Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, November 16, 2019

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, November 16, 2019 

ARCADIA POLICE BLOTTER

 HONORING OUR VETERANS By Joan Schmidt

 Beautiful Veterans Day Observances were held in Monrovia and Duarte. 
At Library Park, Monrovia was the Allied Veterans Council annual event. 
Attendees included Mayor Pro Tem Larry Spicer, Council Members Becky 
Shevlin, Gloria Crudgington (who brought a beautiful photo of her late father, 
a Veteran war hero), Alex Blackburn, Police Chief Alan and Lisa Sanvictores, 
Arcadia Mayor April Verlatto, and Kristi Lopez, representing Senator Portantino. 
Scott Sinclair, President Allied Veterans Council was Master of Ceremonies. 
Colors were posted by VFW 2070, who also did the Flag Folding Ritual as Janine 
Coyne explained their significance. Their Chaplain, Ferrell Heydorf, composed a 
beautiful Invocation and Benediction. Inspirational Guest Speaker was Retired 
Colonel Paul Raggio, U.S. Army. The Monrovia HS Band, directed by Daniel 
Magallanes, performed a Salute to Veterans, and beautiful renditions of our 
Patriot songs. Robert Edmonds, Royal Canadian Legion read Flanders Field, and 
placed the Wreath with Lt. Charles West, Civil Air Patrol.

 The Observance was beautiful, but afterwards was an awesome dedication 
of a new Viet Nam Memorial representing ALL Veterans of the War. It is so unique 
and is embedded in stone. Chuck Keen, American Legion Post 44 worked hard to 
see this happen. There already was a specific Viet Nam Memorial honoring those 
who made the ultimate sacrifice. But he felt ALL who served needed recognition. Of the six 
Monuments at Library Park, three exist because of American Legion Post 44. (There is also 
one to Veterans of the Korean War)

 Earlier in Duarte, there also was an outstanding event for Veterans. Council Member 
Margaret Finlay spoke of her courageous father-in-law, Robert Finlay, who had fought in the 
Battle of the Bulge. (He had passed away a few days earlier and my sincere condolences to his 
family.)

 God Bless America, our brave Veterans who fought for our freedoms and the sacrifices they and their families made. 


For the period of Sunday, November 3rd, through Saturday, November 9th, the 
Police Department responded to 983 calls for service, of which 116 required 
formal investigations. The following is a summary report of the major incidents 
handled by the Department during this period.

Sunday, November 3:

1. Shortly before 9:11 a.m., an officer responded to the Arcadia Police 
Department regarding a grand theft report that happened at the Santa Anita 
Race Track, 285 West Huntington Drive, during the previous evening. The 
victim believes her cellphone, case, and driver’s license were stolen from her 
wallet sometime while attending the horse races. No suspects were seen and no 
witnesses were located. 
2. At approximately 11:24 a.m., an officer responded to a residence in 
the 700 block of West Huntington Drive regarding a mail theft report. The 
officer discovered sometime between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on November 
3rd, unknown suspects forced open multiple mail boxes and fled with stolen 
mail. No suspects were seen and no witnesses were located. 


Monday, November 4:

3. Just after 10:13 a.m., an officer responded to the Santa Anita Mall, 
400 South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a vehicle burglary report. Surveillance 
footage revealed a male suspect exited a white Ford cargo van, smashed the 
victim’s car window, and fled with clothing and identifiable information. The 
investigation is ongoing. 
4. At approximately 4:33 p.m., an officer responded to 7-Eleven, 1003 
South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a shoplifting report. Cellphone footage 
revealed two black males stole cleaning wipes, soda, coffee cups, and medicine 
from the store and fled in a black, four-door Mercedes Benz. The registered 
owner of the vehicle is a 22-year-old male from Torrance. 


Tuesday, November 5:

5. Around 5:28 a.m., Arcadia Fire and an officer responded to the 00 
block of North First Avenue regarding a trash fire. An investigation revealed an 
unknown suspect started a trash fire for no apparent reason. The investigation 
is ongoing. 
6. Just before 7:51 p.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 700 
block of Fairview Avenue regarding a domestic disturbance report. The officer 
discovered an argument between a husband and wife turned physical when 
the husband struck the victim multiple times on the head, shoulder, and thigh. 
The victim as transported to Arcadia Methodist Hospital for treatment. The 
suspect, a 54-year-old male from Arcadia, was gone by the time officers arrived. 
The suspect is outstanding as of November 12th. 
7. Around 9:11 p.m., an officer responded to Arcadia High School, 180 
Campus Drive, regarding a vehicle burglary report. Sometime between 8:00 
p.m. and 9:10 p.m., an unknown suspect smashed the victim’s window and fled 
with a computer bag, laptop, and miscellaneous notebooks. A second vehicle 
burglary at the high school was reported during the same time. No suspects 
were seen and no witnesses were located. 


Wednesday, November 6:

8. Shortly after 7:06 p.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 
600 block of Camino Grove Avenue regarding a residential burglary report. 
The officer determined an unknown suspect entered the victim’s backyard, 
accessed the unlocked detached garage, and fled with various hand tools. The 
investigation is ongoing. 


Thursday, November 7:

9. Before 9:52 a.m., an officer responded to World Gas, 3 East Duarte 
Road, regarding multiple skimming devices on the gas pump machines. The 
supervisor noticed five gas pumps had illegal skimming devices installed 
on them. It is unknown how the suspect gained access or for how long the 
devices have been there. The investigation is ongoing. 
10. Around 11:24 a.m., an officer responded to Victoria’s Secret, 400 
South Baldwin Avenue, regarding a commercial burglary report. Two suspects 
entered the store with “booster bags” and fled with $1,045.00 worth of 
merchandise. The suspects were followed to the parking lot by loss prevention 
and ultimately fled with another suspect who had stolen an additional 
$1,009.55 worth of merchandise. The suspects are described as one black male 
and two black females. They fled in a grey Volkswagen registered to a male 
and female out of Redlands. The investigation is ongoing. 


Friday, November 8: 

11. At about 8:33 a.m., an officer responded to the 800 block of 
Southview Road regarding a stolen vehicle report. The victim discovered his 
1990 Honda Accord had been stolen sometime during the previous evening. 
No suspects were seen and no witnesses were located.



ARCADIA POLICE DEPARTMENT AWARDED 
TRAFFIC EDUCATION AND ENFORCEMENT 
GRANT FROM THE OTS

Arcadia Police Department received a $60,000 grant from the 
California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) for a one-year enforcement 
and education program. The money will fund various 
activities intended to reduce deaths and injuries on California 
roads.

“The Arcadia Police Department looks forward to participating 
in the 2020 OTS Traffic Education and Enforcement Program. 
Through our continued partnership with OTS, and the 
grant funding provided, we will work together toward reducing 
the number of traffic deaths and injuries in Arcadia, while also 
focusing on community outreach to educate our residents and 
community members on traffic safety.” – Arcadia Police Chief 
Robert Guthrie.

The grant-related activities are for the 2020 federal fiscal year, 
which runs from Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020. The funding 
from the OTS will be used for numerous programs, including:

DUI/driver’s license checkpoints.

Patrols specifically looking for suspected alcohol and/or drug-impaired 
drivers.

Patrols targeting violations of California’s hands-free cell phone law 
and vehicle code violations by drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists and 
pedestrians that put other roadway users at risk.

Patrols targeting the primary causes of crashes: Speeding, improper 
turns, running stop signs or signals, right-of-way violations and driving 
on the wrong side of the road.

Traffic safety education presentations for youth and community 
members on distracted and impaired driving, bicycle and pedestrian 
safety.

Creating “Hot Sheets” identifying repeat DUI offenders.

Officer training to identify suspected impaired drivers and conduct 
sobriety tests.

 “Getting in a vehicle remains one of the most dangerous things 
we do,” OTS director Barbara Rooney said. “We must continue 
to work with our partners in law enforcement to shift that realization 
and make traveling on our roads safer.”

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California 
Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety 
Administration.

Anyone living in the county areas of Monrovia, Arcadia and 
Duarte (MAD) know that illegal fireworks use has escalated over 
the years especially on July Fourth. Many won’t leave home 
fearing fire will breakout or their pets will injure themselves. 
Others have medical issues or PTSD and find it unbearable to 
be at home. The Fourth of July is not a happy time for many 
residents.

This year a group of concerned citizens decided to do something 
about it. Through public records it was discovered that the 
county area has been largely ignored when it comes to issuing 
tickets for firework infractions. Cities like S. El Monte and 
Rosemead record citation numbers as high as 37 for the week of 
July Fourth. But, only 2 tickets have been issued over the past 3 
years in the MAD town area. According to Sergeant Lewis from 
Temple Sheriff’s Station, the county doesn’t have resources and 
funds to cite people in the unincorporated areas. 

Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office has offered to help. At the 
last citizen meeting on Nov. 6, Elisa Arcidiacono committed to 
provide more funding for enforcement within the MAD town 
region. There will be educational demonstrations to make sure 
everyone knows the dangers and penalties for fireworks discharge 
(fines up to $1000). A free community event will also be planned 
to give families safe, fun entertainment.

Other changes to look for next year include city wide signage 
posted in both English and Spanish. A hotline will be available 
so that complaints for illegal use won’t get lost among other calls. 
And, more patrol cars will be in place, ready to catch offenders 
“in the act”. 

MAD town councilmembers also attended the Nov. 6 meeting. 
Even though consumer fireworks have been illegal throughout 
Los Angeles county for more than 30 years, councilmembers Hall 
and Williams both voiced concern over how difficult it will be to 
change personal behavior. 

Regardless, things will be changing next year. Citizens and 
Supervisor Barger’s office are hopeful the project will decrease 
usage and serve as a successful model for other county areas. If 
you have ideas for the educational and community events or can 
help with planning, please email move_it@sbcglobal.net. 

FIREWORKS CRACKDOWN FOR MAD 
TOWN AREA By Michele Silence


South Pas Community 
Room Conversations: 
Our Climate Future


City Adopts Temporary 
Eviction Moratorium

 The South Pasadena 
City Council adopted a 
temporary ordinance last 
week that prohibits tenant 
evictions without just cause.

 South Pasadena, like many 
of its neighboring cities, has 
seen a recent increase in 
tenant evictions in advance 
of Jan. 1, 2020, when a state 
cap on rent increases is set to 
take effect.

 The ordinance places an 
immediate moratorium on 
evictions without just cause 
until Jan. 1. It sets in place 
provisions of the state law, 
AB 1482, in advance of Jan. 
1.

 For more information or 
to view the entire ordinance 
goto: southpasadenaca.gov.

 
The South Pasadena Library is 
pleased to partner with local 
non-profit South Pasadena 
Hometown Exchange to 
present a Community Room 
Conversation on the topic 
of Climate Change. Our 
distinguished speaker is 
Tapio Schneider (pictured 
right), the Theodore Y. Wu 
Professor of Environmental 
Science and Engineering 
at Caltech and a Senior 
Research Scientist at NASA’s 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 
The event will take place in 
the library Tuesday night 
from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 

 Earth has warmed 1° 
Celsius over the past 150 
years. Most of this warming 
occurred since the 1970s. 
For Los Angeles, this 
means, for example, that 
the average number of days 
per year with temperatures 
exceeding 95° Fahrenheit has 
increased from 53 in 1970 to 
67 today—two extra weeks’ 
worth of very hot days that 
prime California’s landscape 
for ferocious wildfires and 
put vulnerable populations 
at risk. Prof. Schneider will 
walk through the scientific 
evidence showing that most 
global warming we have 
already seen is caused by 
human activities, and will 
discuss possible climate 
futures we may be facing. 
For while climate change is 
certain, precisely how climate 
will change is less clear, 
with uncertainties arising 
primarily from difficulties 
predicting how clouds, such 
as the marine layer off the 
coast of California, change 
with climate.

 Professor Schneider 
is currently leading the 
Climate Modeling Alliance 
(clima.caltech.edu), whose 
mission is to build the first 
Earth system model that 
automatically learns from 
diverse data sources to 
produce accurate climate 
predictions. He was named 
one of the “20 Best Brains 
Under 40” by Discover 
Magazine, was a David and 
Lucile Packard Fellow and 
Alfred P. Sloan Research 
Fellow, and is recipient of the 
James R. Holton Award of the 
American Geophysical Union 
and of the Rosenstiel Award 
of the University of Miami. 
His work has elucidated how 
rainfall extremes change 
with climate, how changes in 
cloud cover can destabilize 
the climate system, and 
how winds and weather on 
planetary bodies such as 
Jupiter and Titan come about.

 The South Pasadena 
Hometown Exchange 
(S.P.H.E.) is a California 
nonprofit corporation that 
aims to provide opportunities 
for Americans from different 
backgrounds and with 
varying viewpoints to come 
together for friendship and 
also for purposeful and 
constructive dialogues, 
especially on subjects about 
which people may disagree. 

 The Library Community 
Room is located 1115 El 
Centro Street.

 For more information visit: 
southpasadenaexchange.
com.

 A Talk by Caltech 
Professor Tapio 
Schneider


Friends of the Library Looking 
for New Board Members

 

 The Friends of the South 
Pasadena Public Library are 
recruiting for new board 
members. The Friends are an 
important part of the Library’s 
success. Their efforts and 
advocacy support collections, 
public programs, Summer 
Reading Program and much, 
much more.

 If you or someone you know 
are interested in a volunteer 
opportunity that would allow 
you to support the library 
while working with great, like-
minded people please contact 
Laura Kieffer of the Nominating 
Committee at laurakieffer@
me.com or 323-578-4203.

 The mission of the Friends 
of the South Pasadena 
Public Library is to serve the 
informational, educational, 
recreational, and cultural needs 
of the patrons of the Library 
and the community at large.

 In 2018 the Friends provided 
more than $40,000 in support 
of Library materials, programs 
and services. This includes 
performers for the Eclectic 
Music Festival, Arts Crawl, and 
Summer Reading Program; 
online resources like Mango 
Languages, Ancestry.com, and 
Tutor.com; and many ebooks, 
books, CDs, and DVDs. More 
than $12,000 was contributed 
to the Summer Reading 
Program, which engaged 2,000 
readers. 

 The Friends also operate a 
very successful used bookstore 
that is staffed by more than 185 
volunteers who donated more 
than 9,450 hours in 2018.

 Also under the Friends 
umbrella, the Restoration 
Concert Series has presented 
8 world-class concerts in the 
historic Library Community 
Room every year for the past 23 
years.

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