Corona, Ca: Corona Shooting Suspect Armed, Dangerous - Police

Authorities are searching for a man in connection with the fatal shooting of a 55-year-old grandmother in Corona, and warning the public that her 28-year-old daughter also may be in danger.

Katherine Aguirre was shot and killed shortly after noon Wednesday, according to Corona police officials. The shooting happened at the victim's home in the 700 block of South Merrill Street, where Aguirre was found suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She died at the hospital.

Aguirre's daughter -- Crystal Gene Lopez -- was last seen Wednesday morning and is not answering her cell phone, police said in an alert issued Wednesday afternoon. The mother of four young sons missed an appointment earlier in the day, family members told NBC4.

Carlos Martin Quezada, 28, of Corona, is wanted in connection with the slaying and is believed to be armed and dangerous, police said. Investigators believe Quezada may be dating Lopez, though a motive for the shooting has not been established.

"We believe he is out there looking for Crystal right now," said Lt. Alan Lorton, with Corona police.

Police are warning anyone who sees the suspect to call 911. He is believed to be driving a blue/gray 1982 Chevy pickup truck with California license plate 2B29305.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lopez is asked to call the Corona Police Department at 951-739-2330, option 3.

Riverside, CA: Update on Ambushed Riverside Officers

Funeral Arrangements for Fallen Officer:

The funeral for the fallen Riverside Police Officer is scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, 2013, at 10:30 AM, PST at Grove Community Church. An Honor Guard procession will proceed to the Riverside National Cemetery for Interment immediately following the service. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Any police agency wishing to participate please contact the following personnel for more information:
Aviation- Sgt. Dwayne May at 951-320-8078 or dmay@riversideca.gov
Honor Guard- Ofc. Marvin Braun at 951-351-6387 or mbraun@riversideca.gov
Traffic/Motor- Lt. Eric Charrette echarrette@riversideca.gov

Injured Riverside Police Officer Update:

The second Riverside Police Officer that was shot Thursday, February 7, 2013, in the ambush is currently stable and receiving treatment for his injuries.

Corona, CA: Officer on Officer involved Shootings

A massive manhunt is underway for a double murder suspect who is a former police officer, after three officers were shot overnight, one fatally.

The suspect is believed to be Christopher Jordan Dorner, 33, a former LAPD officer and Navy reservist, known to be a skilled sniper. Officials warned that he is armed and dangerous.

Dorner is believed to be driving a blue or gray Nissan Titan pickup, California license plate 8D83987 or 7X09131. He may have changed the plates.

San Diego police have confirmed that a wallet containing a badge and ID of Dorner was found near Lindbergh Field.

A blue alert for the suspect has been issued for Kern, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and Imperial counties.

It all began early Thursday in Corona, where witnesses spotted the suspect at an AMPM and alerted authorities.

Two LAPD officers were in the area en route to the home of an individual mentioned in an online manifesto posted by the suspect threatening police.

They began following the suspect’s vehicle on the 15 Freeway. The suspect exited at Magnolia and headed eastbound.

That’s where the suspect got out of the truck and opened fire with a shoulder-type weapon (like a rifle), police said.

The officers took cover and returned fire. One officer suffered a graze wound and was treated at the scene. The other officer was not injured.

The suspect then got back into the pickup truck and continued eastbound on Magnolia.

Shortly after, around 1:30 a.m., two Riverside police officers were shot while on routine patrol in a marked unit near Magnolia and Arlington, police said.

The officers were stopped at a red light when they were ambushed. They were not actively searching for Dorner, according to Riverside police Lt. Guy Toussaint.

The officers were taken to Riverside Community Hospital, where one was pronounced dead. The other was undergoing surgery and was said to be in critical condition.

A command post has been set up at Arlington and Brockton. Riverside police do not believe that the Dorner is still in the immediate area, according to Toussaint.

School has been canceled for Thursday at Notre Dame High School. Toussaint said it would be up to individual schools to decide how to proceed.

Back in Corona, a command post has been set up on the Magnolia overpass to the 15 Freeway. Schools in the area have been alerted, police said, but classes were continuing as normal.

Dorner is wanted for allegedly killing Cal State Fullerton assistant basketball coach Monica Quan, the daughter of a former LAPD officer, and her fiance, Keith Lawrence.

The couple was found shot to death in the parking lot of their upscale apartment complex in Irvine on Sunday night.

Authorities say that Dorner wrote an online manifesto threatening to harm police officials and their families.

Law enforcement sources said police have placed security at the homes of L.A. police officials named in the manifesto and believe Dorner has numerous weapons.

In the online postings, Dorner specifically named retired L.A. police captain Randy Quan, the father of Monica Quan.

Randy Quan apparently served as Dorner’s representative in the process that ultimately led to Dorner’s dismissal.

Dorner was fired in 2008 for allegedly making false statements about his field training officer, who he accused of kicking a suspect.

Dorner said in his online postings that being a police officer had been his life’s ambition since he served in the police Explorer program.

He said it was the LAPD’s fault that he lost his law enforcement and Navy careers, as well as his relationships with family and close friends.

Dorner claimed he suffered from severe depression and was filled with rage at the people who forced him from his job.

He said he didn’t mind dying, because he had already died when he was fired form the LAPD.

Dorner’s last known address is in La Palma. He is described as a 6-foot-tall African American who weighs about 270 pounds, and has black hair and brown eyes.

Anyone with information is asked to call a tip line at (714) 724-7192. If you see Dorner, you should call 911 immediately.

Corona, CA: Teachers aide accused of sexually assaulting student

A teachers aide in the Corona-Norco Unified School District was arrested on suspicion of sexual assaulting a 13-year-old student, authorities said Wednesday.
Steven Martinez of Norco, 22, allegedly sent inappropriate text messages to the girl, and chatted with her on social media sites, before assaulting her, according to a statement released by the Corona Police Department.

The girl’s parents contacted police Monday after seeing the text messages.
Martinez was described as an educational aide working for the district, and met the girl “during the course of his employment.’’ He is being held at the Larry D. Smith Correctional facility in Riverside in lieu of $1 million bail.

Corona, CA: 2 killed, 2 injured in Calif. bus bench crash

Two people were killed and two others were severely injured Friday after a car plowed into a bus bench in the Southern California city of Riverside, according to police.

The four-door Kia sedan crashed into a light pole before smashing into the bus stop bench, hitting four people who were waiting for a bus, said Officer Bryan Galbreath.

Witnessed told investigators the sedan stopped at a red light, proceeded when the light turned green, and veered sharply to the right, said Lieutenant Eric Charrette. It's unclear what caused the change in direction.

A 28-year-old woman and a 7-year-old girl, both of Corona, were pronounced dead at the scene.

A 31-year-old Riverside man and a 30-year-old Corona woman were taken to Riverside Community Hospital with severe injuries. No names have been released pending family identification.

Galbreath said the 45-year-old driver has been detained.

He told the Riverside Press-Enterprise there were no skid marks leading to the bus stop and neither speed nor intoxication immediately appeared to be a factor in the crash. Galbreath said police are investigating whether the driver was intoxicated.

Riverside is about 55 miles east of Los Angeles.

The Associated Press

Corona, CA: Make snowflakes or donate to support Sandy Hook students

The National PTA reports that an effort is under way to cheer the Sandy Hook Elementary students when they resume instruction. They are asking children to make snowflakes or to donate change in support of the Sandy Hook PTSA.

The National PTA met with PTA leaders of all of the schools in Newtown, Conn., including the Sandy Hook PTA, as well as community leaders who requested the group’s help in supporting the families, according to a statement from the National PTA.

Below are details about the two efforts that have begun at the request of the parents group at Sandy Hook in the wake of last Friday’s school shooting.

Corona, CA: Citizen’s Reports Lead to Arrest of Probationer for Residential Burglary and Car Theft

On Sunday, December 9, 2012, just after 12:30 p.m., Irvine Officers arrested Tony Angulo Jr. (5-9-80) of Riverside County for auto theft, multiple thefts from vehicles and residential burglary after a foot pursuit in the Turtle Ridge area of Irvine.

The first call of a suspicious subject came from a community member at about 9:30 a.m., who noticed Angulo walking in and around vehicles parked in a church parking lot. In addition to calling the police, she started her car and made eye contact with the subject, prompting him to walk away from the area. Just over an hour later, officers responded to the Turtle Ridge Apartments where a small amount of cash had been stolen from an unlocked vehicle. While taking that report, a second victim approached the officer and explained that he too had been a victim of theft from his vehicle. His phone was stolen and he had just tracked it using the “Find My Droid” application. As the man was giving the officer Angulo’s description, they spotted him. Angulo fled into a nearby marsh, but ultimately was caught by officers and taken into custody without incident.

Corona, CA: There's no safety in our vast numbers of guns

Even as the toll of violence mounts, Americans' love of firearms keeps growing and lawmakers remain cowed by the gun lobby.

 

He seemed pretty sure we were headed in that direction, but gun ownership is never going to be eliminated in this country. We love guns. We have more than 300 million of them, which is nearly one for every man, woman and child. In 2010, nearly 5.5 million firearms were manufactured in this country, 95% of them for the U.S. market.

And our support for guns just keeps growing. In 1969, Gallup reported that 60% of Americans supported a ban on handguns. In 2011, a Gallup poll found that only 26% wanted a ban.

Corona, CA: Man killed by truck after disturbance call

Police racing to quell a fight found the body of a 29-year-old Riverside man who apparently had been hit by a truck in a Corona parking lot, coroner’s officials say.

Bryan Vannoy died at the scene of the 12:51 a.m. incident Sunday, Dec. 9, along the 1500 block of East Ontario Avenue.
A call to police seeking details was not immediately answered.

Corona, CA: Barricade Suspect Fatally Shoots Himself After Standoff In Corona

Police in Corona say a man who barricaded himself inside a home after he reportedly ran through the streets trying to shoot a female acquaintance, took his own life Saturday.

According to authorities, police received several calls after 10:35 a.m. about shots being fired in the vicinity of Ingram Drive and Norgate Circle.

Witnesses told police they saw a man allegedly firing shots at a woman who was fleeing on foot. The unidentified woman was able to make it to a neighbor’s home without injury.

Officials said the man returned to his home in the 5000 block of Ingram Street and refused to come out.

The man’s relationship to the woman is unclear.

A SWAT team was called but authorities said they were unable to make contact with the alleged shooter.

Corona SWAT, along with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, made entry into the residence hours later and found the suspect dead as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The man’s name is being withheld pending notification of his next of kin.

Corona, CA: Former baseball star Lenny Dykstra sentenced in federal bankruptcy case

Lenny Dykstra, the former New York Mets outfielder who became a successful self-taught investor, was sentenced Monday to 6 1/2 months in federal custody following bankruptcy fraud and other federal charges, authorities announced Monday.

Dykstra, 49, faced 20 years in prison but prosecutors recommended 2 1/2 years following his guilty plea to three felony counts -- bankruptcy fraud, concealment of assets and money laundering, according to U.S. Attorney spokesman Thom Mrozek.

Dykstra is already serving a three-year state prison sentence after pleading no contest in July to grand theft auto in a separate case.

Corona, CA: High School Principal Accused Of Having Sex With Former Student

The principal of a high school near Rancho Cucamonga has been accused of having sex with a former student.

Brian Garrett Joseph, 38, was arrested at his Corona home Tuesday after an investigation revealed the Etiwanda High School principal was intimately involved with the now 18-year-old girl.

The sexual relationship allegedly started when the victim was a student at the school.

Corona, CA: Child Porn Suspect Held on $1 Million Bail

Charles Russell Long was arrested at the Glen Ivy RV Resort in the 24000 block of Glen Ivy Road, in Corona on Tuesday, according to Lake Elsinore sheriff's officials; he was released on bail, then arrested again.

A 56-year-old Corona man who allegedly took pictures and video of young girls in bikinis at an RV park pool was arrested, made $5,000 bail, then re-arrested when investigators got a look at his computer's contents.

Charles Russell Long was arrested at the Glen Ivy RV Resort in the 24000 block of Glen Ivy Road, in Corona, on Tuesday, according to a sergeant with the county sheriff's Lake Elsinore station.

Corona, CA: Corona man dies in custody after being restrained and tasered

A 27-year-old Corona man who had been put in four-point restraints and shocked with a Taser died in sheriff's custody in Norco today, the man's aunt said.

Anthony Lawson was arrested about 1:30 a.m. near 7462 Citrus Valley Ave. and "hogtied," his aunt, who identified herself only as Darline, told City News Service.

The sheriff's department did not have anyone available for comment early today.

Corona, CA: Corona man arrested after alleged extortion attempt in Victorville

A Corona man was arrested by San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies at his home Wednesday on suspicion of burglary and extortion.

Authorities said Dennis Jackson, 61, went to the Pick and Pull Automotive posing as a state occupational safety and health administration inspector under the alias of Tim Peters.

Jackson also claimed to be a retired FBI agent and showed employees a badge, the sheriff's department said in a news release.

Corona, CA: Motorcyclist Dies in Collision on 91 Freeway in Cerritos

The Corona resident was killed in an accident on Friday night.

A 54-year-old motorcyclist from Corona was killed Friday night when his bike rear-ended two stopped vehicles in heavy traffic on the Artesia (91) Freeway in Cerritos, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The motorcyclist was later identified as James R. Scarborough, a resident of Corona, according to a department statement.

The crash on the eastbound freeway at Shoemaker Avenue took place about 6:50 p.m. Friday, according to the CHP.

Corona, CA: U.S. EPA Settles with Lead Acid Battery Manufacturer in Corona for Air Violations / Company to Pay More Than $167,000, Install Additional Air Filters to Capture Lead Particles (CA)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that U.S. Battery Manufacturing Company has agreed to pay $167,300 to resolve federal Clean Air Act violations. U.S. Battery, located in Corona, Calif., failed to comply with federal emissions monitoring and reporting requirements, including performance testing requirements for its lead emission control devices. In addition to paying the penalty, the company will install secondary high efficiency air filters to capture additional lead particles.

"By failing to monitor and test its pollution controls, the company increased the health risks for employees and the nearby community," said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA's Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. "EPA will remain vigilant in enforcing the Clean Air Act."

Corona, CA: West Covina officer honored for fiery plane crash rescue

A West Covina police officer received the Burn Institute's 2012 Inland Empire Spirit of Courage Award last weekend for pulling an injured pilot and passenger from the burning wreckage of an airplane crash in Corona.

Officer Mike Weathermon was given the honor at a Sept. 21 ceremony in Riverside, officials said.

"I'm very proud of him," West Covina Police Chief Frank Wills said. "He brought a tremendous credit and distinction to the West Covina Police Department.

Corona, CA: 17-Year-Old Pedestrian Fatally Struck By Car In Menifee

Authorities say a 17-year-old pedestrian suffered fatal injuries following a collision in Menifee.

Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Sergio Rodriguez reported in a department statement that the fatal crash took place in the area of Domenigoni Parkway and Laguna Vista Drive about 11:10 p.m. Friday.

The statement said the victim, identified by the coroner’s office as Steven Nunez of Corona, was struck by a sedan while walking east on the westbound side of Domenigoni Parkway.

Corona, CA: Corona, CA to Axe red-light camera program on Guy Fawkes day

"Remember, Remember, the 5th of November," or so goes the rally cry of Guy Fawkes, the Catholic rebel who was executed for plotting to blow up the English Parliament. Guy Fawkes day, popularized in recent years by the 2006 movie V for Vendetta, currently represents opposition to the corrupt establishment. Perhaps it is fitting then, albeit coincidental, that one of the main technological surveillance tools used to tyrannize and fleece the hard-earned money out of everyday people is coming to an end on that very same day.

The City Council of Corona, California has ratified their decision to officially terminate their red-light camera program effective November 5, 2012. At the City Council meeting on September 4th, the City narrowly voted 3-2 to axe the city's contract with Redflex Traffic Systems, Inc. The Southern California City, located in Riverside County 47 miles southeast of Los Angeles, originally entered into the contract with Reflex on November 5, 2008. The contract consisted of a 3 year term with two automatic renewal terms of one year, unless a party canceled with 60 days notice.