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.
Based on the description and surveillance video, Arcadia police believe the same man may have robbed two 7-Eleven stores this month. The most recent robbery took place on May 20 at the 7-Eleven at Live Oak and Tyler Avenues. The previous crime occurred on May 10 at the 7-Eleven at 1003 S. Baldwin Avenue in Arcadia.
The Arcadia County Park swimming pool will be closed for the summer, to be demolished and rebuilt at a later date. The pool is 70 years old and officially known as the Norman S. Johnson Aquatic Center. On July 19, a chlorine spill sent 17 children to the hospital. The repairs would cost $80,000, so the County chose to not reopen the pool for the three weeks left of this summer.
The cause of the excess chlorine in the Arcadia County Park swimming pool that sent 17 children to the hospital on July 19 was found to be human error. Workers at the pool mistakenly primed the chemical pump twice, allowing up to 20 extra gallons of chlorine into the water.
Thirty-one finalists have made the cut for the 2011 Royal Court for the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. The girls from Arcadia are Jaslyn Elders, Giselle Hillier and Tatyane Berrios. The seven member Royal Court will be announced Monday, October 11, and the Rose Queen will be chosen from the final seven on October 19.
Birth-tourism sites not easily detected.Terry Moore-Corse, a code enforcement officer in Arcadia has encountered three maternity homes in the past six years, most recently in 2009, when a resident reported "a lot of pregnant women" coming out of a house. Beyond building code and business license violations, there is nothing illegal about coming into this country to give birth, according to the U.S. State Department, which issues visas. Maternity tourism is a money-making cottage industry in which wealthy women from Asia pay anywhere from $25,000-35,000 to have American-born infants.
An ancient Chinese maternity tradition, from the Sung Dynasty (960-1275 AD), known as "Zuo Yue Zi," is translated as "doing the month."It refers to the care of a Chinese woman during the first month after giving birth. The practice is explained here by Wei-Chen Tung, a former registered nurse at Arcadia Methodist Hospital and now an assistant professor of nursing at University of Nevada, Reno. The practice requires new mothers to follow a strict diet and rest for 3-4 weeks following a pregnancy. Tung says a lot of Chinese women still practice this, so hospitals should be aware of this part of Chinese culture. Maternity tourists--women who want to come to the United States to give birth to a full-fledged American citizen, have given rise to businesses that cater to them, such as the maternity home that was shut down in the 1300 block of South Palm Avenue in San Gabriel on March 8. It had been 5 townhomes illegally converted into a maternity home.
A proposed land deal will allow Rusnak Mercedes-Benz dealership to expand and Rod's Grill will not have to move. The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency has acquired the Dahlgren lot on Santa Clara Street, the last parcel of a 2-acre site it intends to sell to Rusnak. This sale would enable Rusnak to expand from 4 to 6 acres. A public hearing is scheduled for April 19. In addition to the recently acquired Dahlgren property, the current proposed site also includes the former Church of Arcadia on Morlan Place and a commercial strip along Santa Anita Avenue that contains 16 tenants. The proposed deal guarantees the city would receive at least $800,000 in sales tax a year for the next 10 years.
Bowen Du, 19, a Pasadena City College student, was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter in the death of 16-year-old Arcadia High School student Alice Zhang on April 10. In court, he said he was sorry and did not mean to do it. He was a graduate of Arcadia High School in 2010 and a private first class in the U.S. Army Reserve. His arraignment was continued until June 28. Du has no prior criminal record. Arcadia police have said the car's windshield was "excessively dirty" and that "this vision obstruction, combined with the setting sun at the time of the collision, played a major role in the cause of the collision." Du was driving about 30 mph when he struck Zhang and her friend on the 600 block of West Duarte Road.
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.
Bowen Du, 19, an Arcadia man who was charged with felony vehicular manslaughter in the death of 16-year-old Arcadia High School student Alice Zhang, has pleaded not guilty. Du faces up to 6 years in state prison for vehicular manslaughter and up to 3 more years for causing serious injury to Zhang's friend Priyanka Patel, 16, of Upland.
Arcadia Chess Club meets on Monday nights. The club is open to members of the U. S. Chess Federation and has annual dues of $10. For more information, visit arcadiachessclub.com.
Annual Taste of Arcadia, an Arcadia Chamber of Commerce event, will take place Monday, September 19 at the Los Angeles County Arboretum. As always, a percentage of proceeds goes to three local non-profit organizations. This year, the beneficiaries are Assistance League of Arcadia, the Boy Scouts of America/Lucky Baldwin District, and the Arboretum Foundation.
On October 25, 2011 at 7:18 AM, Arcadia Fire Department responded to a structure fire with multiple explosions in the 1400 block of S. Mayflower Avenue. The flames engulfed a detached 4-car garage behind a single family home. The fire appears to be accidental. Estimated loss is $150,000 including two vehicles. No one was injured.
Arcadia High School football team coasts to a 39-13 victory against Bonita in the CIF-Southern Section S. E. Division first round. Myles Carr is the senior quarterback.
Bowen Du, 19, of Arcadia, has taken a plea deal in the death of Arcadia teen Alice Zhang. He has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors--vehicular manslaughter with simple negligence and reckless driving causing injury. Du faces a maximum of 18 months in jail when he is sentenced on December 20.
Wind-swept cities slowly recover from a severe windstorm that blew through the San Gabriel Valley early Thursday morning. Arcadia was hit hard and "city crews and contracts are continuing to work hard to clean roadways," said Arcadia police Lieutenant Tom Leveque. Road closures that remained in effect in Arcadia on Friday morning included: westbound Colorado Street at Santa Anita Avenue; westbound Camino Real Avenue at El Monte Avenue; Longden Avenue between El Monte Avenue and Holly Avenue; Colorado Place between Colorado Boulevard and Huntington Drive; the 200 block of W. Leroy Street; the 1100 block of S. Fifth Avenue.
Arcadia Police arrested Juan Lorenzo, 31, and Jose Antonio Cruz Ramirez, 26, both of San Gabriel, on suspicion of the stabbing murder of Anthony Berry, 18, of Pomona, at 1300 S. Golden West Avenue. The suspects are employees of Money Pot Shabu Shabu restaurant and became involved in an argument with Berry. Lorenzo will be arraigned January 5, 2012.
An 18-year-old male was stabbed to death at a strip mall in the 1300 block of S. Golden West Avenue in Arcadia. Juan Lorenzo, age 31, and Jose Antonio Cruz Ramirez, age 26, both of San Gabriel, were arrested and booked on murder charges. Both suspects work at Money Pot Shabu Shabu Restaurant.
Juan L. Lorenzo, 31, of San Gabriel, was charged with one count of murder and one count of assault with deadly weapon in connection with fatal stabbing of Anthony Berry, 18, of Pomona, in the 1300 block of S. Golden West Avenue. Jose Cruz Ramirez of San Gabriel was initially also arrested, but was released. Lorenzo and Ramirez work at Money Pot Shabu Shabu restaurant and became involved in an argument with Berry. Lorenzo will be arraigned January 5, 2012.