Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, October 29, 2016

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Mountain View News Saturday, October 29, 2016 

KICK OFF THE BREEDERS’ CUP WITH 

ARCADIA NIGHT: A SALUTE TO ZENYATTA

ARCADIA POLICE BLOTTER


For the period of Sunday, October 16th, through Saturday, 
October 22nd, the Police Department responded to 964 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, October 16:

At about 12:50 p.m., an officer responded to Macy’s, 400 
South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a theft that occurred on 
October 14th. Surveillance footage revealed the 37-year-
old male stole a KitchenAid mixer and exited the store, 
failing to make payment. The suspect was identified by 
Macy’s Loss Prevention due to previous burglaries at 
various Macy’s locations. The suspect is outstanding at the 
time of this report.

 Shortly before 8:32 p.m., an officer responded to Chevron 
gas station, 11 East Live Oak Avenue, regarding a counterfeit 
report. The officer discovered the suspect passed a counterfeit 
$10 bill and fled once the clerk said he was calling the police. 
The clerk obtained the suspect’s license plate and the vehicle 
is registered to male out of South El Monte. 

 The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 
approximately 45 to 55-years-old driving a black Nissan 
sedan. The investigation is ongoing.

Monday, October 17:

Around 12:32 p.m., an officer responded to the 500 block 
of Santa Cruz Road regarding an activation of an Arcadia 
Police Department GPS tracker. Arcadia PD detectives 
had previously deployed decoy packages containing bait 
property and tracking devices to combat the increase in 
package thefts from residential areas. An investigation 
revealed a 30-year-old male from Covina was in possession 
of the stolen property. He also had an outstanding felony 
warrant and was in possession of stolen credit card 
information. The suspect was arrested and transported to 
the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

 At about 4:22 p.m., an officer responded to the 400 
block of West Winnie Way regarding a fraud report. The 
officer determined an unknown suspect attempted to 
open a credit account under the victim’s name. The credit 
application was declined and no loss was reported. The 
victim does not know the suspect nor how they obtained 
his personal information. 

Tuesday, October 18:

Around 8:28 a.m., an officer responded to Silver Fox 
Renewables, 324 East Foothill Boulevard, regarding a 
commercial burglary. The officer discovered the suspects 
used a tool to pry open the front door but fled once the 
audible alarm activated. No loss was reported and no 
suspects were seen. 

 Just before 7:13 p.m., an officer responded to the Santa 
Anita Mall, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a vehicle 
burglary report. The victim walked to her vehicle and saw 
the suspect inside her vehicle. As the victim approached the 
suspect, he fled to a nearby vehicle. No loss was reported.

 The suspect is described as a white male in his 20’s and 
he fled in a newer, dark colored BMW. 

Wednesday, October 19:

Shortly after 9:26 a.m., an officer responded to Arcadia High 
School, 180 Campus Drive, regarding a battery report. An 
investigation revealed an altercation turned physical when 
an 18-year-old student punched a 14-year-old student in the 
face. The 18-year-old male from Arcadia was arrested and 
transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 

 At about 7:51 p.m., officers responded to 24 Hour 
Fitness, 125 North First Avenue, regarding a vehicle 
burglary report. The officer discovered an unknown 
suspect entered the vehicle by unknown means and stole 
the victim’s clothes, wallet, and cash. No suspects were 
seen and no witnesses were located. The suspect then 
used the victim’s debit card in Arcadia and Monrovia. The 
investigation is ongoing.

Thursday, October 20:

At approximately 7:27 p.m., officers responded to the 400 
block of Fairview Avenue regarding a domestic dispute. 
An investigation revealed a physical altercation occurred 
between a boyfriend and girlfriend, resulting in the 
boyfriend pushing the victim causing her to fall to the 
floor. While she was on the floor, the boyfriend nudged her 
in the face with his bare foot. The 23-year-old male from 
Arcadia was gone by the time officers arrived.

Friday, October 21: 

At about 10:04 a.m., an officer responded to Panda 
Nails, 147 East Foothill Boulevard, regarding a burglary 
report. Sometime during the previous evening, an 
unknown suspect smashed the front window to the 
business. No suspects were seen and no witnesses were 
located. 

 Just before 1:49 p.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 100 block of West Sandra Avenue regarding a burglary 
report. An investigation revealed unknown suspect(s) 
entered the house that was being fumigated through an 
unlocked bathroom window, ransacked the residence, and 
fled with a pressure washer and speaker system. No suspects 
were seen and no witnesses were located.

 Around 11:47 p.m., an officer responded to the 1100 
block of South First Avenue regarding an activation 
of an Arcadia Police Department GPS tracker. 
Arcadia PD detectives deployed decoy bundles of sod 
containing tracking devices to combat a spree of sod 
thefts. The officer discovered a 59-year-old female from 
El Monte had the stolen sod and tracking device in her 
vehicle. The suspect was arrested and transported to the 
Arcadia City Jail for booking.

Saturday, October 22:

Shortly after 4:52 a.m., officers responded to Arcadia 
Supermarket, 645 West Duarte Road, regarding a 
burglary report. Surveillance footage revealed the 
suspect smashed a side window, stole cash from the 
front desk, and fled undetected. The investigation is 
ongoing.

 At approximately 3:40 p.m., an officer was flagged 
down by two victims who witnessed their vehicle be 
broken into in the Nordstrom parking lot, 400 South 
Baldwin Avenue. The suspect vehicle failed to yield and a 
pursuit ensued. The pursuit was cancelled and the suspect 
vehicle proceeded to collide into several vehicles before 
the suspects fled on foot. An area search was conducted 
and two of the three suspects were located. A 19-year-old 
male from San Francisco and a 21-year-old male from San 
Francisco were arrested and transported to the Arcadia 
City Jail for booking.

ARCADIA, Calif. --- She brought the crowds to 
their feet, amazed fans of all ages, and continues 
to be one of the most famous race horses of all 
time. Arcadia is celebrating Zenyatta, the Queen of 
Racing, at Arcadia Night: A Salute to Zenyatta, on 
Wednesday, November 2, 5 – 9 p.m. in Downtown 
Arcadia. Arcadia Night is free and open to the 
public.

 As a kick off for the 2016 Breeders’ Cup which 
will be held at Santa Anita Park on November 4 – 
5, North First Avenue will be transformed into a 
fun block-party honoring Zenyatta. Guests will be 
treated to live music by Ghost in the Machine, the 
four-man Sting and Police cover band, signature 
dishes from some of Los Angeles’ most iconic 
food trucks including Meat the Greek, Ragin 
Cajun, Slammin’ Sliders, the Greasy Wiener, and 
Paradise Fine Cookies and Ice Cream, and a cash 
bar featuring beer, wine, and cocktails provided 
by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Makers Mark. 
The celebration continues by honoring Zenyatta 
with a dedicated bronze plaque on Arcadia’s 
own Thoroughbred Walk of Champions, which 
highlights the greatest horses, trainers, jockeys, 
and owners in the horse racing world.

 “Breeders Cup is truly a special weekend for 
the Arcadia community, and we can’t wait to start 
the weekend off with Arcadia Night,” said Arcadia 
Mayor Tom Beck. “Thanks to our wonderful 
partners, we look forward to celebrating Breeders’ 
Cup weekend in true Southern California style 
with the best food, drink, and music.”

 As a special commemorative highlight to 
the event, Makers Mark will be offering a 2016 
limited edition commemorative bottle featuring 
Zenyatta in honor of her historic Breeders’ Cup 
victory. Orders must be placed in advance at www.
breederscup.com/championsforcharity and the 
bottles may be picked up at the event. One hundred 
percent of the proceeds from the sale of the famous 
bourbon will be donated to Old Friends, an 
organization that provides dignified retirement to 
Thoroughbreds whose racing and breeding careers 
have come to an end.

FOREIGN FILM NIGHT

Escape to faraway places through the movie screen 
once a month. The next movie is scheduled for 
Wednesday, November 9, 2016. The Arcadia Public 
Library is proud to present a series of foreign films 
with English subtitles each month for the adult 
community. Patrons over seventeen are welcome 
to attend. Come early as the doors open at 5:30 
p.m. and bring your dinner if you wish. Dessert 
is provided while supplies last. The movie begins 
at 6:00 p.m. and may last up until 9:00 p.m., 
depending upon the length of the movie. 

 For a listing of movies, please visit the Library’s 
website at www.ArcadiaCa.gov/library or call 
626.821.5569. 

 The Arcadia Public Library is located at 20 W. 
Duarte Rd., Arcadia. The Library is open Monday 
through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and 
Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. 
You can also follow the Library on Twitter and 
Facebook. 


TIMES ARTICLE REGARDING STATE AUDITOR IN MONROVIA 
CONTAINS SEVERAL INACCURACIES

DOWNLOAD THE NEW 

DUARTE USD APP

(Duarte, CA) – Duarte USD is proud to announce the launch of its custom 
mobile app, an all-in-one information source for parents, students, staff 
and the community, developed to provide direct access to the district’s 
most sought after information.

 This free mobile app, available on Apple and Android devices, gives 
stakeholders the ability to access information throughout the district in a 
faster, easier, more up-to-date, and more personal way. Users can follow 
schools of their choosing and receive only the news, events, notifications, 
and social media updates that are important to them.

 The Duarte USD App also provides secure access for student and 
parents to see grade and attendance information, allowing them to view 
academic standings at anytime, from anywhere. From the app, users can 
customize their own grade and assignment settings, allowing them to be 
alerted through a push notification if a grade or score drops below that 
self-selected threshold.

 Other app features include sports scores, cafeteria menus, and more. 
Content can also be received in over 60 different languages. 

 The Duarte USD app was developed by ParentLink, a company now 
owned by Blackboard Connect. ParentLink has created mobile apps 
for K-12 school districts and has partnered with innovative school 
districts, over the last 20 years, to solve the most difficult communication 
challenges, with the goal of supporting student success.

 Download the Duarte USD app today from the Apple or Google Play 
Stores and see for yourself how easy it is to stay up to date with our 
schools!

Recently, the City was made aware of an article that the LA Times ran which 
seemed to indicate that Monrovia was being audited by the State Auditor. 
The article contained a couple of errors that and we wanted to be sure to 
share some additional details related to the matter.

 You may recall the report in late 2015, that the State Auditor had 
completed a review of Monrovia and determined that they would not be 
performing an audit of our organization. We shared those details in the 
December 8, 2015 City Manager’s Update which can be accessed online at: 

http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/city_
managers_office/page/976/cm_update_-_december_8_-_public.pdf 

 As was mentioned, the more recent LA Times article (which can be 
accessed online at: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-state-
auditor-program-20161023-snap-story.html) is not entirely accurate with 
respect to the State Auditor’s involvement here in Monrovia, and to provide 
some additional background information, it is important to note the 
following factors:

 First and foremost… Monrovia is no longer on the list of cities being 
audited by the State Auditor. 

 We were notified on July 1, 2015, by the State Auditor that they intended 
to perform a review of the City. 

 That review was completed, and the assessment made by the State Auditor 
during their close-out letter stipulated the following: 

 “As a result of our initial assessment, the state auditor concludes that the 
city of Monrovia is now taking steps to address the risk factors previously 
described, and as a result, we will not be seeking approval at this time from 
the Joint Legislative Audit Committee (audit committee) to perform an 
audit.” 

 Based on that assessment, all that we are required to do at this point in 
time is send the State Auditor an overview of our continued efforts / progress 
every few months.

We have sent the State Auditor additional information in February 2016 and 
April 2016, and additional information will be shared with the State Auditor 
later this month.

 Each time we have sent the State Auditor follow-up information, they 
have been satisfied that we are continuing to address the issues that they 
initially identified as being high risk factors.

 When the State Auditor notified the City that we would be assessed in 
July 2015, at the same time, they also notified six other cities that they were 
going to be reviewed.

 Those six cities that were audited in July 2015 included:

 Chico, Richmond, Ridgecrest, Monrovia, Hemet, and Maywood

 The City’s understanding is that of the six cities contacted, Monrovia and 
Chico were the only ones who were not subjected to any additional audit.

Maywood and Hemet were required to undergo a full audit by the Joint 
Legislative Audit Committee.

 Richmond and Ridgecrest were required to undergo some type of partial 
audit by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

The LA Times has recently been running a series of articles on issues in the 
City of Maywood, which has experienced multiple controversies of late.

 As part of their reporting, we assume that the LA Times recently learned 
that Maywood was one of the six cities that the State Auditor assessed in 
July 2015, and they are reporting on this matter as though the developments 
occurred recently.

 The LA Times report has also failed to identify that the State Auditor has 
now audited dozens of communities from throughout California.

 In discussions with other city representatives, we are aware of several 
other communities in the San Gabriel Valley that are undergoing reviews / 
audits by the State Auditor’s Office that were not referenced in the LA Times 
article.

 The headline of the article (“The state is watching these 6 cities closely for 
financial fraud”) is obviously misleading!

 Also, please note that the LA Times article states, “Most of the six cities 
were ranked poorly in some or all of the categories. But it was Maywood 
and Hemet that required audits after they failed to address issues raised by 
the state auditor.”

 I hope this overview provides some additional background information 
related to the matter, and if you have any questions, please feel free to let me 
know! 


CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

Foothill Unity Center invites you to help us bring some holiday cheer to 
some of our low income families in our communities. Please visit our 
website www.foothillunitycenter.org under GET INVOLVED to register for 
our Thanksgiving and Holiday Packing and Distribution Events. There will 
be a limited number for each shift. Registration will be for individuals and 
groups. We encourage groups to have a main contact sign-up all individuals 
in their group for the desired shift. All volunteers under the age of 14 must 
have parental supervision.

 Here are the following dates for Thanksgiving: Click here for shift 
times. 

 Mondays and Wednesdays, November 7, 9, 14 and 16 - Food Sorting at 
Annex (ADULT AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS)

 Saturday, November 19 - Packing in Ayers Hall at the Los Angeles 
Arboretum (ADULT AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS)

 Monday, November 21 - Large Family Distribution in Ayers Hall at the 
Los Angeles Arboretum (ADULT VOLUNTEERS ONLY)

 Tuesday, November 22 - Small Family Distribution at centers in 
Pasadena and Monrovia (ADULT AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS)

 Here are the following dates for Holiday: Click here for shift times.

Mondays and Wednesdays, November 28, 30 and December 5, 7 - Food 
Sorting at Annex (ADULT AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS)

 Friday, December 16 - Packing in Ayer Hall @ Arboretum (ADULT 
AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS)

 Saturday, December 17 - Large Family Distribution in Ayers Hall at the 
Los Angeles Arboretum (ADULT VOLUNTEERS)

 Monday, December 19 - Small Family Distribution at centers in Pasadena 
and Monrovia (ADULT AND YOUTH VOLUNTEERS)

 Also in need of Volunteer Drivers to deliver food boxes to our 
homebound clients in the Pasadena area on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and 
Thursdays during November and December. Please contact Sal Villasenor 
and Ben Byers at sal@foothillunitycenter.org and ben@foothillunitycenter.
org.

 Please spread the word…thank you to all our volunteers for being the 
“Heart of Change.”


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