Coroner’s officials have confirmed the identity of a body found in a car in the San Gabriel Dam earlier this month as a 34-year-old Azusa man reported missing more than a year ago.
The body of Fausto Vydrio Jr., 34, was found inside his car Nov. 11 after the 1993 Nissan Maxima was exposed by the annually receding waters of the San Gabriel Dam, according to California Highway Patrol officials.
He was believed to be suffering from depression when he went missing on Aug. 18, 2011, officials said. He used a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury and had recently purchased his car and had it modified with hand controls before disappearing, Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators said.
Though officials suspected the body was that of Vydrio the day it was discovered, a positive identification at the coroner’s office was delayed due to the condition of the body.
An autopsy had been conducted on the the body, however his cause of death remained under investigating pending further investigation.

Police arrested an 18-year-old suspect on suspicion of drunken driving early Sunday after he led officers on a 7-mile chase from Covina to Azusa that ended in a crash, authorities said.
Flavio Mondragon of Azusa was booked on suspicion of intoxicated driving and evading police, Covina police Sgt. Tom Tardif said.
An officer tried to pull Mondragon over for a traffic violation as he drove in a pickup truck about 12:30 a.m. in the area of Citrus Avenue and Covina Boulevard, the sergeant said.
Mondragon refused to pull over and blew threw red lights as he led officers on a chase that ended when he crashed into a wrought iron fence surrounding an apartment complex at Gladstone Street, just east of Pasadena Avenue, in Azusa, according to Covina and Azusa police officials said.
The driver exited the crashed pickup truck and briefly began to run before surrendering, Tardif said.

AZUSA — Police sought the public’s help over the weekend in tracking down a man who exposed himself to two teenage girls as they walked home from school, officials said.
The incident took place about 3:30 p.m. Friday in the 400 block of Cerritos Avenue, near 5th Street, according to Azusa police Sgt. Andy Sutcliffe.
Two girls, ages 14 and 15, were approached by a man in a burgundy, 1980s- or 1990s-model Mercedes-Benz with tinted rear windows and a dent above the right rear wheel well, the sergeant said. The man called out to the teens.
“As the girls looked toward the vehicle, they noticed the man had his pants down and was exposing his genitals,” Sutcliffe said. “Both girls screamed and the driver fled southbound on Cerritos Avenue.”
Anyone with information was asked to contact Azusa police at 626-812-3200.

AZUSA — Firefighters carefully battled a fire at a home where the sounds of what was believed to be ammunition exploding were heard Thursday.
The blaze was first reported at 2:43 p.m. in the 500 block of North Dalton Avenue, Los Angeles County Fire Department officials said.
Firefighters found the building well-involved with flames, and heard popping noises coming from within, officials said.
Fearing the noises may have been due to ammunition stored inside the home detonating, officials added, firefighters used extreme caution as they worked to douse the fire.

AZUSA – The three people found dead inside a burning home in the 500 block of North Dalton Avenue on Thursday had been shot, authorities said Friday.

The names of the man and two women were not released, but friends and neighbors identified them as two sisters and their brother. They all lived in the home and were facing eviction, according to a friend.

“(Thursday), they were supposed to move out,” family friend Nola Dewester said.

The victims were all believed to be in their 40s or 50s, according to Azusa police and Los Angeles County Coroner’s officials.

“It appears they were victims of gunshot wounds to the upper body,” Azusa police Lt. Mike Bertelsen said.

Coroner’s investigators said they planned autopsies to determine the victims’ exact causes of death.

While the circumstances and motive in the killings remained under investigation, “there are no outstanding suspects related to this crime,” Bertelsen said.

Police recovered 12 rifles, 10 handguns, thousands of rounds of ammunition and several “suspicious incendiary devices” from inside the home, Bertelsen said.

… FULL STORY

After more than a week of eluding authorities, an Azusa man suspected of leading police on two wild pursuits late last month and assaulting an officer was in custody Sunday.
But not before he kicked a hole in the roof of his home and climbed through it in a final attempt to escape, police said.
Gerardo Herrejon, 43, was arrested after a two-hour standoff late Saturday at his condo in the 600 block of East Lee Place in Azusa, Covina police Lt. Ric Walczak said.
Herrejon was booked on suspicion of felony evading, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and forgery after being taken into custody about 11:50 p.m., Walczak said.
He had been sought since Nov. 29 when he allegedly passed counterfeit money along with 23-year-old Chandra Olazaba of Azusa at the Covina Walmart and then led Covina police on a pursuit that ended when the pursing police car crashed, officials said.
Police identified Olazaba as a suspect in the forgery and pursuit, and showed up at a parole office in El Monte Nov.<TH>30, where she was scheduled to meet with her parole officer, officials said.
Olazaba was arrested at the parole office, but Herrejon allegedly rammed a police car in the parking lot before leading officers on a second pursuit, according to Covina police Lt. Dave Foster.
Herrejon again eluded officers by abandoning his car in El Monte, leaping from a tall wall and and continuing to flee on foot.
Authorities had been seeking Herrejon when Azusa police Officer Seth Chapman spotted him Saturday evening on Lee Place and saw him run into a two-story condominium, Walczak said.
Herrejon refused to come out, initiating a two-hour standoff before police forced their way into the home, Walczak said.
Once the officers got inside, Herrejon began running upstairs and was shot with a less-lethal foam projectile, officials said.
“That struck him in the back of one of his legs, however, he managed to climb up into his attic,” Walczak said.
“From his attic, we continued to order him out, the lieutenant added. “He then kicked a hole in the roof of the condo and got onto the roof.”
Officers had the home surrounded, and after another half-hour of negotiations through Covina police Sgt. Dan Regan, Herrejon was persuaded to surrender via a fire department ladder, according to Walczak.
According to county booking records, Herrejon was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail pending his initial court appearance Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.
Olazaba, who officials said was on parole for a previous burglary conviction, was being held without bail on suspicion of burglary and forgery. She was due to appear in West Covina Superior Court Dec. 17.

PHOTOS of Gerardo Herrejon courtesy of the Covina Police Department

AZUSA – Three grieving siblings found dead inside their burning home faced eviction and apparently entered into a suicide pact following the death of their parents, officials and experts said.

George Alva, 53, Christine Alva, 47, and Barbara Alva, 49, all died after shooting themselves in the head, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner’s officials said.

Records show the house at 525 N. Dalton Ave. in Azusa went into foreclosure in June. Family friend Nola Dewester said the family faced eviction and expected to move out the day they died, she said.

George Alva died from a gunshot wound to the head. The two sisters both died from shotgun wounds to the head, coroner’s Lt. Fred Corral said.

…FULL STORY

AZUSA — An Azusa man died and another was suspected of crimes including drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter Saturday following an early-morning crash on Gladstone Street, officials said.
The dead man’s name was not released pending confirmation that his family had been notified, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Lt. Larry Dietz said. California Highway Patrol officials described him as a 55-year-old Azusa man.
Juan C. Salinas-Reyes, 38, of Azusa was booked on suspicion of drunken driving causing death, vehicular manslaughter while while under the influence of alcohol with gross negligence and driving with a suspended license, California Highway Patrol Officer Stephen Sullinger said in a written statement.
The crash took place just after 12:10 a.m. on Gladstone Street at Jackson Avenue, in an unincorporated county area near Azusa.
Salinas Reyes was driving a 2001 GMC eastbound in the right-hand lane of Gladstone Street approaching Jackson Avenue at about 80 mph prior to the collision, Sullinger said.
The 55-year-old man was headed north on Jackson Avenue through the intersection when the speeding GMC slammed into the driver side of his 2006 Toyota, officials said. The GMC then continued out of control and crashed into a utility pole.
The driver of the Toyota was pronounced dead at the scene, while Salinas-Reyes suffered apparently minor injuries including lacerations to his face and leg, according to the CHP.
The intersection where the crash occurred is regulated by stop signs for northbound and southbound traffic on Jackson Avenue.
Anyone witnesses or anyone with information is asked to contact the Baldwin Park office of the CHP at 626-338-1164.

AZUSA — Coroner’s officials Sunday released the name of an Azusa man who was killed in a collision with an alleged drunken driver on Saturday.
Jose Reyes, 57, died at the scene of the the 12:11 a.m. crash at Gladstone Street and Jackson Avenue, in an unincorporated county area near Azusa, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Investigator Kerry McKibben said.
Juan C. Salinas-Reyes, 38, of Azusa, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, vehicular manslaughter and driving on a suspended license following the collision, according to California Highway Patrol Officer Stephen Sullinger.
Reyes was northbound on Jackson Avenue crossing Gladstone Street when his 2006 Toyota was broadsided by a 2001 GMC being driven by Salinas-Reyes eastbound on Gladstone Street at about 80 mph.
The fatal crash is being investigated by the Baldwin Park Office of the CHP, and any witness are asked to contact the office at 626-338-1164.

AZUSA — Officers checking out a security alarm at a pawnshop early Wednesday found the business had been burglarized then arrested a suspect as he tried to flee.
Azusa Police Sgt. John Madaloni said officers also recovered $7,972 worth of cameras, iPods, GPS devices, watches, jewelry and musical equipment taken from Azusa Mega Pawn at 1028 W. Gladstone St.
He estimated damages to the front door and smashed display cases at $3,100.
Police went to the business at 3:38 a.m. due to the alarm being activated.
Madaloni said the first officer at the scene saw the the business’ front glass door had been smashed and the security bars pried open.
Evidence suggested that once inside, he said the burglar used a blunt instrument to smash the glass display cases and gather up the merchandise.
As police secured the area around the pawnshop, the sergeant said a man suddenly sprinted out the front door carrying a bag.
The man was detained and the bag turned out to be full of stolen property, according to Madaloni. He added that several stolen items were also found in the man’s pockets.
Luis Rafael Puga,20, who lives in the unincorporated county area near Azusa, was arrested on suspicion of commercial burglary
He was being held at Azusa jail in lieu of $20,000 bail. Puga will be arraigned Friday at West Covina Superior Court.

- Ruby Gonzales

GLENDORA — Two Inland Valley men crashed a stolen pickup truck early Sunday following a high-speed chase and theft spree in Glendora, police said.
Michael Anthony Valadez, 23, of Ontario and Jonathan Daniels Demay, 22, of Upland, were booked on suspicion of a series of crimes including auto theft, theft, evading police and auto burglary, according to Glendora police and Los Angeles County booking records.
The incident began just after midnight when someone called police from the 900 block of South Fuchsia Avenue to report the theft of gasoline cans, Glendora police Lt. Rob Lamborghini said.
The witness described the suspects’ white pickup truck, which was later determined to have been reported stolen in Ontario.
A Glendora police officers spotted the truck in the area of Grand Avenue and Baseline Road, and a pursuit began when the driver of the truck refused to pull over, the lieutenant said.
After leading police on a chase on surface streets in excess of 80 mph while blowing through red lights, the truck headed onto the westbound freeway with officers in pursuit, Lamborghini said.
The truck exited the freeway at Vernon Avenue in Azusa at high speed.
“It ended up driving over the center divider on Vernon and crashed into a soundwall on the opposite side of the street,” Lamborghini said. But the men got out of the badly damaged truck and ran.
Glendora and Azusa police set up a search perimeter, with help from a K-9 provided by El Monte police, Lamborghini said.
One of the suspects was found hiding inside a parked car, police said, while the other was found walking on the grounds of a nearby business.
Police discovered that in addition to the gasoline can theft, the men were allegedly responsible for two other thefts in Glendora that occurred just before the pursuit.
Lamborghini said Valadez and Demay were linked to an auto burglary in the 2300 block of Club Vista Drive and the theft of golf clubs in the 400 block of West Larkspur Lane.
Valadez, who was on Postrelease Community Supervision and had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, was being held without bail, booking records show. Demay was being held in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Both suspects were scheduled to appear for arraignment Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.

AZUSA — A driver was arrested Wednesday for allegedly masturbating and exposing himself to a woman who was walking her dog.
Azusa police said the man admitted to committing similar offenses in other areas. Police didn’t name the other locations and didn’t release a description of the suspect’s vehicle.
The alleged indecent exposure happened at 4:25 pm in the 800 block of East Silver Maple Drive.
Sgt. John Madaloni said a woman was walking her dog when a vehicle drove slowly by.
“The victim looked toward the driver and saw through the vehicle’s window that the driver’s pants were lowered and he was masturbating,” Madaloni said in a statement.
The man drove off. The woman called police.
A corporal responding to the call saw a vehicle leaving the area which matched the description of the suspect vehicle. The officer pulled over the driver who was later identified by the victim, Madaloni said.
Angel Enrique Martinez-Campos, 20, of Fontana was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure. He was booked at Azusa jail and released early Thursday morning after posting bond for a $35,000 bail.
He allegedly admitted to additional acts of indecent exposure and/or lewd conduct in other locations, according to police.
Madaloni said Azusa police will be contacting the other law enforcement agencies that cover those areas. He didn’t say if one of those areas was South Pasadena.
But a similar incident happened to a woman walking her dog in South Pasadena on Monday afternoon.
South Pasadena police said a man in a red Kia followed the woman, pulled up alongside her and exposed his genitals. He then drove off.

- Ruby Gonzales

AZUSA — A man was injured when shooting broke out at a barbershop Thursday night.
Police said the suspect later turned himself in at the Azusa Police station and also handed over a .45-caliber handgun.
“The suspect’s family worked with authorities to negotiate a peaceful surrender,” Sgt. John Madaloni said.
He said the motive appears to be “a dispute of a personal nature.”
At 6:19 p.m., police headed to 310 North Citrus Ave. after getting multiple calls of a shooting at a business.
Madaloni said officers found a man with a gunshot wound to the arm. The man was taken to a hospital where he was in stable condition, the sergeant said.
“Officers and detectives were able to develop leads as to the suspect’s identity while still at the scene and ultimately made contact with the suspect via telephone,” Madaloni said.
With the assistance of the suspect’s family, he said Dustin Juan Trujillo, 25, of Covina, arrived at the station at 9:40 pm. and surrendered to detectives.
He was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and was being held at Azusa jail in lieu of $1 million bail. Trujillo will be arraigned Monday at West Covina Superior Court.
Police are looking for witnesses to the shooting.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Rob Landeros at 626-812-3228 or Detective Rocky Wenrick at 626-812-3223.

- Ruby Gonzales

AZUSA — A woman who allegedly robbed a local Rite Aid of jewelry while carrying pepper spray was arrested after a short chase Friday.
Azusa police also recovered the stolen three necklaces and one pair of earrings.
The robbery occurred 11:30 a.m. at the Rite Aid, 153 E. Gladstone St.
Azusa Police Cpl. Rick Hayden said a woman entered the store, concealed the necklaces and earrings then tried to leave.
“A loss prevention employee approached the female and saw that she had pepper spray in her hand, so he stepped away and she fled the store,” Hayden said in a statement.
Officers saw the woman getting into a car and tried to pull over the vehicle.
He said the driver led officers on a slow speed chase for about two minutes. The woman abandoned the car, ran but was caught.
Isabelle Brilata, 34, of Azusa was arrested on suspicion of armed robbery, evading police and resisting arrest. She was being held at Azusa jail in lieu of $126,000 bail.
She has a Tuesday arraignment at West Covina Superior Court.

- Ruby Gonzales

ANGELES NATIONAL FOREST – Following an extensive search, rescuers Sunday found a hypothermic hiker who spent more than 24 hours stranded in the Angeles National Forest north of Azusa, including a night in sub-freezing temperatures, authorities said.
Manny Kim, 28, of Arcadia became separated from two friends shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday during what was supposed to be a day hike in the Bear Creek Trail area of the forest, about a mile west of San Gabriel Canyon Road and just north of the West Fork National Recreation trail, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said.
After about 26 hours alone in the forest, rescuers found Kim about four miles west of where he was first reported missing, near mile marker 5 of the West Fork trail, Deputy Matt Bodell said.
“He’s hypothermic and we’re going to transport (him) to a local hospital,” Bodell said.
The hiker was conscious and speaking with rescuers, the deputy said. “Everything looks good, we’re just trying to get him to the hospital ASAP.”
Further details regarding Kim’s ordeal in the forest were not available.
Wearing only a light jacket and not carrying and water or light source, Kim was unprepared for the frigid overnight temperatures, which dropped into the 20s during the coldest night of what the National Weather Service described as the coldest Southern California January in six years, officials said.
While hiking with two others, “They became separated and they have not seen him since,” Lt. Andy Berg of the sheriff’s San Dimas Station said as the search was ongoing.
Officials hunted for the missing hiker both on the ground with the aid of a search dog and from the air via helicopters.
Between 30 and 40 personnel including sheriff’s deputies, San Dimas Mountain Rescue Team members, Montrose Search and Rescue Team members and U.S. Forest Service officials took part in the search in the rugged terrain Sunday afternoon.
“We’re lining up people again tomorrow, if we need them,” Capt. Don Slawson said prior to Kim’s rescue.

Gang investigators arrested three suspects, seized 1,000 Ecstasy capsules and uprooted a small indoor marijuana grow in busts linked to Asian organized crime in Rowland Heights and Arcadia earlier this week, authorities said.
Denis Lam, 20, and Ruoyo Mike Dong, 22, both Arcadia residents and members of an Asian street gang, were arrested along with Juan Carlos Cabrales, 23, of Azusa, in the operation, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
The arrests took place late Wednesday at a strip mall in the 18900 block of Gale Avenue in Rowland Heights.
Lam and Dong had hired Cabrales to deliver 1,000 capsules containing a powder form of the drug Ecstasy to a buyer at the strip mall, officials said. The capsules were expected to fetch $5,000.
“Cabrales was arrested by investigators before the transaction was completed,” according to the sheriff’s statement. “Lam and Dong, who were monitoring the transaction nearby, were located by the investigators and arrested as well.”
Detectives then obtained a search warrant for the Arcadia homes of Lam and Dong in an unincorporated county area near Arcadia, where they discovered a “small but functional” indoor marijuana grow, sheriff’s officials said.
All three suspects were booked on suspicion of drug charges and released Thursday pending their initial court appearances after posting $30,000 bail each, according to officials and Los Angeles County booking records.

PHOTO of Ecstasy capsules courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

AZUSA — Police jailed two Azusa men and sought a woman who tried unsuccessfully to rob a group of college students at knifepoint early Sunday, authorities said.
Jimmy Melgoza and Esteban Lopez, both 21, were booked on suspicion of attempted robbery following the crime, which took place just after midnight in the 700 block of East Alosta Avenue, according to Azusa police Sgt. Randy Schmidt.
Six college students left an all-night restaurant when they were approached by Melgoza, Lopez and an unidentified woman who began walking among the group of students.
“The two male subjects initially attempted to sell the students drugs before asking for money,” Schmidt said in a written statement.
When the students refused both, one of the men walked to the front of the group while the other dropped to the rear and pulled a knife and demanded money from the students, police said.
All six students ran, Schmidt said. The male would-be robbers chased after one of them, but all escaped safely.
One of the victims called 9-1-1 from a cell phone, and police found and arrested Melgoza and Lopez in the area, the sergeant said.
The woman who was with them was not found.
“Although the female was with both suspects, her involvement in the attempted robbery is not clear and she was able to leave the area prior to the arrival of police,” Schmidt said.
According to Los Angeles County booking records, Melgoza was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the Azusa Police Department jail, while Lopez was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. Both were scheduled for arraignment Tuesday in West Covina Superior Court.
Anyone with information was asked to contact Azusa police at 626-812-3200.

AZUSA — An 83-year-old woman escaped injury but lost her home in an accidental fire Sunday, authorities said.
Police and firefighters responded about 10:30 a.m. to a report of a fire in a mobile home complex in the 800 block of East Foothill Boulevard, Azusa police Sgt. John Madaloni said.
“Officers arrived first to find a single mobile home fully engulfed in smoke and flames,” the sergeant said.
“The lone resident, an elderly female, had self-evacuated and fortunately was unhurt,” he said.
Police evacuated nearby homes as a precaution as firefighters from five local stations aggressively attacked the fire and extinguished it before it spread to other mobile homes, Madaloni said.
The burned double-wide mobile home was a total loss, Los Angeles County Fire Department Capt. Mark Roberts said. Officials estimated the the fire caused $160,000 to the structure and it’s contents.
Investigators determined the fire was “accidental, by unknown human action,” Roberts said.
Arson was not suspected, however it was unclear exactly how the fire began, officials said. The woman was not a smoker and did not report using candles or electrical appliances at the time it ignited.
The displaced woman was taken in by relatives, officials said.

AZUSA — Hikers Wednesday discovered the badly decomposed of body an unidentified man along the San Gabriel River bike path at the northern edge of Azusa, authorities said.
The man remained listed as a John Doe Thursday, Los Angeles County Department of Coroner Assistant Chief of Operations Ed Winter said.
No approximate age or description was available, as the body was in an advanced stage of decomposition, Winter said. An autopsy was planned to determine how the man died.
Hikers reported finding the body about 3:40 p.m. in thick shrubs along the bike trail, which runs adjacent to the San Gabriel River and the 1700 block of San Gabriel Canyon Road, Azusa police Sgt. Andy Sutcliffe said.
There was no obvious cause of death apparent, the sergeant added.
The body “appeared to have been there for an extended period of time,” Sutcliffe said.
No further details were available.
The investigation was being handled by Azusa police detectives and coroner’s officials.

AZUSA — An SUV slammed into a utility police Friday in an unincorporated county area near Azusa, blocking Citrus Avenue for several hours and knocking power to homes and businesses near the crash scene, authorities said.
Citrus Avenue between Gladstone Street and Arrow Highway was expected to remain closed through the afternoon as Southern California Edison officials worked to repair the damage, California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Maehr said.
The driver, an Azusa man in his early-20s, suffered injuries that were believed to be minor in crash, which took place just before 9 a.m. on Citrus Avenue, just south of Gladstone Street, Maehr said.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation, however it initially appeared to be an accident, Maehr said, and nothing criminal was suspected.
After the Chevrolet Suburban struck the power pole, “It was sheared off at the base, but the wires were holding it,” Maehr said.
The hanging utility pull pulled on the wires, damaging equipment attached to two or three other poles, according to the officer.