Pasadena Police Release Details of Recent Critical Incidents

Pasadena police released a “community brief” which summarized noteworthy incidents which occurred last month.

The report is comprised of “snapshots of the one-thousand calls received by the Pasadena Police Communications on an average day,” officials said.

January 2, 2020, 5:34 a.m.: Officers responded to the San Rafael Ave. freeway exit of the 134 freeway to a report of a carjacking. The victim stated to officers she and her passenger were stopped at a red signal of the westbound 134 San Rafael Ave. off-ramp when an unknown suspect opened the driver’s door and ordered the victim and passenger out of the car. The victims complied and the suspect entered the driver’s seat and was last seen entering the eastbound 134 freeway toward the 210 freeway. The vehicle has been located and was returned to the owner, however the suspect has not been identified.

January 3, 2020, 8:10 p.m.: Pasadena Police officers responded to a report of a house on fire in the 800 block of S. Euclid Ave. When the officers arrived, they assisted with evacuating the location and neighboring residents. Pasadena Fire Department responded to the site to extinguish the fire and no one was injured. Unfortunately, the house was uninhabitable and the family was displaced. Fire department personnel assisted with placing the family into temporary lodging.

January 7, 2020, 8:38 p.m.: Officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of California Blvd. and Sierra Madre Blvd. on a vehicle for a license plate violation. They contacted the driver/sole occupant and determined that his driver’s license was suspended. After a check of the vehicle’s registration was completed, officers learned it had been reported stolen from the Long Beach area. The driver was taken into custody and booked at the Pasadena Jail.

January 8, 2020, 6:11 a.m.: Officers responded to a business in the 3500 block of E. Foothill Blvd. regarding a robbery. Witnesses told officers the suspect had entered the establishment shortly after it had opened and approached one of the cashiers. The suspect kept one of his hands in his pocket and said something similar to, “Give me all your money! Don’t be a hero.” The manager handed the suspect currency from the cash drawer and the suspect left, westbound out of the building. No weapons were seen. Responding officers checked the area, but were not immediately able to locate the suspect. Detectives continue to investigate this robbery.

January 8, 2020, 6:31 p.m.: Officers responded to the report of an assault that had occurred somewhere in the area of Lake Ave. The victim came into his mother’s home on S. Chester Ave. with visible injuries to his head and face and said he had been “jumped” by five males. He told officers a black sedan pulled up next to him as he was walking on Lake Ave. and the front passenger yelled something at him. Moments later, all of the vehicle’s occupants exited the vehicle and began assaulting the victim with their hands and feet. The suspects rummaged through the victim’s pocket but were not able to find anything to take from the victim. All five suspects re-entered the vehicle and drove away.

January 9, 2020, 3:57 a.m.: The Police Department received a call regarding an individual that was attempting to take items from a Pasadena Fire engine that was on a call in the 2100 block of E. Colorado Blvd. When the officers arrived, they found the suspect was being detained by firefighters. The Fire Captain informed the officers when they had returned to their engine, they found the suspect inside the cab digging through their supplies. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Pasadena Jail.

January 9, 2020, 5:26 p.m.: In December of 2019, the Pasadena Police Department documented an incident involving threats that had been made from a person who resides in Nevada, towards his estranged wife, who lives locally. On January 9, 2020, the Pasadena Police Dispatch Center received a call from the victim of the threats, informing officers that she was aware her ex-husband was now in California in a nearby motel and she was concerned he may follow through with his earlier threats. After several hours, the ex-husband was located by officers in the 2800 block of E. Colorado Blvd. and was taken into custody. He was armed with a handgun at the time of his arrest and fortunately he did not attempt to display or shoot at officers when contacted.

January 10, 2020, 10:41 a.m.: Officers responded to Memorial Park regarding a man who was partaking in lewd acts in public. An officer arrived and as he contacted the subject, the subject punched the officer in the face. A second officer arrived on scene to assist and was also struck in the face by the suspect. Additional officers arrived and assisted in taking the suspect into custody without further incident. The two initial officers sustained small lacerations above their eye as a result of the suspect’s punches. The suspect thought the officers were “shadow people” and was the reason he struck them.

January 11, 2020, 9:31 p.m.: Officers responded to the 1500 block of Sunset Ave. regarding a fight between the suspect and his mother’s live-in boyfriend. The suspect smashed a glass vase over the victim’s head and used a piece of the broken glass to slash at the victim, causing a significant laceration across the victim’s chest and neck. The suspect also sustained minor facial injuries during the fight. After receiving medical treatment, the suspect was arrested and booked at the Pasadena Police Department Jail for the assault.

January 12, 2020, 5:23 p.m.: Pasadena Police Department’s Dispatch Center received a call of a strong armed robbery that occurred at a business in the 00 Block of S. Fair Oaks Ave. The investigation revealed the suspect entered the store and walked behind the counter where the two clerks were located. The suspect aggressively pushed one of the clerks, grabbed a package of cigars and walked out of the store. Responding officers were unable to locate the suspect.

January 14, 2020, 6:59 p.m.: Officers were called to a residence in the 100 block of E. Holly St to investigate a possible assault. The person reporting the assault informed officers when he arrived, he found his girlfriend in the residence and it appeared she was severely injured. She was transported to a local hospital in critical but stable condition. This investigation is on-going.

January 15, 2020, 11:32 p.m.: Officers responded to the area of Lincoln Ave. and Toolen Place regarding a report of five shots fired. A vehicle, located in the driveway of a residence on Toolen Place, was found to have been struck by gunfire. Several shell casings and bullet fragments were also collected as evidence. Witnesses were not able to provide a description of the suspect(s).

January 17, 2020, 12:13 a.m.: Pasadena Police Department’s Dispatch Center received several “Shots fired” calls from the 500 block of E. Washington Blvd. Officers arrived and found an adult female victim lying on a nearby driveway. The victim sustained a gunshot wound to her left thigh and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The injuries were not life-threatening and she could only provide a minimal description. The suspect(s) have not been located but evidence was collected at the scene and the investigation is on-going.

January 18, 2020, 9:29 p.m.: Officers responded to the area of Painter St. and Raymond Ave. regarding multiple “Shots fired” calls. One victim, who sustained a gunshot wound to his legs, was found at the scene and a second victim was located as a local hospital. This victim sustained a gunshot wound to his back. Both victims received medical attention and their injuries were not expected to be life-threatening. This investigation is on-going as neither victim was cooperative with investigators.

January 20, 2020, 11:04 p.m.: Officers responded to a call in the 100 block of N. Wilson Ave. regarding a male and female who were seen stealing mail from the bank of mailboxes at a nearby apartment complex. Additional callers gave a description of the suspect vehicle and officers located the vehicle parked north of the location with the two suspects still inside. The vehicle had been reported stolen out of the City of Los Angeles. Both suspects were taken into custody without incident and a search of the suspects’ vehicle found multiple items of mail including vehicle registrations, EBT cards, driver licenses and burglary tools. An additional nine other victims were identified during the initial investigation. The suspects were arrested and booked for burglary, identity theft, and Grand Theft Auto (GTA).

January 21, 2020, 7:29 p.m.: Officers responded to the 1200 block of Brookmere Rd. after receiving a call of a possible vehicle burglary. The residents/victims at the location heard a noise outside of their residence, saw flashing red lights and heard a grinding noise; they believed someone was attempting to break into their truck. The victim went outside and saw feet sticking  out from underneath his truck. The victim grabbed and dragged the suspect by his feet from underneath the truck and a physical confrontation ensued. The suspect had a Sawzall in his hand and he pointed it toward the victim in a threatening manner as another suspect attacked the victim from behind. The suspects fled in a vehicle after the victim armed himself in order to defend against the attack. The victim was not injured during the fight and it was eventually determined the suspects were attempting to steal the catalytic converter from the truck.

January 22, 2020, 8:24 a.m.: Officers responded to the area of San Gabriel Blvd. and Wenger Alley regarding a vehicle burglary. The victim had parked her vehicle in Wenger Alley and walked to a nearby business. When she returned, she saw the suspect attempting to break into her vehicle. A struggle ensued and the suspect pushed the victim away. The suspect forced entry into the victim’s vehicle and took her backpack. The victim attempted to retrieve her backpack from the suspect but he pushed her again and took control of the backpack. The suspect fled in a vehicle which was parked in the alley. The victim complained of pain as a result of the strong-armed robbery and the suspect was not located.

January 22, 2020, 8:21 p.m.: Officers responded to the 1200 block of S. Marengo Ave. after receiving reports of an erratic driver attempting to hit a pedestrian. Officers learned the pedestrian/victim had a former dating relationship with the driver/suspect and the victim had attempted to walk away from the suspect after an argument. The suspect, who was inside the vehicle during the argument, drove toward him and struck him in the legs with her vehicle. He landed on the hood and into the street. He was able to get up and walk away at which time the suspect placed her vehicle in reverse and struck him again in the knee area of his legs. The victim and suspect continued to argue and again, he tried to walk away. The suspect pulled next to the victim’s vehicle and broke his driver’s side-view mirror then drove alongside the victim and grabbed hold of him. Officers arrived at this time and detained the suspect. Based on the followup investigation, the suspect was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon. The victim was seen by paramedics but did not require further medical care.

January 23, 2020, 9:10 p.m.: Officers responded to the area of Bellevue Dr. and Fair Oaks Ave. regarding a victim of an apparent assault. The suspect during this incident, had been involved in a fight with an unknown person earlier in the evening. The suspect, who was looking for revenge, saw the victim and began to hit and kick him, however the victim had nothing to do with the earlier fight. The suspect then picked up the victim’s aluminum walker and began striking the victim. Officers located the suspect and arrested him without incident. The victim was treated at a local hospital for a laceration.

January 26, 2020, 10:00 p.m.: Officers responded to business located in the 700 block of E. Colorado Blvd. regarding three suspects inside the store at the electronics section, concealing items in their clothing. When officers arrived at the location, the suspects had entered a vehicle and were fleeing the location. A short pursuit occurred, but was ultimately cancelled in the interest of public safety considering the nature of the crime. Total loss was later determined to be approximately $230 in merchandise. Further investigation will be conducted to identify the suspects.

January 28, 2020, 4:54 p.m.: Pasadena Police Department received information that a suspect had escaped from a mental facility in Oregon on January 5, 2020. The suspect had been convicted of the 2004 murder of his mother. A warrant for the suspect’s arrest had been obtained by Oregon investigators and their investigation revealed that he was possibly in a Pasadena motel near Craig Ave. and Colorado Blvd. Pasadena officers verified the suspect was staying at the Pasadena motel and after a short time, he was seen in the registered motel room. The suspect came out of his room and was taken in custody without incident. He was transported to the Pasadena Police Department Jail for booking and will eventually be extradited back to Oregon.

January 30, 2020, 2:14 p.m.: Officer responded to the report of a bank robbery in the 100 block of E. Colorado Blvd. The suspect had entered the bank and passed a note to the teller that instructed her to give him money, inferring he had a weapon, although a weapon was never seen. The bank teller handed over the money in her till and the suspect fled the bank east on Colorado Blvd. Officers checked the surrounding area but did not locate a suspect. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) was notified, as is the case in all bank robberies, and members of that agency responded to the scene to assist with the investigation.