Ped Targeted for Robbery

A lone male victim was walking in the area of Camino Real and First when two suspects exited a vehicle and approached the victim on foot. The two suspects grabbed and punched the victim in an attempt to take his cell phone and wallet. The victim fought back and the suspects made off with only his cell phone. The crime occurred at about 5:00 PM last night.

One suspect was described as a male Hispanic, shaved head, 18-20 years old, with tattoos on his forearms. The second suspect and the third suspect who was the driver of the suspect vehicle were described as either male white or Hispanic, both about 18 to 20 years old. The suspect vehicle was a red 4-door with a white front bumper.

Anyone with information is asked to contact APD Detectives at (626) 574-5160.

Possible Residential Arson

Officers assisted Arcadia Fire Department with a house fire that occurred on Friday, April 24th, at about 6:00 AM, in the 500 block of Santa Cruz. The home was vacant at the time of the fire. A broken window was found at the location and AFD Arson Investigators believe that an accelerant may have been used to start the fire. The investigation is continuing by AFD.

Tuesday Tip - Swine Flu Prevention

A topic that you can't avoid in recent days is the Swine Flu Pandemic. From print and television reports to coverage on blogs like CrimeScene, the topic is foremost on the minds of many people. So, how do we protect ourselves from exposure? Take a look at the CDC website for this article, "Swine Influenza and You." The following is an excerpt of tips from the CDC:

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Another website with helpful information can be found at PandemicFlu.gov. First responders are particularly susceptible to exposure like this. Prevention and precautions to limit exposure must be taken. This is a topic that is important to not only you and your family, but also to your local police and fire personnel.

3 Arrested In Residential Burglary

Two adults and one juvenile were arrested for suspicion of residential burglary after a burglary was committed in the 1100 blk Magnolia Lane today. The crime occurred about 12:30 PM and Officers found the suspect vehicle shortly thereafter. The three suspects abandoned the suspect vehicle at a Mc Donald's on Santa Anita, north of Lower Azusa in the City of El Monte and fled on foot. Assisted by Officers from El Monte PD, Monrovia PD, and airships from Pasadena PD and El Monte PD, a containment was set and the three suspects were taken into custody. Arroyo High School was placed on lock-down for about an hour during the incident. All three suspects were reportedly from Los Angeles.

Motorcycle collision @ Duarte/Holly, 12:55 PM

Wine & Spirits Robbed

Last night at about 7:20 PM, two men robbed the Santa Anita Wine & Spirits at 1002 N. Santa Anita Avenue. One of the men pointed a handgun at the clerk and took an unknown amount of cash. The suspects were described as a male white, 25-35 yrs, 6'00/200, wearing a blk t-shirt, tan shorts and a blk ball cap, and a male Hispanic, 20-25 yrs, dark hair, 5-09/175, wearing dark clothing. The suspects were last seen running away on foot.

Administrative Professionals' Day

Otherwise known as Secretary's Day, today is the day to celebrate and say "thanks" to your Administrative Assistants, Secretaries, and other professionals who assist your office or unit and keep things running. We are lucky at APD to have many professionals who fill that void for us; from processing reports to maintaining every ounce of documentation we create, managing budgets, coordinating computer programs and websites, and many times being the main point of contact for victims, witnesses, and those making inquiry to the Department. These are just a sampling of duties that our Administrative Professionals are called upon to fulfil. The APOA wishes to take a moment and say, "Thank You", for a job well done!

Holly Avenue School Burglarized

Officers responded to Holly Avenue School at about 4:00 AM Monday morning after receiving an audible alarm. Prior to Officers arriving, a security guard at location observed a subject removing unknown property from one of the rooms and then fleeing on foot. Investigation showed that the suspect forced entry to a school room window, made entry and removed unknown property from the school. The school is undergoing partial renovation at the time. The investigation is continuing.

Street Robbery

Shortly after 2:00 AM on Monday morning, April 20th, a male was leaving the area of Ralph's Grocery near Huntington and Sunset. The victim stopped to talk with a female and was accosted by a male suspect who stole the victim's cell phone. The suspect fled but then returned with a second suspect. The pair struck the victim and removed his wallet. The female and the two male suspects fled in a dark colored, 4 dr. sedan. The female was described as Hispanic and the two male suspects were African American. All suspects were in their 20's.

Balls o' Fire Celebrity Bowling

APD fielded two teams in the 2009 Balls o' Fire Celebrity Bowling event to benefit the Foothill Aids Project. The event was held on Sunday, April 19th, at Covina Lanes and featured celebrities of all types; actors, models, comedians, sports professionals from boxing, football, NASCAR, and olympians, and other personalities. Once again, an APD team took home the first place trophy in the "Guns & Hoses" portion of the tournament and Lieutenant Bob Anderson placed third overall in the "Patron Men" division. A special thanks to our anonymous corporate donor for the lane sponsorship and their contribution to FAP. Pictured above are from left to right; front row - Volunteer Coordinator Leon Solorio, Model Alike Boggan(Deal or No Deal), Evidence Technician Emily Burkardt, Cadet Aida Vazquez, back row - Lieutenant Bob Anderson, Crime Analyst Mike Daleo, Detective Phil Pierce, Sergeant Tom Le Veque, and Officer Steve Crawford.

Tuesday Tip - Stop Signs

How many times a day do you come upon a stop sign? Be it in a single lane of traffic or multiple lanes, in a residential area, or near a school; stop signs are everywhere in our community and often times are ignored or not adhered to properly by drivers. CVC 22450 defines the requirement for stop signs in California. The law is fairly simple; if there is a stop sign posted with a limit line, stop at the limit line. If there is no limit line, but there is a crosswalk, stop at the line prior to entering the crosswalk. If there are no lines in the street, stop even with the stop sign before entering the intersection or making a turn. One of the most common defenses after being cited for running a stop sign is that the driver actually did stop. The first questions to ask yourself are; "Where did I stop?" and "Did I come to a complete stop?" Our local court has made it clear; stop at the limit line, stop sign or crosswalk, not a car length back, not over the line...at the line.



Other common violations include failing to stop when turning, or rolling the stop, and following the car in front of you through a stop sign when in traffic. Each vehicle is required to come to a full and complete stop. Don't sneak through on a turn or next to the car in the other lane. And a complete stop is not a "California roll". A complete stop is a full and complete "cessation" of movement. So, please adhere to stop signs and recognize that they are in place for your safety and the safety of all other persons on the road.

Partying Gives Way to ADW Victim

Late last night, Officers responded to a fight that broke out at a party taking place at a residence in the 500 block of Gloria Road. A 22 year old man from Pasadena was injured when he tried to break up the fight. At some point, the victim was knocked to the ground and received several lacerations to his back from possibly either a knife or broken glass. The victim was treated at a local hospital for his injuries and there are no suspects in custody at this time. The incident occurred at about 11:30 PM.

Dispatcher Appreciation Week

The week of April 12-18, 2009 is National Public Safety Telecommunications Week, otherwise known as Dispatcher Appreciation Week. Dispatchers are an integral part of the Law Enforcement team. Arcadia Dispatchers are also our call takers and many times the first contact for persons communicating with the police department. They not only communicate with the public, but are usually inputting data into a computer, monitoring and talking with field units, and coordinating all patrol activity for the department. Often times we don't take the time to say "Thank You" for a job well done. The APOA would like to join others throughout the Nation and express our true appreciation and thanks to our, APD Dispatchers.

Dead Body Found Under Bridge

Landscape workers made a grim discovery yesterday in the pedestrian tunnel under Colorado Boulevard and Second Avenue. A local transient was found deceased in the tunnel at about 8:00 AM Wednesday morning. There were no obvious signs of foul play, however, due to the circumstances, the LA County Coroner responded and took custody of the remains. The cause of death remains under investigation pending results of an autopsy. It is not uncommon for local transients to frequent this area which adjoins the horse trail along the wash. The trail also runs through Eisenhower Park to the north.

Tuesday Tip - Driver Fatgue

Driver fatigue is not an uncommon factor in collisions. Granted, fatigue may set in more frequently at night, but daytime drivers may be just as susceptible. Time and distance are your friends while driving and fatigue can greatly reduce your ability to react or interpret road conditions, hazards, and other factors that affect safe operation of your vehicle. Pay attention to warning signs; dozing off, heavy eyelids, yawning, drifting, just to mention a few. Link to the websites below for additional tips on preventing and recognizing fatigued driving.

• SleepDeprivation.com
• ACC New Zealand (Fatigue Test)
• USDOT

Happy Easter!

The APOA sends greetings to all and wishes you and your family a Happy Easter! Hope you enjoy the Easter break and have a safe holiday. HERE is a little history on Easter from History.com.

Children of CHP Officer Receive Scholarships

In December of 2008, California Highway Patrol Officer Joseph Sanders was struck and killed in a collision while on-duty. The San Gabriel Valley Tribune reports that his children recently received $30,000 in bonds toward college scholarships. The bonds were donated by the Marine Corps - Law Enforcement Foundation. This is a great tribute to the family and in memory of Officer Sanders.

Phoenix Blogger Claims Police Retaliation

An interesting article on Police Link this morning details a Phoenix blogger's claim that the Phoenix PD is retaliating against him. The article states that the blogger has been extremely critical of PPD and that police recently seized computers and property from the blogger's home. View the article HERE.

Bank of the West Robbed

A lone male suspect presented a robbery demand note to a teller at the Bank of the West at 1155 W. Huntington Drive today at about 2:20 PM. The robber made off with an unknown amount of cash and was last seen on foot. The suspect was described as a male African American, 20-30 years old, 6-00 tall/thin to medium build, wearing dark clothing and a ball cap.

Driver that Killed 3-Year Old is Sentenced

On December 11, 2005, Sara Bravo was driving a stolen vehicle and lead Arcadia Police on a pursuit that ended tragically. Bravo ran a red light and struck another vehicle, killing a young passenger. The collision occurred in Pasadena at Del Mar and Altadena Drive. Bravo was sentenced to 22 years to life in State prison. See the LADA's press release HERE.

Teen Beaten

Sunday afternoon, at about 2:30 PM, a 17 year old male Asian was walking on Santa Anita Avenue near Diamond Street when he was accosted by 3-4 male suspects. The suspects exited a dark colored sedan and began to strike the victim with both fists and a blunt object, yelling obscenities. The victim fell to the ground and the suspects fled in an unknown direction. The victim called a friend for help and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. He suffered a broken finger and thumb, possible broken arm, and a laceration to his head. The suspects were only described as male Asians, possibly in their late teens. Anyone with information is asked to call the Arcadia Detectives at (626)574-5160.

Tuesday Tip - Check the APOA Blog

The first post for this blog was on Tuesday, April 8, 2008, welcoming readers to the APOA Info Blog. The blog itself was created on the 7th and the "Tuesday Tip" was tossed into the ring shortly thereafter. So, after 273 posts and one year, this tip is a reminder to check the blog often for updates and info from the APOA...Happy 1st Birthday to the Arcadia Police Officers' Association Info Blog.

ALPR Hit Leads to Arrest

Saturday afternoon, April 4th, at about 4:30 PM, a young man was playing basketball at First Avenue Junior High School, 301 S. First Avenue, when his Ipod was stolen by two suspects. During the robbery, the victim was struck by one of the suspects. The victim was able to provide suspect descriptions as well as a suspect vehicle description and possible license plate number.

Officers utilized the Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) database and found a match to the suspect vehicle. Having prior contacts with the vehicle, officers were able to locate associated names and addresses to this vehicle, leading them to a potential suspect living in Arcadia. After being identified by the victim, 18 year old Kenny Chen, of Arcadia, was arrested and booked for robbery at the Arcadia City Jail.

The ALPR system is a fairly new tool for Arcadia Police and has been credited with alerting officers to many stolen vehicles and has lead to a number of arrests since the units have been put into service.

Road Closure Saturday

Baldwin Avenue will be closed to traffic between the IS 210 freeway and Huntington Drive on Saturday morning, April 4th, from about 7AM till 9 AM. The road closure is in effect to accommodate the annual Santa Anita Derby 5k Run.

Robbery Sketch Released

This suspect is wanted in connection to a robbery that occurred on Thu. 3/26/09 at 8:27PM at the Pumpkin Patch store in the Westfield Shoppingtown. Suspect entered the location, produced a handgun, forced two employees to the store room, ordered employees to open the safe, and took $300 cash. In addition, suspect took an employee's purse, and fled on foot.

Suspect(s) Description: Male, African-American, age mid-30s, height 5' 8", thin build, Dodgers baseball cap, hair sticking out from underneath cap, blue zip up windbreaker jacket, light blue jeans, no accent.

Weapon Description: Black, semi-automatic handgun.

If Spotted: Do not attempt to contact; should be considered armed and dangerous. Please call the Arcadia Police Department at (626) 574-5151 or the APD's Crimes Against Persons Detective at (626) 574-5149.

Sexual Battery

A woman who stopped at the Chevron Gas Station at 500 N. Santa Anita Avenue last night was allegedly accosted by an employee at the location. The incident occurred at about 11:40 PM on April 1st after the woman made a purchase inside the convenience store. The suspect touched the woman inappropriately, in a sexual manner, and then followed her out to her vehicle. The woman called a friend on her cell phone and the suspect retreated back into the store. Officers arrived and arrested a 21 year-old Glendora man who was booked on a misdemeanor charge of sexual battery at the Arcadia City Jail.

It is possible that there are other victims and/or witnesses in this case and APD is asking anyone with information to call the Arcadia Police Department at (626) 574-5150.

Pedestrian Stings

APD Traffic Officers conducted two pedestrian stings on Wednesday, April 1st, issuing approximately 60 citations. Officers targeted two frequently used cross walks in town, one in the 600 block of West Duarte Road and the other at Huntington Drive and Santa Clara Street. Drivers were cited mainly for failing to yield to pedestrians and failing to obey signs such as "No Turn On Red". APD volunteers assisted with the sting operations.