Pasadena Police Chief Recaps Week’s Critical Incidents

On June 21, Pasadena Police Detective J. Knighton distributed a wanted flyer requesting assistance in the effort to arrest a Kidnapping suspect (Ellis). During his investigation, Detective Knighton learned that, a few weeks earlier, Suspect Ellis had assaulted, punched, and strangled his girlfriend while at the Jackie Robinson Center. Suspect Ellis was confronted by a witness and subsequently fled the center. Officer Glockson learned that Suspect Ellis was wanted and staying in Pasadena. Glockson enlisted the assistance of Corporal Burgess, Officers Villcana, M. Jones, and M. Gligorijevic. They developed a plan and drove to the suspect’s home. The officers located Suspect Ellis and arrested him without incident. Ellis was subsequently booked at the Pasadena jail.

On June 23, Pasadena and Glendale SWAT officers assisted the FBI in the service of several arrest warrants throughout the region. The warrants focused on suspects from a local street gang known for their violence. One gang member was arrested with approximately $12,000 in US Currency and six (6) ounces of methamphetamine. A total of 50 arrests were made during the mission. The investigation and warrant service is a great example of the collaborative team work among local, county, and federal law enforcement agencies.

On June 23 at about 3:30 a.m., Pasadena Police officers responded to Del Mar Boulevard, between Holliston Avenue and Hill Avenue regarding a serious traffic collision. On arrival, officers located a vehicle that had crashed into a street pole. The driver (Male 28, Pasadena Resident) was killed in the solo traffic collision. The department’s Major Traffic Investigation Unit was notified and responded to investigate the collision. The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office was notified and responded to remove the victim’s body. Our investigation is ongoing.

On June 25 at about 10:57 a.m., Pasadena Police officers responded to Altadena Drive, one block north of Colorado Boulevard, regarding suspicious circumstances. A community member (anonymous caller) advised the police dispatcher of a strong order of marijuana emitting from a building. On arrival, Officer David Thomas identified the source of the odor. David notified the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Detectives about his observations. Officers applied for a search warrant, which was subsequently approved by a judge. Armed with the search warrant, officers entered the building and discovered an indoor marijuana cultivation farm (the farm was a very sophisticated hydroponic system). The officers ultimately seized approximately 200 marijuana plants. The marijuana plants were removed and booked as evidence at the Pasadena Police Department. Our investigation is ongoing. SIU is supervised by Pasadena Police Sergeant David Reavis.

On June 26 at about 6:28 p.m., the Pasadena Police Department received several calls about bees stinging community members in the 300 block of Anita Drive. PPD and PFD responded to the incident to mitigate the occurrence. On arrival, emergency personnel learned that a home owner had sprayed water in her front yard near an active bee hive. The bees swarmed the victim stinging her several times. Three neighbors ran to assist the victim and they also received bee stings. On arrival, the officers and firefighters were also swarmed by the bees; however, they were not stung. The victims were subsequently transported to a local hospital for medical assessment. The hive was removed by a professional vector company.