms at the Chamber office, City Hall, the 
Library, and the Recreation Center. Completed forms should be mailed to 
Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce, 19 Suffolk Ave., Ste. A, Sierra Madre, 
91024 by January 3, 2015. 

The winner will be selected by members of the Chamber Board of Directors, 
and will be honored at the annual Citizen of the Year/Board of Directors 
Installation Dinner to be held in January 31, 2015.

Previous Awardees:

Joe and Jacquie Pergola 2013

Marlene Enmark 2012

Richard Mays 2011

Glenn and Amy Putnam 2010

Paul and Louise Nieby 2009 

Angel Throop 2008

Pete Siberell 2007

Bud Switzer 2006

John Grijalva 2005

Hank Landsberg 2004

Rob Stockly 2003

Bill Messersmith 2002

Carol Canterbury 2001

Marilyn McKernan 2000

George Enyedi 1999

Judy Webb-Martin 1998

William McKernan 1997

Shirley McGillicuddy 1996

Lew Watanabe 1995

Jan Reed 1994

Michael Sizer 1993

Dorothy Hobiak 1992

Doug Hayes 1991

Helen Walker 1990

CALENDAR Pg. 2

SIERRA MADRE NEWS 
Pg. 3

PASADENA/ALTADENA

 Pg. 4

ARCADIA NEWS 

MONROVIA/DUARTE 
Pg. 5

EDUCATION & YOUTH

 Pg. 6

FOOD & DRINK

Peter Dills / Rich Johnson

 Pg. 7

ARTS & 
ENTERTAINMENT

 Pg. 9

Celeste McCreary 1989

Harry C. Martin 1988

Howard L. Wagner 1987

Royden F. Estoppey 1986

A. Virginia Liskow 1985

Joseph Delgatto 1984

Hugh Campbell 1983

Marjorie Peterson 1982

Mary Tumulty 1981

Phyllis Chapman 1980

Gertrude Gerke 1979 
Charles Brown 1978

R. Robert Evans 1977

Sam Tesoro 1976

John Goodall 1975

George Maurer 1974

Earl LaLone 1973

H. Clay Reavis 1972

Myrtis Waite 1971

Rudolph Hartman 1970

Janet Wood 1969

Carl Hobson 1968

Ruth Barden 1967

William Wark 1966

BEST FRIENDS

HEALTHY LIVING 

 Pg. 10

CANDLELIGHT WALK DECEMBER 21st

Neither let the wind of winter nor 
the cold of the western night forbid 
the hope of Christmas from entering 
your heart. 

The story of Christmas was written in that 
dark age of despair, when the shadows of 
the world crept over the descendants of 
Adam and Eve. Even in that great season of 
suspicion, there were those who knew of a 
king -- a king of heavenly kindness. These 
gateways of knowledge were commissioned 
with the name of “wise men.” They were 
vigilantly loyal to God, and they hungered 
for the stories of Heaven, which they housed 
as treasures in their heart. In righteousness 
of Heaven and the celestial power of angels, 
the wise men came to resolve the riddles of 
prophets and the story of a child who was to 
be born under the perfect light of a star. 

Therefore, we dedicate a December evening 
each year to the birth of a Heaven King. We 
join as a community in the hope for “Peace 
on Earth and good will to all,” knowing 
that on such a night when God’s people are 
gathered, angels are our audience. May we 
experience the emotion of humble shepherds 
who were overcome with the spirit of 
Christmas. 

December 21, 2014 6:45 PM

The Candlelight Walk is held each Christmas 
season to celebrate the journey that Joseph 
and Mary made to Bethlehem where 
Jesus was born over 2,000 years ago. The 
procession will begin at St. Rita’s Catholic 
Church in Sierra Madre, with “Mary 
and Joseph” leading the way, and other 
participants holding candles while singing 
traditional Christmas carols. The procession 
will end at Kersting Court in the center of 
town where the Christmas Story will be read 
from Scripture.

The procession begins at St. Rita traveling 
down Baldwin to Kersting Court. It is 
recommended that you arrive by 6:45pm, so 
that the walk can begin promptly at 7:00 pm.

Craighakola@aol.com

GOOD LIFE

 Pg. 11

SECTION B 

AROUND SGV 

 Pg. B1

THE WORLD AROUND 
US Pg. B2

BUSINESS NEWS 

 Pg. B3

 OPINION Pg. B4

LEGAL NOTICES 

 Pg. B5