A 13-year-old female was critically injured after a motorist lost control of a vehicle and struck her in front of Dana Middle School. A surgical team decided to amputate the lower portion of her right leg 5 inches below knee.
A 37-year old Los Angeles man died early Saturday morning after exiting the Foothill Freeway (210) at Baldwin Avenue driving through a perimeter fence and smashing into a concrete wall.
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.
The Arcadia City Council approved the design for a proposed addition to the new car showroom at Rusnak Mercedes-Benz. The dealer wants to build a two-story, 2644 square feet addition to the southeast corner of the showroom. The City council approved additions to other businesses as well.
Arcadia offers two $20,000 rewards. The police are seeking information on the homicide, hit-and-run of Fuzhi Ji and his grandson Vincent Ji and on the stabbing death of Charlotte Cole.
The Arcadia Redevelopment Agency is apparently making some progress in a project to improve the area around the Rusnak Mercedes-Benz dealership. The project, known as the Morlan Place Center, has been the topic of closed-door discussions with property owners around the Huntington Drive site. The city has extended offers to at least two property owners to move to 620 E. Live Oak, so that Morlan Place Center can be developed.
Arcadia's largest individual sales tax producer, Rusnak Mercedes Benz, announced it wants to move out of Arcadia. It would mean an estimated loss of $800,000 to the City. Having faced expansion roadblocks, Rusnak says the City hasn't been able to deliver the acreage and properties as promised. The announcement came as a shock to City Manager Bill Kelly who knew nothing about it.
Attorney Michael Mayock, representing convicted client Billy Cottrell, seeks a verdict reversal for the 2003 fire-bombing of sport utility vehicles (SUV) at a San Gabriel Valley automobile dealership. He says the jury did not know about Cottrell's Asperger's Syndrome, a neurological disorder. Cottrell's prison situation is 'nightmarish.'
Billy Cottrell, a Cal Tech graduate student who took part in a fire bombing spree that caused millions of dollars in damage to SUV dealerships in the San Gabriel Valley, was sentenced to more than 8 years in prison. See inset for chronology of ecoterror events.
Christina Aragon, Assistant Superintendent of business services at Arcadia Unified School District, totaled her district car that she uses as a personal vehicle. It is part of her salary package. Arcadia School Board members and Superintendent Mimi Hennessy defended Aragon in media coverage.
Christopher Carl Eastland was killed when his disabled car was struck by a Jeep driven by an alleged drunk driver on the eastbound Foothill Freeway (210).
The City Council will vote on approval of a property acquisition plan with Rusnak Arcadia tonight. The opposition, comprised of seven former mayors, don't want Redevelopment Agency money to help a private business buy five nearby properties.
The city has taken its first step toward condemning part of a desirable downtown block to make way for the expansion of the Rusnak Mercedes Benz. The City Council voted unanimously to move forward with eminent domain proceedings against Arcadia Self Storage, a four-story building on Huntington Drive just west of Santa Anita Avenue. This building is one of five under threat of condemnation.
The City of Arcadia has acquired half of the land originally promised for Rusnak's Mercedes Benz expansion. Arcadia Self-Storage and Church in Arcadia are selling to the city but the Elks Lodge and Rod's Grill refused to sell. The city expects Rusnak to produce a minimum of $700,000 each year in sales tax for 10 years, or until the loan is repaid.
City officials resume talks with Rusnak Mercedes-Benz about its expansion now that Measure B has passed. The Church in Arcadia will move to Live Oak Street.