Sex offender Paul Allan McQuown, 55, of Azusa, was found nude, armed with a knife, surrounded by pornography and a vibrator on the grounds of Arcadia Congregational Church at 2607 S. Santa Anita Avenue. He was arrested and accused of indecent exposure. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 1, 16, March 19, 2015.
Why the Arcadia Police Department is reporting an overall crime decrease. This most recent quarter (May 1-July 31) has seen a reduction of 10.5% to 11% in residential burglaries compared to the same time period last year.
Arcadia police have seen an increase in "distraction burglaries" in recent weeks and advises residents not to open the door to strangers. In this type of crime, the burglar is invited into a home after gaining the trust of the victim. While talking to the victim or using some other ruse to distract the resident, a second person enters and burglarizes the home. This has happened on the 300 block of Joyce Avenue and on the 1400 block of Rodeo Road.
Arcadia kidnapping, rape suspect Philippe Brian Lutete, 29, is charged with false imprisonment and sexual battery of a woman on November 26 in the 2900 block of Spruce Court. He was out on bail when he was also arrested on April 8, 2015 on suspicion of kidnapping and raping a woman over an 11-hour period.
The 626 Night Market is the brainchild of 3 Taiwanese-Americans who were heavily inspired by their experiences at night markets in Taiwan. The 626 Night Market will continue at Santa Anita Park next summer.
Isaac Campbell, 36, will stand trial next week for a second time for murder of girlfriend Liya "Jessie" Lu, who died in 2007, after a jury in December 2011 was unable to reach a verdict. The hung jury was split 10-2, with 10 in favor of convicting Campbell.
Two Arcadia women were robbed at knifepoint on October 14, 2013 at about 3:10 AM at a residence in the 200 block of El Dorado Street. Police are investigating.
Arcadia man Ziwen Li, 30, arrested in attempted robbery of $50,000 from a man who arranged to meet Li to buy a used car, a Porsche Cayenne. See also Arcadia Weekly, May 4, 2017, p. 1, 13.
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 city wants ban on single-use plastic bags just 6 months before a statewide referendum goes to California voters. If adopted, it would affect approximately 36 Arcadia businesses and be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 would begin in early June and would apply to grocery stores with $2 million+ in annual sales, such as Vons, Albertsons, 99 Ranch Market. Phase 2 would include smaller businesses, like pharmacies and convenience stores, and would be implemented 6 months later. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 4, April 21, 2016.
After a five-year hiatus, Arcadia City Council is considering reinstating a policy that would let property owners pay to be assigned a more auspicious house number, which some believe would improve the value of their home. The number 4 in a street address is considered a bad omen in many Asian cultures. In Mandarin language, the word "four" sounds like the word for death, while the number eight is considered lucky, because it sounds like the word for prosper. Arcadia's Asian population is approaching 60% and most potential buyers will be Asian. In a 3-2 vote, Arcadia City Council endorsed the move in principle and directed staff to report back on the costs involved.
Brian Magallanes, 19, of Duarte, Eulises Andres, 19, of La Puente, and Stephanie Iraheta, 18, of La Puente, were arrested in connection to a residential burglary in Arcadia on May 23, 2012 in the 900 block of Panorama.
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.
Two men arrested on suspicion of residential burglary and assault with a deadly weapon in the 200 block of East Colorado Blvd. The suspects were Kevin Gerald Kelly, 57, of Hollywood and Floyd Edward Broadnax, 52, of Long Beach.
Former Arcadia police officer Christian Blesch, 36, was arrested and charged with grand theft. He allegedly embezzled funds from the Arcadia Police Officers' Association over a period of several months. As of September 24, 2013, Blesch was no longer employed by Arcadia Police Department.
Arcadia is ranked 44th safest city in California this year, according to “50 Safest Cities in California for 2018,” a report recently released by SafeWise. In order to produce these rankings, analysts at SafeWise reviewed FBI’s crime statistics and population data for 2016. The criterion for a safe city was based on the number of reported violent crimes in each city per 1000 people. See also Mountain Views News, p. 6, October 20, 2018.
Attempted murder in Arcadia on June 25, 2013 at 1:38 PM. There were shots fired in the area of Lovell Avenue, just south of Duarte Road. The intended shooting victim ducked and was not hit by the gunshots. See also Mountain Views News, p. A6, June 29, 2013.
A home invasion robbery on December 12 resulted in the shooting death of 35 year old Jose Antonio Parra, while his girlfriend and three small children were locked in a bedroom. It happened on the 11000 block of Kristi Court in unincorporated county area near Arcadia.