An Arcadia family was terrorized and victimized at gunpoint in a home invasion robbery. The robbers choked the father of the family until he gave them cash and threatened to return to kill the family if they called police. The robbery occurred in the 100 block of West Forest Avenue. It is not known if this crime is related to the robbery of an elderly couple in Arcadia last week.
An elderly couple in Arcadia was robbed outside their house on the 300 block of West Duarte Road by two teenagers. The robbers took the man's wallet and his wife's wedding ring and watch.
In William Cottrell's trial, the jury never got to hear evidence about his Asperger's Syndrome. Judge R. Gary Klausner ruled that Asperger's could not be introduced at trial as a legal defense. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Klausner's ruling was a mistake and tossed out Cottrell's arson convictions, leaving only the conspiracy count. Last week Cottrell was re-sentenced to the original 100-month term for the conspiracy conviction, after prosecutors declined to retry the arson counts. One reason federal officials declined was because they did not want Asperger's Syndrome established as a viable legal defense.
Former Caltech graduate student William "Billy" Cottrell was re-sentenced to serve at least 18 more months in prison for participating in a vandalism spree in the San Gabriel Valley in 2003.
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.
Isaac Campbell, an Alhambra man charged with the murder of Liya "Jessie" Lu, appeared in court for a hearing on Tuesday and was ordered to return to court December 3, 2009. He is being held on $1 million bail. He allegedly stuffed her body in a trash can in Arcadia.
A U.S. District judge overturned convictions for bribery, mail, wire and tax fraud and harboring illegal immigrants, against George Torres, 52, of Arcadia, the former owner of Numero Uno supermarket chain. The judge threw out the more serious convictions for racketeering, conspiracy and solicitation of murder, back in June. Torres has been set free after 2 years in custody.
A federal apeals court overturned William Cottrell's (aka Billy Cottrell), convictions on two counts of arson for his role in the 2003 torching of several sport utility vehicles (SUV) at San Gabriel Valley car dealers, attacks authorities blamed on a radical environmentalist group. The court ruled that the judge in his trial should have allowed testimony regarding Cottrell's Asperger's Syndrome, a disability that could have affected the jury's decision.
Robert Seares, born in Pasadena in 1909, had an amazing career as a journalist, photographer, and police official. He was chief of police in Arcadia and remained there for 15 years until retirement. He wrote a memoir called "Eighty Years: a Memoir." A copy is in the Pasadena Museum of History library.
Arcadia police arrested a burglary suspect that may be part of a criminal ring linked to a Los Angeles street gang. Police believe the burglary ring has vexed the city for the past several months.
Dr. Daniel Healy, 53, of Arcadia, pled guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance, the painkiller oxycodone. He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced December 7.
Arcadia police surrounded a home in the 1700 block of Mayflower Avenue in a 7-hour standoff with an armed suspect believed to be threatening suicide and harm to other people in the house. Herb Rodrigues said the alleged gunman was his girlfriend's son. When police entered the house, only an elderly man was there, alone. The suspect had fled.
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.
The Arcadia City Council matched a $20,000 reward offered by Los Angeles County, making a combined reward of $40,000, for information about the 2007 killing of restaurant owner Jason Wei.