Convicted rapist Steven Wu, the Arcadia deacon who drugged his two sisters-in-law and videotaped himself sexually assaulting them, was sentenced to 79 years in prison Friday.
Food company executives Feng Wu Lam, who owns South El Monte based Golden Food, Inc. and her husband Wei Wen Wu, the company's manager, face insurance fraud, wage theft charges. They are accused of underreporting their payroll to workers' compensation insurance carriers by about $4.5 million between 2015 and 2019. They are both Arcadia residents.
The Arcadia Police Department is turning to the public for assistance with the homicide investigation of Mr. Shao-wu Yen, who was struck and killed one year ago by a small pickup while waiting to cross the street at the intersection of Holly and Fairview Avenues.
A federal judge overturned several charges in the case of Arcadia man George Torres, 52, accused of running his Numero Uno grocery store chain in Los Angeles like an organized crime ring. He had been convicted of racketeering charges, solicitation of murder and multiple tax and fraud charges when prosecutors came forward with new evidence that appeared to exonerate him on the more serious charges. Torres was released from federal custody after being held without bail for two years.
A 21-year-old woman was the third person raped at gunpoint this year, and police suspect that they may be by the same person. All three women were accosted by an African American man in his 20's or 30's wearing a black cap. They were accosted in the early morning with a gun while alone in their cars.
William Cottrell's (aka Billy Cottrell), a former Caltech physics student who was in prison for participating in firebombing 100 vehicles in the San Gabriel Valley (Duarte, Arcadia, West Covina) in 2003, will be resentenced. The federal court has dropped arson charges against him but he remains convicted on a conspiracy charge. He could be released or face more prison time.
73-year-old Jesus Plasencia Lopez from El Monte has been arrested for a fatal hit-and-run. He allegedly drove a Saturn that hit Guey-Ying Wu and her husband Chia Wu at Santa Anita Avenue and Camino Real Avenue in Arcadia. Lopez is being held at Los Angeles County Jail on $50,000 bail.
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.
Recipients of the 1993 Honorary Service Awards for outstanding service to the youth of Arcadia include George Stapleton, Scott Sullivan, Grace Wu, Phil Leathery and Linda Woodruff. All are profiled.
Four Chinese nationals were arrested on federal and state charges for their alleged involvement in brothels in Monterey Park and San Gabriel. Jian "David" Guo, 42, of Arcadia, Huagui "Candy" Lotto, 53, of Rowland Heights, Lotto's husband Phillip Fu, 47, of Rowland Heights, and Yibin Zhang, 45, of Monterey Park, were arrested. If convicted of the state charges, the maximum sentence would be 7 years and 4 months.
Sergeant Dean Caputo said Arcadia Police Department has arrested suspect Cathrino Antonio Gomez, 36, a transient, on charges of auto theft, child endangerment and felony evading arrest. He was arrested after crashing the stolen car while fleeing police.
Lisa Melinda Welchert was convicted on charges related to an Arcadia traffic fatality on February 9, 1999 that killed John Chan. The police were not held liable.
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.
Registered sex offender Jaime Elvis Elizondo, who was convicted of assaulting a 5-year-old girl inside an Arcadia bookstore in 2008 and sent to prison in September, was beaten to death in his cell at High Desert State Prison. Prime suspect is Elizondo's cellmate Steven Cisneros.