Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 19, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 19, 2020 


SGV Woman 
Linked to Drug 
Overdoses in 
Pasadena

South Pasadena City 
Manager Steps Down

 
South Pasadena City 
Manager Stephanie DeWolfe 
(pictured right) suddenly 
announced last week that 
she will retire from her 
position as city manager, 
it was effective September 
12.Officials also said 
that effective immediately 
Fire Chief Paul Riddle will 
assume the role of acting 
city manager. At council’s 
direction Acting City 
Manager, Chief Riddle, 
“will continue to lead the 
remaining COVID-19 
response and begin taking 
the action necessary to 
safely move our community 
forward.” 

 DeWolfe served the city 
as its city manager from 
November 6, 2017 until her 
separation and retirement 
date of September 12, (her 
last day of service was 
September 11). 

 “The city council wishes her 
the best in the next chapter 
of her life,” said Mayor Bob 
Joe. The city will begin the 
recruitment process, which 
usually takes several months, 
for a new city manager, and 
will likely appoint an interim 
city manager during the 
recruitment process so that 
the fire chief can return his 
full attention to his critically 
important duties. 

 The council voted 
Wednesday to add a 
position of interim assistant 
city manager and hire 
Aguilar during the absence 
of Finance Director, 
Karen Aceves and/or the 
recruitment process for a 
new full time city manager. 

 Fire chief now acting 
city manager, Elaine 
Aguilar hired as 
interim assistant city 
manager.

 Charged with 
Federal Narcotics 
Trafficking Offense

 Prosecutors filed a criminal 
complaint Friday against 
a San Gabriel woman who 
allegedly sold narcotics 
to several individuals in 
Pasadena who suffered 
overdoses last week.

 According to the Department 
of Justice, Marisol Bolanos 
Hernandez, 35, was charged 
with one count of drug 
distribution resulting in 
serious bodily injury.

 Bolanos allegedly sold 
narcotics to a man who, along 
with a friend, was found 
unresponsive at a Pasadena 
location on the evening 
of September 11. The two 
victims were transported to 
local hospitals, where one 
recovered, but another died 
two days later. Pasadena 
Police officers seized white 
powder residue from the 
location of the overdoses, 
but that material has yet to 
be tested, according to the 
affidavit in support of the 
complaint.

 At the hospital, the 
surviving victim, identified 
as A.C., responded to Narcan, 
indicating there were opioids 
present, and his urine samples 
were positive for cocaine. 
A.C. was released from the 
hospital the following day 
and told Pasadena Police 
that he purchased cocaine 
from “Mari,” shared some of 
the drugs with the deceased 
victim, and lost consciousness 
after taking the purported 
cocaine, according to the 
affidavit. Investigators have 
determined that Mari is 
Bolanos through evidence 
that includes A.C. identifying 
her out of a six-photo lineup, 
the affidavit states.

 The narcotics distribution 
charge in the complaint 
relates to the drugs allegedly 
sold to A.C.

 The affidavit also alleges 
that Bolanos sold purported 
cocaine to two other overdose 
victims on September 11. 
Both of these victims required 
hospitalization and survived. 
Phone records link Bolaros 
to another fatal overdose on 
September 11, according to 
the affidavit.

 Pasadena Police detained 
Bolanos on September 16. 
During an interview she 
admitting selling what she 
believed to be cocaine to 
three of the overdose victims, 
including A.C., on September 
11, according to the affidavit.

 Bolanos was taken into 
federal custody on Thursday 
by special agents with 
the Drug Enforcement 
Administration. She was 
expected to make her initial 
appearance Friday in United 
States District Court in 
downtown Los Angeles.

 A criminal complaint 
contains allegations that a 
defendant has committed 
a crime. Every defendant is 
presumed innocent until and 
unless proven guilty beyond a 
reasonable doubt.

 The charge of drug 
distribution resulting in 
serious bodily injury carries 
a mandatory minimum 
sentence of 20 years in 
federal prison and a 
maximum sentence of life 
imprisonment.

 The case against Bolanos 
is the result of an ongoing 
investigation by the DEA 
and the Pasadena Police 
Department.

City to Look at Proposals for Civic Center

 Pasadena city officials are 
set to host a virtual meeting 
Tuesday where developers 
will present proposals for 
development in the Civic 
Center, including affordable 
housing and the historic 
rehabilitation of the former 
YWCA building (pictured 
above) in the Pasadena Civic 
Center. The meeting will start at 
3 p.m.

 According to city staff, in 
June of 2019, “the city issued a 
Request for Proposal (RFP) for 
the rehabilitation and adaptive 
reuse of the former YWCA 
building, located at 78 North 
Marengo Avenue. As the city 
was proceeding with the RFP, 
a state law related to affordable 
housing changed in January 
2020, and compelled Pasadena 
to pause the RFP process. 
Despite Pasadena’s pursuit of 
affordable housing as part of the 
Civic Center development, the 
new State law required the City 
to issue a Notice of Availability 
(NOA) to a broader set of 
affordable housing developers.”

 As a result of the city’s 2019 
RFP process and the 2020 
supplemental NOA process 
to comply with updated State 
regulations, Pasadena currently 
has three affordable housing 
proposals for the Ramona 
Street lot, and two development 
proposals for the renovation of 
the YWCA building block.

 The affordable housing 
developers include: 1) Abode 
Communities, proposing 103 
dwelling units for families in 
a 5-level building which may 
include subterranean parking; 
2)National Community 
Renaissance of California, 
proposing either a 94-unit 
family project or a 112-unit 
senior housing project in a 
5-level building, with 94 on-site 
parking spaces for the family 
project and 50 on-site parking 
spaces for the senior project; and 
3)BRIDGE Housing proposing
to construct a 72-unit affordable 
housing project for seniors with 
approximately 39 spaces on 
site in a 4-level building on the 
Ramona Street lot.

 The two remaining developers 
which are seeking to renovate 
the YWCA building and make 
improvements to the block are: 
1)HRI Properties, LLC of New
Orleans, LA, whose plans are 
to restore the former YWCA 
building into a 179-room 
historic hotel; and 2) Edgewood 
Realty Partners, LLC of South 
Pasadena, CA, whose plans are 
to restore the YWCA building 
into a 164-room hotel operated 
by Palisociety.

 During Tuesday’s virtual 
meeting, each developer will 
have about 15 minutes to 
present their proposals, and the 
public will have an opportunity 
to submit questions for the 
developers to answer.

 For the Zoom meeting URL 
goto: cityofpasadena.net “click 
on News Releases

Developers to Present Proposals 
for Civic Center.” 

Photo by D. Lee/MVNews

South Pasadena Virtual Car 
Show Sunday is Canceled

Teenager 
Charged in 
Parking lot 
Stabbing

 The longstanding annual 
event looks to return in 2021 
with a live event featuring 
hundreds of vehicles up 
and down Mission Street in 
South Pasadena. Committee 
pushes for public support. 

 Cruz’n for Roses, which has 
drawn thousands to South 
Pasadena over the years 
and looked to go virtual on 
Sunday, has been canceled.

 Organizers had prepared to 
hold the event on computer 
screens and mobile devices, 
shelving the 16th annual live 
event due to the coronavirus. 
It typically draws about 300 
cars up and down Mission 
Street participating in the 
Cruz’n For Roses Hot Rod 
and Classic Car Show.

 The South Pasadena 
Tournament of Roses 
scheduled the event in an 
effort to raise funds for the 
city’s float in Rose Parade on 
New Year’s Day in January 
2022. The cancellation of 
the 2021 Rose Parade was 
announced earlier this year 
due to COVID-19.

 “It has been a difficult year 
for everyone due to the virus 
and after the live show was 
cancelled we simply ran out 
of time to put on a quality 
virtual show, so we’re gearing 
up and looking forward to 
bringing back next year’s 
car show to Mission Street,” 
explained Janet Benjamin, 
the SPTOR committee chair 
for the event.

 Each year, the SPTOR 
looks to raise between 
$80,000 to $100,000 to 
construct South Pasadena’s 
entry in the Rose Parade. 
Local committee members 
hold a series of fundraising 
events throughout the year, 
including a golf tournament, 
raffle for parade and Rose 
Bowl Game tickets, a year-
end Crunch Time Party 
featuring dinner, silent and 
live auctions and the car 
show.

 “Because we’re not able to 
hold large gatherings due to 
the coronavirus, along with 
the economic hardships of 
our sponsors, we’re not able 
to hold the show on the street 
this year,” said Benjamin. 
“Hopefully, the coronavirus 
situation will improve and 
we can make the live event 
bigger and better next year.”

 Canceling the event doesn’t 
mean community members 
can’t continue to contribute 
to the city’s float, insists 
SPTOR President Brant 
Dunlap. “We know that the 
city takes a lot of pride in 
having a float participate in 
the Rose Parade every year 
and we encourage everyone 
to make a donation, large 
or small,” he said. “Every 
dollar helps. Thank you for 
supporting our effort.”

 To make a contribution, 
visit: SPTOR.org

 A 19 year old man was charged 
with murder Wednesday in 
connection to the stabbing 
death of an Altadena man in 
a Northwest Pasadena CVS 
parking lot.

 According to reports, Enrique 
Real was charged in court and 
remained in jail on $2 million 
bail.

 Police said that they found 
Christopher Flores severely 
bleeding on the ground after 
responding to several 911 
calls, September 11, around 
8:15 p.m., of a stabbing near 
the corner of Orange Grove 
Boulevard and Fair Oaks 
Avenue.

 Flores, 30, died later at a 
nearby hospital.

 Witnesses told police that the 
two men were walking through 
CVS parking lot when Real 
stabbed Flores several times 
for reasons unknown. A knife 
with blood on it was recovered 
at the scene, police said.

Police Add Patrols to 
Combat Recent Violence



 As a result of the violent 
incidents that took place 
over the last week, the 
Pasadena Police Department 
will be deploying additional 
resources over the next 
several weeks to prevent 
further violence. Assaults 
with deadly weapons 
have increased more than 
40 percent this year as 
compared to last year. This 
past weekend, there was 
a stabbing which resulted 
in a homicide; a car-to-car 
shooting where close to 
twenty bullets were fired; 
a person arrested with a 
firearm at La Pintoresca Park; 
and a shooting of two victims 
at Villa Park, both of whom 
are in critical condition. 
Additionally, there was a 
spike in overdose deaths, 
which preliminarily appear 
to be related to opiates, 
possibly fentanyl.

 Detectives are actively 
investigating these incidents, 
and there will be a noticeable 
increase in uniformed 
police officers patrolling the 
impacted areas of Pasadena. 
Officers will not only attempt 
to locate and arrest those 
individuals responsible for 
the recent criminal activity, 
but also expect to prevent 
additional acts of violence 
through the enforcement of 
all applicable laws.

 This trend of increased 
violence in Pasadena is 
very concerning to the 
police department and City 
leaders. Officers have already 
recovered more than 200 
firearms this year, and there 
have been close to thirty 
reported shootings during 
the same time period, the 
majority of which are from 
car-to-car. Additionally, the 
Pasadena Police Department 
has noted an increase in gang 
activity and gang violence, 
which was on the decline 
over the last several years.

 Police Chief John E. Perez 
stated, “While the country 
addresses the recent 
demands for change to the 
socioeconomic issues, the 
City of Pasadena continues 
to feel the impact of the 
COVID-19 pandemic to 
both the local economy and 
to issues of mental health. 
Unfortunately, these issues 
seem to be having a direct 
effect on the level of violence 
in recent months. This 
increased activity cannot 
continue and the Pasadena 
Police Department will 
deploy additional patrol 
officers to combat and 
prevent any further acts of 
violence.”

 Anyone with information 
about any of these cases is 
asked to call Pasadena Police 
Department at (626) 744-
4241. To report information 
anonymously, call Crime 
Stoppers at (800) 222-TIPS 
(8477)

Construction 
to Shut Down 
Fair Oaks

 City officials said Friday 
that The Lincoln Property 
development at Parsons will 
be performing pavement 
work starting next week to 
remove the median island and 
reconstruct the street. Due 
to operation and impact, it 
requires full street closure on 
Fair Oaks between Holly and 
Union, and will be done at 
night time they said. 

 Construction will start, 
September 28, and take four 
nights to complete, by Friday 
morning October 2. The work 
hours would be from 11p.m. 
to 8 a.m., per plans approved 
by the city’s Department 
of Transportation. Morley 
Builders will set up advanced 
changeable message signs one 
week prior, by Monday, and 
distribute notices to affected 
businesses. 

 For more information visit: 
cityofpasadena.net.


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