Pico Rivera

Glendale police seized $4.5 million in marijuana and methamphetamine after busting a large-scale narcotics distribution organization in the Los Angeles region, officials said on Tuesday. More than 3,500 pounds of marijuana and one pound of methamphetamine were recovered Friday from two homes in Norwalk and a storage facility in Pico Rivera. Glendale police declined to say exactly what sparked the investigation. “Drugs have no geographic boundaries,” Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Testimony will continue today in a hearing in Orange County Superior Court to decide whether two men and one woman will stand trial in the alleged killing of a Newport Beach couple. Skylar DeLeon, 26, his wife Jennifer Henderson-DeLeon, 24, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 40, all of Long Beach, are expected to appear in court on charges of murdering Tom and Jackie Hawks, who went missing in November after allegedly selling their yacht. Two other men charged with the murders, Myron Gardner, 42, of Long Beach, and Alonso Machain, 21, of Pico Rivera, will be tried separately, a judge ruled Friday.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved an ordinance imposing civil penalties against graffiti taggers and their parents, including the possible imposition of property liens to ensure repayment of court ordered restitution. The ordinance grew out of a six-month pilot program conducted in Pico Rivera, which was sparked by the murder of a grandmother when she tried to stop taggers near her home. The county joined with the city of Pico Rivera for a campaign which in six months resulted in the arrest of 168 taggers responsible for a total of $368,000 in damages.

Alex Coolman CITY HALL -- Plans to contract with a Pico Rivera firm to handle the city's recycling are on hold after the president of a rival company charged that the city had not fairly evaluated bids for the work. David Kim, a spokesman for Bestway Recycling Company Inc. of Los Angeles, told the City Council on Tuesday that the Pico Rivera company, Quality Paper Fibers, had not submitted an appropriate bid for handling Glendale's recycling. City officials had been excited about the possibility of signing a contract with Quality Paper Fibers, a deal that was expected to turn an expensive recycling program into one that would generate almost $700,000 of annual revenue.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- Glendale has tossed out six proposals for partnering with the city to operate recycling services in the community. The City Council rejected the proposals after two of the firms at the top of the list did not meet the requirements for documenting their bids. The proposals of four other firms were considered a poor choice for the city, according to a report from the Public Works Department. The two top bidders were Aardvark Recycling of Wilmington and Quality Papers Fibers of Pico Rivera.

Ben Godar A man shot to death at a Glendale restaurant over the weekend was a Los Angeles resident and his alleged killer was his cousin, police said Tuesday. The shooting occurred early Sunday morning at Chattanooga Restaurant, a banquet hall in the 800 block of East Colorado Street. Jorge Enrique Montes was at the restaurant for a relative's quinceniera party. Witnesses told police they were unaware anything had happened until Montes was discovered in the bathroom, bleeding from the chest.

The following information was taken from police reports: 1600 block of East Colorado Street: A 25-year-old transient woman was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possessing brass knuckles. Brand Boulevard and Elk Avenue: An 18-year-old Glendale man was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of possessing a billy club. 3700 block of Los Amigos Street: A La Crescenta man reported Tuesday that his 1985 Toyota Camry was stolen. 600 block of North Brand Boulevard: A 33-year-old Pico Rivera woman reported Tuesday that a stereo worth $450 was stolen from her 1998 Honda Civic.

Connie King was born on January 11, 1928, and passed away June 18, 2012 in Montrose California. Mom played organ and piano throughout most of her life starting as a teen at St. Francis Church in Pico Rivera. She also played for the choirs at St. Gerard Majella in Culver City, and Holy Redeemer Church in Montrose. Music was a major part of mom's life, and she taught music both at schools and privately. In addition, she worked as a school secretary, and also executive secretary at both Featherweight Enterprises and California Medical Review Inc. Mom is survived by her sisters Alice, Kathy, and Anna Marie, daughter Cynthia, sons Ron, Dave, and Tom, grandchildren Cheryl, Jay, Aaron, Daisy, Breanna, Cali, and Jenna, and great grand children Brianna, Brooke, Alyssa, and Mikayla.

GLENDALE — Army Sgt. David J. Hart, 22, a Lake View Terrace resident who attended elementary school in Glendale, died in Iraq on Jan. 8. Hart, along with two fellow infantrymen soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division, died of wounds sustained during combat in Samarra, Iraq, in an incident that is under investigation. Though Hart’s most recent home was in Lake View Terrace, he attended Calvary Christian School in Glendale, said Sarah Sherman, a former classmate and friend.

A 30-year-old Pico Rivera man was arrested on suspicion of vehicle break-ins Tuesday after a woman walking her dog spotted him and warned him that she planned to call police, officials said. The man, Ryan Valles, was arrested at about 5:30 a.m. when officers stopped him in a silver van on the southbound Glendale (2) Freeway just north of the San Fernando Road off-ramp, according to Glendale police. Valles, who is on probation for vehicle and grand theft, was driving the van when officers saw his passenger exit and run away along the freeway, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Glendale police seized $4.5 million in marijuana and methamphetamine after busting a large-scale narcotics distribution organization in the Los Angeles region, officials said on Tuesday. More than 3,500 pounds of marijuana and one pound of methamphetamine were recovered Friday from two homes in Norwalk and a storage facility in Pico Rivera. Glendale police declined to say exactly what sparked the investigation. “Drugs have no geographic boundaries,” Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Connie King was born on January 11, 1928, and passed away June 18, 2012 in Montrose California. Mom played organ and piano throughout most of her life starting as a teen at St. Francis Church in Pico Rivera. She also played for the choirs at St. Gerard Majella in Culver City, and Holy Redeemer Church in Montrose. Music was a major part of mom's life, and she taught music both at schools and privately. In addition, she worked as a school secretary, and also executive secretary at both Featherweight Enterprises and California Medical Review Inc. Mom is survived by her sisters Alice, Kathy, and Anna Marie, daughter Cynthia, sons Ron, Dave, and Tom, grandchildren Cheryl, Jay, Aaron, Daisy, Breanna, Cali, and Jenna, and great grand children Brianna, Brooke, Alyssa, and Mikayla.

PICO RIVERA — At the halfway point of the season, there is no need to complain. For starters, the St. Francis High football team has already eclipsed its win total from a year ago. Even better for the Golden Knights, they remain undefeated. St. Francis received a pair of touchdown receptions from wide receiver Malik Speed on Friday to pick up a 45-7 nonleague victory against El Rancho. The Golden Knights (5-0) led throughout the contest against a tattered El Rancho team that dropped to 2-3. St. Francis, ranked fifth in the CIF Southern Section Western Division, scored on all four of its first-quarter possessions.

The L.A. County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved an ordinance imposing civil penalties against graffiti taggers and their parents, including the possible imposition of property liens to ensure repayment of court ordered restitution. The ordinance grew out of a six-month pilot program conducted in Pico Rivera, which was sparked by the murder of a grandmother when she tried to stop taggers near her home. The county joined with the city of Pico Rivera for a campaign which in six months resulted in the arrest of 168 taggers responsible for a total of $368,000 in damages.

GLENDALE — Army Sgt. David J. Hart, 22, a Lake View Terrace resident who attended elementary school in Glendale, died in Iraq on Jan. 8. Hart, along with two fellow infantrymen soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division, died of wounds sustained during combat in Samarra, Iraq, in an incident that is under investigation. Though Hart’s most recent home was in Lake View Terrace, he attended Calvary Christian School in Glendale, said Sarah Sherman, a former classmate and friend.

A distraught mother allegedly kidnapped her two young children from their father's Glendale apartment Saturday, setting into motion a day-long ordeal that ended with the mother's arrest and the children's safe recovery by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Sunday. The Glendale Police Department issued an Amber Alert after Rosanna Remey, 36, allegedly entered an apartment in the 700 block of North Louise Street at 8 a.m. Saturday, scuffled with her children's paternal grandmother, and abducted River Remey, 6, and Angie Remey, 5. The children had been in the custody of their father, Ruben Gonzalez, since Sept.

Testimony will continue today in a hearing in Orange County Superior Court to decide whether two men and one woman will stand trial in the alleged killing of a Newport Beach couple. Skylar DeLeon, 26, his wife Jennifer Henderson-DeLeon, 24, and John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 40, all of Long Beach, are expected to appear in court on charges of murdering Tom and Jackie Hawks, who went missing in November after allegedly selling their yacht. Two other men charged with the murders, Myron Gardner, 42, of Long Beach, and Alonso Machain, 21, of Pico Rivera, will be tried separately, a judge ruled Friday.

A man accused of murdering a retired Newport Beach couple approached a co-worker several times asking how to dispose of bodies at sea, a Newport Beach Police detective testified at a hearing Friday in Orange County Superior Court. The co-worker refused to help Skylar Deleon, 26, of Long Beach, Det. Sgt. David Byington testified. Byington was the only witness called on the first day of a hearing to decide whether DeLeon and four others, including DeLeon's wife, will stand trial for the alleged killing of Tom and Jackie Hawks.

The following information was taken from police reports: Chevy Chase Drive and Garfield Avenue: A 50-year-old Glendale woman reported Thursday that her black handbag was grabbed by a man while she was waiting at a bus stop. The handbag and its contents are worth $550. 6700 block of San Fernando Road: A 34-year-old Pico Rivera man was arrested Friday on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine. 100 block of South Brand Boulevard: A 47-year-old Glendale man was arrested Thursday on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine.