A passenger (name withheld pending notification to next of kin) in a stolen vehicle was killed and another hurt yesterday following a pursuit by Arcadia police. Richard John Villareal, 28, of Arcadia, and his male passenger led Arcadia police on a chase that ended about 11:40 AM on Lower Azusa Road and Arden Drive in Temple City when the stolen car crashed into two other vehicles. The passenger was dead at the scene. The driver sustained minor injuries and was arrested. See also Arcadia Weekly, p. 7, June 5, 2014.
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.
Richard John Villareal, Jr., 28, received a sentence of more than 15 years in prison for a car crash following a police pursuit in Temple City that killed his passenger. The defendant led Arcadia police officers on a high-speed pursuit after they attempted to pull him over for driving a stolen car near Workman and Baldwin Avenue.
Three women were violently robbed in a span of a week in the 99 Ranch Market parking lot at 1300 S. Golden West Avenue. In two of the incidents, a passenger leaned out of a car to grab purses, and in the other incident, two men pushed a woman to the ground, kicked her in the face and stole her purse.
A federal investigation of a San Gabriel Valley-based Asian crime syndicate led to the arrests of 18 suspected Red Door gang members in several San Gabriel Valley cities, including Arcadia. The effort was dubbed "Operation Paint it Black." Authorities seized seven guns, 12,500 ecstasy pills, 2,230 marijuana plants and a Lamborghini. The 18 were indicted on drug trafficking and international marriage fraud charges.
Foothill Gold Line construction update. The Gold Line light rail from Pasadena to Azusa has now surpassed 85% complete. Overview of bridge construction, track completion, grade crossings, and train testing. Substantial completion of entire project remains on schedule for late September 2015, when the project as a whole will be turned over to Metro for pre-revenue service. Metro will decide when the line will open for passenger service.
Joshua Martin Parra-Davis, 23, of Arcadia, pleaded not guilty in Pasadena Superior Court, to charges of possessing and leaving an explosive device in a backpack near a bank on Foothill Boulevard in Arcadia, on Friday, January 14, 2011. He is charged with four felony counts, including possession of a destructive device near a school. Parra-Davis, a former Foothills Middle School student, was seen opening a classroom door last Friday and then later was seen dropping the backpack into some bushes. The bag contained what appeared to be a homemade explosive.
Arcadia Museum Education Center officially dedicated Saturday, June 28, 2014. It is a 2,500 square foot building. Photo shows ribbon cutting and Arcadia Museum Foundation Board of Directors.
Mikki Porretta of Arcadia, has recovered her stolen car, a 2008 Cadillac CTS, and the cherished family photos that were in the trunk. The car was stolen in the 1000 block of Fairview Avenue at 6PM Wednesday last week. The car was recovered at Sunset Boulevard and Valley Drive.
Gold Line Foothill extension opens today. Timeline of history is shown. Parties begin at 10:00 AM for opening ceremony, free rides today. The $1 billion, 11.5-mile extension opens for passenger service. New stations in Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, and two in Azusa.
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.
An overnight break-in occurred at Burlington Coat Factory in Arcadia, at 1201 S. Baldwin Avenue. Employee found a jewelry display case had been smashed open. Arcadia police searched the store but no suspect was found. It was not clear what, if anything, had been stolen, other than the jewelry from the case.
Arcadia school board members shed light on the reasons for firing Arcadia High School cross country coach James O'Brien. They wrote an open letter to the Arcadia community that will be published Sunday in this paper as a paid campaign advertisement. The controversy continues.
Commemorating the 85th anniversary of the death of Arcadia Police Department officer Albert Edward Matthies, the Arcadia Police and Fire departments will have a service at Live Oak Memorial Park, where he is interred and a commemorative monument will be unveiled at his grave site.
Local historian Daniel Hennessy talked about Arcadia police officer Albert Matthies, the only police officer killed in the line of duty and the trial of the suspects thereafter, at the Gilb Museum on October 21.