Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, August 20, 2022

Mountain View News Saturday, August 20, 2022 

Custodian 
Handcuffed 
Held at 
Gunpoint 

 
Pasadena police released 
video this week after the local 
community became outraged 
over a longtime Pasadena 
Unified School District 
janitor being mistaken as 
a burglar Sunday morning 
at San Rafael Elementary 
School.

 The Body Cam video shows 
the unnamed custodian 
shortly before 9 a.m. being 
handcuffed, on his knees, 
at gunpoint although he 
identifies who he is. 

 The custodian was held for 
over six minutes as officers 
confirmed who he was with 
the school principal, Rudy 
Ramirez. 

 The original 911 call was also 
made public. The caller said 
that someone had climbed 
the school’s fence with a 
backpack and a bag. 

 Interim City Manager 
Cynthia Kurtz said in a 
statement that officers acted 
professional and consistent 
with city and Police 
Department policies.

 She said that the guns used 
by the officers were nonlethal 
with foam bullets. 

Pasadena 

Police 
Make Arrest 
in Stabbing

 Pasadena police arrested a 
26-year-old Man from LosAngeles Saturday night forthe alleged stabbing murderof a man in North Central 
Pasadena earlier that night.

 According to detectives, 
at about 10:53 p.m. officers 
responded to the 600 block 
of North Lake Avenue 
regarding an “Assault with 
a Deadly Weapon” call. On 
arrival, officers located an 
unresponsive male in the 
street suffering from multiple 
stab wounds. The victim was 
pronounced deceased at the 
scene.

 Within a few minutes of the 
original call, a male suspect 
was detained by officers a 
short distance away from 
the crime scene. The suspect, 
identified as 26-year-old 
Sadarius Lawson of Los 
Angeles, was booked at the 
Pasadena Police Department 
for murder.

 Detectives from the 
Pasadena Police Department’s 
Robbery / Homicide Unit 
responded to the crime scene 
to commence immediate 
follow-up investigation. The 
investigation is on-going.

 The identity of the victim 
and the motive behind the 
crime were unknown at the 
time. 

Anyone with information 
about this case is encouraged 
to call Pasadena Police at 
(626)-744-4241 or you 
may report information 
anonymously by calling 
“Crime Stoppers” by dialing 
(800) 222-TIPS (8477). 

City to Go to One Day Watering Early 


The city council voted Monday 
to move up Pasadena Water 
and Power's one day per week 
outdoor irrigation schedule, 
two months, from starting 
November 1 to now starting 
September 1.

 “The Metropolitan Water 
District notified us… that 
they are going to be doing an 
emergency repair to one of 
their pipelines in [early to] 
mid September and they are 
asking everybody to reduce 
watering as much as possible 
in September for 15 days, 
“Said Interim Pasadena Water 
and Power General Manager 
Jeffrey Kightlinger. “So the 
idea after discussing it with 
Municipal Services Committee 
is that Pasadena would 
accelerate its move to one day 
of watering from November 
1 up to September 1 to help 
Metropolitan out.” 

 The updated watering schedule 
will only allow even-numbered 
street addresses to water on 
Mondays and odd-numbered 
street addresses to water on 
Tuesdays. Outdoor watering 
must take place before 9 a.m. 

or after 6 p.m. according to city 
officials.

 Councilmember Steve 
Madison asked if Pasadena 
Water and Power could go back 
to two days of watering earlier 
than April to offset the change. 
Staff said that the one day a 
week watering would most 
likely last longer not shorter. 

 California is contending 
with unprecedented drought 
conditions, with the last three 
years setting the record as the 
driest three-year period in state 
history according to staff. 

 “Every drop of water that we 
save now puts us in a better 
position in the future. Pasadena 
continues to be a leader in 
conservation, and residents 
and businesses are making 
great strides in water savings,” 
Kightlinger said. “Now is the 
time for customers to make 
long-term investments in 
water-use efficiency by making 
changes like removing thirsty 
turf and replacing it with 
drought-tolerant landscaping, 
and upgrading to more efficient 
outdoor watering systems.”

 PWP will continue to receive 
water deliveries from MWD 

Holden Names Vrej PastrySmall Business of the Year 

 
In a ceremony in Sacramento 
Wednesday, Assemblymember 
Chris Holden honored Vrej 
Pastry as “Small Business of 
the Year” for the 41st Assembly 
District. Vrej (Frank) and Armig 
Tomboulian– co-owners of Vrej 
Pastry, accepted the recognition 
during the annual Small 
Business of the Year luncheon 
organized by the California 
Small Business Association. Vrej 
Pastry recently celebrated their 
28th anniversary.

 “The fabric of Pasadena is 
made of local small businesses 
that provide us a glimpse of 
culture through traditional 
food,” said Assemblymember 
Chris Holden. “From Lebanon 
to Pasadena, the Lebanese and 
Armenian sweets have a place 
in my heart. Frank and Armig 
embody the small business 
American dream.”

 Vrej Tomboulian was born 
and raised in a small town in 
Lebanon to a family of bakers. 
His father owned a well-known 
bakery where Vrej would spend 
much of his time after school, 
helping customers and learning 
to bake. In his 30’s, he began 
traveling to and from the US as 
a tourist. Armig Tomboulian 
was born and raised in Lebanon 
as well. After graduating high 
school, she began working for 
a jewelry store as a receptionist, 
often assisting the owners with 
design

One evening in August 1987,
Vrej had returned to Lebanon 
and visited a neighbor, where 
Armig would be tutoring. The 
two met and married after a 
month. In 1988, the couple 
moved to San Diego, CA 
searching for the American 
Dream. They started a family, 

having two daughters. Vrej and 
his brother partnered to open 
a fast food restaurant, but Vrej 
was no’t happy. After many trials 
and tribulation, Vrej and Armig 
decided to move to Pasadena, CA 
where they found an incredible 
Armenian community in which 
they raised their children, and in 
1994, opened the doors to their 
business, Vrej Pastry

At first, Vrej would do all the 
baking and designing, while 
Armig tended to customers. 
Armig began to pick up some 
techniques, learning what she 
could from Vrej, then finding 
other resources to learn more 
about cake design. The early 
years were difficult, but they 
were blessed. The business began 
to grow, and additional staff was 
hired. Customers would come 
from all parts of California, 
and eventually, other states. 
The demand for their desserts 
were so high, customers would 
request additional locations.

“We’ve been in business for 28 
years and called Pasadena our 
home. We are so excited to be 
honored as small business of 
the year and to continue sharing 
our Lebanese and Armenian 
homemade desserts with 
everyone,” said Vrej (Frank) and 
Armig Tomboulian– co-owners 
of Vrej Pastry. 

during the shutdown September 
6 through September 20. But 
as the supply source will be 
switched to severely limited 
State Water Project supplies for 
the duration of the shutdown.

 The PWP will also hold, 
Control Your Controller, an 
online workshop August 27 on 
how to adjust your irrigation 
controller in preparation for 
the September 1, one day per 
week watering schedule. The 
workshop will also cover smart 
controller features, how to 
properly time watering for 
different zones, and more.

 For more information visit: 
PWPweb.com/SaveWater. 

Pictured, Sheldon Reservoir, 
drought tolerant parkway, and 
Community DemonstrationGarden. 

Tournament 
To Host 
Golf Classic

 The Pasadena Tournament of 
Roses Foundation announced 
Thursday the inaugural 
Golf Classic presented by 

J.P. Morgan Private Bank. 
Golfers will tee off on Monday, 
September 12, and raise funds 
to support a diverse range of 
local organizations. 
“Since our founding, the 

Pasadena Tournament of Roses 

has given more than $4 million 

to support the greater Pasadena 

community. All the proceeds 

from our inaugural Foundation 

Golf Classic will allow us to 

provide even more support to 

exceptional non-profit groups 

serving the community. We 

are extraordinarily grateful 

to our Golf Classic sponsors 

and participants. Their 

philanthropic generosity will 

benefit many organizations 

ranging from youth sports to 

senior wellness programs,” said 

Mark S. Harmsen, President of 

the Pasadena Tournament of 

Roses Foundation. 

 Golfers will enjoy the 

Brookside Golf Club in 

Pasadena, designed by famed 

golf architect William P. Bell, 

nestled in the beautiful Arroyo 

Seco. The Golf Classic offers a 

unique opportunity, a chance 

to hit a golf ball onto the field 

where the Rose Bowl Game® 

has been played for the past 

100 years.

 The Tournament of Roses 

Foundation is a tax-exempt, 

non-profit public benefit 

corporation established 

to receive and manage 

contributions from the 

Pasadena Tournament of Roses 

Association, its supporters 

and the general public. 

Organizations or individuals 

interested in making a 

contribution or inquiring 

about the grants process 

should contact the Foundation 

by visiting: 

 tournamentofroses.com/
foundation. 

Jingle the keys, San MarinoMotor Classic to Support PH 


Pasadena Humane reminds 
animal and car lovers to mark 
your calendar for the dog-
friendly San Marino Motor 
Classic on Aug. 28. You and 
your pup can enjoy a day of 
strolling through hundreds of 
mint-condition collector cars at 
Lacy Park in San Marino.

 “I first attended the San 
Marino Motor Classic in 2019, 
the day before I started my new 
position as president and CEO 
at Pasadena Humane,” Said Dia 
DuVernet President and CEO 
of Pasadena Humane. “Having 
just moved to Pasadena from 
Virginia, I was dazzled by the 
cars, in addition to being star 
struck when I spotted Jay Leno 
in the crowd.”

 DuVernet continued, “Turns 
out Mr. Leno is an animal 
lover, in addition to being a car 
aficionado. When he stopped 
by Pasadena Humane’s Wiggle 
Waggle Wagon — not to see the 
modern RV, but to visit with the 
adoptable dogs — he ended up 
making a celebrity out of Blue, 
helping to get him adopted.”

 The Wiggle Waggle Wagon 
will be at the event again this 

Pasadena 
Proclaims 
MonkeypoxEmergency

 Interim City Manager 
Cynthia Kurtz proclaimed 
a local emergency Thursday 
to strengthen the city’s 
preparedness and ability to 
respond to the virus. In an 
effort to stop the spread of 
monkeypox and make the 
monkeypox vaccine more 
readily accessible to those at 
highest risk, Pasadena Public 
Health Department (PPHD) is 
also expanding the eligibility 
criteria for the vaccine, effective 
immediately.

 “We are continuing to work 
proactively to protect the 
health of our community, and 
this proclamation allows us to 
mobilize more resources,” Kurtz 
said. “This local emergency will 
allow us to continue to support 
our community members who 
are currently most at-risk, 
while also to better prepare for 
what’s to come.”

 The proclamation allows 
the city to take all actions 

year with adoptable pets. 
Even if you are not interested 
in adopting, you will be 
supporting Pasadena Humane’s 
lifesaving work by attending 
the San Marino Motor Classic. 
Pasadena Humane is a primary 
beneficiary of this year’s show, 
she said. 

“We are incredibly grateful 
to the San Marino Motor 
Classic for many years of 
supporting the animals in our 
community, ”DuVernet said. 
“Since its founding in 2011, 
the San Marino Motor Classic 
has awarded in excess of $2.3 
million to local charities, 
including more than $1 million 
to Pasadena Humane.”

 If you’d like to help our 
volunteers staff the event, please 
send an email to volunteer@
pasadenahumane.org. 
If you go

 The event takes place 9 a.m.3 
p.m. Admission is $35 in 
advance; $40 at the door; $150 
VIP, includes lunch. Lacy Park 
is located 1485 Virginia Road, 
San Marino. 

 For more information visit: 

 sanmarinomotorclassic.com. 

necessary to implement 
preventive measures to protect 
and preserve public health, 
including, but not limited 
to, mobilizing city resources, 
accelerating emergency 
planning; streamlining 
staffing; coordinating across 
other agencies; expediting the 
ability of the city to purchase 
necessary supplies to combat 
monkeypox; allowing for future 
reimbursement by the state 
and federal governments; and 
raising awareness throughout 
Pasadena about monkeypox, 
including how people can lower 
their risk and stop the spread.

 Earlier this month, the 
governor proclaimed a state 
of emergency to support the 
state’s response to monkeypox. 
Additionally, Los Angeles and 
Orange Counties have issued 
similar proclamations to 
bolster their preparedness.

 Currently, PPHD has 15 
confirmed or probable cases 
of monkeypox in Pasadena. 
There are reportedly 2,356cases in California as of Aug. 
17, according to the California 
Department of Public Health.

 For more information 
on monkeypox, please 
visit: cityofpasadena.net/
monkeypox. 


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