Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 30, 2016

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 30, 2016 

ARCADIA POLICE BLOTTER

TOM BECK MAYOR OF ARCADIA


By Scott Hettrick from 
Arcadia’s Best

Breaking with tradition, 
the new majority of the 
Arcadia City Council 
voted first-term Council 
Member Tom Beck to 
serve as Mayor for the 
next year instead of 
Mayor Pro Tem Roger 
Chandler.

 Also at the ceremonial 
changing of the guard 
Tuesday evening at City 
Hall Council Chambers, 
newly-elected Council 
Member Peter Amundson 
was voted to be Mayor 
Pro Tem. Amundson was 
previously a Mayor and 
served two consecutive four-year terms before 
being termed out two years ago.

 April Verlato and Peter Amundson are 
sworn in as members of the Arcadia City 
Council by newly-elected City Clerk Gene 
Glasco.

 Both were voted in unanimously amongst 
the five members of the Council but not until 
Beck’s fellow first-time/first-term Council 
Member Sho Tay dutifully nominated Chandler 
to be Mayor even though it was obvious 
that he would not have a third vote among 
Beck and the two newly-sworn-in Council 
Members, Amundson and April Verlato.
Chandler and Tay found themselves over 
the past year or two aligning against the 
wishes of residents seeking restrictions on 
the building of mansions, led in large part by 
Verlato as a resident. Beck and Amundson 
were more aligned with the movement to slow 
development.

 If not unprecedented, the Mayor Pro 
Tem has been voted in as the next Mayor 
almost as a matter of protocol every year 
for many, many years. Tay pointed out this 
tradition when making his nomination out of 
respect for Chandler and normal procedure, 
even though he seemed 
to know it was futile.
Chandler, also clearly 
recognizing that the 
votes among the Council 
were not going to be in 
his favor, respectfully 
declined Tay’s nomination 
before a vote was taken.
In his public remarks, 
Amundson said Chandler’s 
decision was one of the 
classiest things he had ever 
seen in his years on the City 
Council.

 The selection of Mayor 
and Mayor Pro Tem came 
after many presentations of 
appreciation to Mayor Gary 
Kovacic from local and state officials and local 
civic groups. He is termed out for the second 
time — he has served two eight-year stints since 
1996. The 64 year-old Kovacic said he will leave 
open the option of running again in two years.
In a sweet moment to open the meeting, 
Kovacic’s mother led the audience in the 
pledge of allegiance.

 Former Mayor Mickey Segal, who also 
stepped down as a member of the Council 
Tuesday after filling in for the past six months, 
was presented a poem by Kovacic. Segal said 
he was pleased he was able to accomplish the 
two goals he had when he agreed to serve 
the past six months: to revise the residential 
zoning code, and to help defeat Measure A.

For the period of Sunday, April 17th, through Saturday, April 
23rd, the Police Department responded to 835 calls for service 
of which 135 required formal investigations. The following 
is a summary report of the major incidents handled by the 
Department during this period.

Sunday, April 17:

 Just after 11:38 a.m., an officer responded to a residence 
in the 000 block of Perkins Drive regarding an attempted 
burglary report. The officer originally responded to the 
residence regarding an audible alarm activation and 
discovered the rear sliding glass window had been smashed. 
The victim returned home and reported the home was intact 
and nothing had been stolen. No suspects were seen and no 
witnesses were located.

 Around 7:49 p.m., an officer responded to Walgreens, 253 
East Foothill Boulevard, regarding a shoplifting report. An 
investigation revealed an unknown suspect selected more 
than $350 in Gillette razors and exited the store, failing to 
make payment. The investigation is ongoing.

Monday, April 18:

 At about 9:12 a.m., an officer responded to the intersection 
of Third Avenue and Leda Lane regarding an indecent 
exposure report. The officer determined a male suspect 
exposed himself to a female victim while asking for directions. 
The suspect then fled in his vehicle.

 The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, 30 to 40-years-
old, and clean shaven. The suspect’s vehicle is described as a 
grey pick-up truck. The investigation is ongoing.

 At approximately 8:07 p.m., an officer responded to the 
Arcadia Police Department front counter regarding a theft 
report. An investigation revealed an unknown suspect hacked 
the victim’s email account in an effort to reroute a real estate 
wire transfer in the amount of $807,000.00. The victim does 
not know the identity of the suspect or how they obtained his 
account information.

Tuesday, April 19:

 Around 12:13 p.m., an officer responded to Prince 
Jewelers, 411 East Huntington Drive, regarding a commercial 
burglary report. The officer discovered two unknown 
suspects smashed the front display windows, stole various 
items of jewelry, and fled on foot to the underground parking 
lot. Officers were unable to locate the suspects. 

 One of the suspects is described as a white or Hispanic 
male between 5’8” and 5’10”. The race and gender of the 
second suspect are unknown. The investigation is ongoing.

 Just after 4:05 p.m., an officer conducted an enforcement 
stop on a vehicle in the area of Duarte Road and Baldwin 
Avenue for having expired registration. A records check of 
the vehicle revealed the registration had expired; however, 
the vehicle displayed a 2016 registration sticker. The driver, 
a 41-year-old male from Monrovia, knowingly created the 
forged sticker and registration paperwork. He was also 
driving with a suspended license. The suspect was arrested 
and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. The 
vehicle was impounded for 30 days.

Wednesday, April 20:

Shortly after 8:59 a.m., officers responded to a residence 
in the 700 block of Fairview Avenue regarding a burglary 
report. The officer determined a panhandler outside of 
7-Eleven, 1003 South Baldwin Avenue, was seen exiting the 
victim’s garage with stolen tools. The 52-year-old male from 
Lynwood was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City 
Jail for booking.

 At about 6:15 p.m., an officer responded to Wells Fargo 
Bank inside Ralph’s Grocery Store, 211 East Foothill 
Boulevard regarding two suspects attempting to cash a 
fraudulent check. The bank recognized the fraudulent 
transaction and officers located both suspects. The female 
suspect was also in possession of methamphetamine and 
drug paraphernalia. The 28-year-old female from Pasadena 
and 28-year-old male from Pasadena were arrested and 
transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 

Thursday, April 21:

9. At approximately 7:35 a.m., officers responded to Denny’s, 7 
East Huntington Drive, regarding an activation of an Arcadia 
Police Department GPS tracker. Arcadia PD detectives had 
previously deployed decoy bicycles containing tracking 
devices to combat the increase in bicycle thefts around the 
city. An investigation revealed a 27-year-old male from Los 
Angeles took the bicycle and boarded the Metro Gold Line 
Train. With assistance from the Los Angeles County Sheriff 
Transit Service Bureau, the suspect was located in Highland 
Park with the bicycle. He was arrested and transported to the 
Arcadia City Jail for booking.

 10. Around 2:32 p.m., an officer responded to Arcadia High 
School, 180 Campus Drive, regarding possible drug activity 
in the parking lot. An investigation revealed an 18 year old 
male from Temple City had a container of marijuana, drug 
paraphernalia and alcohol inside his vehicle. The suspect was 
arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

Friday, April 22: 

 11. At about 2:32 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop 
on a vehicle traveling with a flat tire in the area of Santa Anita 
Avenue and Huntington Drive. Upon contacting the driver, 
the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol emitting from 
the driver. Through a series of tests, the officer determined 
the 22-year-old male from La Puente was driving under the 
influence of an alcoholic beverage. The suspect was arrested 
and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

 12. Just after 6:30 p.m., an officer was dispatched 
to 7-Eleven, 1003 South Baldwin Avenue, regarding an 
activation of an Arcadia Police Department GPS bicycle 
tracker. Officers located a suspect riding away from the scene 
on the stolen bicycle. A consensual search of the suspect’s 
purse revealed a meth pipe. The 30-year-old female from Los 
Angeles was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail 
for booking.

Saturday, April 23:

 13. At about 4:08 p.m., officers responded to Nordstrom 
at the Santa Anita Mall, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, regarding 
a petty theft report. A loss prevention specialist witnessed the 
suspect conceal several items on his person before exiting 
the store, failing to make payment. The suspect was last seen 
fleeing in a dark colored 2-door compact vehicle.

 The suspect is described as male, approximately 28-years-
old, 6’ tall, and roughly 200 pounds. The investigation is 
ongoing.

 14. At approximately 6:08 p.m., an officer responded to 
a hit and run traffic collision that occurred near Huntington 
Drive and Santa Anita Avenue. An investigation revealed 
the suspect driver struck two pedestrians in a crosswalk and 
fled the scene. A witness followed and detained the suspect 
until officers arrived. The 54-year-old female from Arcadia 
was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for 
booking.


SPECIAL MEETING OF THE HISTORIC 
PRESERVATION COMMISSION TO CONSIDER 
THE HISTORIC SANTA FE DEPOT REHABILITATION 
PLAN TENTATIVELY SCHEDULED FOR MAY 12, 
2016, AT 7:00 P.M.

CITY OF MONROVIA FIRE & RESCUE TO 
HOST FREE HANDS-ONLY CPR TRAINING ON 
“SIDEWALK CPR DAY” JUNE 2

Training to be held at Library Park

Monrovia Fire & Rescue will provide free 
hands-only CPR training on Sidewalk CPR 
Day, Thursday, June 2, 2016 at Library Park 
from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Last year, more than 
17,000 people in Southern California learned 
how to save a life in just five minutes with a 
quick lesson from local firefighters and medical 
professionals through the coordinated LA 
County- wide Sidewalk CPR Day program.

 “Thanks to easy access to training, Citizen 
CPR is rapidly growing as a way to empower 
bystanders to save a life when someone suffers 
sudden cardiac arrest,” said Captain Chris 
Huson. “We are glad to team up with the Los 
Angeles County Emergency Medical Services 
Agency and the American Heart Association 
to bring Sidewalk CPR to our local community. 
With 80 percent of all cardiac arrests occurring 
at home, we need to help family and friends 
learn how to double or triple their loved one’s 
chance of survival.”

 Learning hands-only CPR helps local 
emergency responders by focusing on the first 
few critical minutes following a cardiac arrest. 
Since the lungs and blood contain only enough 
oxygen to keep vital organs healthy for that 
amount of time, bystanders become heroes 
until emergency responders arrive on scene. 
With each chest compression using hands-only 
CPR, ordinary citizens can easily provide the 
ongoing blood flow needed to give the patient a 
much better chance of survival once responders 
arrive. 

 Once trained, citizens are encouraged to 
download the PulsePoint app, which was 
activated in Los Angeles County last August. 
More than 33,000 CPR-trained citizens have 
downloaded this lifesaving app to receive 
notifications that someone nearby is in need 
of CPR. To learn more, visit the PulsePoint 
Foundation website at www.pulsepoint.org. 

 Only 32 percent of victims receive CPR from 
a bystander. Don’t be a bystander in a cardiac 
emergency, be a lifesaver! For more information 
about this upcoming training, contact Captain 
Chris Huson at (626) 256-8119 or chuson@
ci.monrovia.ca.us. 

A few months ago, the Historical Preservation 
Commission (HPC) created the Depot 
Subcommittee to interface with the Daylight 
Limited, LLC, development team regarding the 
rehabilitation of the City’s Historic Santa Fe Depot 
building at Station Square. Since that time, the 
Depot Subcommittee has met with both staff and 
the development team to assess the proposed scope 
of the rehabilitation project, and those discussions 
have been positive, collaborative, and productive. 

Based on the work that has been complete to date, 
we are excited to share that the Daylight Limited, 
LLC, development team last week submitted an 
application for the full HPC to consider approval 
of a Certificate of Appropriateness to authorize 
the scope of the rehabilitative work to be done at 
the Historic Santa Fe Depot. Given the submittal, 
the HPC will be convening a Special Meeting on 
Thursday, May 12, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. to review the 
application. 

This is an exciting step forward in the process to 
renovate and restore the Historic Santa Fe Depot, 
and we will be certain to keep everyone apprised of 
our progress moving forward! 

MONROVIA POLICE BLOTTER

Following are the weekend’s highlighted issues and events. 
To see a complete listing of crimes reported, go to the City 
of Monrovia website and click on the crime mapping link. 
Sign up to follow us on Twitter for police notifications. 

Wanted Persons – Suspects Arrested 

April 21 at 9:00 a.m., officers responded to a family 
disturbance at a home in the 500 block of South Magnolia. 
When they arrived, a computer check of the two females 
causing the disturbance revealed they were wanted by 
another law enforcement agency in Los Angeles County 
for robbery. They were arrested and taken into custody. 

Violation of Domestic Violence Restraining Order – 
Suspect Arrested 

April 21 at 2:34 p.m., officers were dispatched to a 
residence in the 1000 block of Royal Oaks on the report 
of a male family member who was refusing to leave after 
being served with a domestic violence restraining order. 
Officers advised the subject of the conditions of the order 
and gave him several warnings and chances to leave, 
however, he refused. He was arrested and taken into 
custody without further incident. 

Grand Theft Auto 

April 22 at 8:38 a.m., a forklift was reported stolen from the 
500 block of West Huntington. The forklift was parked to 
the rear of the location. It was not secured to a fixed object, 
but the keys were with the driver. The forklift was stolen 
sometime overnight. The investigation is continuing. 

Bench Warrant / Receiving Stolen Property – Suspect 
Arrested 

April 22 at 9:25 a.m., an officer was conducting an 
investigation regarding the possible unlawful use of a 
credit card. During the investigation, the officer learned of 
a possible location for the suspect in the 1400 block of S. 
Magnolia. He went to the location on Magnolia and found 
the suspect. The suspect was arrested for an outstanding 
warrant and receiving stolen property. 

Grand Theft Auto 

April 22 at 7:11 p.m., a vehicle was reported stolen from 
the 100 block of E. Lime Avenue. The victim parking her 
vehicle in a public parking lot and walking to a business on 
Myrtle. When she returned to her vehicle approximately 
10 minutes later, she found her vehicle had been stolen. 
The victim had left the vehicle unlocked, but had the keys 

in her possession. The vehicle is a 2006, silver, 4-door 
Toyota Corolla. The investigation is continuing. 

Public Intoxication – Suspect Arrested 

April 22 at 11:23 p.m., officers were called to a business 
in the 400 block of S. Myrtle regarding a subject at the 
location who was intoxicated and attempted to leave 
without paying his bill. Prior to the officers arriving, the 
business owner blocked the subject from leaving the 
location. The officers arrived and determined the subject 
was too impaired to care for himself. He was arrested for 
public intoxication and held for a sobering period. 

Unlicensed Driver / Resisting a Police Officer – Suspect 
Arrested 

April 23 at 2:03 a.m., an officer observed a vehicle 
commit a vehicle code violation and attempted to stop 
the vehicle, but the driver sped up and made several 
turning movements to evade the officer. The officer lost 
sight of the vehicle, but relocated it in the 300 block of S. 
California. The driver stopped the vehicle, but fled on foot. 
He was quickly detained in an alley, east of California. The 
investigation revealed the suspect is an unlicensed juvenile 
who had taken his father’s vehicle without permission. 
The suspect sustained a minor injury while being taken 
into custody and was taken to the hospital for medical 
clearance. He was then processed for the charges and later 
released to a parent with a citation to appear in court. 

SGV COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS SET TO HOST 
STORMWATER WORKSHOP IN MONROVIA ON 
MAY 3, 2016 AT 10:00 A.M.

 The San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments 
will be hosting a stormwater workshop here in 
Monrovia on Tuesday, May 3, 2016, from 10:00 
a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at the Monrovia Community 
Center (119 West Palm Avenue). This meeting has 
been coordinated to provide information regarding 
stormwater issues and concerns. Those interested in 
attending the meeting can register online by clicking 
on the following link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1_
ji-WXu3TqJrX63Cc4j6MznP_
J8JSxBiC25toUMWCEs/
viewform

 Given the complex nature of stormwater 
regulations, a MS4 Permit / EWMP overview fact 
sheet and a presentation outlining the issues at hand 
have been uploaded to our website at the link below 
for your reference. And as referenced in the attached 
documents, the approved stormwater management 
plan that Monrovia is part of currently requires the 
construction of $1.4 billion in stormwater projects. 
Of that amount, Monrovia’s costs have been 
identified at $231.1 million. 

 http://www.cityofmonrovia.org/publicworks/
page/stormwater-management

 There are many moving parts associated with the 
complexities related to the matter, and we would 
encourage anyone interested in this topic to attend 
the workshop scheduled to take place on May 3, 
2016.