Category Archives: Weekly News Top Stories

Walnut High Celebrates New Tennis Courts

By Kelli Gile

WALNUT, CA— Walnut High students, teachers, staff, and district officials recently gathered during a tennis court grand reopening celebration.Over the summer, the courts were resurfaced, and playing surfaces painted a blue hue – the signature color of the U.S. Open – with grey around the outside. The project also included installation of new fencing with wind screens, nets, sound system, and lighting.  Players and coaches said they were ready to kick off the new season in the upgraded facility at the August 29 ceremony. “This is going to get my kids fired up to play some even better tennis!” said head coach Lee Shiomoto, who has been a part of the program for 15 years. “It’s been exciting to see the courts get resurfaced,” said senior Lauren Ao, who said her team members now feel proud to host other schools during tournaments.“It was really run-down, and now the courts are nice and clean!” added senior Sara Santos.The boys and girls tennis programs have a winning tradition, clinching numerous all-league awards, league championships, and an undefeated season last fall. Last year, the girls team competed in the CIF finals, and doubles players Santos and Vivian Lee earned their second consecutive Hacienda League MVP honor.

Man With A Gun

By Anthony Saude

Diamond Bar – LASD Deputies from the Walnut/Diamond Bar Station responded to a call regarding a man with a gun at the intersection of Diamond Bar Blvd and Fountain Springs Drive. The Deputies were able to apprehend the male suspect without any incident. Mark Hopper, a witness at the scene, said “he was driving down Diamond Bar Blvd when all of the sudden an unmarked police car sped past him on the road”. “The unmarked car headed straight towards a man walking down the street. When the man saw the car speeding towards him he put his arms out wide and dropped something on the ground”, said Hopper. Hopper said “I couldn’t tell you what the object he dropped was I just know he dropped something”. Yesterday reporters at OurWeeklyNews.com were contacted by Mary at Evergreen Springs Elementary School saying that the school was on lock down due to a deputy involved shooting. When contacted to verify the report the LASD deputy said that there was a call but there wasn’t any shooting. The deputies recovered the handgun at the scene. There weren’t any other reports about the man with the gun and thankfully no one sustained any injuries during the incident.

Cal State LA student from La Puente receives CSU Trustees’ Award

Staff Reports

La Puente – Cal State LA student from La Puente receives CSU Trustees’ Award for Outstanding AchievementAnthony Robles never imagined that he would attend a university. As a youth, he was arrested and faced a seemingly bleak future.

But Tuesday, Robles was one of 23 students to receive the 2017 California State University (CSU) Trustees’ Award for Outstanding Achievement—the CSU’s highest recognition of student achievement and scholarship.

A sociology major and Chicano studies minor at California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA), Robles was honored during the September 19 CSU Board of Trustees meeting in Long Beach. He was presented with an $8,000 award and named a Trustee Emeritus Murray L. Galinson ​Scholar.

“I am deeply humbled and appreciative to receive this award,” said Robles, 24, who lives in the La Puente neighborhood of San Gabriel Valley. “This scholarship, besides being an awesome and a very needed financial reward, represents transformation and possibility. It is a testament that anything is possible no matter where you are at in life or what you might have been through.”

Robles’ family has struggled to make ends meet. His father, who works in a warehouse, was an undocumented immigrant and deported three times. His mother battled cancer.

As a teenager, Robles had run-ins with police and was arrested. He found himself facing a possible sentence of two years for carrying contraband into a police station. That experience changed his life, Robles recalled.

He wanted to help his family and make his parents proud. He set a goal to complete high school and go to college. He earned a high school diploma and was accepted to Rio Hondo College. In 2016, he enrolled at Cal State LA.

Now, Robles is in his senior year and has a 3.7 GPA. He is on his way to becoming the first in his family to earn a university degree. His goal is to become a professor. He wants to help transform the lives of young people through education, just as his life was transformed.

“We’re proud of Anthony and what he has overcome on his path to a university education,” Cal State LA President William A. Covino said. “His dedication to his community and social justice are unwavering. He is poised to become a scholar whose research will shed fresh light on matters impacting youth and immigrants.”

Robles’ life challenges have motivated him to pursue a degree in sociology with a focus on immigration, criminal justice and environmental justice.

Having experienced first-hand the impact of immigration on his family, Robles is writing a book chapter on the criminalization of immigration. He also helped create an immigrant detention visitation and pen pal program at Cal State LA called the Migrant Liberation Collective.

For his senior thesis, he is examining prosecutorial discretion and racialized decision-making in the criminal justice system. He also organized a club that serves as a support network for students who have been incarcerated.

“Academia has taken me from a destructive environment to a positive environment full of possibilities and opportunities to help transform others’ lives,” Robles said. “Because of the transformative experiences I have had in college, I now live an inspired life filled with hope rather than calamity and despair.”

Robles finds time to mentor high school students in East Los Angeles and to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, the L.A. Food Bank and Earth Peace. He is a member of Project Rebound, a university program that assists incarcerated students. With determination and drive, Robles is committed to helping young people in his community.

“Everything I accomplish is with those who are marginalized in mind because success is not personal for me. It is mutual, reciprocal and shared,” he said. “It is meant to uplift others.”

The CSU Trustees’ Award program was originally established by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation as an endowed scholarship fund to honor William Randolph Hearst, founder of the Hearst newspaper chain. In 1999, the William Randolph Hearst Foundation partnered with the CSU Board of Trustees to supplement the endowment with contributions from CSU Trustees, CSU Foundation Board of Governors, and private donors. Today, more than 120 donors have supported the program.

Photo: Anthony Robles. (Credit: J. Emilio Flores/Cal State LA)

 

Walnut Valley USD Board Honors Outstanding Student, Parent

By Kelli Gile

 

Walnut—The Walnut Valley USD Board of Trustees recognized a standout student and parent volunteer from Vejar Elementary School during the September 20 meeting.

Fifth grader Talisa Perez received the Super Star Student Award for going above and beyond on her campus.

“Talisa is known by students, teachers, and the staff for her kindness, respect, and good citizenship,” shared interim principal Whitney Prenger.

She is a model student of the Vejar Values: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, BeSafe.

Teachers describe her as being a student leader who is kind, hard-working, and trustworthy.

She always gives 110% and encourages classmates to do their best!

Talisa has also been selected to represent the school in the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council.

Parent volunteer Kelley Cua was honored with the Partner in Education Award for generously offering her time and expertise organizing various events for the school.

Kelley has helped out in every class on campus, been a steadfast community club volunteer, and annual book fair coordinator.

During the summer, she celebrates students’ summer reading accomplishments by throwing an ice cream party when they return to school.

One Vejar teacher described Kelley as being “selfless and kind. Even as a working mother, she came every Thursday to help in the classroom.”

“She’s always been known to be reliable, kind, organized, and willing to go above and beyond!” Prenger added.

 

Chino Hills Files Lawsuit Over Tres Hermanos Decision

By Anthony Saude

Chino Hills – Tres Hermanos is a small cattle ranch had at one-time been the private hunting grounds for generations of wealthy Los Angeles scions, including the late Los Angeles Times Publisher Harry Chandler. The land was purchased by City of Industry’s Industry redevelopment agency in 1978, before the state shut down such entities and put the land up for sale. When the state shut down redevelopment agencies like the city’s that bought the ranch in 1978 it put the property up for sale. City Of Industry leaders have been trying to buy back the ranch ever since, their plan, add it to the city’s adjacent Tonner Canyon holdings and use it to build a large solar energy farm.

For over a year, City Of Industry, a city of about 200 residents spent well over $1 million on leases, reimbursement and studies to determine the cost of building a huge solar power facility. Public records show the company, San Gabriel Valley Water and Power LLC, is managed by Ambient Communities, a San Diego-based residential and commercial developer. The scope of the project had previously been unreported and caught elected officials, nearby homeowners and conservationists who have been monitoring similar proposals for the Ranch off guard.

The latest in this 40 year saga, The City of Chino Hills will file a lawsuit against the City of Industry over its purchase of Tres Hermanos Ranch. The oversight board governing the sale of the land, the State Department of Finance, and the agency that replaced the Industry redevelopment agency .The City of Industry has been less than forthcoming with its intentions, Chino Hills City staff had to file multiple public records requests just to be able analyze thousands of pages before they uncovered proposal documents for a 444-watt solar farm.

The oversight board, a state-created panel, was given the task of selling off Tres Hermanos Ranch temporarily stopped meeting on the issue when they discovered that the City of Industry had been working on a multimillion-dollar solar farm on more than 2000 acres of the undeveloped ranch. The panel members stated that they could consider other offers that are submitted when they resume the meetings. Housing development builders, Contra GH America and Hoffman reportedly both had an offer on the table of approximately $100 million at the time the panel stopped meeting.

It seemed like a lot of fuss over a relatively small ranch especially land that the City of Industry has now purchased not only once but twice.

When the panel reconvened the meetings the only offer left on the table was the City of Industry’s for $41.65 million less than half of the other offers. The other two developers mysteriously dropped out of the bidding and Industry’s offer, being the highest bidder, was accepted. The difference in the price that Chino Hills and Diamond Bar had thought the land would sell for was now cut by nearly 60%. They cities could lose millions on just the sales tax on the purchase alone. That is to say nothing of the amount of property tax revenue will be lost if homes are not built on it.

Developers interested in buying the land had proposed as many as 10,000 homes. Chino Hills’ general plan would allow a maximum of 675 houses, and Diamond Bar’s general plan would allow about 500 homes maximum, that would be a total of 1,175 homes in the two cities combined. Jim Gallagher, a spokesman for the grass-roots group Save Tres Hermanos Ranch said “the residents I have talked to have almost all said they don’t want more homes built in the area”.  “Senator Josh Newman D-Brea, 29 district, who is the chair for Save Coyote Hills in Fullerton is helping us with this situation as well”. “He has brokered a couple of meetings between Chino Hills and Diamond Bar. He has one scheduled with the City of Industry.”

“I did some research and a 2015 report shows it takes 4 acres of land to produce 1 megawatt of solar power for crystal panels and 6 acres if thin film panels are used for the project”. Paul Phillips the city manager of City of Industry “assured me that the pan for the Solar farm was for 1000-1500 acres only and the rest open spaces”.“I don’t have the exact math in front of me right now but it is a lot more than that”. “I am all for green energy and if Industry can use less panels and make it unobtrusive we are all in; but the numbers aren’t adding up. “The residents think that it will look like the solar mirror farm in Las Vegas” said Gallagher. “That is the picture both cities, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar are painting for them for obvious monetary reasons.

Gallagher said that “he feels one of the motivators for the lawsuit was the lack of transparency from Industry about the solar farm”. “I don’t think the City of Industry was required to inform anybody what they might do with the land if it was their land until the purchase was made” said Gallagher. When Industry won the bid they submitted the proposal with their research that is what was legally required. “The only thing that the lawsuit does for “Save Tres Hermanos” is it may slow down the lawsuit some and that would us more time to fight”.

That is a big chunk of change to both Diamond Bar and Chino Hills on the taxes of the sale the cities will be losing. Then there are the property taxes that both cities would lose annually if no houses get built within their city limits. In the end it is all about the money in this situation.

Diamond Bar Restaurant Week

By Mireya De La Paz

 

Diamond Bar – Local, already delicious Diamond Bar restaurants will showcase their cuisine and attract new patrons when the City holds its second annual Diamond Bar Restaurant Week (DBRW). Last year’s overwhelming response led the City to continue the annual feast.  Beginning next week,  (October 6th through the 20th) local restaurants will entice your taste buds into trying their delicious foods. The event attracts people from surrounding areas and restaurants from all over the city get the chance to show off their new and most popular dishes.

Enjoy the special breakfast, lunch and dinner deals that the restaurants will be offering, but the catch is each place will be holding unique deals. So relax and enjoy “no dishes to do” or “no trash to dump for the day.” There will also be exclusive one time only deals, well at least until next year. Here’s how you can get in on this year’s deals:  There are no advance tickets or coupons to purchase.  Just walk into your favorite participating restaurant and order the “Diamond Bar Restaurant Week Special”. Or if you are the adventurous type, take advantage of the discounts and try out a new restaurant.

This is also a huge opportunity for restaurant owners to bring some new guests into your business. If you would like to participate, the signup fee is $100 that is used towards marketing and advertising efforts. This includes a dedicated website; streetlight pole banners, advertisements in local newspapers, magazines and bus shelters. Promotional materials include posters, window materials and giveaways. To sign up all you need to do is go to http://www.dbrestaurant week.com and click the “Register” button in the top right corner.  Upon signing up, restaurant names are added to the DBRW website and listed on all applicable promotional materials and advertisements.

Aimed at celebrating the diverse dining options that are available within the city limits, DBRW is co-sponsored by the City of Diamond Bar as well as the Regional Chamber of Commerce- San Gabriel Valley. The following restaurants are confirmed participants and will be offering exclusive deals during DBRW: B.R.B. “Bento Rolls Bowls”, Blue Sky Café, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Curry India Bistro, Cuisine of India, Dilliwalla Indian Kitchen, Encore Teppan, It’s a Grind Coffee House, King Bap, Mandarin Taste, Mr. G’s Pizzeria & Pasta, Old Chengdu, Paper Pot Shabu, Peacock Gardens Cuisine of India & Banquet Hall, Round Table Pizza, Snowy Village Korean Dessert Café, The Attic Restaurant and Playground, The Whole Enchilada.

For more information go to www.dbrestaurantweek.com.

WVUSD Trustees Name New Assistant Principal at Walnut High –Kelli Gile

WVUSD

 

WALNUT, CA—The Walnut Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees has appointed Dr. Daisy Carrasco-Ramos as the new assistant principal at Walnut High School.

Bringing a decade of educational experience to her new post, Dr. Carrasco-Ramos has an extensive teaching background in the area of mathematics and a commitment to meeting the needs of all students.

She spent the last three years as assistant principal at Northview High School in Covina Valley USD where she oversaw curriculum, instruction, and guidance with a focus on increasing student achievement.

Prior to that, she was a secondary math teacher, AVID elective teacher, and activities director at Century High School in the Santa Ana USD.

Dr. Carrasco-Ramos completed a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Azusa Pacific University. She earned a master’s degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills and bachelor’s degree from University of San Francisco.

“I am so blessed to be a part of the Walnut Valley family and look forward to working with the amazing team and staff at Walnut High School,” she said.

Dr. Carrasco-Ramos resides in Anaheim with her husband, Omar and two children.

 

Gov Signs 27 Bills Into Law, Including No Marijuana Use In Cars

By Anthony Saude

 

Sacramento – It’s was a busy week for California’s lawmakers as Friday marked the last day for any bills to be passed ahead of their recess. Any Bill that the governor has in his possession that was previously passed on or after September 15 must be signed or vetoed by October 15 or those bills become law by default.

Governor Brown got to work earlier this week on some legislation already in his possession. On Monday September 18, he signed 24 bills into law and vetoed two others.  With the new recreational marijuana laws taking effect in 2018 this bill would make our laws on using marijuana while driving or riding in cars consistent with our laws on consuming alcohol while driving or riding in vehicles. SB 65 aims at making sure drivers or passengers in vehicles do not smoke or consume marijuana in any form. “This bill simply makes our laws on using marijuana while driving or riding in cars consistent with our laws on consuming alcohol while driving or riding in vehicles. Sen. Jerry Hill, a Democrat representing San Mateo and authored this bill. SB 65 it is viewed as a needed enhancement to Prop. 64. That proposition, which was approved by California’s voters in 2017, stipulated that it’s illegal to have open pot containers in vehicles but doesn’t address the use of cannabis by other passengers or in other forms.

The bill adds marijuana consumption to the law prohibiting alcohol consumption, which is an infraction currently punishable with a base fine of $70,” Hill’s office said.

Governor Brown has combined the Prop 215 (compassionate use act) and Prop 64 (The adult use of medical marijuana) laws so AB 65 of changes to state and city regulations that need to be defined to allow law enforcement to do their jobs with more efficiency. “Joe Nicchitta of the, Los Angeles of Cannabis Management, and hundreds of other key people are involved in very carefully evaluating every step of the process”, Los Angeles Sheriff Department-Walnut/Diamond Bar (LASD) station Lieutenant Anthony Baudino said. “There is a lot to sort out and the 5 million dollars Prop 64 allotted for CHP training isn’t even going to scratch the surface of what will be needed over the next decade or so”. Just think about how many different changes have been made to the drinking and driving laws over the last 20 years. Each change requiring more training, more money, lots of complaints and bad publicity for the officers of the law.

Key people in California and Colorado that travel back and forth to make sure they have all the information about their experiences as we move forward in the process. Lt. Baudino said “contrary to popular belief only 5 counties out of 20 in Colorado have agreed to the law in their county”. “It is still up to the counties if they want to allow it, even in California. The difference he says is that in California it is viewed as the next great gold rush and every wants their piece of the pie”.

Driving is serious business; you are hurling a 4000 lb chunk of steel down a concrete road at dangerous speeds next to another chunk of steel doing the same thing. You should be holding the steering wheel and watching the road not smoking a joint or eating an edible. Driving a car isn’t a recreational thing and you can wait to take your medicine when you get home.

One of the bills that Brown vetoed also had to do with marijuana. SB 663 was aimed at ensuring cannabis packages and labels are not attractive to children.

Brown said in his veto message, “Current law already prohibits cannabis and cannabis products from being designed to be attractive to children,” he added that state licensing authorities are already working on labeling restrictions.

Large Amount of Cash Found

Sheriff Dept. Looking For Owner

By Michael Armijo

Rowland Heights, CA –A large amount of money that was found in Rowland Heights and turned into the Walnut Diamond Bar Sheriff Station is looking for it’s owner. And if no one come forward, the Sheriff’s Department will deposit it into an account unless the finder makes a claim.

“A resident found the large amount of money and turned it into us, so we are currently looking for the owner,” said Detective Blaylock, from the Rowland Heights substation. “They have 30 days to recover the money, and we will not be releasing the amount, the location, nor the denominations of course. The owner will know those facts.”

The process of unclaimed money is the owner has 30 days to claim the money to get it back. After the 30 days, the FINDER can make a claim to the money. But what if you DON’T report the money?

So what’s the law?

Until now, laws around keeping found cash has been pretty hazy. Technically, the crime is known as ‘theft by finding’.  This means that if you find a wad of cash on the street and don’t try to return it to its owner – by handing it into the shop, for example, or the police – you’re guilty of theft.

What if there’s no way of knowing where it came from?

You should try and find the owner – even if it’s only $5. This is where it gets a little bit more complicated…

Daniel Wise, associate solicitor at Slater Heelis LLP, told Metro.co.uk that not reporting this money is ‘theft’. ‘There are many cases will no doubt come as a surprise to many people, but it serves as a timely reminder of the definition of “theft” – which has remained largely unchanged for almost 50 years,’ he said.

‘Under the Theft Act 1968, a person is guilty of theft if they “dishonestly appropriate property [including cash] belonging to another”.

‘Lost property will continue to “belong to another”, unless it has genuinely been abandoned by the owner. The fact that cash has been dropped in the street does not necessarily mean it has been abandoned.’

However, he adds that in the end it’s down to whether you could reasonably believe the owner of the cash was untraceable, or you had already taken reasonable steps to find them – such as by going to the police.
But for now, a large amount of money is sitting in the Sheriff’s Department looking for it’s owner. If you are, or know of the owner, please contact Det. Blaylock at the Sheriff Sub Station: 626.913.1715, directly: 909.859.2838, email: tblaylo@lasd.org, or go to the Walnut Station located at 21695 Valley Blvd, Walnut, CA 91789.

Storm Drain Mistake Costs Chino $123,338

By Anthony Saude

Chino – The storm drain project Located along Chino Avenue, between Benson and Oaks Avenue that had been at a standstill will now move forward. Local reports say there was a mistake made in the original draft of the project that will cost the city of Chino approximately $124,338. It was reported that City Engineer Jesus Plasencia stated that during construction the crew realized that the design engineer’s final draft did have the correct location the new storm drain would tie into the existing storm drain on Chino Avenue.

The firm responsible for the project, Young & Associates based in Pasadena, decided that they would do the redraft the project free of charge. The city will still pay for the new labor and materials as well as the changes in the new draft and any additional labor and materials that simply weren’t considered in the original plan.

The total cost of the project the city council approved On October 18, 2016 will now be $1,327,238. There was a new contingency increase agreed on by the council in the amount of $222,798. The good news for the city is $40,000 of work that was planned originally won’t be needed any longer because of the re-design. The staff report stated that the connection point has to be moved from the north side to south side of Chino Avenue. That will require the use of a 4’ by 5’ reinforced concrete box instead of the 60 inch reinforced concrete pipe that was in the original plans. This portion of redesign will require workers to place the concrete box under a large sewer pipe but this part will be placed on hold while the construction crews continue with the project.

The council’s approval will allow work on the project to continue on schedule while city staff and the design engineer work out a settlement for the cost of the design error.

Infant “Safely Surrendered” to Fire Station

By Anthony Saude

 

Diamond Bar – A new mother “safe surrendered” her newborn son over to firefighters in Diamond Bar last week, authorities said Friday.

The woman first contacted Los Angeles County Fire Department Station 120, 1051 Grand Ave., Diamond Bar, via telephone the night of September 8 and asked if the station was a “Safe Surrender” site under California’s Safe Surrender Law, fire officials said in a written statement. Fire officials could hear the sounds of a baby crying in the background, the statement said.

Captain Michael Park informed the woman that all Los Angeles County Fire Stations are Safe Surrender site, his included. Capt. Park said that “the mother showed up with the baby later that evening, the baby looked to be in great health and was happy and active”.

“Following Safe Surrender procedures, the firefighters evaluated and transported the baby to local area hospital and notified the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services.”

“The woman was issued an ID bracelet allowing her to reclaim her child within 14 days. Capt. Park says he the way he understands it is she can reclaim her baby with no questions asked but they don’t know how that part of the procedure works”. “If they bring them in with no questions asked they should be able to have the returned just the same”.

Capt. Park said  “This was first time any of the firefighters working that day had experienced the program in action and what a positive experience it was for the team, it shows that the program does work in discouraging mothers from abandoning newborns and prevents first responders from finding babies in worse. “DCFS will place the baby boy in a safe, loving home, should the mother decide not to return 14 days from the day of surrender.”

Captain Park said “Even with the safe surrender laws it takes courage just to believe that there aren’t any repercussions to walk into a fire station and surrender your child no matter what you are told”. “The mother said that she just couldn’t take care of the baby properly in her current situation”. “That is the definition of selflessness and the reason this law was created; she wanted what was best for her baby and knew he couldn’t get it from her”.

Under the Safe Surrender law, parents who are unable to care for newborns are able to legally leave their children at any county hospital or fire station within 72 hours of birth, with no questions asked, so long as there are no signs of physical abuse.

For more information, call on Safe Surrender in Los Angeles County, visit www.babysafela.org or call 877-222-9273.

 

Housekeeper Arrested For Burglary

Staff Reports

Rowland Heights – Marco Rivas, a 25 year old man from Rowland Heights was stopped by Walnut deputies on a routine traffic stop. He was driving a Green Honda Accord and was pulled over at Batson Avenue and Colima Road. When the deputies questioned Rivas they discovered that he was had never been issued a driver’s license in his life. Upon a search of his vehicle a large Samsonite bag containing jewelry and jewelry boxes with Asian writing on them were found. The search also produced several smaller bags containing watches, electronics, and credit cards in other people’s names. The last thing they were able to find was a bag with what can be described as burglary type tools. Rivas was arrested for receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools. Later at the station during questioning Rivas confessed to stealing the items while working as a housekeeper. According to Captain Reyes of the LACSD at the Walnut/Diamond Bar Station, “they have only able to trace one of the victim’s credit cards back to them and have not been able to identify the victim’s of any of the stolen jewelry or other credit cards”. The case was rejected because the LA County District Attorney’s office did not approve of the complaint report that was filed and decided not to prosecute Rivas. Not all arrests or citations result in the filing of criminal charges. In some cases district attorney’s office may decline to prosecute or “reject” a case if there is insufficient evidence or if more investigation is required. The statute of limitations for the district attorney’s office to file misdemeanor charges is generally one year and they three years to file on most felonies.

 

Burglary Suspects Caught On Video

Photo courtesy: LA County Sheriff’s Department

Police Need Your Help To ID

Staff Reports

Walnut – It was approximately 8:50 pm on a Monday on Spur Trail Avenue in Walnut when a burglary occurred. The sound of shattering glass came from somewhere upstairs. Somebody was breaking in the yelled out so they knew somebody was home, the suspects were startled and jumped from the second story roof fleeing from the location and out of view. Sergeant Dail of the Walnut/Diamond Bar Station Detective Bureau was contacted and said that “nobody has been arrested at this time”. During the investigation a video was obtained and these pictures have now been released. Sergeant Dail said, “we are releasing these pictures because we are looking for help to ID these suspects”. The suspects are described as two male blacks in their early 20’s, they were wearing sweat suit outfits with hoodies.

California Penal Code 459 PC (burglary) is a felony and the potential consequences include a sentence of two, four or six year prison terms.

Penal Code 459 PC reads “Every person who enters any house, room, apartment, tenement, shop, warehouse, store, mill, barn, stable, outhouse or other building, tent, vessel …with intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any felony is guilty of burglary.

California first-degree (residential) burglary is a felony. The potential consequences include a state prison sentence of two (2), four (4) or six (6) years.4 Penal Code 459 PC reads : “Every person who enters any house, room, apartment, tenement, shop, warehouse, store, mill, barn, stable, outhouse or other building, tent, vessel…with intent to commit grand or petit larceny or any felony is guilty of burglary.”1

Any information regarding the above incident/suspects, please contact
DETECTIVE Alfredo Gomez (909) 859-2823
Walnut/Diamond Bar Station Detective Bureau 21695 E. Valley Blvd., Walnut, 91789
(909) 595-2264
File Number: 17-04746-29

Address/Location

Under Penal Code 21a PC, you could be convicted of an attempted crime in the California criminal court process if both of the following are true:

  1. You specifically intended to commit a certain crime; and
  2. You performed a direct (but ineffective) act toward committing that crime.1

Many people are surprised to learn that they can be convicted of “attempt” even if they changed their minds about committing the crime and voluntarily abandoned further efforts to complete it.2

As a general matter, if you are convicted of an attempted crime in California, you will face a prison/jail sentence that is half as long as the sentence you would have received if you had been convicted of the underlying offense.3

This is true regardless of whether you are convicted of an attempted California misdemeanor or an attempted California felony.4

California robbery in the first degree is any robbery where any of the following is true:

  1. The victim is a driver or passenger of a bus, taxi, cable car, streetcar, trackless trolley, subway, or other similar transportation for hire;
  2. The robbery takes place in an inhabited house, boat, or trailer; or
  3. The robbery takes place while or immediately after the victim uses an ATM.23

A house or structure is “inhabited” if someone lives there and either is present, or has left but intends to return.24

First-degree robbery in California is punished as a felony. The potential sentence and other consequences include:

  • Felony (formal) probation;
  • Three (3), four (4) or six (6) years in California state prison; and/or
  • A fine of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000).25

BUT, if you commit first-degree robbery in an inhabited structure, in concert with two (2) or more other people, then the potential state prison sentence for PC 211 robbery increases to three (3), six (6) or nine (9) years.26

2.2. What are the penalties for second-degree robbery in California?

California robbery in the second degree is defined by the California Penal Code as any robbery that does not meet the definition of first-degree robbery.27

Robbery in the second degree is punished by the following felony penalties:

  • Felony probation;
  • Two (2), three (3) or five (5) years in state prison; and/or
  • A fine of up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000).28

 

Why Live In Diamond Bar?

Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – The first fact about Diamond Bar is that it is definitely considered one of the gems of the Inland Empire. With extremely high ratings in many categories, including #70 as the BEST PUBLIC SCHOOL SUBURBS IN CALIFORNIA, and Diamond Bar High School is ranked #42 BEST HIGH SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA the city also holds one highest income per household in the entire Inland Empire. The crime rate is extremely low for a Los Angeles suburb. These facts can be found at Money Magazines Best Places to Live and online at Census.gov.

A few facts about Diamond Bar: the city is a quiet suburb nestled between Walnut, Chino, and Chino Hills. Diamond Bar residents are affluent young families and commuters. With a population of 56,793 according to Census Bureau 2016 estimates, Diamond Bar is a moderately sized suburb- just 5,000 less than Eastvale’s population estimates.

From 2010 to 2016, Diamond Bar’s population grew 9.7%- not far behind Eastvale the newest and fastest growing city in the region. For comparison, Eastvale’s population grew 13.9% and Corona’s grew 9.4% in the same period. This could be attributed to the city’s desirable location, great schools, and quiet yet active lifestyle that is great for raising children.

Diamond Bar residents are young but not too young with 21.4% under 18 years old and 4.3% under 5 years old. Chino Hills, another relatively young city, has 27.1% under 18 years old and 5.8% under 5 years old.

Diamond Bar is also increasingly diverse with 33.2% white, 20.1% Hispanic or Latino, 4.1% black, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 52.5% Asian, .2% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.9% two or more races.

42.4% of Diamond Bar residents are also foreign born compared with 30% in Eastvale, 28.7% in Chino Hills, and just 14.3% in Norco. The most enticing statistic about Diamond Bar is the median value of owner-occupied housing units it is $562,100 – more than the $425,500 in Eastvale and the $507,500 in Chino Hills. The median income per household is $89,221 – more than the $72,872 in Chino $77,021 in Corona, and $88,051 in Norco.

What’s more is that Diamond Bar has one of the lowest poverty levels in the region with only 7% in poverty compared to 7% in Norco, 11.6% in Chino, and 11.7% in Corona.

Diamond Bar is a growing town with a younger, affluent, and diverse population. Some of the demographic statistics are very surprising, and Diamond Bar continues to strive towards being a great place to live and raise families.

So if you live in this city, be proud of it’s youth, dynamics, beauty, and structure. The family oriented community is still growing and should maintain a solid impact in the Inland Empire, Southern California, AND in the United States.

Suspect Arrested for Carrying a Loaded Firearm and Impersonating His Brother

Photo courtesy: Google Images

By Staff Reports

 

A vehicle that was impeding traffic was spotted by the California Highway Patrol on a routine patrol on Fairway Dr. and the 60 Freeway at 8:18 am on August, 24, 2017. Officers stopped the vehicle and upon contact with the driver, noticed a handgun holstered on the suspect’s hip. The suspect claimed that he was a security guard. 

The suspect has been identified as Alejandro Raygoza, a 25 year old of the City of La Verne. Raygoza could face up to 1 year in county jail.

Reygoza provided an ID which he claimed was his, but deputies discovered upon questioning that the ID was actually the suspects brother’s. The suspect was not licensed to carry firearms.

The driver was arrested for carrying a loaded firearm and search of the vehicle yielded two loaded handguns, one shotgun, an expandable baton, pepper spray, four magazines, and a security guard badge.

Bail was set at $35,000 but with the help of a bail reduction personnel, the suspect was able to convince the commissioner to authorize a bail reduction to $25,000.

Raygoza paid the bail via bail bond and was released on the same day, August 24, at 11:45pm. Raygoza will be arraigned at Pomona Superior Court on October 24, 2017. 

C.J. Morris Elementary Collects Supplies For Hurricane Victims

By WVUSD

WALNUT, CA—After watching news coverage of the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Harvey last week, C.J. Morris Elementary has stepped up to the plate to help victims in Texas.

The school’s leadership group quickly teamed up with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who will be sending a truck with supplies on September 7.

Fourth grader Malia McBride and fifth grader Sofia Rodriguez recorded a message sent to parents Friday detailing a two-day collection drive of items including diapers, tooth brushes, batteries, flashlights, and cleaning supplies.

“We knew we had to do something,” shared Principal Shehzad Bhojani, following up with his own reminder message after the Labor Day weekend.

“Tomorrow is the last day to send supplies, let’s show Texas how much we care!” he said.

The group of ten student leaders collected donations in three boxes before school on Tuesday and Wednesday in front of the Walnut campus.

“Everyone was so generous, there were piles of supplies!” exclaimed McBride.

“The donations just kept coming! We had a mountain of toothpaste and toothbrushes,” said 4th grader Kailyn Park.

“The boxes were literally overflowing,” said added 5th grader Izabella Robles who said the students made several trips to the school’s Annex to empty the boxes each morning.

“I hope these donations will help them get their life back on track,” she added.

Along with the supplies, the school wanted to send something special to lift the spirits of the children in Houston.

Children in every classroom, over 500 in total, colored rainbow cards and wrote personal words of encouragement.

“I send you all my hopes, wishes, and prayers. Don’t worry everything will turn out fine because I’m sure the water will dry up,” Rodriguez penned.

“God is with you,” wrote Jasmine Torres.

The last step was attaching a bag of Skittles candy to each card that read: After every storm comes a rainbow. Sending all our love to Texas.

Teachers Carole Meade, Monica Power, and counselor Lorena Chavez advise the 4th and 5th grade leadership group.

“We are overwhelmed, truly, by our generous C.J. Morris community,” said Mead after receiving the final donations Wednesday.

“They were walking up with just bags and bags!”

Chino PD Partners with State Police, Sheriff, and California Highway Patrol in Effort to Stop Impaired Driving

By Anthony Chan

Chino – Chino Police Department is escalating enforcement efforts to stop impaired driving. In a traffic safety fact sheet released by the NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 4,976 motorcyclists killed and 22,441 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2015 compared with 4,494 motorcyclists killed and 21,050 passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2014, an 8% and 6% increase respectively.

As traffic related deaths increase, Chino Police Department remains determined to save lives through a combination of increased nationwide and statewide messages on the dangers of driving under the influence from the national enforcement campaign Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over and increased enforcement with more officers on the road.

Part of the increased enforcement effort is the deployment of a specialized DUI Enforcement Team that will conduct DUI saturation patrols in areas with high frequencies of DUI collisions and/or arrests on Sept. 8 to 10, from 6 pm to 3 am. “During this period, local law enforcement will show zero tolerance for alcohol or drug impaired riding,” according to an article released by the City of Chino.

The goal of these increased enforcement efforts is to “drastically reduce death and injuries on our nation’s roadways” and “drastically reduce impaired driving for both rider and drivers in our community’s roadways,” says the City of Chino.

In the past year, Chino Police Department has hired more police officers to help with DUI enforcement and other law enforcement efforts. Chino Police has increased the police force from 42 officers in 2016 to 51 officers in 2017.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, started its Ride Sober or Get Pulled Over ad campaign to stop drunk driving in 2012. It’s TV ad emphasized police officers’ uncanny ability to sense drunk drivers without being seen.

Please report drunk drivers by calling 9-1-1.

“Slap Tag” Vandal Arrested

Photo courtesy: Google Images
“Slap Tagging” is a new trend that makes vandalism quick and easy for taggers.

By Anthony Saude

Walnut/Diamond Bar – On August 23rd, Deputies from the Walnut / Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station arrested a 23 year old man for possession of vandalism/graffiti tools. The tools of the trade today are nothing more than a blank postal label decorated with graffiti. It is called a “slap tag” they are commonly used by taggers/graffiti artists to quickly vandalize public or private property with less of a chance of being caught. They decorate dozens of them before they hit the streets and then all they have to do is peel and stick.
A message for parents:  Above is an example of a “slap tag”. The mere possession of these items is a crime, and could land someone in jail.  The second image is an example of common “tagger” items.

Photo courtesy: Google Images

Parents, please it is important to become familiar with these items and make sure your son/daughter doesn’t have any similar items. If you do find these items please destroy them immediately and explain the dangers this can cause to your child. The fine could be the least of their worries; an encounter with an angry property owner could lead to criminal charges for either. To the taggers/graffiti artists; just think about somebody other than yourselves and go to an art gallery if you are that talented.

 

 

 

WVUSD Students Experience Great American Eclipse

Celestial Celebration!

 

By WVUSD

WALNUT, CA–Wearing protective ISO glasses, 10-year-old Eli Gerhardt peered outdside his classroom window at just after 9 a.m. on Monday morning.

The Great American Eclipse was already happening.

“It looks like the moon took a bite out of the sun!” the Walnut Elementary fifth grader exclaimed as the moon began casting its shadow.

“This is amazing!”

Then, a few at a time, his classmates took turns viewing their first solar eclipse.

“I saw the sun and the moon was covering it a little,” said Chloe Lam.

“I’ve been excited to see the eclipse!” she added.

“The solar flares happen when the moon is covering the sun – there are orange flames,” explained classmate Giselle Quintanilla.

From Oregon to South Carolina, the total solar eclipse darkened skies across the continental U.S. for the first time in 99 years.

Although her class stayed inside due to safety concerns, Vejar kindergarten teacher Lisa Gomez made the “big event” memorable with crafts and fun lunar snacks including mini “Moon” pancakes, Sun Chips, and Sunny Delight.

Many classrooms also watched the historic event during a live NASA broadcast.

South Pointe Middle School received a generous donation of 300 eclipse glasses from Mt. San Antonio College.

“All our 6th,7th, and 8th graders will get a chance to see the moon pass in front of the sun this morning,” said science teacher Tom Woodward.

“We talked about safety on Friday. I told them never to look at the sun without the glasses,” he shared.

Students watched an astronomy video and took a 10-question quiz moments before going outside.

“Which eclipse are we seeing today, lunar or solar?” he asked the 6th graders.

“Solar!” they replied.

“Tomorrow we’ll talk about the difference,” the teacher promised.

Beginning at 10:05 a.m., each grade level, about 900 students in total, rotated outside for viewing parties.

“It looks like a crescent moon, but it’s the sun!” exclaimed sixth grader Emily Lee.

“My students were in awe,” shared Diamond Bar High physics teacher Angela Jensvold after the morning’s celestial celebration.

“Students were running to come to class in order not to miss a minute,” she said.

“We observed the sharpness of our shadows and crescent shaped images of the sun in the dappled shade of trees.”

Most of her students used ISO glasses, while some made their own eclipse viewers decorated with kittens and turtles.

“Even though I didn’t give them any extra credit!” Jensvold added.

At Walnut High, chemistry teacher Jeri Burnside bought a class set of 35 certified eclipse glasses over the summer.

“We got a chance to use our ISO glasses to see the sun at maximum coverage for our viewing area, about 67% at 10:21 a.m.,” she said.

“We saw the daylight around us fading and felt the temperature cooling as over half the solar energy was blocked.”

Burnside told students that the next total solar eclipse in the U.S. will occur in 2024, and that there is only one town, Carbondale, Illinois, that will actually be in the path of totality.

“My students will be around 22 to 23 years-old then, so hopefully they will be able to travel to see a total eclipse if they so desire!”

Sprouts Farmers Market® Hiring 100+ For Diamond Bar Store

By Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – Opening date set for Wednesday, October 11, 2017 Sprouts Farmers Market, one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country, will soon finish construction on a new location in Diamond Bar, California. The new store is bringing more than 100 full- and part-time career opportunities to the area. Employment opportunities include: • Department Managers, Assistant Department Managers and Clerks • Cashiers • Courtesy Clerks • Backup Receiver, Administrative Coordinator and Scan Coordinator. If you are interested in learning more about available career opportunities, visit sprouts.com/careers please call 1-866-925-2396 for non-managerial roles.

Sprouts’ “Healthy Living for Less” approach to grocery shopping means potential employees should share a passion for healthy eating and the fresh, natural and organic products offered throughout the store. As an employer Sprouts offers competitive pay, excellent benefits, team member discounts, a fun and rewarding culture and great career advancement opportunities. Sprouts is known for its knowledgeable team members and low prices, Sprouts is a healthy grocery store that appeals to the average shopper. Sprouts offers fresh produce, meat and seafood, bulk foods, vitamins and supplements, dairy, bakery, deli, natural body care items and more. Sprouts carries exclusive items under its Sprouts Brand product line, which meet strict quality standards while delivering exceptional value, taste and quality.

Diamond Bar shoppers will find an abundant selection of fresh fruits and vegetables and barrels of wholesome grains, nuts and sweets in a bright, open store layout. Each store features an in-house butcher who prepares hand-crafted sausages daily and assists customers with special cuts of meat and seafood seasoning. Shoppers will also enjoy a variety of fresh and prepared deli items ideal for lunch or dinner, a wide selection of fresh-baked goods and craft beer and wine. The Vitamin and Body Care Department features more than 7,500 cutting-edge vitamin and body care products made with sustainable and ethically sourced ingredients.

The new 30,000-square-foot store will be located at 239 S. Diamond Bar Blvd. The grand opening will be on Wednesday, October 11 at 7 a.m.