The Arcadia Board of Education turned down a recommendation to shorten the last week of school at the high school. The recommendation was that for the last week, Monday would be a full day, while Tuesday through Thursday would be half days.
Arcadia High School was locked down by Arcadia police for several hours on Tuesday, November 1. A note received by high school officials indicated that people would be killed on the campus that day. Students were released without incident. The investigation led Arcadia police to Holly Avenue Elementary School, which was on lockdown as well.
Monrovia man Gerardo Cortez, 26, was arrested for allegedly making telephone threats to shoot adults and children with an assault rifle at schools (including Arcadia High School), the Westfield Santa Anita mall, and a hospital in the San Gabriel Valley last week. He was booked at Monrovia Police Department for five counts of felony Making Criminal Threats and five counts of False Report of an Emergency. He is to be arraigned today. See also Mountain Views News, September 14, 2013, p. 1.
Coco's Restaurant at 1150 W. Colorado Boulevard in Arcadia, was robbed by an armed gunman on January 4 at 10:31 PM. The gunman had a semi-automatic handgun, demanded cash, and locked two employees in the freezer before fleeing.
Arcadia Unified School District releases records of two teacher misconduct investigations that resulted in dismissals. The first was 48-year-old Robert Harbicht, a substitute teacher who was found drunk at work. The second was Phillip Sutliff, dismissed from the district in 2007 and sentenced to 12 years in state prison for sexual misconduct (rape) with a girl at Arcadia High School.
The arraignment of Gerardo Cortez, of Monrovia, has been postponed to October 25, 2013. He allegedly made a series of telephone threats to several San Gabriel Valley locations, including a shopping mall, a medical center, and several schools, including Arcadia High School. The caller said he had an AK-47 gun and threatened to shoot people. The joint police forces from Arcadia, Covina and Monrovia, the FBI, and the Los Angeles County Sheriffs had investigated.
Joshua Parra-Davis, 23, of Arcadia, was allegedly found with a bomb after visiting Foothills Middle School on January 14, 2011. He will face four felony counts of possession of a destructive or explosive device. He is being held at Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Pitchess Detention Center in Castaic, and due back at Pasadena Superior Court on June 15 to enter a plea. If convicted of all four felony counts, he could face up to 19 years in prison.
Adam Chu is an entrepreneur opening a seafood grill restaurant in Monrovia on April 17, at 123 East Colorado Boulevard. It will be called Big Shrimps Fish Grill. His goal is to keep menu items reasonably priced because he is also the supplier. he imports seafood under the company he founded called Five Star Seafoods. Chu moved the operations of Five Star from Arcadia to the second floor of the new building that will house his restaurant.
Arcadia High School coach James O'Brien, who has led the cross country team to two CIF State and three CIF-Southern Section championships, has been fired. He was told the reason was, "We want to go in a different direction." He will remain a teacher at Arcadia High School.
Arcadia Fire Captain Tom Devlin was injured December 26 after part of a burning structure fell on him on Chestnut Avenue in Monrovia. He suffered second and third degree burns.
Dominic Lazzaretto will be the new Arcadia City Manager, pending City Council's approval next week. He replaces Don Penman and is expected to start on March 26. He has been City Manager of La Palma for 6 years.
Gary Kovacic is Arcadia's mayor for the sixth time since 1998. Mayor Pro Tem is Roger Chandler. Mayor Kovacic is in the final year of a second consecutive four-year term. Due to term limits, he will have to step away from Arcadia City Council for at last two years after he concludes his current term as mayor, next April.
John Quigley, one of the "Arcadia four" tree-sitters arrested on January 12, 2011, while protesting destruction of an 11-acre Arcadia woodland, has told supporters he will appear today in Alhambra Superior Court and will plead no contest to trespassing.
Arcadia High School boys cross country team win their second consecutive CIF-Southern Section Division 1 championship and third Division I title in 4 years, last Saturday at Fresno's Woodward Park.
Due to lower enrollment, Immaculate Conception School (K-4th grades) in Monrovia and Annunciation School (5th-8th grades) in Arcadia will merge their resources and student bodies to stay open.