Arcadia Police Department has a new police chief. His name is Bob Guthrie and has been serving as interim police chief since Bob Sanderson retired in April. He joined the Arcadia Police Department as a cadet in 1989.
Christian Eric Blesch, 36, a former Arcadia police officer and Arcadia Police Officers' Association treasurer, is accused of embezzling $50,000. He pleaded not guilty in Los Angeles Superior Court on the felony charges of grand theft by embezzlement. He was elected January 2011 to serve as treasurer. He resigned from Arcadia Police Department last month. A second police officer is being investigated.
City of Sierra Madre police must find another way to deal with officer shortage after Arcadia balks at sharing officer. Sierra Madre officials had hoped Arcadia could help through a contract between the cities where one Arcadia officer would help patrol areas of Sierra Madre at night and backup would be available as needed. Arcadia City Council said they could not spare an officer for such a contract. See also Arcadia Weekly, February 4, 2016, pp. 1, 14.
Arcadia Police close 13 maternity homes in a crackdown months after a full-time detective was assigned to address calls about pregnant Asian women living in groups at residences around the city. The pregnant Asian women come to the U.S. so their babies receive U.S. citizenship. Detective James Trabbie became the quality-of-life detective.
Gerardo Cortez, 26, of Monrovia was arrested for allegedly making telephone threats to shoot adults and children with an AK-47 at schools (including Arcadia High School), a mall, and hospitals in the San Gabriel Valley last week. See also Mountain Views News, September 14, 2013, p. 1.
Suspect in Arcadia burglary in the 200 block of Monte Place, Steve Gainer, was arrested following a high-speed chase. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 12, March 31, 2016.
Arcadia police dog Zoli receives protective vest from anonymous donor. It is bullet-proof and stab-resistant and valued at $1795-2235. See also Arcadia Weekly, April 6, 2017, p. 1.
Mei-Rung Lin, 47, was arrested in Arcadia and repatriated to Taipei, Taiwan, in connection with a 2.15 million dollar embezzlement scheme in her homeland. She was the subject of a "red notice" issues by the International Criminal Police Organization, better known as INTERPOL.
On the 84th anniversary of the murder of Arcadia police officer Albert E. Matthies, a ceremony was held by the Arcadia Police Officers Association in his honor. Matthies is the city's only police officer killed in the line of duty. A memorial plaque at Foothill Boulevard and Northview Avenue commemorates Matthies' sacrifice and a small plaque marks his grave site at Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia. Matthies was shot on July 18, 1927 and died the day after. The shooter was Frank Miller.
The graduation of a San Gabriel Valley Law Enforcement Explorer Academy class is dedicated to the memory of retired Azusa police Officer Randall ("Randy") Phillips, 55, of Ontario. Phillips died in a car crash on his way to teaching that first day of class.
A memorial to honor slain Arcadia Police Department officer Albert Edward Matthies, was unveiled on the 85th anniversary of his murder, at his grave site at Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia.
GPS in bait package leads to arrest of two Canoga Park women who drove through Arcadia in a stolen car. The arrested women are Devon Ricco Menendez and Unique Rios. The GPS-equipped decoy package was left out in the southeast portion of the city. See also Mountain Views News, p. 7, March 26, 2016. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 12, March 31, 2016.
Holy Angels Elementary School was closed yesterday because its head pastor, Reverend Michael Evans, has a sister named Teresa Evans, who is a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) sergeant, named by suspected killer Christopher Dorner (ex-LAPD), in his 11,000 word manifesto posted on Facebook last week. Dorner is suspected in the shooting deaths of three people--Monica Quan, daughter of Dorner's attorney during his review hearing, Quan's fiance, and a Riverside police officer. Dorner was terminated from LAPD and is believed to be on a killing rampage. Holy Angels School hopes to open tomorrow or Thursday. See also Arcadia Weekly, February 14, 2013.
Suspect in double killing back in United States to face trial. Deyun Shi, a man accused of beating his nephews Anthony Lin and William Lin, of Arcadia, to death, is extradited from Hong Kong. Shi, 44, is a Chinese national, living in the US on a business visa.
Arcadia City Council candidate Bob Harbicht gets $26,000 donation from local developer Nevis Capital LLC, owned by Ta-Jen Lee, who routed the money through the California Homeowners Association, a political action committee in Sacrmento.