SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019 


VOLUME 13 NO. 34

SKATEBOARDERS JEOPARDIZE 
PUBLIC SAFETY IN KERSTING 
COURT

TRAGEDY AVERTED:

Critically Missing Person Located by 
the LAPD with assistance from the Sierra 
Madre Police Department and Sierra 
Madre Search and Rescue Team

 Despite posted prohibitions against skateboarding in 
the downtown area of Sierra Madre, an increasing number 
of youth are ignoring the rules and riding their boards 
downtown, especially in Kersting Court. The frequency 
and recklessness of their actions has resulted in the Sierra 
Madre Police Department stepping up enforcement efforts. 

 On Wednesday a confrontation between as many as 8 
skateboarding youth and adults was brought to the attention 
of city officials. The incident, which included the youth 
behaving in a rude and aggressive manner, inclusive of foul 
language and 'photo bombing', resulted in an impromptu 
meeting of those who witnessed the event and several business 
owners. Several businesses that could not attend, sent 
letters expressing their concerns for public safety.

 At least one parent was contacted by SMPD and verbal 
warnings were issued to the other skateboarders. According 
to City Manager Gabe Engeland, there has also been an 
uptick in the incidents of juvenile vandalism in Memorial 
Park including numerous incidents of removing the "H" 
above the Hart Park House and spray painting. Some of 
the youth involved are also the skateboarders that were involved 
in the Kersting Court incident.

 According to SMPD Sgt. Edward Delcoure, the proposed 
new enforcement efforts will include written warning and 
parental notification with the first offense, an administrative 
citation and fine with the second offense and should 
there be a third offense, an infraction citation will be issued 
which will result in a trip to juvenile court. This enforcement 
will not only be applied to skateboarding offenses, but 
also to those who commit acts of vandalism.

 Engeland is hoping that parents will assist the city by talking 
with their children and explaining the consequences of 
breaking local laws. 

 Skateboarding is only prohibited in the downtown area. 

MVNews

 On Thursday evening, residents who lived in the vicinity of N. Baldwin and 
Miramonte were disturbed when they noticed more than a half dozen unmarked 
law enforcement vehicles racing up the street. The vehicles, which 
were initially thought to be federal agents, were actually members of the Los 
Angeles Police Department. According to Lt. Barkley of the LAPD Hollenbeck 
Division, the officers were trying to apprehend a critically missing adult 
who was deemed to be a danger to himself.

 According to Barkley, the family of the unidentified man notified LAPD of 
his disappearance and informed the police that he was a suicide threat. They 
also indicated that he had taken an Uber to get out of the LA area. 

 Additional information lead police to Sierra Madre where it is alleged that 
the Uber driver dropped him off in the 400 block of N. Baldwin. 

 LAPD notified the Sierra Madre Police Department who assisted in trying 
to locate the man. At some point he made his was to the Mt. Wilson Trail 
and disappeared.

 LAPD also brought in 2 canine officers and their bloodhounds. In addition 
to the dogs and SMPD, the SM Search and Rescue team was called out.

 Chuck Stoughton of SMSR said the team was notified about 11:30pm and 
went up the Mt. Wilson Trail looking for the man. They found him at Rescue 
Ridge and walked him back down the trailhead where the Sierra Madre Fire 
Department's Rescue Ambulance transported him to a nearby hospital. 

 Lt. Barkley could not praise the efforts of Sierra Madre's first responders 
enough. "We would have never been able to find this guy without the help of 
SMFD and Search and Rescue". 

S. Henderson/MVNews

SIERRA MADRE SEARCH AND RESCUE RESPONDS TO MUTUAL AID CALLS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA

Story By Carolyn Grumm 

Photos courtesy of SMSR. 

If a hiker twists an ankle one mile up the trail, 
or a mountain biker becomes lost near where 
they left their car, local search and rescue teams 
can usually staff these calls by themselves. But 
when operations get more complicated, teams 
call each other for assistance. 

The Sierra Madre Search and Rescue Team 
(SMSR) is one of eight teams in Los Angeles 
County, and one of dozens of teams in California. 
Each team has a local area they are primarily 
responsible for, but all teams work together 
in mutual aid when their neighbors need help. 

The California Office of Emergency Services 
(OES) works with search and rescue teams to 
coordinate mutual aid. If a county needs 50 
searchers to assist with a search for a missing 
hiker, they can make one call to OES who will 
handle the logistics of organizing the needed 
searchers from neighboring counties.

SMSR is ready and able to assist in these mutual 
aid calls by living up to their motto, “Anywhere 
in the wilderness that someone needs help.”

In March SMSR participated in the search for 
Marine 1st Lt. Matthew Kraft. He was overdue 
from a ski trip in the Sierras, and the massive 
search area along his 200-mile long route was in 
dangerous terrain with high avalanche danger. 
The Marine Corps, National Parks, multiple aircraft, 
and search and rescue teams all responded. 
A SMSR crew was inserted by helicopter to 
their search assignment, and they searched for 
two days, spending the night in freezing temperatures 
before being extracted by helicopter. 
Unfortunately Lt. Kraft is still missing. 

In April SMSR participated in a mutual aid 
search with a happier ending. Teams were dispatched 
to assist the West Valley Search and 
Rescue Team to locate two overdue hikers near 
Mount Baldy. Thirteen members from SMSR 
participated alongside searchers from across 
southern California. On day 5 a crew of three 
SMSR searchers on a grueling 2 day assignment 
found boot prints leading to the subjects. Eric 
Desplinter and Gabrielle Wallace were found 
alive and well and extracted by helicopter.

In June the Team again participated in a long 
search with a happy ending. When 73 year old 
Eugene Jo went missing near Mt. Waterman, 
the Montrose Search and Rescue team called 
for mutual aid. Over 300 searchers responded 
from as far away as Marin and San Diego counties. 
Throughout the week SMSR fielded 23 
team members, logging over 650 hours, providing 
boots on the ground and support in the 
command post by running operations and by 
planning search assignments. On day 7 Mr. Jo 
was found alive. 

In July Inyo County Search and Rescue was 
looking for Sheryl Powell and her dog Miley 
who went missing from their campsite near the 
Bristlecone Pine Forest. On day 4 of the search, 
a crew from Kern County found the dog, which 
prompted the search managers to redirect several 
of the field crews. Shortly thereafter, a 
crew from SMSR located Powell who was then 
extracted by helicopter and flown to a local 
hospital.



Later in July, Wesley Welch and his dog Davie 
were reported overdue from a backpacking trip 
in Los Padres National Forest. The Santa Barbara 
Search and Rescue Team was aided by teams 
from across southern California, including 
SMSR, and early on day 2 of the search, Welch 
and Davie were found alive and well.

SMSR is proud to respond and help their neighboring 
teams in mutual aid. The Team is also 
grateful when neighboring teams respond 
when SMSR needs help. 

Since 1951, the all-volunteer Sierra Madre 
Search and Rescue Team has responded to calls 
for help in the local mountains and beyond. 
SMSR also provides a range of wilderness 
safety programs. The Team never charges for 
any of these services, and is funded entirely by 
charitable donations. For more information, to 
donate, or to arrange a wilderness safety demonstration 
for your school or group, visit www.
smsr.org. 


Above: SMSR team members working a mutual 
aid search in the San Gabriel mountains.

Left: Davie and his owner Wesley Welch 
were located in Santa Barbara County after 
being 2 days overdue from a backpacking 
trip.


Searchers happily returned to the command post after locating Sheryl Powell this July in Inyo County


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