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Mountain Views News Saturday, October 4, 2025

NEWS BRIEFS

Monrovia

SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL COMMUNITY MEETING #2 – 
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13

MAN KILLED IN SOUTH PASADENA CRASH AFTER 
POLICE TERMINATED PURSUIT IDENTIFIED

 SOUTH PASADENA (CNS) - A 20-year-old man who 
died when his vehicle crashed into a home's garage in 
South Pasadena shortly after police ended a brief pursuit 
was identified today by authorities.

 The crash was reported around 5 a.m. in the 300 block of 
Orange Grove Avenue, south of Columbia Street, according 
to the South Pasadena Police Department.

 Officers from the Pasadena Police Department were in 
pursuit of the vehicle, but were not closely chasing it when 
it crashed, police said.

 ``Pasadena Police terminated the pursuit in under a minute 
and after cancelling the pursuit and no longer following 
the vehicle,'' Pasadena city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian 
said in a statement last week. ``The suspect continued 
almost one mile before the fatal traffic collision in South 
Pasadena. It was not an active pursuit that lead to the fatal 
collision.''

 The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 
identified Monday by the county Medical Examiner's office 
as Andrew Gonzalez. It was not clear what prompted 
the chase.

 The vehicle ended up flipped onto its hood, partially inside 
the garage, which appeared to be heavily damaged, according 
to video from the scene.

 Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.

Join us on Monday, October 13 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. for 
an update on the City’s progress with the Safe Streets and Roads 
for All project. Your participation is key to the development of 
the Comprehensive Safety Action Plan and Bicycle Master Plan 
update, so we hope to see you there!

During the meeting, we’ll review the following items:

• Brief discussion of community survey results

• Recommended traffic safety projects for all roadway users

• Proposed solutions for expanding the City’s bike lane 
network

Staff will host the meeting in person at the Library Community 
Room, 321 S Myrtle Ave.

To register for the meeting, visit the following link here. To learn 
more about the project, visit our website or contact Sophia Sousa 
at (626) 932-5512, ssousa@monroviaca.gov.

Proposed Assessment District: Monrovia Citywide Lighting, Landscaping, 
and Parks Maintenance District

Monrovia takes pride in our beautiful parks, tree-lined streets, 
safe lighting, and welcoming public spaces, and we’re committed 
to keeping them well cared for. To make sure these essentials 
continue to be maintained at the high standard our community 
expects, the City is proposing the creation of the Monrovia Citywide 
Lighting, Landscaping, and Parks Maintenance District.

This new district would replace the two existing assessment districts, 
which have funded streetlights, traffic signals, landscaping, 
and park upkeep since the 1990s but no longer generate enough 
revenue to cover rising costs.

If approved by voters, the new district will provide a stable and 
self-sustaining structure to maintain these services, protect property 
values, and allow the City to keep investing in safety, accessibility, 
and long-term neighborhood improvements. To ease the 
transition, new assessment rates will be phased in gradually over 
five years, with the City covering part of the cost during the early 
years.

Every property owner will receive a ballot packet in the mail beginning 
September 26, which will include a fact sheet with parcel-
specific details, a notice of public hearing, and an official ballot 
with instructions for returning it by November 18.

We encourage everyone to get informed and ask questions. To 
learn more, additional resources, including background information, 
timelines, and an interactive map of proposed rates, are available 
on the City’s website.

FREE CLASSICAL CONCERT AT ARCADIA PUBLIC LIBRARY

 

Arcadia, CA – The Arcadia Public Library will host a Classical Kaleidoscope Concert in which two classical titans usher in October. 
The free event will take place on Wednesday, October 8, at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m., in the Arcadia Library’s Cay 
Mortenson Auditorium. 

 

The program invites music lovers ages 12 years and older to enjoy piano trio masterpieces that combine the vivid and sensuous 
sonorities of Mendelssohn with the shadows and eeriness of Beethoven. The concert features violinist Paul Stein, pianist Stephanie 
Lan and cellist David Mergen. 

 

There will be a silent auction to raise funds for Library programs and an opportunity to meet the musicians following the program. 
Reservations are not necessary, but seating is limited to the first 112 people. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Arcadia 
Public Library. 

 

For more information, call (626) 821-5569, or visit the Arcadia Public Library’s website at ArcadiaCA.gov/library. The Arcadia 
Public Library is located at 20 W. Duarte Road, Arcadia.

 

About Arcadia

Nestled along the rolling foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest, Arcadia is a charming, family-oriented 
community with a population of just over 57,000. Located only 13 miles east from downtown Los Angeles, regional transportation 
networks like the Metro A Line connect Arcadia as a premier residential, shopping and entertainment destination in the 
San Gabriel Valley. Arcadia is known for its top-rated schools, iconic landmarks, and serene neighborhoods. Arcadia is an award-
winning community having been twice named as the Best City in California in which to Raise Kids and the 2017 Most Business 
Friendly City in Los Angeles County. With the conveniences and amenities of a full-service, mid-size city, Arcadia’s “Community of 
Homes” provides a quality of life that will go Above & Beyond your expectations.

FEMALE SAN MARINO OFFICER ALLEGES 
DISCRIMINATION, FORCED 

EARLY RETIREMENT

 

 LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A woman is suing the San Marino 
Police Department, alleging she was forced into early 
retirement after being sexually harassed

by the police chief and others, and then retaliated against 
when she reported the conduct.

 Candice Torres' Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges 
retaliation, discrimination, failure to accommodate 
and engage in the interactive process and failure to take all 
reasonable steps to prevent unlawful discrimination and retaliation. 
Torres seeks unspecified compensatory

damages.

 A representative of the San Marino City Attorney's Office 
did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the 
suit brought Friday.

 Torres, who was hired in February 2006, alleges Chief John 
Incontro and other department members sexually harassed 
and discriminated against her, and that she faced retaliation 
after protesting the alleged conduct.

 Incontro made ``sex/gender-based and pejorative/infantilizing'' 
comments about Torres' use of a backpack by referring 
to the plaintiff as a ``little girl,'' while the then-city 
manager told her that she was ``looking like a girl'' when 
she wore a dress to a work-related dinner, the suit states.

 Incontro regularly used a five-letter epithet to refer to 
women, including the city manager at the time, the suit 
states. The chief also told or conveyed the message to Torres 
that she should be more ``managerial-like'' in her work, 
but he didn't make the same comments to male officers, according 
to the suit. He also lectured Torres about not having 
co-workers at an October 2019 party she hosted, but he 
didn't give such sermons to men, the suit further states.

 That same month, no one from the department attended 
Torres'completion of the Sherman Block Leadership Institute 
program, although it was customary to have a department 
leader attend such graduations, according to the

suit.

 In January of 2022, Torres was responding to a car fire 
when she suffered injuries to her neck and back that forced 
her on leave. While off-duty, she was notified she was the 
subject of an internal affairs probe involving conduct in 
2019, the suit states.

 Torres contends she was ultimately forced into an early retirement 
by way of refusing to reasonably accommodate the 
plaintiff and engaging in conduct that prevented her from 
returning to work despite her being healthy and

qualified for various positions. She contends she was stymied 
in her hopes of promoting within the SMPD and that 
the alleged backlash was related to her complaints about the 
harassment and discrimination she claims she suffered.

 Torres has suffered losses to her reputation as well as her 
earnings and also has experienced mental suffering, according 
to her lawsuit.

CRMP EXTENDS EARTHQUAKE BRACE + BOLT GRANT APPLICATION DEADLINE

Extension through October 17 aligns with California Great ShakeOut to boost earthquake preparedness awareness.

 

Sacramento, CA – October 2, 2025 – The California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) today announced that it is extending 
the registration period for its Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) grant program to October 17, 2025, adding more than 
two weeks to the original October 1 deadline. The extension ensures that the program’s closing date now coincides with the 
California Great ShakeOut drill on October 16, when millions of Californians will be focused on earthquake preparedness.

The program, which first opened this registration period on August 20, offers critical funding support for seismic retrofits 
that bolt houses to their foundations and brace crawl space walls—proven methods to reduce the risk of earthquake damage. 
With eligibility covering more than 1,100 ZIP Codes statewide, including 303 added earlier this year, the extension provides 
even more Californians with the opportunity to apply for up to $3,000 in grant funding. In fact, for the first time, CRMP has 
expanded EBB eligibility to include non-owner-occupied homes, allowing landlords to apply for this retrofit grant opportunity 
for their investment properties.

“Extending the deadline helps meet the high demand for earthquake retrofit assistance while drawing attention to the importance 
of preparedness as millions of Californians take part in the Great ShakeOut on October 16,” said Janiele Maffei, Chief 
Mitigation Officer of the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). “This extra time gives homeowners and rental property 
owners another chance to apply, choose a contractor, and begin strengthening their homes. Each retrofit improves safety not 
just for families but for entire communities.”

More than $20 million is available in this registration period to offset retrofit costs. Since the program’s launch in 2013, more 
than 33,500 California homeowners have received assistance through EBB.

Qualified income eligible households may also be eligible for supplemental grants of up to $7,000, which can cover as much 
as 100% of retrofit costs.

“Every retrofit makes California stronger and more resilient,” said Tom Welsh, CEO of the California Earthquake Authority. 
“By aligning with the Great ShakeOut, this extension ensures that more families are reminded of the simple but powerful 
steps they can take to protect their homes before the next big quake.”

The EBB grant program is administered by CRMP, a Joint Powers Authority between CEA and the California Governor’s 
Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

Interested property owners can learn more and register at EarthquakeBraceBolt.com. The updated registration period runs 
through October 17, 2025.

 

About Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB)

Established by the California Residential Mitigation Program, EBB offers up to $3,000 to help California homeowners retrofit 
their house to reduce potential damage from earthquakes. A residential seismic retrofit makes a house more resistant 
to earthquake activity, such as ground shaking and soil failure, by bolting the house to its foundation and adding bracing 
around the perimeter of the crawl space. For more information, please visit EarthquakeBraceBolt.
com.

 

About the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP)

CRMP was established in 2011 to help Californians strengthen their homes against damage 
from earthquakes. CRMP is a joint powers authority created by the California Earthquake 
Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. For more 
information, please visit CRMP.org.

 
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