Vehicles

Nine motorists were arrested Friday during a sobriety checkpoint in Glendale on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said. Nearly 800 vehicles were stopped during the checkpoint on Central Avenue and Sanchez Drive, according to Glendale police. Of the vehicles stopped, police found four motorists were drunk driving while another five drivers were under the influence of drugs, according to Sgt. Rich Phillips. Officers conducted 30 field sobriety tests and towed eight vehicles.

Nine motorists were arrested in Glendale Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a saturation patrol, police said. The Police Department had originally scheduled a sobriety checkpoint, but canceled the operation due to rain. Instead, police patrolled the city and looked for DUI motorists. Officers stopped 70 vehicles and conducted 21 field sobriety tests on motorists. Eight drivers were arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, while another was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, according to police Sgt. Richard Phillips.

  The announcement was made Nov. 15 during media days leading up to the Los Angeles Auto Show, which opened to the public the following morning and runs through Sunday at the Convention Center in downtown L.A. Other vehicles considered for the honor were the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, Mazda Tribute Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and the Saturn Aura Hybrid. To be considered, a vehicle had to be on sale and widely available to the public as of Jan. 1, 2008. "We look for vehicles [to honor]

GLENDALE — Since April, more than 40 sets of passenger-side and driver-side mirrors have been reported stolen from Mercedes and sport utility vehicles. In October alone, more than a dozen such thefts have been reported, mostly from residents on Roselawn Avenue, Glenoaks Boulevard, Viscano Drive and Valley View, Greenbriar and Philips roads, according to police reports. Mercedes E32 models are among the most affected, according to reports. “When you start noticing trends like that happening on particular items, it’s because there’s a market out there for it,” Glendale Police Officer John Balian said.

Glendale police and fire officials received more than $850,000 in U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants this week for intelligence-gathering equipment and search-and-rescue training. Enhancements to video equipment on police helicopters, upgrades to night-vision capabilities, new police protective wear and equipment for the city's regional training center at Scholl Canyon are some of the projects that will be funded through grants, Police Capt. Ray Edey said. The funding will also pay for license plate camera recognition systems to be installed on two patrol vehicles and for new cameras along the rail systems in the San Fernando Road corridor, he said.

GRAFFITI CODE WHAT HAPPENED The City Council introduced an ordinance to amend the city's code relating to graffiti. WHAT IT MEANS The ordinance would update and expand the definition of graffiti to include more modern tools, including aerosol paint containers, paint stick, adhesive labels and etching tools. In addition, the city now has only 10 days, rather than 20, to remove graffiti, according to the amendments. VOTE No vote.

Glendale officials today opened the registration period for car enthusiasts who want their vehicles -- made in 1979 or earlier -- to have a spot on Brand Boulevard for Cruise Night. The event on July 21 is expected to showcase roughly 400 vehicles, but the slots fill quickly, according to a announcement from the city today. Those who want to enter their vehicles may submit their registration online via www.ci.glendale.ca.us/CruiseNight2012.asp or by calling (818) 548-4860 with questions.

Janine Marnien When it comes to safety, the California Highway Patrol is more concerned about drivers than parked vehicles. Safety concerns surrounding large, parked vehicles in La Crescenta have been voiced by some residents in support of a proposed parking ordinance, arguing that such vehicles block visibility for drivers and pedestrians. But visibility can be blocked at any time by a number of different objects, CHP Officer Vince Bell said.

A new exhibit opened at the Petersen Automotive Museum last weekend that features American convertibles. Called Going Topless In Style: The American Convertible, it will run through Oct. 7. Southern Californians have always considered convertibles the ideal vehicles for the area's mild climate and vast network of scenic roads. Going Topless in Style will celebrate our fascination with convertibles by presenting a wide variety of domestically produced ragtops that illustrate the development of the body type from the first versions built during the early twentieth century to modern times.

Buck Wargo CITY HALL -- Just what every driver dreams of: the ability to change a red light to green at will. Beeline buses and fire department vehicles will have that technology available to them in April 2002. Glendale is carrying through on its plan announced more than a year ago to install transmitters on buses that would keep them on schedule and install similar devices on fire vehicles that would help them respond to emergencies faster.

A 20-year-old Glendale man was arrested early Saturday morning after allegedly ramming his BMW into a Glendale home while drunk, police said. A neighbor reported the incident around 4 a.m., after seeing the suspect - identified by police as Mikia Anteranik - run from the car after crashing it, said Glendale Police Lt. Bruce Fox. The incident occurred near the intersection of Concord and Dryden streets. Police located the man nearby on West Glenoaks Boulevard. No injuries were reported.

Police say a series of tire slashings on luxury cars and SUVs early Saturday in Northwest Glendale was a "random act" of vandalism. In some cases, all four tires were slashed on the high-end cars, most of which were parked in home driveways and on the dimly-lit streets of Vista Drive, West Mountain Street, Grandview and Winchester avenues and Cumberland and Kenneth roads, according to Glendale police. One of the cars, a Cadillac CTS, belonged to City Manager Scott Ochoa and had all of its tires slashed.

A man was killed shortly after 12:30 p.m. Thursday when a vehicle slammed into a bakery in Glendale, injuring five others, police said. The man, who was not immediately identified, was trapped under the vehicle at the Oledina's Cake Factory in the 1100 block of East Broadway, where he was pronounced dead, Glendale police officials said. The man was apparently hit while getting a cup of coffee, authorities said. Five others were hurt in the crash, including one who was transported to a local hospital, according to Brandy Villanueva, a Glendale Fire Department spokeswoman.

Police arrested five motorists Sunday as part of a regional St. Patrick's Day crackdown on drunk driving. Officers from Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and San Fernando stopped 56 vehicles during a roving patrol aimed at motorists who were driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Of the 56 vehicles stopped, five motorists were arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, according to Glendale police. Officers conducted 21 field sobriety tests and impounded one vehicle. Another two motorists were arrested for allegedly driving on a suspended license.

Cracked axles, overweight loads and flat tires were some of the more than 100 violations discovered on large commercial vehicles during Wednesday's specialized enforcement and inspection in Glendale. One of the vehicles was a 40,000-pound truck with two flats a bald tire that was carrying a load of exposed dirt. The truck was traveling on Broadway toward Glendale High School when Lt. Steve Robertson stopped its driver, who he said was also wearing headphones in both ears. The truck's potentially dangerous tires and uncovered load were violations, which Robertson said left unattended could have resulted in a devastating tragedy.

Glendale police and fire officials received more than $850,000 in U.S. Department of Homeland Security grants this week for intelligence-gathering equipment and search-and-rescue training. Enhancements to video equipment on police helicopters, upgrades to night-vision capabilities, new police protective wear and equipment for the city's regional training center at Scholl Canyon are some of the projects that will be funded through grants, Police Capt. Ray Edey said. The funding will also pay for license plate camera recognition systems to be installed on two patrol vehicles and for new cameras along the rail systems in the San Fernando Road corridor, he said.

Nine motorists were arrested in Glendale Friday on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol during a saturation patrol, police said. The Police Department had originally scheduled a sobriety checkpoint, but canceled the operation due to rain. Instead, police patrolled the city and looked for DUI motorists. Officers stopped 70 vehicles and conducted 21 field sobriety tests on motorists. Eight drivers were arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, while another was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs, according to police Sgt. Richard Phillips.

Police are investigating a spate of auto burglaries that occurred early Friday throughout South Glendale. At least eight burglaries were reported between 2 to 8 a.m. in the areas of Windsor Road, Riverdale and Chevy Chase Drive, Elk and Acacia avenues and Boynton, Mariposa and Maple streets, according to Glendale police. Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said the break-ins are being reviewed by detectives to determine if they are linked, and whether there's any forensic evidence to help identify those who are responsible.

Nine motorists were arrested Friday during a sobriety checkpoint in Glendale on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, police said. Nearly 800 vehicles were stopped during the checkpoint on Central Avenue and Sanchez Drive, according to Glendale police. Of the vehicles stopped, police found four motorists were drunk driving while another five drivers were under the influence of drugs, according to Sgt. Rich Phillips. Officers conducted 30 field sobriety tests and towed eight vehicles.

After her husband died in 1999, Sandy Norris began fixing up his 1951 Ford Convertible. She fixed the engine and painted the exterior Georgia peach. “I didn't have any choice,” she said Saturday afternoon at Glendale's 19th annual Cruise Night. Her husband had upholstered the seats a similar color before he died of esophageal cancer, and she wanted the inside and outside to match. Ever since the La Crescenta resident upgraded the car, she's been displaying it at shows, her husband's wish.