• Ray Bradbury celebrated his 90th birthday in South Pasadena. The Star-News did a nice piece on it but, I think, made a slight boo-boo: “The Fremont Centre Theater regularly shows Ray Bradbury movies.”
• Interesting story in the Wall Street Journal on the Modern Whigs includes this bit: “Nationwide, Whigs point to just two members in political office, both in unpaid, local positions. Alan Reynolds, a 25-year-old engineering consultant who stumbled onto the Whigs by Googling ‘Political Parties,’ holds an appointed post on the Parks and Recreation Commission in South Pasadena, Calif.”
• A little stale for me to mention now, but blogging.la listed the five worst Trader Joe’s parking lots, and didn’t include South Pasadena. Vigorous debate ensued in the comments.
• Writer and urban designer John Leighton Chase, who grew up in South Pasadena, has died. He was 57.
• The L.A. Times once quoted Alhambra City Manager Julio Fuentes as saying, ”This is not just an Alhambra versus South Pasadena issue. We’re fighting for the regional benefit of this freeway. We want to get the traffic off our streets and onto the freeway.” He was talking, of course, about the 710. But now there’s a proposed high-speed rail system that could cut through Alhambra. Is Fuentes for it? “Sure, it’s good for the state, but depending on how it effects our neighborhoods, we’ll fight it.” Sigh.

I arrived at TJ’s about 4:15 today just as what seemed like the entire SPPD was also arriving.  They had a teenage girl in handcuffs. Apparently three juveniles snatched one or more purses and ran. At least one of them was observed entering TJ’s. She was in the front just being cuffed when I was walking into the store. A woman, who appeared to be a victim, told the cops to check her pockets. Apparently they found a wad of cash on her. On my way home I drove east toward the tracks on El Centro and saw a number of the police cars from TJ’s.  Looked like they had nabbed a male juvenile who was part of the incident. A witness who saw the kids running told me he thought there might have been three involved.

Full police report after the jump.

June 15-22, 2010

(Hundred block given in place of exact address)

The Weekly Crime Summary is a list of reported auto thefts, burglaries, robberies and other activities occurring in the City of South Pasadena. An alert and well-informed citizen makes you less of a target to a criminal. Remember; call the South Pasadena Police Department to report any suspicious activity.

RECOVERED STOLEN VEHICLE

• 6-22-10, 9:41 AM, 1200 block of Blair. ’91, Honda Accord. Officers respond to a vehicle parked for several days on the street. Vehicle is found to be stolen from Montebello.
• 6-17-10, 12:44 AM, 1700 block of Garfield. ’97, Honda CRV. Officers respond to a vehicle parked on the street. Officers locate vehicle and vehicle is found to be stolen from Arcadia.

STOLEN VEHICLE

• 6-16-10, 9 PM to 6-17-10, 10 AM, 200 block of Monterey. ’98, Honda Civic. Recovered on 6-21-10 by LAPD Hollenbeck.

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY

• 6-22-10, 6 AM to 12:30 PM, 700 block of Orange Grove Terrace. Suspect(s) smashes side window to gain entry. LOSS: Jewelry, TV, purses, jewelry, phone and CD player.
• 6-17-10, 11 PM, 1600 block of Bank. Suspect (boyfriend) and victim (girlfriend) were in a dating relationship, but separated. Suspect continues to contact victim to reconcile relationship, but victim refuses. Suspect enters victim’s residence by prying a rear window. Suspect and victim argue and victim attempts to leave, but suspect pushes victim, restraining her from leaving. Victim finally leaves and calls police. SUSPECT ARRESTED: Male, 49, Ontario.
• January 2010 to 6-14-10, 1300 block of Garfield. Victim returns home after being hospitalized for six months and discover property missing. LOSS: Music CDs, books and three pistols.

COMMERCIAL BURGLARY

• 6-19-10, 7 PM, 1700 block of Garfield (Ralphs). Witness sees suspect pushing shopping cart containing loss to a vehicle and drive away. LOSS: Red Bull drinks. SUSPECT VEHICLE: White, Lexus. SUSPECTS DESCRIPTION: S1 – Male, Armenian, 20-25, 507, 150-160, wearing dark colored baseball cap, dark blue shirt and shorts. S2 – Male, Armenian, 20-25, 508, 150-160, wearing a white t-shirt and a white “Lakers” jersey.

ASSAULTS

• 6-21-10, 10:45 PM, 1100 block of Fair Oaks. Victim (son) and suspect (father) get into a physical altercation and victim attempts to leave. As victim enters vehicle to drive away, suspect attempts to stop victim from leaving. Victim pepper sprays suspect and drives away.

DAYTIME LOITERING

• 6-16-10, 10:25 AM, 1800 block of Fremont. Officers respond to juveniles possibly drinking alcohol. Officers locate juveniles and who do not possess off school permits and arrested. SUSPECTS ARRESTED: Male and Female Juvenile.

NIGHTTIME LOITERING

• 6-19-10, 10:18 PM, 1200 block of Fair Oaks. Officer sees suspect loitering after curfew hours. SUSPECT ARRESTED: Female, Juvenile.

DUI

• 6-18-10, 1:30 AM, Fair Oaks/Huntington. Suspect is involved in a traffic collision and found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. SUSPECT ARRESTED: Female, 25, Alhambra.
• 6-18-10, 10:51 PM, 200 block of Monterey. Suspect is stopped for a traffic violation and found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. SUSPECT ARRESTED: Female, 40, Arcadia.

DRUNK IN PUBLIC

• 6-20-10, 3:31 PM, 1200 block of Fair Oaks. Officers respond to a subject possibly drunk. Officers contact suspect and suspect is intoxicated and unable to care for herself. SUSPECT ARRESTED: Female, 52, South Pasadena.

THEFT

• 6-22-10, 1:20 PM, 600 block of Stoney (skatepark). Suspect approaches victim and engage in a conversation. Suspect then grabs loss and runs away. LOSS: Skateboard. SUSPECT DESCRIPTION: Male, Hispanic, 14-16, 507, black hair, wearing black shirt and jeans.
• 6-21-10, 2 PM, 1000 block of Mission. Victim is sitting on the front patio of a business, when suspect walks up and takes loss that is next to victim and runs away. LOSS: Purse. SUSPECT DESCRIPTION: Male, Hispanic, late teens, 506, long brown hair, wearing a black shirt and jeans.

From the city:

The City Council of South Pasadena is interested in receiving your input on the best use of the City-owned property at 825 Mission Street. This site is currently used as the City Yard housing the Public Works Department vehicles and supplies. In April 2009, a fire caused extensive damage to the City Yard. Although no one was hurt, two-thirds of the west garage was destroyed. At this point, the City Council wants your input and suggestions on the best utilization of this property, whether it may be to rebuild the City Yard or consider other uses. Please submit your suggestions to the City Manager’s Office by December 31, 2009 via letter, fax, email, or in person at:
City Hall-City Manager’s Office
1414 Mission Street
South Pasadena, CA 91030
(626) 403-7210
Fax (626) 403-7211
Email

• City Water Manager Marcelino Aguilar says of the Wilson Reservoir: “It’s about 100 years old. The life expectancy is supposed to be about 50 years.”
• Trader Joe’s is suing a New York store that’s decided to reopen as Trader John’s.
• Drilling began, in a testing phase, for the 710 tunnel. Right now it’s in Alhambra, where the freeway ends, and at Westmont Drive and Sherwood Avenue (just south of Main Street).
• Athens Services is making a move for exclusive trash rights in Montebello, and some residents are unhappy to the point of threatening a recall campaign.
• Jonathan Gold drinks our milkshakes.
• The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services fined South Pasadena-based RJJ Pasadena Securities Inc. $4,000 after discovering the company had at least four Oregon clients but wasn’t licensed in Oregon.
• Alhambra has some great Chinese restaurants, but you might want to stay away from the turtle soup.
• Forbes Traveler names The Dinosaur Farm one of 10 Amazing Toy Stores in America.
• Charles Phoenix is the Doo Dah parade grand marshal.