Pasadena Police Chief Recaps Recent Critical Incidents

Editor’s Note: In this report, Pasadena Chief of Police Phillip Sanchez reviews noteworthy incidents which occurred over the past several weeks in Pasadena.

On April 23, at about 8:30 p.m., two suspects were recorded on surveillance video driving into the parking lot to the rear of 452 South Fair Oaks Avenue, the Pasadena Antique Shop.  The suspects parked in the lot and both exited and began casing the parked vehicles.  In the video, the male suspect is seen breaking into a car.  On May 18, the same suspects were observed by the victim after they broke into her car parked on Sierra Madre Boulevard, south of Walnut Street. The auto burglaries were investigated by Pasadena Police detectives who developed several strong leads and subsequently issued a wanted flyer to police personnel   On May 26, at about 1:38 a.m., Pasadena Police Officers Herrera and Wilf observed a vehicle matching the one used by the auto-burglary suspects in the 100 block of Armada Street.  The officers conducted an enforcement stop and recognized the occupants as the same people wanted in the burglaries.  The suspects were arrested without incident and book at the Pasadena jail.  Great work by Officers Herrera and Wilf.

 

On May 19, at about 11:53 a.m., Pasadena Police officers responded to the area of Orange Grove Boulevard, east of Summit regarding calls of shots fired.  On arrival, officers learned the occupant(s) of a vehicle were driving in the area and shot at a pedestrian who was walking near the Community Arms housing complex.  Pasadena Police officers located and collected evidence near the crime scene.  Fortunately, no one was injured during this incident. Our investigation is ongoing.

 

On May 19, at about 10:35 p.m., Pasadena Police officers responded to the Arroyo / Seco Bridge regarding a distraught female standing on the edge. Partly due to family issues, she was threating to jump. The primary negotiator was PPD Officer Lynda Mercado, who was assisted by Rachel Johnson.   After more than an hour, Officer Mercado and Johnson were able to convince the female to surrender.  She was transported to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

 

On May 24, Pasadena Police officers successfully resolved a barricaded suspect call 8.5 hours after the suspect refused to surrender to police after threatening family members and individuals in the neighborhood with a handgun. The incident began at about 8:45 p.m., when the police department received a call of a man standing on the balcony of an apartment building in the 100 block of Peen Street.  The suspect, later identified as Jose Solis (Male Hispanic, 36 years old, Pasadena Resident), was reportedly pointing a handgun at people on the street below.  When officers arrived, they saw Solis standing on the balcony holding a handgun.  Pasadena Police officers ordered Solis to drop the gun and exit the apartment; however, he refused and subsequently barricaded himself inside the dwelling.  At one point during the standoff, Solis pointed his handgun at officers on a perimeter positon.  Officers did not fire their service weapons while being threatened by Solis.  Several neighbors were evacuated and the Crisis Negotiation Team attempted to dialog with Solis.  Ultimately, SWAT officers used less lethal options to force Solis out of the apartment where he was arrested without further incident.

I am extremely proud of the officers and civilian staff involved in this intensive and prolonged incident.  They used great restraint, sound judgement, and effective tactics all of which helped to avoid a lethal encounter with Solis. The successful outcome underscores the experience and dedication of our first responders who serve our community daily with commitment and courage.

 

On May 25, at about 6:48 p.m., Pasadena Police Canine Officer Matt Widger responded to a call of a male running through the PCC campus, armed with a gun.  PCC security officers observed the individual on their camera monitor and reported their observations.  Matt located the suspect (Male Black, Adult – Los Angeles Resident) with the help of witnesses.  Matt subsequently located a loaded handgun that had been discarded by the suspect.  The suspect was arrested without incident and booked at the Pasadena jail.  Great work by the PCC Security Team, the witnesses, and Canine Officer Widger.

 

Last week, Pasadena Police officers responded to the 800 block of Summit Avenue regarding a shots fired investigation.  The victim suspected his ex-boyfriend (Male Hispanic, Juvenile – El Monte Resident) may have been responsible for the shootings. On May 26, at about 2:03 a.m., Pasadena Police Officers Gaxiola and Armendariz responded to the 800 block of Summit Avenue (victim’s apartment) after an anonymous caller reported the suspect’s vehicle was parked nearby.  Gaxiola and Armendariz contacted the occupants in the vehicle (Male Hispanic, Juvenile and Male Black, Adult). After a comprehensive field investigation, the suspect(s) admitted to shooting at the victim’s apartment on two separate occasions (both documented as shots fired calls).  The suspects were arrested without incident and the officers recovered two pellet rifles from the vehicle.

 

On May 29, a carjacking incident occurred in the city of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department’s helicopter began searching for the vehicle and located it in Pasadena. The LAPD Air Ship illuminated the car and the suspect driver immediately accelerated away at a high rate of speed. The suspect driver lost control of the vehicle near Allen and Paloma, crashing into a large palm tree. The crash was so violent that it caused the vehicle to flip end-over-end several times. The two suspects in the vehicle were nearly killed in the crash. LAPD and PPD ground units arrived and the suspects were extracted by Pasadena Fire Department personnel.  The suspects were then transported to a local hospital in critical condition. The preliminary investigation indicated that the suspects belong to a Pasadena Latino Street Gang.