El Monte News, CA Local News

El Monte awarded $6.7M for Clean Mobility Nexus project

Mon, 26 Feb 2024 15:11:16 +0000

The city of El Monte was awarded a $6.7 million grant by the California Air Resources Board to implement its Clean Mobility Nexus, a project that will fuel the expansion of carbon-free transportation options in the city.

The funding will allow the city to purchase four new electric buses to facilitate new shuttle services; install nine new electric charging stations, including two fast-charging stations for the buses; purchase 20 electric vehicles for a city-wide carsharing program; and offer subsidized subscriptions for electric-assist bikes.

“We are thrilled to receive this grant from the California Air Resources Board to fund the Clean Mobility Nexus project in El Monte,” City Manager Alma Martinez said in a statement announcing the award. “The grant will go a long way towards providing our community with a range of sustainable transportation options that will not only help reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also improve air quality, which is a top priority for us.”

The grant was a collaboration with nonprofits Active San Gabriel Valley and Mobility Development Operations, aiming to increase transportation equity in low-income, disadvantaged communities by offering an array of clean transportation options.

El Monte — which is bisected by the 10 freeway and bounded by the 605 to the east in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley — experiences a disproportionate amount of environmental pollution from various sources, according to the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

The California Environmental Protection Agency’s CalEnviroScreen map analyzes data from 21 indicators of environmental, public health and socioeconomic conditions throughout the state’s census tracts to assess communities’ pollution burdens and vulnerabilities.

Every census tract in El Monte scored at or above the 80 percentile for the highest pollution burden, with most of the city scoring above the 90th percentile, including some that were among the highest in the state.

The city plans to conduct community engagement activities to build awareness around the Clean Mobility Nexus Project, emphasizing the importance of reducing carbon emissions to improve air quality.

Commerce turned blind eye to bulk liquor store operating illegally out of a city-owned warehouse

Sun, 25 Feb 2024 07:00:55 +0000

The City of Commerce allowed a tenant with ties to a businessman favored by City Hall to openly use a city-owned warehouse to sell bulk liquor, food products and energy drinks for nearly a year in violation of its own Municipal Code, a Southern California News Group investigation has revealed.

Commerce was notified, but did not object, in March 2023 when Amitim Group LLC obtained state licenses to distribute and sell liquor, beer and wine wholesale to other license holders, even though Amitim did not — and still doesn’t — have the city’s approval to legally operate.

Amitim, which runs L.A. Wholesalers out of a Slauson Avenue warehouse owned by Commerce’s former redevelopment agency, has neither a business license nor a conditional use permit, both of which are required by the Municipal Code to sell alcohol anywhere in the city.

California prohibits the issuance of a state retail liquor license to a business without local approval, but it does not have the same requirement for wholesale and distribution. Instead, notices are sent to local law enforcement, the city’s planning director and the City Council asking if they object.

In Commerce’s case, there was no response, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

Amitim applied for a Commerce business license and a conditional use permit for the cash-and-carry store last year, but did not complete either process, according to city officials. The business failed to receive approval from the county Fire Department, which flagged multiple violations at the store just days before it opened to the public without the city’s permission.

Rent below market rates

On top of ignoring the blatant violations, Commerce charged the company far below the market rate for a 25,000-square-foot-warehouse, potentially missing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue.

Amitim pays just $6.24 per square foot per year. A similarly sized warehouse on Slauson Avenue, less than two miles away, charges $22 per square foot annually, according to the real estate site LoopNet.

The lowest priced warehouse available in Commerce is listed on the website at more than double what Amitim pays the city.

The city’s $13,000 per month lease with Amitim, approved administratively in 2022 by since ousted City Manager Edgar Cisneros, appears to be largely for the surrounding parking lot. It explicitly states that the warehouse on the site is included in the lease “for the purposes of securing it for the licensor while plans for future development of a city facility are finalized.”

Prior deals with businessman

A prior investigation by the Southern California News Group found Cisneros had leased 26 acres of city-owned land for pennies on the dollar to a well-liked businessman capitalizing on the dire need for tractor-trailer parking during the pandemic-fueled gridlock at the ports. The businessman — Martin Fierro, owner of Fenix Entrepreneur — paid as little as $1,000 per month to lease 14.4 acres at one point, during a period in which real estate experts estimated each acre by itself could have generated as much as $30,000 to $50,000 per month.

City officials, in their quest to help Fierro secure land, convinced at least one other company to rent to Fierro as well and nearly drew a $5 million fine from Los Angeles County as a result. Fierro found support in his other businesses too. A cannabis company he backed was one of the few to receive the city’s approval, despite missing key deadlines.

Another Fierro entity operates an open air market every week in Commerce at a shuttered Montebello Unified School District property, a lease that was supported by Cisneros in 2014 when he served on the school board.

Cisneros previously denied Fierro and Fenix received any special treatment, saying that the city discounted the rents for truck parking lots in light of improvements made to the sites, including the removal of mounds of dirt illegally dumped on one of the properties.

Though Fierro is not mentioned in Amitim’s business filings, he lists L.A. Wholesalers’ website in the introduction section on his personal Facebook page, advertised store specials and answered questions about the available products alongside posts about his other businesses.

Amitim’s listed owner — Azael “Sal” Martinez Sonoqui, a former county probation commissioner — described himself as the “asst. clerk to Mr. Fierro” in emails in October 2022, the same month that Cisneros approved the Slauson Avenue lease.

At the time, Sonoqui was helping Fierro resolve a dispute in the City of El Monte after city’s code enforcement officers discovered Fierro was operating an unpermitted truck parking lot.

Two months after the Southern California News Group first published a story about Commerce’s low-cost leases with Fierro, some of the leases quietly shifted away from his company to others. One of the newcomers, Abee Trucking Logistics LLC, was registered by Sonoqui’s son less than two weeks before Cisneros agreed to rent 11.25 acres to it for $25,000 per month.

Working to get permits

Reached by phone, Sonoqui acknowledged that Amitim does not have a business license or permits, but said he is in the process of working with the city to resolve that problem and expects to have a license “in our hands by the end of the month.”

He declined to answer questions about whether Fierro has a financial interest, or about the company’s arrangement with the city, saying it is a “matter between us and the city.”

Fierro similarly refused to answer questions, repeatedly telling a reporter to check “the public records.”

“That’s all you have,” he said.

While L.A. Wholesalers moved forward without a permit on one side of town, Fierro opened his own market and liquor store with the city’s full blessing roughly two miles away on Washington Boulevard. Both L.A. Wholesalers and the new market used the same contractors, records show.

The business, CCM Market, features liquor sales, cigars, a butchery and plans to add a restaurant in the future, according to its applications with the city.

CCM Market, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, is a liquor store, butchery and soon-to-be restaurant, opened at 6046 E. Washington Blvd, in October 2023, (Photo by Dean Musgrove, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Actor Mark Wahlberg even visited the shop in its opening days to promote his tequila line.

Another business planned?

In February 2023, chef Federico Giugno, who listed himself as the executive manager and shareholder of CCM in emails with the city, told a reporter for What Now Los Angeles that he planned to open a pizzeria and brewery above the market with his business partner, Commerce Councilman Ivan Altamirano.

In an email, Altamirano denied having a business relationship with Giugno, saying the pizzeria was “discussed as a concept that never came to fruition.”

He did not respond to questions asking if he had any interest in CCM or Fierro’s other businesses.

Fierro, reached by phone, was already aware that a reporter had contacted Altamirano for this story. He hung up when asked if the two men had any business dealings.

A conditional use permit for CCM approved by Commerce’s Planning Commission in May indicated Fierro still intended build a pizzeria by the same name above the market.

Commerce promoted CCM’s grand opening on its Facebook and Instagram accounts in October, posting pictures of Councilman Hugo Argumedo exploring the market and paragraphs of text that read like an advertisement.

“CCM Market also has a grand variety of fine wine, and spirits, as well as over hundred of types of alcohol,” the post reads. “Visitors and locals can also purchase specialty hand-rolled cigars which are housed in a state-of-the-art ventilation system for their carefully procured collection of cigars.”

Commerce, which primarily uses its Facebook account to promote public events, made only two other posts about businesses opening in the preceding two years. Both contained short messages welcoming the stores to the community.

Commerce Mayor Hugo Argumedo meets with an employee of The Butcher inside CCM Market during its grand opening. (Courtesy of the City of Commerce)

City leases scrutinized

Altamirano would not discuss the city’s past leases with Fierro and others, saying they were “completed administratively by our former city manager without action or approval by the City Council.”

“Our current administration is reviewing the management of all City properties, including these leases,” he wrote. “Currently, the City Council has limited information on these transactions. In addition, due to the terms of the separation agreement between the City and our former city manager, I am unable to provide additional comments related to events that occurred during our former city manager’s tenure.”

The Southern California News Group submitted a public records request for all of the city’s lease agreements on Oct. 20, 2023. Four days later, the City Council scheduled a closed meeting to discuss those same leases.

Cisneros, still city manager at the time, sent out a barrage of termination letters in the following weeks, ordering Fenix, Abee Trucking and at least one other truck company with ties to Fierro to vacate by Dec. 31, public records show.

Cisneros abruptly resigned in early November in exchange for a $214,000 severance package, according to a separation agreement. His one-sentence resignation letter did not explain why.

Assistant City Manager Vilko Domic subsequently sent out additional termination letters, including one to Amitim, after assuming the role of acting city manager.

However, Domic, in an interview, said the termination of Amitim and Abee Trucking’s leases has since halted, pending negotiations. Though he described Amitim’s months of operation without a business license as “a little extensive,” Domic said the business friendly city wants to work with the company to try to cure its deficiencies.

“I’m working diligently to review all of the leases,” Domic said. “The ones that have been terminated, and if the tenant doesn’t want to rekindle it, we’re just letting those die.”

Domic did not know why the termination leases were originally issued by Cisneros, and said the letters he sent out were only finishing what Cisneros started.

“I wasn’t any part of what happened as it relates to any of those leases,” he said.

Domic acknowledged that the rents charged to Amitim — and Fierro — were too low. Future leases will require close to market rate rents and will be approved by the City Council, rather than by the city manager solely, he said.

“I’m going to set up checks and balances that will oversee any kind of rental lease or terms with any city property,” he said. “Whatever needs to be remedied, I will do my best to right the ship and work collaboratively with the City Council and staff to make sure that going forward we do the right thing.”

South El Monte bus depot serves as latest canvas for LA artists seeking a cleaner future

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 12:25:17 +0000

What makes more noise than the hundreds of thousands of vehicles barreling down the intersection of the 60 and 605 freeways? Ask Lalo Alcaraz.

“Can someone turn down the freeway?” the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist asked at the unveiling of a new 80-foot-long mural he drew with artist Levi Ponce on the side of the El Monte Union Bus Depot in South El Monte.

The artwork, proclaiming “The Future Is Emission Free!”, features characters Alcaraz drew for two animated shorts he produced for El Monte Union High School District’s Clean Mobility in Schools pilot project.

“I’ve driven past it twice now and I was shocked each time I saw it,” the Chicano artist and nationally-syndicated cartoonist said. “Let’s blast (that message) out.”

His involvement in the innovative and inspirational program has been fun, Alcaraz said, working with and learning from students to promote environmental awareness and making art as a vehicle for activism and social change.

“My interaction with students blew my mind,” he said. “Were we this smart when we were that age?”

A guest takes a photo of the new wraps on electric vehicles created by Chicano artist Lalo Alcaraz for the Clean Mobility in Schools pilot project by the El Monte Union High School District. A mural painted by Alcaraz and Levi Ponce was unveiled Friday at the district’s bus depot in South El Monte. (Photo by Anissa Rivera)

Superintendent Edward Zuñiga celebrated the mural as another step toward making environmental stewards of students in the six high schools served by the district. Those schools include Arroyo, El Monte, Mountain View, Rosemead, South El Monte and Fernando R. Ledesma High School in El Monte. It also includes the El Monte-Rosemead Adult school.

In 2020, the district won a $9.8 million grant from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to fund clean transportation initiatives through use of zero-emission vehicles and clean mobility options for students, parents and staff. The grant will also be used to develop career technical education modules on clean energy careers.

Since then, the district has added 11 electric school buses to its fleet, 11 all-electric utility maintenance carts and six electric rideshare vehicles.

Its partnership with Alcaraz and his Pocho Villa Productions is another way to share the urgent message of climate change and sustainability, using art to inspire positive change, Zuñiga said.

“It’s incredible the impact this investment in clean mobility has had for our students and community,” he added.

Working with community partners such as the California Air Resource Board and Coalition for Clean Air educates the next generation on clean air initiatives and prepares them to work in green careers, said Ricardo Padilla, president of the district’s Board of Trustees.

About 60 people attended the unveiling, including students from South El Monte High School and Mountain View High School as well as parents and district officials.

Lena Luna, the district’s facility and energy manager, said the mural continues a conversation about clean transportation that started with last year’s release of an Alcaraz-created animated short, “Taking a Healthy Ride on the Green Side,” using students and administrators as voice actors.

A new animated short on green energy jobs premiered at the mural unveiling Friday.

Meixuan Chen, vice president of South El Monte High School’s Environment to Climate Action Club, said she’s getting the message. She was part of a group of students that visited the new Riverside headquarters of the California Air Resources Board in November.

“It was eye-opening to learn about the ways technology can improve the environment,” she said.

The mural took about three months from concept to completion, Ponce said. Painting the mural to the building took a week. Alcaraz rode a crane to add a personal touch: coloring a bicycle wheel in the scene.

“Murals communicate to everyone directly, it’s organic and natural,” Ponce said. “You don’t need access, you don’t need permission, it’s just there for you to absorb. It’s a great way to deliver a message to the people.”

Man riding bicycle in Pico Rivera when shot to death, official says

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 16:19:14 +0000

Detectives were looking for the assailant who shot to death a man riding a bicycle along Rosemead Boulevard in Pico Rivera over the weekend.

Investigators didn’t know the motive for the shooting in the 4200 block of Rosemead that was reported to deputies shortly after 12 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17.

The man had been with a friend earlier at an apartment, sheriff’s Lt. Steven De Jong said.

The woman heard the shooting. Two people in a car saw the victim on the ground, and when they slowed down, he yelled for help, De Jong said.

The victim, a 44-year-old man, died about an hour later at Los Angeles General Medical Center.

Family members told investigators the man was from El Monte, but a friend told detectives the victim had been renting a room at an apartment complex in Pico Rivera, De Jong said.

Investigators asked anyone with information about the shooting to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at lacrimestoppers.org.

El Monte adding In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, Target

Tue, 20 Feb 2024 11:58:38 +0000

El Monte is set to expand its retail offerings with the addition of Target, In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and Raising Cane’s.

Target and Chick-fil-A will open later this year, and In-N-Out, Starbucks and Raising Canes are expected to open in late 2025 or early 2026, city officials said.

The incoming businesses are part of the city’s plan to turn abandoned and underutilized buildings into economic hubs. They will bring more than 140,000 square feet of retail to the city and collectively generate $537,000 to $771,000 in annual revenue, city officials said.

City Manager Alma Martinez said they’ll also provide a boost to the city’s employment base.

“These projects contribute to job creation, offering employment opportunities for both full-time and part-time positions,” Martinez said in a statement, adding that the added tax revenue will enable further community-driven initiatives in El Monte.

The Chick-fil-A restaurant in El Monte is set to open in the spring of 2024. (File photo by Fielding Buck, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

Construction on the 127,879 -square-foot Target store at 3610 Peck Road is already underway. It will occupy a former Sears Outlet location and two vacant retail buildings. With parking for 372 vehicles, the store is scheduled to open in October. Anticipated tenants will include Target Optical, a CVS Pharmacy, Starbucks and an Ulta Beauty outlet.

The 4,841-square-foot Chick-fil-A, at 3342 Santa Anita Ave., is set to open in the spring of 2024.

The other incoming food chains — In-N-Out, Starbucks and Raising Canes — will open as part of the El Monte Center Drive-Thru Pad redevelopment project, at 3748 Peck Road. All three will have drive-through lanes.

Plans for the project – to be heard in a public hearing within the next five months – include updating the site’s landscaping and incorporating outdoor seating areas and green spaces.

“Those restaurants are expected to break ground next year and be open by late 2025 or early 2026,” a city representative said.

Body of missing El Monte woman found on Mt. Baldy

Sun, 11 Feb 2024 15:48:39 +0000

A 22-year-old El Monte woman was found dead near the upper San Antonio Creek Falls area on Mt. Baldy, Sunday morning, Feb. 11, after search and rescue teams had attempted to locate the hiker for about a week, authorities said.

The U.S. Forest Service notified the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department that a person flying a drone may have spotted Lifei Huang about 3:25 p.m. Saturday, sheriff’s officials said.

However, due to high winds, pilot crews could not perform an aerial search, officials said. Search and rescue teams were positioned near the area overnight to preserve the scene.

About 7:45 a.m. Sunday, medics were hoisted down to the location, where they found Huang dead, officials said. The medics and Huang were airlifted off the mountain.

Huang was reported missing just before 11:15 p.m., Feb. 4, about nine hours after she had set out for a solo hike as a devastating winter storm made its way over the area, the sheriff’s department said.

The Sheriff’s West Valley Search and Rescue crews started searching around 2:30 a.m. Monday, but did not find Huang. A subsequent search on Tuesday was halted by heavy snowfall and the risk of avalanches, the sheriff’s department said.

Search and rescue crews remained at the trail head and searched when it was safe to do so, officials said, but how many opportunities they had to search since Tuesday was not immediately known.

Palmdale 10th in US for biggest increase in high-income households

Fri, 09 Feb 2024 07:00:47 +0000

Palmdale had the nation’s 10th biggest increase in households earning at least $200,000, according the latest full-year data available in a new report from SmartAsset.com.

The data, drawn from a US Census Bureau survey of 345 cities with a population of 100,000 or more, includes the percentage increase in households earning $200,000 or more annually and the number of high-income households added.

The report shows Palmdale, a city in north Los Angeles County known for its aerospace history, added 3,306 high-income households between 2021 and 2022 — a 119.4% increase. Broken down, that meant 13.6% of the city’s households were earning $200,000 or more annually, more than double the 6.2% reported in 2021.

Spokane, Wash., Allentown, Pa., and others topped SmartAsset’s list. These Southern California cities still ranked high out of 345 cities:

13. El Monte – 93.3% increase and 879 high-income households added. That bumped its percentage of total households in the city to 5.8% compared to 3% in 2021.

15. East Los Angeles – 87% gain and 612 additional high-income households. That increased its percentage to 4.3% in 2022 from 2.3% the previous year.

22. Garden Grove – 76.1% increase with 3,338 high-income households added. That boosted its percentage of the city’s total to 15.5% in 2022 from 8.8% in 2021.

23. Moreno Valley – 73.3% increase with 2,423 high-income households added. That increased its percentage of total households in the city to 10.4% in 2022 from 6% in 2021.

27. Corona – 69.4% increase with 3,231 high-income households added. That increased its percentage to 18.3% in 2022 from 10.8% in 2021.

44. Fontana – 53% increase with 2,451 high-income households added. That increased its percentage of the city’s total households to 12.4% in 2022 from 8.1% in 2021.

So which cities saw the biggest gains in high-income households? Here are the top 10 in order:

1. Spokane, Wash. – 183.3% increase with 1,510 high-income households added. That bumped its percentage of the city’s total to 5.1% in 2022 from 1.8% the previous year.

2. Allentown, Pa. – 163.6% increase and 830 high-income households added. Its percentage of the city’s total housing rose to 2.9% in 2022 from 1.1% the previous year.

3. Evansville, Ind. – 150% increase with 816 high-income households added. That bumped its percentage of the city’s overall housing to 2.5% in 2022 from 1% the previous year

4. Killeen, Texas – 146.2% increase with 1,197 high-income households added. Its percentage jumped to 3.2% in 2022 from 1.3% the previous year.

5. San Tan Valley, Arizona – 143.9% increase with 2,344 high-income households added. Its percentage of overall housing rose to 10% in 2022 from 4.1% the previous year.

6. Springfield, Mass. – 141.7% increase with 2,103 high-income households added. Its percentage of overall housing rose to 5.8% in 2022 from 2.4% the previous year.

7. New Haven, Conn. – 136.4% increase with 3,362 high-income households added. The percentage jumped to 10.4% in 2022 from 4.4% the previous year.

8. Manchester, N.H. – 134.1% increase with 2,620 high-income households added. Its percentage rose to 9.6% in 2022 from 4.1% the previous year.

9. Jackson, Miss. – 125% increase with 1,554 high-income households added. Its percentage increased to 4.5% in 2022 from 2% the previous year.

10. Palmdale – 119.4% increase with 3,306 high-income households added. Its percentage increased to 13.6% in 2022 from 6.2% the previous year.

El Monte woman missing after hiking Mt. Baldy area amid storm, large snowfall

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:01:43 +0000

A 22-year-old El Monte woman who went hiking in the Mt. Baldy area on Sunday, Feb. 4 was reported missing, with authorities continuing their search to no avail on Tuesday amid harsh weather conditions.

Around 2 p.m. on Sunday, Lisei Huang set out on a solo hike in Mt. Baldy as a devastating winter storm made its way over the region, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Later that evening, Huang was reported missing to authorities after failing to return and not having contacted friends or family since about 4 p.m..

The Sheriff’s West Valley Search and Rescue crews began there search around 2:30 a.m. on Monday but did not locate Huang.

The search continued on Tuesday, but heavy snowfall and the risk of avalanches hindered the crew’s efforts.

Around 24 inches of snow had fallen over the mountain since the storm’s arrival on Sunday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Suk.

Authorities urged prospective hikers to avoid any mountain activities while the storm continues to pummel the mountains with rain and snow.

“The weather has effectively buried the mountain in snow and it is highly likely hikers will get into trouble,” said a sheriff’s news release. “Resources are stretched to their limits and hikers who get lost may have to wait long periods of time before help is available.”

Separately, three “experienced” hikers were rescued by members of the San Dimas and Sierra Madre Search and Rescue teams on Monday after they were lost along Bear Canyon Trail in the Mt. Baldy area, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The hikers spent the night hunkered down on the mountain and were later found after a four-hour search at an elevation of 8,400 feet.

Anyone with information on the missing hiker should contact the Fontana Sheriff’s Station at 909-356-6767. Callers wishing to remain anonymous should contact We-Tip at 1-800-78-CRIME (27463) or go to wetip.com

El Monte officers fatally shot in ambush were not verbally warned that suspect had a gun, was on PCP

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:17:01 +0000

An El Monte police dispatcher failed to tell two officers fatally shot by a convicted gang member that the suspect reportedly had a gun and was under the influence of PCP and methamphetamine, reveals a 911 recording obtained by the Southern California News Group.

The frantic 911 call to the El Monte Police Department was made shortly before 5 p.m. on June 14, 2022, by Maria Zepeda, who reported that her daughter had been stabbed by her husband, Justin Flores, at the Siesta Inn, where they had been staying.

During the 7-minute, 20-second call, Zepeda repeatedly told dispatcher Ruth Bonneau that Flores had a recent history of violence against her daughter, was under the influence of PCP and methamphetamine and was armed and dangerous.

“He’s on PCP. He has a gun!” Zepeda told Bonneau during the call.

Lost in translation

That information, however, was not communicated over the radio by Kristen Jauregui, a veteran dispatcher who deployed officers to the Siesta Inn.

“Mother is RP (reporting party). She is en route from La Puente in a black Hyundai, advising her daughter, Diana Flores Cruz, 44 years, called a second RP advising that she was stabbed by her boyfriend, Justin Flores, male, 33,” Jauregui said during her dispatch. She further stated that Flores and his wife were possibly in Room 103 and that it was unknown if the two were still at the location.

The call terminated, and there was no follow-up radio communication from Jauregui to Officer Joseph Santana, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Sgt. Eric Sanchez, the three who responded to the call.

Flores ambushed the officers when they confronted him inside the motel room, brandishing a gun and fatally shooting Paredes and Santana and wounding Sanchez in a shootout before killing himself with Paredes’ gun, which Flores had seized when the officer was down.

Family briefed

At the request of the family, Detective Amber Montenegro, a lead investigator in the case, met with Santana’s sister, Jessica Santana, and three unnamed El Monte police officers nearly a year-and-a-half later. During that session on Dec. 11, 2023, at the Los Angeles County sheriff’s homicide bureau in Monterey Park, Montenegro played the recording of the 911 call.

While the detective confirmed Jauregui did not inform officers over the radio that Flores possibly had a gun and was on drugs, the information was typed into the computer-aided dispatch system and visible to the responding officers on the computer terminals in their patrol vehicles.

“They definitely had all the information in their boxes before they arrived, so they were able to look at the call and review it,” Montenegro said during the briefing, a recording of which was obtained by the Southern California News Group.

Nevertheless, Jessica Santana and the officers present questioned Jauregui’s actions.

“We rely a lot on dispatch, and I understand we’re busy, but they need to tell the cops everything,” one of the officers said during the meeting.

Jessica Santana was the most critical.

“I don’t understand. I understand how they protect the community and stuff, but how do you guys stay safe when there’s dispatchers here that could have potentially saved their lives?” she said. “That’s just what gets me, because my brother would still be here.”

Montenegro countered by noting that the responding officers had plenty of time to review their computer terminals after arriving at the motel.

“It’s not like they got there and things were happening dynamically, right? They weren’t running in there,” Montenegro said. Prior to the shooting, she explained, the officers stood outside for a few minutes discussing a similar domestic violence call to the same motel they received a week earlier involving Flores and his wife. The two, however, were not there when officers arrived.

“You can’t put any of this all on one person,” Montenegro said.

Santana responded, saying: “It’s just I feel if they would have voiced it, it would have been different.”

Expert weighs in

Tony Harrison, who trains police dispatchers and is president of the North Carolina-based The Public Safety Group, said the information about Flores having a gun and being on drugs should have been communicated to the responding officers immediately.

“It’s important to relay all pertinent officer safety information when possible. And a perpetrator being on drugs and having a gun is certainly at the top of the list. One-hundred percent undeniable,” Harrison said in a telephone interview.

He said dispatchers cannot always rely on officers seeing information relayed via their CAD terminals.

“If I’m driving 80 miles per hour to a stabbing scene, I’m not reading my computer. That’s not safe to do,” Harrison said. “I’m relying on the dispatcher to provide those updates in a timely fashion. The part of (Flores) being on PCP and carrying a gun needs to be verbally dispatched.”

Such information allows responding officers to plan accordingly and determine a tactical approach, he said.

“Do I exit my vehicle with a rifle? Do I wait for a second unit to arrive — a third or a fourth unit to arrive? Do we make a more tactical approach instead of being a little more nonchalant and walking in?” Harrison said.

How the shootout unfolded

During her briefing, Montenegro gave a play-by-play of how the shooting unfolded.

Santana, Sanchez and Paredes stood outside Room 103. Santana knocked for several minutes, telling Cruz to open the door. Flores kept telling Santana they were getting dressed and to “hold on.”

When the door was finally opened, Flores was in his underwear holding a pair of pants. What the officers did not know was that Flores was concealing a gun, stolen out of a police car in North Carolina, behind his pants, Montenegro said.

When Santana holstered his gun to detain Flores, Flores brandished the gun and a struggle ensued between the two. Sanchez ran out of the room and took cover. Paredes was standing at the door. Flores fired off two shots.

“He just fired two shots … and at least one of them hit Paredes dead center in the head, and he went down immediately,” Montenegro said.

Seven seconds later, Flores fired several more shots, hitting Santana in the head, arm and leg, Montenegro said.

For an undisclosed reason, Flores then seized Paredes gun, which was laying on the floor next to his body, and used it to shoot Paredes a second time in the head. Then he engaged in a shootout with Sanchez, who by that time had already called for backup on his radio, Montenegro said.

Flores and his wife “ran around the corner,” said Montenegro, but not before Sanchez shot Flores in the femoral artery and mortally wounded him.

“So the suspect was dead pretty quickly, he just didn’t realize it with all the drugs he was on,” Montenegro said.

Flores fell to the ground, rolled over and continued shooting at Sanchez as other officers started arriving. Sanchez suffered a through-and-through wound in his foot.

At 5:10 p.m., Flores killed himself with Paredes’ gun, Montenegro said.

Montenegro said toxicology tests later revealed Flores had PCP, methamphetamine and marijuana in his system. She also said they were pursuing criminal charges against Flores’ wife for her alleged culpability in the crime — for not being honest with officers and not telling them her husband had a gun.

“The DA is considering them (criminal charges), but it doesn’t look promising,” Montenegro said.

Systemic failures

Montenegro also noted during her briefing the multiple contacts Flores had with law enforcement in the months prior to the shooting. According to Flores’ wife, she said, Flores began using PCP — a hallucinogen known to cause violent behavior — in March 2022 after his cousin died and that the drug “changed his personality.”

“He started beating her and just started going a little bit more crazy than normal,” Montenegro said.

On March 14, 2022, Flores was arrested by sheriff’s deputies in the City of Industry for having a loaded gun in his glove department. At the time, he was on probation for another gun offense.

Flores subsequently was charged for being a felon in possession of a firearm not registered to him and being in possession of a controlled substance with a loaded firearm. He posted bail and was subsequently granted probation even though he was an admitted gang member, Montenegro said.

Two months later, Flores was arrested in West Covina in a fraud case, Montenegro said.

In May 2022, Flores’ parents called police to report their son was acting erratically, yelling at passing vehicles and talking to himself, and that family members were holding him down on their front lawn. Flores was taken to a hospital on a psychiatric hold and later released, Montenegro said.

During her 911 call, Zepeda told Bonneau that the week prior, Flores had choked her daughter and left her for dead in Pico Rivera and that police had a report of the incident. And only three days prior, Flores showed up at her home with a gun. She said police came to her home and a police helicopter was even deployed.

And though Zepeda reported on the 911 call that her daughter had been stabbed, police later learned her injuries were minor.

“It was very superficial,” Montenegro said. “But mom did not know that when she called.”

Criminal justice failures

Some of the justice system’s failures regarding Flores were detailed in a scathing report by the Los Angeles County Office of Inspector General released in August 2023.

The OIG determined, among other things, that the county Probation Department failed to properly monitor Flores and act on pertinent information regarding allegations of domestic violence, gun possession and illegal drug use, and failed to alert local law enforcement that Flores may be armed with a gun and dangerous.

Flores had three outstanding warrants for his arrest, two from San Bernardino County and one from Los Angeles County, at the time of the shooting, and the Probation Department did not run a warrant check on Flores until just days before the shooting, when Flores missed his final appointment, according to the OIG report.

Police chief responds

El Monte Police Chief Jake Fisher said he stands by the actions of his dispatchers and officers.

“The El Monte Police Department continues to mourn the loss of our officers, Sergeant Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana,” Fisher said in a statement. “Together we are moving forward as we collectively continue to grieve and recover from the horrific event.”

Fisher said his department is actively working with the Sheriff’s Department and the District Attorney’s Office in completing the final steps in the investigation.

Sheriff’s and district attorney investigators have interviewed all relevant witnesses, reviewed all police camera footage, CAD reports, call logs and have “found no wrongdoing by our police officers or civilian personnel,” Fisher said.

“We fully anticipate this finding to hold and that our DA will officially clear all involved officers and close the investigation,” Fisher said.

Dispatcher still on leave

Jauregui, a police dispatcher of more than 20 years and the daughter of retired El Monte Police Chief Tom Armstrong, declined to comment for this story. She hosts a podcast called 911 Strong, has modeled for Recoil, a firearm lifestyle magazine, and has been profiled in other publications.

Although city officials would not provide information on Jauregui’s employment background and current job status, officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said she is still employed at the department but has been on paid leave for the past several months. Sanchez also was reported to be on leave.

On Monday, Jauregui’s website hinted she was no longer actively working as a dispatcher.

“As a dispatcher for over two decades, Kristen Jauregui has seen and heard a lot, which brought on unexpected compassion fatigue & burnout. She didn’t want to leave the force, but she knew something had to change, so she turned to physical fitness and personal development mindset work,” the website said.

By Friday, several days after a reporter reached out to her, the website had been taken down.

Family of slain El Monte police officer protests dispatcher’s failure to communicate

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 14:56:06 +0000

The family of slain El Monte police Officer Joseph Santana marched in protest outside the El Monte Police Department on Monday, Jan. 29, over a dispatcher’s failure to verbally communicate that the man who shot and killed him and another officer was armed with a gun and under the influence of PCP.

Family members said they are not pursuing legal action against the city or seeking monetary compensation, but demanded that the dispatchers responsible for the communication failures be fired.

“We’re just here to bring awareness and to hold those accountable,” said Santana’s sister, Jessica Santana, during the protest.

Over the blare of honking horns from passing vehicles, Santana’s sister, Bianca Santana, played a recording over a bullhorn that said “El Monte PD dispatchers failed my brother, Joseph Santana!”

More than a dozen family members gathered outside the department after the Southern California News Group reported that veteran dispatcher Kristen Jauregui failed to inform Santana, 31, Cpl. Michael Paredes, 42, and Sgt. Eric Sanchez over the radio that suspect Justin Flores was reported to have a gun and be under the influence of PCP and methamphetamine when the officers responded to a domestic violence call at the Siesta Inn about 5 p.m. on June 14, 2022.

Bianca Santana, sister of Officer Joseph Santana, speaks outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Joe Santana, father of Officer Joseph Santana, speaks outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Family and supporters of Officer Joseph Santana protest outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Detective Wyatt Reneer with the El Monte Police Officers Association speaks outside the El Monte police station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Sasha Santana, widow of Officer Joseph Santana, speaks outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Joe Santana, father of Officer Joseph Santana, comforts his grandson Joshua, 4, outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Michael Jimenez, brother-in-law of Officer Joseph Santana, speaks outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Joe Santana, father of Officer Joseph Santana, comforts his grandson Joshua, 4, outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Jessica (left) and Bianca Santana, sisters of Officer Joseph Santana, protest outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Jessica Santana, sister of Officer Joseph Santana, speaks outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Joe Santana, father of Officer Joseph Santana, speaks outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)
Bianca Santana, sister of Officer Joseph Santana, speaks outside of the El Monte Police Station on Monday Jan. 29, 2024. The family contends that the dispatchers failed to effectively inform the officers, Cpl. Michael Paredes and Officer Joseph Santana, as they arrived that the suspect was armed. (Photo by Keith Durflinger, Contributing Photographer)

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911 call

Maria Zepeda, the mother of Flores’ wife, made a frantic 911 at 4:58 p.m. that day informing dispatcher Ruth Bonneau that her daughter’s friend had called her and told her that her daughter, Diana Flores Cruz, had been stabbed by Flores at the motel. Zepeda also told Bonneau during the 7-minute, 20-second call that Flores had choked her daughter in Pico Rivera and had been hospitalized on a psychiatric hold the week prior.

Zepeda also told Bonneau that Flores showed up to her home three days prior to the shooting with a gun, prompting a police response to her home that included a helicopter, according to the 911 call.

When Bonneau asked Zepeda if she had seen Flores with a gun, Zepeda said: “No, but he has it with him, I’m telling you!” She also told Bonneau that Flores was on probation for a gun offense and began abusing PCP regularly following his cousin’s death about four months prior, in March 2022.

Officers ambushed

Flores, 35, ambushed the three officers as they made contact with him inside Room 103, brandishing a gun stolen out of a police car in North Carolina and opening fire. Paredes and Santana were killed and Sanchez was shot in the foot during a shootout with Flores. Flores seized Paredes’ gun during the melee and, mortally wounded by Sanchez in the gunfight, fatally shot himself as other officers began arriving, according to a recording obtained by the Southern California News Group.

The shooting remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the district attorney’s Justice System Integrity Division, said Detective Amber Montenegro, a lead investigator on the case.

During a Dec. 11 briefing Montenegro gave to Jessica Santana and three El Monte police officers at the sheriff’s homicide bureau in Monterey Park, Montenegro said Santana was shot three times — in the head, upper right arm and the left leg, which broke his femur. She said Paredes was shot nine times, including twice in the head, which were the only fatal wounds.

The recording of the briefing obtained by the Southern California News Group also revealed Montenegro told family members that toxicology tests confirmed Flores had PCP, methamphetamine and marijuana in his system when he died.

In a telephone interview, Montenegro said she gave the briefing at the request of Santana’s family. During the meeting, she played recordings of both the 911 call and the dispatch call.

Department changes

El Monte Police Chief Jake Fisher, who has stood by the actions of his dispatchers, said in a statement that since the shooting his department has improved its communications protocols and invested heavily in new equipment.

Among the changes and enhancements include expanded use of computer-aided dispatch and data systems to improve communication and officer response, and ramped up training.

Additionally, bulletproof windshields are now in every newly purchased police vehicle and tactical shields are now available for use by officers responding to active shooter scenarios or any other unpredictable

Río Hondo College Awarded $1M Grant To Help Unhoused Students

Thu, 27 Jan 2022 21:07:07 +0000

WHITTIER (CBSLA) – Río Hondo College was awarded a grant of nearly $1 million in federal funds to support unhoused and transitionally unhoused students, the Whittier community college announced Thursday.

The funds will increase staffing for the Hope Scholars Program, an assistance project that provides support services for students in need. The college was one of five schools nationally to receive a Basic Needs in Postsecondary Education award from the U.S. Department of Education.

According to the college, the funds will allow the program to increase community awareness and expand support services including tutoring and success coaching, academic counseling, mental health services and financial literacy programs.

Since moving to remote operations due to COVID-19, the college has received an additional $2.49 million in grants to increase supportive services, provide basic necessities and crisis intervention, according to the school.

The latest grant “allows us the ability to scale up our efforts to support students experiencing these problems through the Hope Scholars program,” Dr. Earic Dixon-Peters, vice president of Student Services, said in a statement. “We believe our work changes lives.”

The program helps students access temporary housing, receive counseling and register for classes. Since introducing the Hope Scholars Program in the 2019-2020 academic year, Río Hondo has seen a 184.3% increase in services provided directly to students, according to the college.

Firefighters Battle Blaze Near American Military Museum In El Monte

Fri, 31 Dec 2021 07:30:56 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Los Angeles County Fire Department crews were battling a massive fire near the American Military History Museum in El Monte on Thursday evening.

A massive burst of fire from the fire in El Monte. (Photo Credit: Sky9 Chopper)

The structure fire engulfed one commercial building, prompting crews to take the offensive in fighting the Second-Alarm fire.

As of 9:45 p.m., the fire was still ongoing with multiple crews on scene. The fire was reported as contained just prior to 11:30 p.m.

CHP announced a Sigalert in response to the fire, which closed the westbound SR-60 to the northbound Rosemead Boulevard offramp until midnight.

The sprawling property of the museum is covered in antique military vehicles, including a number of tanks, as the museum is alternatively known as “Tank Land.”

Fire crews indicated that a nearby building was in fact the structure that was on fire, and that they were protecting the museum, which contained countless amounts of priceless memorabilia.

Just after 10:00 p.m., LACFD reported that they were sending a Health Hazmat team to the scene after reports that a honey butane lab was located inside of the property.

Honey butane, or hash oil, is used in the production of creating purified marijuana that is extracted from plants. The finished product is traditionally used in marijuana pens and edibles.

There are no reported injuries.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Investigation Underway Following Fatal Shooting In El Monte

Mon, 27 Dec 2021 19:20:10 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Authorities on Monday were investigating a fatal shooting that occurred during the early morning hours, just prior to 1 a.m.

The shooting occurred on Gage Avenue in El Monte. The victim, a 34-year-old man, was transported to a medical facility, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

When authorities arrived on scene they found the man suffering from a gunshot wound to the lower torso.

There is no known motive or suspect identified at the time.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies asked the El Monte Police Department for assistance in the investigation.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

Man Arrested In Murder Of His 89-Year-Old Grandmother In El Monte

Wed, 15 Dec 2021 18:20:12 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – A man was taken into custody after his 89-year-old grandmother was murdered late Tuesday night in an El Monte residence.

The woman was found with traumatic upper body injuries by El Monte police officers who were called for a welfare check at a home in the 11300 block of Cedar Circle just before 11 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

She was rushed to a hospital, where she died, the sheriff’s department said. Her name was not immediately released.

Her 31-year-old grandson was identified as a suspect. He was located and taken into custody on suspicion of murder.

There was no word on a motive in the killing.

Police Apprehend All Suspects Connected To The Hate Crime And Assault In El Monte

Mon, 15 Nov 2021 05:42:23 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – El Monte Police on Sunday evening were involved in a pursuit with a suspect wanted for an alleged hate crime assault.

According to authorities, the hate crime assault happened at Mariposa Park in El Monte against an African American juvenile and his father at 7:48 p.m. El Monte Police Department responded to the scene when the vehicle took off.

The pursuit began in El Monte before the suspect took an onramp onto the I-10 Westbound towards Union Station and Chinatown. They then headed through Lincoln Heights before remerging onto the I-10 Freeway, this time headed Eastbound.

The gray sedan was packed with five occupants including the driver.

The suspect was clocked going speeds of over 100 miles per hour on several instances, and their travel into the city was likely intended to make things more difficult for pursuing police.

El Monte Police requested assistance from California Highway Patrol, who took over the pursuit after several minutes.

Shortly after exiting I-10, the vehicle was stopped by traffic when the occupants of the vehicle began to scatter out. Authorities apprehended two occupants and the driver while two others fled from the scene. A fourth suspect was apprehended shortly after fleeing. Police apprehended the fifth and final suspect after a short search of the area.

This is a breaking story. Check back for details.

Boy Wanted In Connection With Deadly Hit-And-Run Crash In Rosemead Missing

Sat, 13 Nov 2021 21:22:19 +0000

SOUTH EL MONTE (CBSLA) – The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Saturday circulated a photo of a 16-year-old boy who went missing in South El Monte and is also a person of interest in a fatal hit-and-run crash that occurred last week in Rosemead.

Mariano Coc went missing from his South El Monte home on Nov. 7, the sheriff’s Temple station reported. Detectives also believe that he may be the victim of a crime.

Coc was the last person seen with a 2009 black Nissan Altima with a gray bumper that was involved in a fatal-and-run crash Monday in Rosemead. It occurred at about 10:30 a.m. that day in the 2700 block of San Gabriel Boulevard, near the intersection of Garvey Avenue, and escalated into an argument between two people.

Riverside resident Haiou He, 61, exited his vehicle to speak with the other vehicle’s driver, when that driver allegedly put the vehicle in reverse and ran over He, who died Wednesday from his injuries at an area hospital.

The suspect’s vehicle, which has since been located, fled northbound on San Gabriel Boulevard and out of view.

It was determined during a subsequent investigation that the Altima belonged to a local family, and the last person to be seen with the vehicle was the 16-year-old boy, sheriff’s officials said.

Coc, along with the vehicle, were last seen on Nov. 8, between 5 and 7 a.m. According to multiple witnesses at the scene, the victim’s description of the hit-and-run driver does not match Coc’s description.

Detectives believe Coc may have become the victim of a crime.

He was described as a 5-foot-7-inch tall Latino boy with brown hair and brown eyes weighing 145 pounds. He was last seen wearing a tan tank top, light-colored jeans and black slip-on sandals.

The sheriff’s Temple station urged anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to call them at 626-292-3389 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Graffiti Found At High School In El Monte Indicated Shooting Would Occur On Campus Monday

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 03:54:52 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – Officials at Arroyo High School in El Monte discovered graffiti in a bathroom indicating that a school shooting would take place on Monday, November 1.

Police were notified to determine the credibility of the message.

(credit: CBS)

Authorities at the El Monte Police Department told CBSLA they were aware of the graffiti message and said the matter is under investigation.

The department also said it would have extra patrols at the school tomorrow.

Driver Killed, 5 Injured In El Monte Shooting, Crash

Tue, 21 Sep 2021 12:45:54 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — A driver is believed to have shot himself to death just prior to causing a two-vehicle crash which injured five others in El Monte Monday evening.

Sept. 20, 2021. (CBSLA)

The shooting and crash was reported at 7:35 p.m. in the 2600 block of Mountain View Road, between Valley Boulevard and Peck Road, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

El Monte police arrived on scene to find one of the drivers bleeding from the head with a gunshot wound, the sheriff’s department said. He died at the scene. A handgun was also found in his car. The gunshot wound was believed to be self-inflicted.

The man’s name was not immediately released.

The victim’s car collided with a second car that was carrying a family of four, including a pregnant mother and two children.

The family were all rushed to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Investigators also learned that a female passenger in the victim’s car had jumped out before it had crashed, the sheriff’s department reported. She was also taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Mountain View Road and Elliott Avenue were closed during the investigation.

El Monte Union High School District Unveils New Fleet Of Electric School Buses

Thu, 19 Aug 2021 17:53:32 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — El Monte Union High School District officials and students cut a ribbon on its new fleet of electric school buses this week.

(credit: CBS)

The district on Wednesday unveiled its new fleet of 11 electric school buses, part of a pilot program from the California Air Resources Board. The agency gave El Monte Union High School District a nearly $10 million grant to purchase the buses and promote the state’s emphasis on zero-emissions technology and clean transportation.

El Monte was only one of three districts in the state chosen to receive the grant, which also funded a new curriculum to engage students in clean energy careers, all-electric maintenance vehicles, and heavy-duty charging stations and on-site energy storage that connects to the district’s existing solar system.

While electric vehicles are gaining in popularity throughout California, electric school buses are still a relative rarity. The Los Angeles Unified School District also unveiled its first electric school bus this year.

An infrastructure bill passed by the Senate earlier this month includes $5 billion for electric and low-emissions school buses, but must still pass in the House before President Biden can sign it into law.

Dodge Challenger Leads CHP On Pursuit Through El Monte

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 14:30:12 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – The driver of a Dodge Challenger who lead authorities on a pursuit through El Monte Wednesday morning before hiding in an apartment complex has been captured.

Aug. 11, 2021. (CBSLA)

The chase began sometime around 6:10 a.m. in the area of Valley Boulevard and Durfee Avenue when the driver ran through a California Highway Patrol traffic break.

It wound its way through surface streets in El Monte before coming to an end at Garvey and Musgrove avenues.

The suspect jumped out of the car and may have run into a nearby apartment complex, according to CHP.

With guns drawn, El Monte police and CHP officers formed a perimeter and searched the area. The suspect was captured and taken into custody at approximately 7 a.m.

The circumstances concerning what exactly prompted the pursuit were not immediately confirmed. It’s unclear how many people were in the vehicle.

Woman Arrested After Leading Police On Pursuit In Suspected Stolen Vehicle

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 02:56:17 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – A woman suspected of stealing a car was taken into custody in El Monte Wednesday after an approximately 75-minute chase that began in Fontana.

Officers first began pursuing the woman, driving a reported stolen Kia Soul, just before 5:30 p.m. after attempting to conduct a traffic stop on Interstate 15 at Baseline Avenue in Fontana, according to police.

The woman led police on freeways through Glendora and Baldwin Park before exiting onto surface streets in El Monte at about 6:15 p.m.

The woman continued to lead police on a chase until stopping in the area of Main Street and Santa Anita Avenue, where police boxed her in.

Fontana Police Department officers removed the woman from the car and took her into custody at about 6:45 p.m.

Caught On Video: El Camino Driver Stops To Slash Tires Of 3 El Monte Police Vehicles

Fri, 16 Jul 2021 00:07:05 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — The public’s help is needed Thursday to find a man who was caught on video, slashing the tires of three El Monte police vehicles.

The incident happened last Saturday while El Monte police officers were conducting an unrelated investigation in the 4000 block of Maxon Road. The officers returned to their vehicles to find six of their tires had been slashed.

“Thought this is just a property crime, the criminal actions of this suspect caused a delay in our response to needed critical services to our community,” an El Monte police statement said. “There was a delay in our police department’s response to pending calls that included a fight in progress between multiple people, a domestic disturbance which resulted in an arrest and other quality of life issues.”

(credit: El Monte Police Department)

Security video of the tire slashing showed the man had been driving a red Chevrolet El Camino pickup truck with chrome rims. The truck is seen driving by slowly, and returns to stop in the street, alongside two of the vehicles. The driver gets out, and even though his truck partially blocks the view of one of the vehicles, he moves alongside them and can be seen puncturing the tires of the vehicle not blocked by his truck.

With his truck’s driver’s side door left open in the street, the man then runs toward the police vehicle parked in a driveway, and punctures the driver’s side tires of that vehicle too, before driving away.

The suspect was described only as a Hispanic man wearing a black shirt and light-colored jeans but police are hoping someone will recognize the truck by a large sticker in the truck’s rear window that said “TESTAMENT” in green lettering.

Anyone with information about the truck or the tire slashing can call the El Monte Police Department.

Cow Captured In El Monte After Running Loose Through South El Monte, La Puente

Wed, 30 Jun 2021 22:53:03 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — A cow that got loose under the 60 Freeway in South El Monte has been corralled not far away in El Monte.

(credit: CBS)

Authorities were called to Durfee Avenue and Peck Road at about 4:07 a.m. on the report of a cow on the loose. It’s unclear where the cow came from or how it got loose, but the CHP says it did not impact the morning commute because it was ran off under the freeway.

The cow was spotted in the 13000 block of Proctor Avenue, but then later ran into the city of El Monte as authorities moved in to capture it.

Livestock is not what immediately comes to mind when thinking of Southern California, but this is the second incident of cows running loose in about a week.

On June 22, 40 cows escaped a slaughterhouse in Pico Rivera when an employee accidentally left a gate open. The cows stampeded through neighborhoods, caused some property damage, and one was shot to death by a deputy after charging at a family.

One of those cows, who evaded captured for at least a day, was granted a stay of execution by songwriter Diane Warren, who came forward to pay for the animal to live out its life at an animal sanctuary.

Community Honors Fallen Soldier Cpl. Mac Ortiz Of El Monte

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 01:11:57 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — When the remains of Army Cpl. Mac Ortiz were returned to the United States, his family welcomed him home, including siblings he never got to meet.

After almost 70 years, the remains of Army Cpl. Mac Ortiz were returned to his grateful family in late 2019. (Family photo)

“My dad, what he was told is that he took a direct hit on the tank, artillery tank, and they didn’t find any remains at all,” Manuel Ortiz said. “We felt our father’s hurt.”

Ortiz was born a few years after his 19-year-old brother was declared missing in action during the Korean War in 1950. Ortiz and his siblings grew up listening to stories about their brother from their father, a World War II veteran.

In 2017, they decided to provide their DNA to the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency in hopes that the organization would one day be able to identify their brother’s remains.

“And then we got notified that, through that summit that President [Donald] Trump and Kim [Jong-un] had in July 2018, they did find the remains and they did identify them as my brother’s,” Ortiz said.

And, after almost 70 years, the remains of Cpl. Ortiz were returned to his grateful family in late 2019.

“Our brother’s remains did come in on one of the caskets, number 27 out of the 55 that came in,” Ortiz said. “Very proud, proud.”

Cpl. Ortiz was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, among several other medals, and was buried with honors at Riverside National Cemetery.

In honor of Cpl. Ortiz’s service, a new affordable housing community is being built in El Monte. It will be named Plaza Ortiz and will provide housing to low-income families and homeless veterans.

“They are going to have his plaques and his bio at the entrance of Plaza Ortiz,” Ortiz said. “It’s got a little courtyard in the middle, and it’s going to be really good to see once they complete it. Just take a lot of pride to say he was and is my brother.”

Man Shot To Death In El Monte, Shooter At Large

Mon, 05 Apr 2021 04:56:59 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – A man was shot to death Sunday in El Monte and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is assisting El Monte police in its investigation.

The shooting happened about 4:10 p.m. in the 9800 block of Rio Hondo Parkway, according to Deputy Eva Mendez.

The victim died at the scene. His name was withheld pending notification of next of kin.

A motive for the shooting was unknown and authorities have no suspect information at this point.

Anyone with information on this killing was asked to call the sheriff’s homicide unit at 323-890-5500. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Hospital Surge Tent Turned Into Show Of Appreciation For El Monte Nurses, Healthcare Workers

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 22:09:56 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — At the height of the pandemic, surge tents were going up at hospitals across Southern California to help care for the overflow of COVID-19 patients. Today, one of those tents was turned into a rest and relaxation area for the nurses who helped get an El Monte hospital through the worst of the pandemic.

(credit: CBS)

American Career College put together an appreciation event Tuesday for hospital workers at the Greater El Monte Community Hospital by turning the once-surge tent into a relaxation lounge with gift bags and treats.

“Nothing has been like this,” nurse Abigail Clabecilla said. “Working so many crazy hours, and then just having to deal with so many losses of patients that you’re not used to.”

The college was well aware of how difficult that surge was – several of its nursing students did clinical rotations at the hospital.

“It’s been tough with covid, and for them to open their arms to us, we’ve been very grateful,” student Jessica Fletes said.

But hospitalization rates are going down, and healthcare workers are finally getting a chance to realize the positive impact they’ve had.

“This is a great surprise. It’s a great joy,” nurse Alma Cobarrubias said. “We work so hard, it’s been a difficult year. To see this and be appreciated, it feels really nice.”

Perhaps more so than everyone else, they’re looking forward to the end of the pandemic.

“Just to be able to start seeing each other’s regular faces, and then being able to give, like, your family a hug,” Clabecilla said. “Just hoping that the vaccine, everyone gets vaccinated soon, so we’ll have that.”

‘Our Hearts Are Still Sad’: Family Of Man Who Disappeared 28 Years Ago Holding Out Hope For Justice

Fri, 05 Mar 2021 07:28:28 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — It has been almost three decades since a Southland man walked out of his home for a business meeting and never returned.

Austin Jay Smith, 23, went missing 28 years ago. (CBSLA)

“Anniversaries, birthdays, the holidays, there’s always one person missing, and so they’re always difficult,” Teddie Smith, the victim’s sister, said. “Our hearts are still sad.”

That sadness became part of the Smith family’s life 28 years ago when Austin Jay Smith went missing.

“His life was good,” Smith said. “There was no reason to just walk out.”

The 23-year-old, who went by Jay, walked out of the El Monte home he shared with his mother on March 23, 1993. The aspiring accountant hasn’t been seen since.

Det. Richard Lopez, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Cold Case Unit took over Jay’s case in 2013. By that time, the missing person case had turned into a homicide investigation.

According to family members, Jay went to meet his former employer at Rosemead High School around 8:30 p.m. The man, a stage crew manager at the school’s auditorium, told Jay that he could borrow some equipment for the DJ work he did on the side to support his widowed mother.

Jay’s mother and girlfriend at the time said they were concerned about the meeting because he had a strained relationship with his former boss, so his girlfriend drove to the auditorium.

“While she was there, she noticed that Jay’s little 1992 Mazda pick-up truck was parked right next to the former employer’s truck, which had a camper,” Lopez said.

After a while, Jay’s girlfriend knocked on the door of the auditorium to check on him.

“The former employer denied her entrance and actually slammed the door in her face,” Lopez said.

Investigators have photos of both Smith’s white pick-up truck and the vehicle of a suspect in the his disappearance. (CBSLA)

The woman left the school, but when she drove past again — just after 11 p.m. — she noticed that the two vehicles were still there. When Jay didn’t come home, the search began.

Investigators soon learned that another school employee saw Jay’s former boss walking back to the auditorium at about midnight the night of the meeting and offered him a ride. The employee said when the man got in the vehicle, he was disheveled and mumbling.

When they got to the auditorium, the employee said that Jay’s truck was no longer in the parking lot. The truck was found the next night, parked behind a dumpster a few blocks from the high school.

“So that’s pretty damning right there,” Lopez said. “There were three different versions of what the employer said happened to Jay or who Jay left with. He was the last one to see Jay alive.”

Investigators questioned the man, who was now a suspect in Jay’s disappearance, and others to figure out a motive. Detectives found out that Jay had sent a letter to the school board telling them that his former boss was stealing funds from the school by renting out the auditorium and equipment and pocketing the money.

“The former employer had talked to several students that had explained that he knew that it was Jay who turned him in, and that he told one student that if he had a chance, he’d take Jay to an alley and beat him up,” Lopez said.

The detectives searched Jay’s truck, but didn’t find any evidence. They searched the auditorium and found a small amount of blood, but it was accidentally discarded before Lopez took over the case. But what wasn’t found in the auditorium was a large barrel that students used for their theater productions.

“The barrel was missing shortly after Jay went missing,” Lopez said. “Jay’s body could’ve been moved in that barrel.”

Since Smith’s disappearance, detectives have gathered boxes full of evidence including photographs, documents and interviews. (CBSLA)

With all of the information gathered, investigators and the Smith family believe Jay was killed and his former boss was somehow involved.

“He left the scene and was gone for two weeks,” Smith said. “So he had two weeks to take him anywhere and dump him.”

Over the years, detectives compiled extensive evidence including boxes of documents, interviews and photos. Authorities also had a suspect and a probable motive, but it was not enough for prosecutors to file criminal charges because Jay’s body has not yet been found.

According to Lopez, prosecutors in 1993 did not try no-body cases due to the difficulty of a successful conviction.

“You’ll have to answer someday to what you’ve done,” Smith said.

Until an arrest is made, the Smiths know that the man suspected of being involved will continue to live life with his family in the Southland. A request for comment from the man was not immediately returned.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

El Monte PD Releases Sketch Of Man Wanted In Connection With Fatal Hit-And-Run

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 04:40:15 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — The El Monte Police Department Tuesday released a sketch of a man wanted in connection with a fatal hit-and-run.

The suspected driver is described as a 5-foot-10 Asian male weighing approximately 175 pounds between the ages of 30 and 40 with black hair and brown eyes.

According to police, the suspect was driving a black Toyota Tacoma at about 7 p.m. Feb. 20 when he struck a motorcyclist, identified as 56-year-old John Spata, near the intersection of Peck and Lower Azusa roads.

Spata was taken to a nearby hospital where he died from his injuries.

Anyone with information about the fatal crash is asked to call police at 626-580-2100.

Family, Friends Mourn Motorcyclist Killed In El Monte Hit-And-Run

Tue, 23 Feb 2021 01:15:55 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Detectives need help to find the driver of a black pickup truck that crashed into a motorcycle, killing the rider.

Detectives need help to find the driver of a black pickup truck that crashed into a motorcycle, killing the rider. (Security Footage)

The crash happened in the area of Peck Road and Lower Azusa at about 7 p.m. Saturday, El Monte police Lt. Pete Rasic said. The motorcyclist was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

A memorial has begun to grow at the crash site for 56-year-old John Spata. His friends described the victim as a good father and a family man.

“He was a very good person, kind heart,” Anthony Castillo, a friend of the victim, said.

El Monte police detectives say security video they have shows the truck turning in front of Spata’s motorcycle. Spata apparently tried to lay the bike down to avoid hitting the truck, but was unable to avoid the collision.

Several people were also seen on video rushing to help Spata, and told investigators that the driver of the pickup truck actually stopped to see what happened – then drove off moments later.

“That is so sad,” Castillo said. “I mean he could’ve rendered service, helped, could’ve called 911.”

The suspect vehicle was described as a black four-door pickup truck with chrome bumpers, and front-end or passenger-side damage. Anyone with more information or security video of the crash can call El Monte police at (626) 580-2109.

El Monte Police Fatally Shoot Man Near 10 Freeway

Tue, 16 Feb 2021 02:40:26 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Officers with the El Monte Police Department fatally shot a man Monday afternoon, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

According to LASD, the shooting happened at about 1:55 p.m. near the corner of Durfee and Garvey avenues following a report of a robbery from a nearby store.

When officers arrived on the scene, they saw a man matching the description of the alleged thief and attempted to make contact when the man ran eastbound onto the off-ramp of Durfee Avenue, according to LASD.

The officer then caught up with the suspect and a fight ensued. A second officer arrived to help the first officer. The shooting happened during the physical altercation, according to LASD.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene, though no officers were injured.

LASD was handling the investigation.

Protesters Demand Fair Treatment Of Working Immigrants By El Monte Police

Sun, 14 Feb 2021 03:00:24 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – Dozens of people gathered outside the El Monte police station Saturday protesting the treatment of the immigrant community by officers.

The group showed support of local food street vendors. People at the rally expressed disappointment in the police officers patrolling these businesses.

“They think they can do anything to the immigrant community who will not fight back because of their status,” said Javier Guerrero, a demonstrator.

The demonstration comes a week after a video went public of an intense physical altercation between owners of a taco stand, police, and inspectors with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department.

“Vendors are a big part of our local culture,” said demonstrator Ian Mancia on Saturday. “These people came from other countries, they speak different languages, they have been through enough.”

In the video, El Monte police officers speak to both owners of Los Palomos taco stand, husband and wife, Fermin Martinez and Sylvia Aguilar.

In the video, a scuffle breaks out between the owners and several officers. The husband and wife are quickly taken to the ground. One officer hits Martinez several times in the arm with a flashlight in the video as officers try to handcuff the couple.

The demonstrators on Saturday added they want to see cities work with vendors to lower permitting fees so that more can do business legitimately.

El Monte Police Department Chief David Reynoso said the demonstrators were peaceful and he will not be releasing a further statement on the rally.

Fallout Continues After Violent Encounter Between Health Inspectors, Police, El Monte Street Vendors

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 01:57:11 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — For witnesses like Kristina Sandoval, emotions were still raw Monday — days after a violent encounter between health inspectors, police and two El Monte street vendors.

El Monte Police Department Chief David Reynoso said the altercation was a sudden turn of events after officers and health inspectors had already finished 10 visits that day without incident. (Credit: Los Palomos)

“You don’t care, why,” she said. “Because we’re Mexicans, or maybe you think we’re in the wrong for selling in the street?”

Cell phone video of the encounter shows the moment the conversation turned to confrontation Saturday night. As things escalated to a physical altercation, all parties involved fell to the ground.

But what exactly the video shows depends on who is asked.

On one hand, Fermin Martinez, the owner of Los Palomos Taco Stand, said in Spanish that he did not strike anyone in the confrontation.

“Never at any moment did I hit anyone,” he said. “I didn’t hit him.”

On the other hand, El Monte Police Department Chief David Reynoso said the man did physically assault health inspectors and an officer.

“He did kick one of the health inspectors,” he said. “Also kicked an officer and, at one point, even reached for the officer’s taser.”

In the video, Martinez appeared to reach for an officer’s belt line, but it was not immediately clear what, if anything, he was reaching for.

Reynoso said the altercation was a sudden turn of events after officers and health inspectors had already finished 10 visits that day without incident.

According to Reynoso, it was Martinez’s wife who got physical with one of the agents first, which led to a call for backup and then the altercation where police said she kept kicking — even after she was handcuffed.

“That’s a lie,” Sandoval said. “If you’re gonna trust the police report of a video of the situation, that’s a lie.”

Sandoval, who runs a dessert stand connected to Los Polomos, said the health department has been harassing them. She said if the owners got physical, it was only to protect themselves.

“We are the stand that gets [visited] by the health department five times a day, seven times a week,” she said. “Every day they have been coming, we don’t know when this is gonna stop.”

Martinez has been charged with assault on a police officer and resisting a police officer during the course of their duties. His wife, Sylvia Aguilar, has been charged with resisting a police officer during the course of their duties and assault.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said the inspectors were investigating reports of food vendors operating without permits.

Police said Martinez apologized to them in person for losing his temper and even wrote an apology to the officer he allegedly kicked.

Authorities Investigating Vandalism, Explosion At El Monte Church

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 21:49:34 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Authorities are investigating vandalism and a possible explosion at an El Monte church Saturday morning.

First responders arrived at the scene around 1:13 a.m. in response to reports of smoke at First Works Baptist Church, 2600 Tyler Ave.

“When our units arrived to the scene they found that the First Works Baptist Church was having some smoke come out of the windows,” said Lt Christopher Cano of the El Monte Police Department. “It appeared that the walls to the church had been vandalized as well as all the windows at first appeared to be smashed.

“Then, we realized that the windows were not smashed, [and] that they had actually blown out from some type of explosion.”

The FBI said an improvised explosive device was found at the scene.

“The idea something like that would happen in this neighborhood is beyond comprehension,” said neighbor Eugene Brown.

Firefighters cleared the scene by 4:23 a.m., officials said. However, other investigative units, including the FBI, remain.

The church, headed by Pastor Bruce Mejia, has been the focus of community protests in recent weeks due to what are perceived to be teachings against the LGBTQ community.

Mejia has said his doctrine since the church was launched three years ago includes condemnation of same-sex relationships.

“We can’t say what the motive was for this attack I don’t want to say those groups in any way were responsible for this,” said El Monte Police Chief David Reynoso.

No one was injured in the explosion, and investigators are searching the area for security video.

No Injuries After Second-Alarm Commercial Fire In El Monte

Mon, 23 Nov 2020 06:20:03 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — A second-alarm fire burned for about two hours at an El Monte commercial building Sunday night, prompting several evacuations.

The fire at 9900 E. Valley Blvd. was reported around 7:50 p.m., according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Four fire trucks and 10 engines were called to the scene.

The fire was completely knocked down just before 9:30 p.m.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Man Shot, Wounded In El Monte Mobile Home Park

Mon, 28 Sep 2020 16:15:13 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – Authorities are searching for a gunman who shot and wounded a man in a mobile home park in El Monte Sunday night.

Sept. 27, 2020. (CBSLA)

The shooting occurred in the common area of a mobile home park located in the 11900 block of Magnolia Street at around 9:45 p.m.

El Monte police responded to find a man with gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a hospital in unknown condition.

There was no word on a motive in the shooting or any suspect information.

El Monte Police Officers To Start Wearing Body Cameras

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 05:55:47 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Funding for officer body cameras within the El Monte Police Department has been approved after the city council and El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero came to a unanimous agreement.

“We are always striving to improve accountability, transparency, and legitimacy within our community; body-worn cameras are a significant step in keeping up with that commitment,” Quintero said. “The use of body-worn cameras offers a sense of security to both the public and to our officers.”

The city of El Monte has a five-year deal with LensLock, a San Diego-based company, that will supply the cameras to the police department for $141,652.50 each year.

The agreement includes warranties, training and round-the-clock technical support on the devices, officials said.

The cameras, which were approved after calls for more transparency from local law enforcement, will be able to capture photos at the scene as well.

“These improvements in technology will allow our officers to work more efficiently and effectively when it comes to securing digital evidence, which is an increasingly significant component of modern policing,” said El Monte Police Department Chief David Reynoso.

The city said it hopes to have officers wearing the body cameras by the end of the year.

El Monte Man Arrested On Suspicion Of Killing 67-Year-Old Woman 24 Years Ago

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 22:52:27 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — An El Monte man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder in connection with the 1996 killing of a 67-year-old woman, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

David Adolph Bernal, 46, was taken into custody in connection with the killing of Mary Lindgren, who deputies said was brutally beaten and raped.

According to the sheriff’s department, Lindgren was a resident at the Covina Villa Retirement Home, an assisted living center for senior citizens in Covina, at the time of her death. She lived alone in a first floor bedroom and was found Jan. 19, 1996 at about 7:30 a.m. by staff at the facility. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

LASD homicide investigators assisted the Covina Police Department with the initial investigation that included the collection of several items of evidence, including DNA believed to belong to the suspect.

During initial analysis, the unidentified male’s DNA profile failed to match any previously existing profiles within the state or federal criminal justice DNA databases.

The department said investigators continued to send out crime broadcasts in the following years about the homicide, but failed to lead to a suspect in Lindgren’s killing.

But in 2019, the unidentified DNA profile was submitted to the state’s DNA search and identification process. And, in July of this year, officials with the California Department of Justice notified investigators that Bernal was a probable suspect in the case.

LASD said Bernal’s DNA matched with the sample collected from Lindgren’s body in 1996 and an arrest and search warrant was issued.

Bernal is scheduled to be arraigned Friday in the Los Angeles Superior Court. His bail has been set at $2 million.

El Monte, City Of Industry Team Up To Match Workers With Employers

Wed, 05 Aug 2020 02:09:20 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — With unemployment at record highs, both employers and employees have been forced to think outside the box to make ends meet.

But now two neighboring cities — El Monte and the City of Industry — are doing just that with a partnership aimed at helping both residents and businesses.

“They will provide us the jobs, and we will provide them the applicants,” Jerry Velasco, an El Monte councilman, said. “So, basically, it’s a two-way street.”

The virtual job placement program pairs the workforce of El Monte with thousands of employers in the City of Industry looking for help.

“We’re basically doing them a big favor, because we’re eliminating a lot of red tape, and they’re doing us a huge favor by hiring these individuals,” Velasco said. “I’m glad that we have partnered up with them.”

There are already more than 3,000 businesses like Valley Vista Services signed up and ready to hire.

“I think El Monte and Industry have done a great job here, and it could certainly expand to other surrounding communities,” Dave Perez, owner of Valley Vista Services, said. “There’s a lot of good people trying very hard to improve the lives of people that are really struggling right now, and we’re just very happy to be a part of that.”

Those interested can learn more about the program on the city of El Monte’s website or the City of Industry Business Council’s website.

Man Shot, Killed In El Monte; Gunman At Large

Fri, 24 Jul 2020 13:59:45 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – Authorities are looking for a gunman who shot a man to death in an El Monte neighborhood early Friday morning.

July 24, 2020. (CBSLA)

The shooting occurred in the 3400 block of Durfee Avenue at around 3:08 a.m., the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reports.

The man was rushed to a hospital, where he died. His name was not released.

There was no suspect information and no motive. The circumstances of the killing were not confirmed. It’s unclear exactly where the victim was killed.

The sheriff’s department and El Monte police are investigating.

New Program Looks To Pair Unemployed El Monte Workers With Jobs In City Of Industry

Wed, 22 Jul 2020 17:48:02 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – El Monte and the City of Industry are launching a platform to help residents who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic find work.

The two cities announced that the Virtual Job Placement Program will help serve as a “one-stop shop” to connect recently laid off El Monte residents with businesses in the City of Industry.

A deliveryman wears a facemask pushing his push cart up a ramp in Los Angeles on May 4, 2020. (Getty Images)

The program is exclusively for El Monte residents.

While the City of Industry only has a few hundred residents, it is home to over 3,000 businesses which employ tens of thousands of people.

The program is a collaboration between the city of El Monte and the Industry Business Council, a nonprofit business organization.

“This partnership is a part of our proactive work to be an exceptional resource for our resident’s during these uncertain times,” said City of El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero said in a statement. “By partnering with our neighbors in the City of Industry, we hope to match all residents in need of work with a quality job in their community and in turn provide the business community with qualified applicants.”

COVID-19 has delivered an economic blow to the Los Angeles metro area. As of mid-June, Los Angeles County’s unemployment rate was 20.9%, prompting the county to launch a more than $100 million renters relief program.

For more information on the program, click here.

The city and county of L.A. has also started the L.A. Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, which is offering millions of dollars in loans and grants to help keep small businesses afloat.

Man Found Stabbed To Death At El Monte Motel

Thu, 21 May 2020 12:45:28 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Police are investigating the fatal stabbing of a man found at an El Monte motel.

El Monte police officers were called to M Motel on Valley Boulevard, near Baldwin Avenue, just before 9 p.m. to check a call about a disturbance. At the motel, the officers found a man with several stab wounds.

He was taken to a hospital, where he died. He has not been identified.

A description of a suspect was not immediately available.

Anyone with information about the stabbing can call the Los Angeles County sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.

3-Alarm Fire Breaks Out In El Monte Strip Mall, Causing Partial Collapse

Fri, 15 May 2020 05:05:52 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — A three-alarm fire broke out in an El Monte strip mall Thursday night, causing the building to partially collapse.

Eighty firefighters were dispatched to the 10100 block of East Valley Boulevard, near Baldwin Avenue, at about 8:10 p.m. according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Fire crews continued to battle the blaze at 10 p.m., but no injuries had been reported.

El Monte Approves Cash Assistance Of Up To $1,200 For Renters Hit Hard By Coronavirus

Fri, 08 May 2020 16:48:47 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Renters in El Monte can now apply for up to $1,200 in cash assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The City of El Monte’s mayor and city council this week approved cash assistance of up to $1,200 for qualified renters.

A volunteer in mask and gloves checks-in people in their vehicles arriving to pick up groceries at a food bank opened in response to the coronavirus pandemic on April 20, 2020 in El Monte, California. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

“There are many people that are hurting in our city that don’t have the resources to pay rent,” Mayor Andre Quintero said in a statement.

To qualify, residents must be within Los Angeles County’s 50% income limit and be able to prove they were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents can go to El Monte’s virtual city hall to apply for the cash assistance. Anyone without access to the internet can come to El Monte City Hall, 11333 Valley Blvd., pick up an application and drop off the completed form at a designated dropbox.

El Monte Man Fatally Shot After Going Out For Fresh Air

Mon, 04 May 2020 12:21:45 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — An El Monte man was shot and killed while out for some fresh air just outside his home.

Ruben Arreola Nunez, 30, was fatally shot at about 8:45 p.m. Sunday near Emery Street and Peck Road. His family says he had gone out to get some fresh air.

Moments later, his family says they hear gunshots. Nunez’s brother ran out and found him on the sidewalk with gunshot wounds to his upper torso.

Nunez was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Nunez’s niece, Brenda Reynoso said. “My grandma, it’s her son. She just wants to know what happened and why. Why would you kill someone for no reason?”

No suspect information has been released. Anyone with information about the shooting can call homicide detectives at (323) 890-5500.

Coronavirus: El Monte Giving $10K Grants To Local Businesses

Mon, 27 Apr 2020 17:30:21 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – The city of El Monte is giving out dozens of grants to local businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.

A pedestrian wearing a facemask walks past shuttered shopfronts in Los Angeles on April 23, 2020. (Getty Images)

Beginning Monday, local businesses can apply for $10,000 one-time grants.

Up to 55 businesses will receive help, the city said. Businesses must have less than 20 employees to qualify. The money can be used for overhead expenses such as covering rent, utilities.

The program was approved by the El Monte City Council and is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development .

Businesses can begin applying at 9 a.m. Monday.

“Businesses are the backbone of our community and we like to make sure they are taken care of in this time of need.” Mayor Andre Quintero said in a statement Sunday.

Earlier this month, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors established a public-private relief fund for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus outbreak.

Coronavirus: 3 New Testing Sites Open In El Monte, Bellflower, Inglewood

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 19:11:16 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Three new coronavirus testing sites opened Wednesday at the San Gabriel Valley Airport in El Monte, at the Bellflower Civic Center’s parking structure and at the Forum in Inglewood.

“All the experts are telling us that we won’t be able to get back to some sense of normalcy until thee is a system of robust testing in place,” El Monte Mayor Andre Quintero said.

The Bellflower Civic Center testing site is located in the parking structure, 16600 Civic Center Drive, while the new drive-up site at the Forum is at 3900 W. Manchester Blvd.

As with other new sites that have been established in the last couple of weeks, people who are eligible for a test and have an appointment can stay in their cars for their tests and swab their own mouths and throats. The testing process takes between five and 10 minutes to complete, but wait times will depend on the time of the day.

New testing sites were also opened this week in Riverside County at the Perris Fairgrounds — where officials hope to conduct at least 250 tests a day — and at Montclair Plaza in San Bernardino County.

LA County has a full list of coronavirus testing sites.

Man Charged With Murdering 64-Year-Old Roommate In El Monte Mobile Home Park

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 19:53:39 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – A 22-year-old man has been charged with murdering his roommate, a 64-year-old woman, and dragging her body to a dumpster at an El Monte mobile home park Tuesday.

Security video shows a barefoot man pushing a bin toward a set of dumpsters at a mobile home park in El Monte, Calif., on Feb. 4, 2020. The bin is believed to have contained the body of 64-year-old Florinda Velasquez-Hernandez. (courtesy video)

David Lemus-Orellana was taken into custody on murder charges in the slaying of Florinda Velasquez-Hernandez, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported Wednesday.

On Tuesday morning, El Monte police were called to a report of a man dragging a body towards a set of dumpsters in the 3300 block of Maxson Road. Velasquez-Hernandez’s body was later found by officers inside one of the dumpsters.

Security footage showed what neighbors said was a barefoot man pushing a bin that held the victim’s body.

Lemus-Orellana was arrested later Tuesday.

Velasquez-Hernandez’s family told CBS2 that she had emigrated from El Salvador about three years ago and lived in a trailer in the mobile home park with at least two men. They said she rented a room there.

A motive for the murder is not known. Velasquez-Hernandez’s cause of death was also not released.

Lemus-Orellana is being held on $1 million bail.

Police Find Woman’s Body Inside El Monte Dumpster, Suspect Arrested

Wed, 05 Feb 2020 04:20:44 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) — Sheriff’s detectives and El Monte police were investigating Tuesday after a woman’s body was found.

Security video shows a barefoot man pushing a bin toward the dumpsters before coming back without it. (Security video)

Officers with the El Monte Police Department responded to the 3300 block of Maxson Road at about 10:25 a.m. for a “suspicious circumstances” call after a person indicated they observed a male dragging a female body toward the dumpsters, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Security camera video showed what neighbors said was a barefoot man pushing a bin that held the body of a 64-year-old woman. Minutes later, the video showed the same man returning without the bin.

Police found the victim’s body inside a dumpster a few feet away. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.

“All we are willing to disclose is that she was seen by an informant being dragged from a location to the dumpster area,” Lt. Brandon Dean, of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, said.

Shortly after finding the body, and not long after that video was recorded, police arrested a suspect in the case.

The family of the victim was at the scene of the discovery, overwhelmed by emotion. One woman said the victim was her mother, Florinda Velasquez Hernandez.

Family members said the body found in the dumpster was that of 62-year-old Florinda Velazquez Fernandez. (Velazquez Family Photo)

The family said Fernandez had immigrated from El Salvador three years ago and lived in the mobile home park in a trailer with at least two men. They said she rented a room inside their home.

Police have not yet said whether the man in the video or the suspect who has been arrested was one of her roommates, though the family said they were trying to get Fernandez to move out of the mobile home park.

Neighbors said they were heartbroken and angry.

“Very degrading,” a neighbor said. “I imagine one of my family members getting dumped in some random dumpster, and it’s just degrading. No human being deserves that.”

Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call the LASD Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500.

Man Stabbed To Death On El Monte Street

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 17:50:12 +0000

EL MONTE (CBSLA) – Authorities are investigating the stabbing death of a man on a street in El Monte Wednesday morning.

Jan. 15, 2019. (CBS2)

The victim was discovered dead in the 4400 block of Baldwin Avenue at around 7:14 a.m., according to El Monte police.

His name was not released.

There was no word on whether investigators had identified suspects or a motive.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s detectives were called in to lead the investigation.

Man Accused Of Murdering Pregnant Wife In El Monte Extradited From Mexico

Thu, 09 Jan 2020 14:12:52 +0000

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A man charged with the murder of his estranged wife and their unborn child has been extradited from Mexico and returned to Southern California. Octavio Curiel-Martinez was being held without bail Thursday in Los Angeles after being brought back on Jan. 3 to face charges in the murder of Ana Maria Nunez, his estranged wife who was six months pregnant, on Aug. 29, 2018.

Authorities say after he shot his wife to death at her El Monte home that night, he also drove to his father’s house nearby and fired a gun at him. The father, Raymond Curiel, was not hurt.

(credit: FBI)

Curiel-Martinez fled the country, but was arrested for an unrelated charge near the state of Jalisco, Mexico in May of 2019, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. By then, he had been named one of the FBI’s Most Wanted, and Mexican authorities notified their American counterparts that he was in custody.

Los Angeles County sheriff’s homicide detectives worked with the FBI to arrange for Curiel-Martinez’s extradition. He arrived back in Los Angeles last Friday at about 11 a.m., and was immediately taken into custody for the murder of Nunez and the attempted murder of his father.

He is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Feb. 19.