Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, May 16, 2020

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, May 16, 2020

MONROVIA NEWS

ARCADIA POLICE BLOTTER

ALEX BLACKBURN DESIGNATED AS MAYOR PRO TEM 

During the council meeting on May 5, Alex Blackburn was appointed as the 
Mayor Pro Tem. Alex was elected to the City Council in 2013, and re-elected 
in 2017. He previously served as Mayor Pro Tem from May 2016 to April 
2017. 

Additionally, the Monrovia City Council will continue with their current 
committee/liaison assignments until they can reconvene in person.


For the period of Sunday, May 3rd, through 
Saturday, May 9th, the Police Department 
responded to 826 calls for service, of which 59 
required formal investigations. The following 
is a summary report of some of the major 
incidents handled by the Department during 
this period.

Sunday, May 3:

1. At 9:00 a.m., an officer responded 
to an alley near the 300 block of East Laurel 
Avenue regarding an unresponsive male 
subject lying on the ground. The subject 
was breathing but he was unable to identify 
himself or state where he lived. Shortly after, 
Arcadia Fire responded and transported the 
male subject to Arcadia Methodist Hospital 
for treatment. The subject is described as a 30 
to 45-year-old white male between 5’10” and 
6’ tall. 


Monday, May 4:

2. At 9:13 a.m., an officer was dispatched 
to Licha Construction, located at 124 North 
First Avenue, regarding a vandalism report. 
Surveillance footage revealed the suspect 
purposefully cut and damaged the hedges on 
the north side of the property, adjacent to the 
gates of the Metro Link tracks. The suspect 
is described as a 30 to 45-year old male, 
Hispanic or Asian, and he was seen wearing a 
white T-shirt, jeans, and tennis shoes.
3. At 10:42 a.m., an officer responded to a 
warehouse at 11639 Goldring Road regarding 
a commercial burglary investigation. An 
employee locked and secured the location 
before leaving on May 1st. On May 4th, the 
reporting party arrived and noticed the 
exterior gate had been damaged, the roll-up 
door was open, and two boxes containing 
$20,000 cash and the company vehicle had 
been stolen. The officer determined the 
suspects likely entered the warehouse by 
using a welding tool to break one of the rods 
in the exterior gate. It also appears that the 
suspects drove the stolen vehicle through the 
exterior gate causing additional damage to the 
gate. The officer did not locate any pry marks 
or signs of forced entry. The reporting party 
was unable to access the surveillance footage 
at the time of the report. The investigation is 
ongoing. 


Tuesday, May 5:

4. At 10:50 a.m., an officer took a 
telephonic report of two thefts from two 
vehicles parked in the 00 block of California 
Street. Sometime between May 4th at 6:00 p.m. 
and May 5th at 10:30 a.m., an unidentified 
suspect entered the victim’s vehicles, both 
of which were unlocked, and fled with a 
checkbook and an unknown amount of 
change. There is no evidence as of May 5th. 
5. At 11:33 a.m., an officer was parked 
near the intersection of Fairview Avenue and 
Holly Avenue when he was flagged down 
by a victim of a battery. The victim, a local 
transient, stated that when she rejected her 
male acquaintance’s sexual advances, he 
became angry and hit her in the face. The 
suspect was identified as a 51-year-old local 
transient. He was arrested in the field and 
issued a citation.
6. At 3:48 p.m., an officer responded to 
CVS, located at 1401 South Baldwin Avenue, 
regarding a mail theft report. While the postal 
worker was inside CVS delivering mail, a 
witness saw the suspect steal mail through an 
open window of the mail delivery truck. The 
suspect fled with two trays of stolen mail. The 
investigation is ongoing. 


Thursday, May 7:

7. At 7:46 a.m., an officer took a 
telephonic report of a vehicle burglary that 
occurred near the intersection of Huntington 
Drive and Golden West Avenue. Sometime 
during the previous night, an unidentified 
suspect forced open the camper shell and fled 
with miscellaneous construction tools. There 
is no suspect information as of the time of 
this report.


Friday, May 8: 

8. At 8:15 a.m., an officer took a 
telephonic report of a mail theft from the 
1700 block of Orangewood Lane. The victim 
discovered her mailbox had been opened 
and the mail from the previous day had 
gone missing. There were no signs of force 
or damage to the mail box. There is no 
surveillance footage or suspect information 
at the time of this report. 
9. At 9:28 a.m., an officer responded to 
24 Hour Fitness, located at 125 North First 
Avenue, regarding a commercial burglary 
investigation. On April 20th, the location 
was vandalized and the front glass windows 
had been smashed. The company installed a 
piece of plywood to temporarily secure the 
business. On May 8th at 1:50 a.m., surveillance 
footage revealed two suspects used a tool to 
cut the plywood barrier and ultimately fled 
with approximately ten barbell weights, a 
reported loss valued at $1,000.00. Due to the 
poor video quality, the officer was unable to 
determine the suspects’ race, gender, or other 
identifiable information.
10. At 8:38 p.m., officers responded to a 
residence in the 400 block of North Old Ranch 
Road regarding a residential burglary alarm 
activation. The officers determined unknown 
suspect(s) entered the location by shattering 
a rear sliding glass door and opened many 
of the cabinets and drawers. The owner of 
the residence is out of the country and the 
caretaker was unable to determine if anything 
had been stolen. There are security cameras at 
the location but the caretaker does not have 
access to them.


MONROVIA COMMUNITY GARDEN PILOT PROGRAM WINS 

SUSTAINABILITY AWARD

Monrovia, CA – The Monrovia 
Community Garden 
Pilot program received an 
Award of Merit in the Green 
Region category from the 
Southern California Association 
of Governments 
(SCAG).

The SCAG Sustainability 
Awards Program encourages 
innovative planning to 
improve the mobility, livability, 
prosperity and sustainability 
for the Southern 
California region.

Launching in July 2019, 
the Monrovia Community 
Garden provides a space 
where residents, garden plot 
holders and other organizations 
could thrive together 
through gardening and active 
education. The garden 
operates with best practices when it comes to sustainability including installing an irrigation system to encourage 
wise watering practices, filling garden beds with organic matter like compost, brown waste and cardboard, 
generating compost with an onsite compost bin and installing a bike rack to promote gardeners and 
visitors to walk or bike, rather than driving to the garden.

“People changed their evening walks to see the garden take shape,” said Dr. Kristin Ritzau, Garden Director. 
“Now it is a beloved beacon of sustainability and healthy living, inspiring active participation in the community 
and beneficial eating and cooking practices.”

The Monrovia Community Garden Pilot Program has provided a cleaner, healthier and happier community 
space for Monrovia. In less than one year, the Monrovia Community Garden has generated: 

Over 800 hours of community service by volunteers

500 pounds of produce grown

2 tons (4,000 pounds) of food waste composted, which diverted from landfills

Over 200 children participated in garden crafts and planted seeds at community events

125 community members attending workshops and education events

Over 1,100 ft of Deodar Cedar Urban Rescue wood used for raised beds instead of being wood chipped

The garden, located at 303 W Colorado Blvd., on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and Colorado Boulevard, is 
open for the public from sunrise to sunset.

For more information on the Monrovia Community Garden, please visit www.cityofmonrovia.org and 
www.monroviacommunitygarden.org, “Like” City of Monrovia and Monrovia Community Garden on 
Facebook and follow the City and Monrovia Community Garden on Instagram @cityofmonrovia and @
monroviacommunitygarden. 


New COVID-19 Community 
Testing Site in Pasadena

South Pasadena Library 
Begins Living History Project

Unemployment For 
Independent Workers 
With Mixed Income 

 Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent announcement 
to add more than 80 community-testing sites across the 
state focused on underserved communities, a new testing 
site opened on Monday, in Pasadena at ChapCare’s Kathryn 
Barger Health Center located at 1595 N. Lake Ave. This new 
site is one of 80 testing sites being opened across the state 
in collaboration with OptumServe, the federal government 
health services business of Optum, a leading health services 
innovation company.

 “This testing site will help increase testing needs for 
individuals who have had limited access to COVID-19 
tests up until now,” said Margaret B. Martinez, MPH, 
chief executive officer for ChapCare. “We’re thrilled to 
partner with the state, county, and OptumServe to help 
expand access in our communities while also helping meet 
California’s testing goals.”

 To determine where to locate new testing sites, the state 
shared analysis on geographic distance, underserved 
populations, to address known disparities, and median 
income, so residents have access to testing regardless of 
socioeconomic status. That information was then evaluated 
with existing testing locations and the county’s priority to 
address high-risk populations, including nursing homes 
and shelters. The opening of the new site brings the total 
number in LA County to 36 testing locations.

 “Expanding access to COVID-19 testing for Pasadenans 
is a key component of our strategy to gradually modify 
the Safer at Home Order,” said Ying-Ying Goh, M.D., 
director and health officer of the Pasadena Public Health 
Department. “We are appreciative of the support from our 
local and state partners to offer more testing.”

 “Increased access to COVID testing is one of the many 
critical steps needed to keep Los Angeles County residents 
safe and help move us toward recovery,” said Supervisor 
Kathryn Barger, 5th District, “The ChapCare health center 
in Pasadena is a great asset to the community and serves 
as a vital safety net in the region, as evidenced by the 
development of this much-needed testing location.”

 OptumServe has extensive expertise in rapidly deploying 
and setting up health care services and has worked closely 
with the military under the leadership of former Army 
Surgeon General and retired Lieutenant General Patty 
Horoho, RN. At maximum capacity, OptumServe will be 
able to support up to 80 testing sites at one time throughout 
the state, increasing total testing capacity by more than 
10,500 tests per day.

 Testing will be by appointment only. You can schedule an 
appointment by calling (888) 634-1123 or by visiting: lhi.
care/covidtesting.

 
Congressmembers and Rep. 
Judy Chu (D-Pasadena) and 
Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) 
sent a letter to House 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi and 
Minority Leader Kevin 
McCarthy last week urging 
that future coronavirus 
response legislation ensure 
that independent workers 
with multiple types of 
income are able to access 
the same unemployment 
assistance that the CARES 
Act provides to those 
with more traditional 
employment arrangements. 

 “Due to the sporadic and 
unpredictable nature of 
work in film, television, 
theater, and music, many 
professionals in the 
entertainment industries 
earn a living through a 
combination of traditional 
(W-2) and independent (e.g. 
1099) employment,” the 
Members wrote in their letter. 
“As a result, even if they have 
lost a substantial source of 
income due to coronavirus-
related disruption of their 
independent work, these 
workers are ineligible for 
Pandemic Unemployment 
Assistance.”

 While some workers 
may qualify for regular 
unemployment 
compensation if they 
have also lost their W-2 
work, this can significantly 
under-measure their true 
earnings. And those whose 
W-2 income has continued 
but only represents a small 
portion of their earnings—
for example, a worker who 
receives residual income 
from a previous project—
are left with greatly reduced 
income yet are ineligible 
for any unemployment 
assistance.

 Become a part of local history! COVID-19 Experiences in 
South Pasadena is an initiative created to share and preserve 
our community memory and living experiences of the 
COVID-19 pandemic. The South Pasadena Public Library 
is seeking help from our community - both longtime 
residents and new - to document living history for inclusion 
in the Local History Collection.

 Between now and June 30th, the South Pasadena Public 
Library will be accepting survey responses, photographs, 
and videos via online submission. More information and 
the online collection form can be found here. Contributions 
submitted for this project will be processed, archived, and 
made available to the public. Help us build a resource for 
future generations and researchers! Questions regarding 
the COVID-19 Experiences in South Pasadena initiative 
may be directed to Olivia Shea, Local History Librarian, at 
localhistory@southpasadenaca.gov.

 The South Pasadena Public Library is currently closed until 
further notice in response to the County of Los Angeles Safer 
at Home mandate issued to slow the spread of coronavirus. 
For more information visit: southpasadenaca.gov.

South Pas Joins Coalition 

to Support Local Recovery

ALTADENA CRIME BLOTTER

 The City of South Pasadena 
has joined a coalition of 
local government, labor, and 
business in an effort to kick 
start economic recovery in 
local communities.

 The coalition is calling on 
the state to provide $7 billion 
in direct and flexible funding 
to cities to support critical 
local services, as well as a 
portion of the state’s CARES 
Act funding to help cities 
address COVID-19 related 
expenditures. The coalition 
is also calling on the federal 
government to provide $500 
billion in direct and flexible 
funding to local governments 
nationwide to support essential 
services, including police, fire, 
public works, permitting, and 
planning.

 Based on the League of 
California Cities analysis, 
California cities are projecting 
a nearly $7 billion general 
revenue shortfall over the next 
two fiscal years. This shortfall 
will grow by billions of dollars 
if stay-at-home orders to 
protect public health extend 
into the summer months and 
beyond. Cities have also been 
incurring significant increases 
in unbudgeted expenses 
responding to the crisis. 
COVID-19 has crippled local 
budgets, forcing cuts in city 
services and city employees, 
which will dampen local 
economic recovery. Given 
current and projected revenue 
shortfalls, cities need fiscal 
assistance to stabilize local 
government operations to offset 
the devastating impacts the 
crisis is having on California’s 
communities.

 Like many cities in California, 
the City of South Pasadena is 
facing financial challenges due 
to the impact of the COVID-19 
pandemic on the economy 
and increased emergency 
costs. Earlier this month, the 
City began outreach with a 
new, fully digital, community 
budget engagement program 
to facilitate a dialogue between 
residents and the City to 
better understand community 
priorities for future spending. 
The survey deadline has been 
extended to May 24, 2020. If 
you would like to participate 
in the budget process, please 
visit our website or submit 
your comment to: budget@
southpasadenaca.gov.

Sunday, April 19th 

5:45 PM – A vehicle was reported stolen from the area of 
Raymond Avenue and Montana Street. Vehicle described as a 
white 2000 Mercedes ML430. Two suspects were taken into 
custody and investigation is on-going. 

Monday, April 20th 

12:20 AM – An attempt residential burglary occurred in the 
2000 block of Minoru Drive. Suspect(s) attempted to enter the 
residence by prying the door. No entry. 3:30 PM – A battery 
occurred in the 2000 block of Galbreth Road. Suspect has 
been identified. 4:00 PM – A grand theft from an unlocked 
vehicle occurred in the 1500 block of Valencia Avenue. Stolen: 
silver Swarovski sunglasses, gold Bvlgari sunglasses, gold 
RayBan sunglasses, gold titanium Warby Parker sunglasses, 
blue Origins grocery bag and currency. 4:10 PM – A domestic 
violence incident occurred in the 700 block of E. Sacramento 
Street. Suspect was taken into custody. Between 6:00 PM and 
1:30 PM (Tuesday) – A vehicle burglary occurred in the 2200 
block of Casitas Avenue. Suspect(s) entered the vehicle by 
cutting the lock. Stolen: gardening tools. 

Tuesday, April 21st 

4:00 PM – An assault with a deadly weapon occurred in the 
2100 block of Grand Oaks Avenue. Suspect has been identified. 

Wednesday, April 22nd 

4:40 PM – An assault with a deadly weapon occurred in the 2600 
block of Fair Oaks Avenue. Suspects were taken into custody. 
Between 9:50 PM and 10:00 PM – A petty theft occurred in the 
2500 block of E. Washington Boulevard. Stolen: red and black 
Minnie Mouse purse, burgundy LG cellphone and currency. 

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