Road Rage

NORTH GLENDALE — Glendale police detectives on Tuesday asked for the public's help in identifying a motorist who climbed a couple's car during a red light and hit them several times through an open sunroof. The road rage attack at Cordova Avenue and Monterey Road occurred two weeks ago on the same day a Glendale man was stabbed in the stomach by another motorist who cut him off on the Golden State (5) Freeway near Western Avenue. Police are also seeking the public's help in tracking that attacker down.

The trial for a Glendale police officer who was charged with battery in an alleged off-duty road rage incident in October was postponed again Wednesday after attorneys were unable to reach an agreement. Michael Severo, the attorney representing Glendale Police Officer Eric Ritter, advised Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Margaret Oldendorf that he was unable to come to an agreement with prosecutors to resolve the case. Oldendorf on July 7 requested Ritter - who had been absent from previous hearings - to be present in the Burbank courtroom Wednesday in the hopes of resolving the case.

Jenna Bordelon BURBANK -- A man pleaded no contest Wednesday to charges that he crashed his car into a truck after the truck cut him off on the freeway. Primitivo Silvestre, 20, of Glendale, was arraigned in Burbank Superior Court and released. His plea of no contest, although not an admission of guilt, is usually treated as tantamount to a guilty plea by the court. He will be sentenced Jan. 10. Silvestre was arrested Monday on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon.

Tracy Alan Bartlett, 44, of Encino was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of vehicular man slaughter in the death of Ronald Slusser, 62, from La Crescenta. The incident occurred in Pasadena on Oct. 26, 2007 when Bartlett ran a red light at Pasadena Avenue and struck Slusser?s vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Lt. Phlunte Riddle of the Pasadena traffic division, the accident seemed to be a case of road rage. From eye witnesses and the suspect?s statements, the incident began when there was an altercation between Bartlett and another motorist.

PASADENA — A jury began deliberating the fate today of two North Hollywood men who reportedly shot at a Glendale man and six others during a road-rage incident nearly four years ago on Halloween. Attorneys concluded their closing arguments Tuesday afternoon, wrapping up a four-day trial in Pasadena Superior Court for Mkrtich Melkonian and Hrant Barsegyan. “They worked together,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Martin Bean told jurors. “They must be held accountable together.

Darleene Barrientos Police on Wednesday asked for the public's help in identifying the shooter of a 20-year-old Glendale man who was driving to meet his brother and later died. Dwayne Alfred Winfield Jr. was sitting in his car at the intersection of Lark Ellen Avenue and Gladstone Street in Azusa about 6:45 p.m. Tuesday when witnesses say several shots were fired from another car, Azusa Police Lt. Jeff Reed said. Winfield, who was struck by a bullet, drove a quarter-mile west on Gladstone to escape the gunfire before crashing into a telephone pole at Aspan Avenue, Reed said.

The following programs will be broadcast on Glendale Government Access Channel 6 on Charter Cable. For more information, call 548-4844. TODAY 6 a.m. - Community Calendar 7 a.m. - Community Calendar 8 a.m. - Glendale's Landmarks: "Broadway Post Office" 9 a.m. - NSTV: "Road Trip" 10 a.m. - Community Calendar 11 a.m. - Community Calendar Noon - Community Calendar 1 p.m. - Community Calendar ...

Azizian takes over ANC Glendale chapter GLENDALE -- The Armenian National Committee appointed Alina Azizian executive director of its Glendale chapter Wednesday, ending a month-long search. Azizian, a Glendale native, served as campaign manager for the Democratic Party in San Mateo County leading up to the November election, supervising 500 volunteers during a three-month campaign. A graduate of UC Berkeley, Azizian was a member of the student Senate and co-president of the Armenian Students Assn.

Road rage leads police on a chase to Pasadena GLENDALE -- A man who tried to ram a woman's car in an apparent road rage incident in view of Glendale Police sped away, leading an officer on a chase to Pasadena. The 21-year-old Cerritos man became angry when a woman pulled in front of him, forcing him to slow down slightly, at the intersection of Wilson Avenue and Broadway about 4:05 p.m. Thursday, according to the police report. He began following her closely, and when she pulled onto the Ventura (134)

The intersection of Duran Street and Columbus Avenue is a disaster waiting to happen: There are six stop signs and five marked crosswalks with curb bump-outs installed there earlier this year. I've never seen such an installation before. I have lived in the area for 15 years and this ill-conceived, ill-designed traffic calming scheme installed at this dog-leg intersection is totally confusing to motorists and pedestrians, especially Columbus Elementary schoolchildren. During moderate to heavy traffic is it mind-numbing and dangerous.

The intersection of Duran Street and Columbus Avenue is a disaster waiting to happen: There are six stop signs and five marked crosswalks with curb bump-outs installed there earlier this year. I've never seen such an installation before. I have lived in the area for 15 years and this ill-conceived, ill-designed traffic calming scheme installed at this dog-leg intersection is totally confusing to motorists and pedestrians, especially Columbus Elementary schoolchildren. During moderate to heavy traffic is it mind-numbing and dangerous.

GLENDALE - A Glendale police officer has been ordered to enroll in anger management sessions after admitting to hitting a motorist during an off-duty road-rage incident in Burbank, court officials said. Glendale Police Officer Eric Ritter accepted a plea deal on Monday to plead no contest in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Burbank to an amended misdemeanor count of disturbing the peace, which includes a section of fighting in public, court officials said. The Burbank city attorney's office originally charged Ritter with one misdemeanor battery charge for striking Armando Alvarez in October.

Two men were arrested Monday after a road-rage incident in a parking lot escalated into a fist fight involving a knife, police said. Oscar Brillo, 60, and Charles Robinson, 31, were taken into custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon following the alleged incident in the Thai Original Bar-B-Q parking lot on the 100 block of South Glendale Avenue, according to police reports. Several witnesses called police just after 3 p.m. to report seeing Brillo pointing a knife at Robinson in the parking lot, police said.

The trial for a Glendale police officer who was charged with battery in an alleged off-duty road rage incident in October was postponed again Wednesday after attorneys were unable to reach an agreement. Michael Severo, the attorney representing Glendale Police Officer Eric Ritter, advised Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Margaret Oldendorf that he was unable to come to an agreement with prosecutors to resolve the case. Oldendorf on July 7 requested Ritter - who had been absent from previous hearings - to be present in the Burbank courtroom Wednesday in the hopes of resolving the case.

GLENDALE — A Glendale police officer has been put on administrative leave after prosecutors charged him in an alleged off-duty road rage incident in Burbank. The Burbank city attorney's office filed the misdemeanor battery charge Dec. 10 against Glendale Police Officer Eric Ritter, who pleaded not guilty to striking Armando Alvarez, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court documents. When Glendale city administrators found out about the charges, they placed the officer on leave, said Human Resources Director Matt Doyle.

NORTH GLENDALE — Glendale police detectives on Tuesday asked for the public's help in identifying a motorist who climbed a couple's car during a red light and hit them several times through an open sunroof. The road rage attack at Cordova Avenue and Monterey Road occurred two weeks ago on the same day a Glendale man was stabbed in the stomach by another motorist who cut him off on the Golden State (5) Freeway near Western Avenue. Police are also seeking the public's help in tracking that attacker down.

GLENDALE — A Glendale man who was stabbed last week after a road-rage incident was recovering from his injuries at home Tuesday, police said. The man was released Saturday from a local hospital after having sustained a stab wound that sliced his liver, Glendale Police Det. Keith Soboleski said. "He is doing OK," Soboleski said. "He is on bed rest. " Also on Tuesday, detectives released additional details about the attack as they continue to seek the public's help in identifying the suspects who fled from the scene on the 1000 block of Western Avenue after the attack on Thursday.

PASADENA — A jury on Monday found two North Hollywood men guilty of four counts of attempted murder for shooting a Glendale man and his friends on Halloween four years ago during a road-rage incident. The verdict came in Pasadena Superior Court after nearly four days of deliberation in the trial of Mkrtich Melkonian and Hrant Barsegyan, both 21. Melkonian and Barsegyan were also found guilty of shooting at an occupied vehicle. The jury spent more time deliberating the fate of Melkonian than the entire length of the three-day trial.

PASADENA — A jury began deliberating the fate today of two North Hollywood men who reportedly shot at a Glendale man and six others during a road-rage incident nearly four years ago on Halloween. Attorneys concluded their closing arguments Tuesday afternoon, wrapping up a four-day trial in Pasadena Superior Court for Mkrtich Melkonian and Hrant Barsegyan. “They worked together,” Deputy Dist. Atty. Martin Bean told jurors. “They must be held accountable together.