Pasadena Police Report Downturn in Violence During April

Police recorded a decrease in violent crime in April, which also saw the arrests of suspects in two separate shootings that took place in March and in 2020, authorities said.

“Interestingly, after the arrest of several individuals for the rash of recent shootings/murders, there was a noticeable decrease in the number of shootings for this month and a 26% decrease in violent crimes,” according to Pasadena Police Department Lt. William Grisafe.

“As officers continue to remove unlawfully possessed guns from the street and detectives work tirelessly to solve the remaining homicides, these efforts are having a positive impact on the community violence,” he said.

Investigators arrested a 27-year-old Pasadena man on April 9 in connection with a shooting in May of 2020 that left one man dead and another wounded. Another suspect has been in custody since late last year.

Two suspects were arrested April 2 in connection with a fatal shooting outside a Pasadena Taco shop that took place three weeks earlier on March 13.

Dispatchers handled 19,222 phone calls in April, including 9,707 “calls for service” and 4,864 calls on the 911 line, according to data released by police officials this week.

Officers seized 43 firearms during the month, including 35 handguns, five rifles and three shotguns, police said. The department had seized 131 guns during the calendar year as of the end of April.

Crime Blotter:

• April 1, 2021 at 12:28 p.m.: Officers attempted to make contact with an uncooperative suspect in the area of Lincoln Ave. and Pepper St. who was wanted in connection with an assault. Efforts were made to communicate with the suspect and keep him calm, but the suspect advanced on the officers, ignoring all lawful commands. An officer deployed his Taser once it became clear the suspect intended on harming the officer. Immediately following the deployment of the Taser, the suspect was taken into custody and transported to a local hospital for a medical evaluation. Neither the suspect nor the officer were injured during the incident.

• April 2, 2021 at 7:41 a.m.: While on patrol, officers noticed someone passed out / sleeping inside a parked car in the area of Raymond Ave. and Woodbury Rd. The officers checked on the welfare of the individual and observed the occupant had multiple bottles of alcohol on the seat next to him. Officers knocked on the window to wake the suspect and once awake, he voluntarily stepped out of the vehicle. Officers immediately saw a handgun next to where the individual was seated. The suspect had previously been convicted of a felony and was arrested for a felon in possession of a loaded handgun.

• April 2, 2021 at 8:07 p.m.: Officers stopped a vehicle for a traffic violation near the intersection of Hammond St. and Summit Ave. The female driver of the vehicle was unlicensed and consented to a search of the vehicle. Officers located an unserialized firearm in the immediate area of where a male passenger was seated. The driver was issues a citation for driving without a license and the passenger was arrested for a felon in possession of a firearm.

• April 2, 2021 at 9:00 p.m.: Officers responded to calls of a physical altercation in the area of Arroyo Pkwy. and California Blvd. Witnesses reported the suspect had punched the victim in the head knocking him unconscious. Upon arrival, officers observed the suspect kick the victim in the head while the victim was on the ground. Officers separated the two combatants and the suspect was taken into custody. The victim provided limited information as to the cause of the fight and the suspect appeared to suffer from severe mental illness.

• April 3, 2021 at 9:33 p.m.: Officers responded to the area of Oakland Ave. and Orange Grove Blvd. regarding an assault. The suspect and victim have an on-going feud between them, related to a mutual female. The victim was walking in the street along the 500 block of N. Oakland Ave. when a vehicle, driven by a known suspect, struck him. The suspect then made a U-turn and drove back toward the injured victim, who remained down on the roadway. The driver ran over the victim’s leg with the vehicle and subsequently fled in the suspect vehicle. The victim’s injuries were not considered to be life threatening. Detectives will conduct further investigation into this incident.

• April 4, 2021 at 9:36 p.m.: Officers were patrolling the 1500 block of El Sereno Ave. when they recognized the driver of a vehicle who was wanted for an outstanding arrest warrant. While contacting the vehicle’s occupants, officers observed a firearm protruding from the pant pocket of the front passenger. Officers took both suspects into custody and the weapon was recovered without incident.

• April 5, 2021 at 12:53 p.m.: Officers were dispatched to the 800 block of Summit Ave. to assist Pasadena Fire Department paramedics while they attempted to treat an 11-year-old child who had been bit by a dog. When officers arrived, the dog who had bit the child, was now actively fighting another dog. Officers developed a plan to use Tasers to separate the two dogs and deployed the Taser effectively. Animal Control officers were then able to safely detain both dogs. The child was expected to make a full recovery.

• April 11, 2021 at 12:48 a.m.: Officers responded to a residence in the 1400 block of Elizabeth St. regarding a theft and assault. The victim was inside his residence when he heard noises outside his home. The victim looked outside to see suspects removing the catalytic converter from his vehicle. As he confronted the suspects, he was struck in the head with the catalytic converter, which caused minor injuries. The suspects fled the scene in a vehicle and were not immediately located.

• April 12, 2021 at 4:39 a.m.: Officers observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed in the area of Fair Oaks Ave. and Hammond St. They attempted to pull the vehicle over however; the driver of the vehicle failed to stop and went through several red lights. Officers initiated a pursuit and the driver eventually stopped near Lincoln Ave. and Clinton St. The driver (and sole occupant) was taken into custody without incident and booked for numerous charges. It is unclear as to why the driver was traveling in such a reckless manner.

• April 12, 2021 at 5:36 a.m.: Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 600 block of N. Mentor Ave. regarding a fight between a female and male. When officers arrived, they discovered the male was suffering from a stab wound. Paramedics immediately transported the victim to a local hospital for medical treatment while officers attempted to locate the female. The female was found barricaded inside the bathroom of the residence. Officers attempted to negotiate with the female for several hours to no avail. Ultimately, officers utilized a form of pepper spray to flush the suspect out of the bathroom and she was taken into custody.

• April 17, 2021 at 9:18 p.m.: Officers located a stolen vehicle in the 2000 block of N. Los Robles Ave. The vehicle had been taken earlier in the day during a carjacking from the city of Lancaster and the suspect was considered to be armed and dangerous. Officers located the vehicle and a suspect believed to be associated with the vehicle. The suspect was taken into custody without incident and Los Angeles County Deputies from the Lancaster station responded to continue their investigation.

• April 18, 2021 at 9:58 p.m.: Pasadena Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Hammond St. and Summit Ave. for a vehicle code violation. The driver did not possess a driver’s license so he, a passenger and a young child were asked to exit the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered a loaded firearm adjacent to the driver’s seat. The firearm was unregistered and fully loaded with ammunition. The driver was arrested while the adult passenger, child and vehicle were released.

• April 19, 2021 at 4:00 p.m.: Officers responded to a residence in the 2100 block N. Altadena Dr. regarding a call to check on the welfare of a male subject who was reportedly upset about recent family matters. Additional information was provided the upset person was armed with a firearm and likely intoxicated. Furthermore, officers learned the person had reportedly fired two rounds inside of his residence. All necessary resources were deployed, neighbors were evacuated and eventually, officers were able to negotiate his safe surrender. Officers detained the resident and transported him to a facility for professional, mental health care. Several items of evidence were located and multiple firearms were seized from inside the house.

• April 22, 2021 at 12:27 a.m.: Pasadena officers conducted a traffic stop on the driver of a vehicle in the area of Hill Ave. and Washington Blvd. after observing multiple vehicle code violations. As the officers approached the vehicle, they could clearly see narcotics inside of the vehicle. The driver advised officers he was currently on probation for narcotics and admitted to having a firearm inside the car. The driver allowed the officers to search the vehicle at which time the firearm was located along with additional narcotics. The suspect was arrested and transported to the Pasadena jail.

• April 22, 2021 at 9:58 a.m.: Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 300 block of N. El Molino Ave. regarding a family disturbance. Officers learned one of the residents had pointed a firearm while threatening his girlfriend. The suspect was not at the location when officers arrived but was found in the area, a short time later. The suspect was safely taken into custody and a discarded firearm was located in the immediate area of the suspect. The suspect was arrested and booked on multiple charges at the Pasadena City jail.

• April 23, 2021 at 7:14 p.m.: Pasadena Officers conducted a traffic stop in the area of Sunnyslope Ave. and Walnut St. Upon contact, it was determined the female driver was unlicensed. The officers recognized both the driver and passenger as suspects in a previous robbery case and were still wanted on that case. Both were taken into custody and booked at the Pasadena jail.

• April 23, 2021 at 8:51 a.m.: Officers responded to a residence in the 800 block of Cambridge Ct. regarding an attempted burglary. Two female victims were in their home alone when they heard the sound of glass breaking and male voices inside of their home. The frightened victims screamed and it appears the screams caused the suspects to flee. When officers arrived, they found a broken glass door as well as other evidence of the attempted burglary, but no suspects. There were no injuries and no loss because of this incident.

• April 28, 2021 at 9:19 p.m.: Pasadena Officers and Pasadena Paramedics were dispatched to the area of Lake Ave. and Orange Grove Blvd. regarding reports of a collision in the intersection. A motorcyclist had struck a vehicle, causing life-threatening injuries. The motorcyclist was transported to a local hospital while members of Pasadena’s Major Accident Investigation Team (M.A.I.T) responded to conduct the investigation.

• April 29, 2021 at 11:01 a.m.: Officers were dispatched to an armed robbery at a business in the 100 block of W. Colorado Blvd. A suspect had walked into the store, pointed a handgun at the employee, handed her a note and demanded money. The suspect fled on foot after receiving the loss and the police were notified. Officers searched for the suspect but he was not immediately located. Detectives were notified and responded to begin following up on all investigative leads.

• April 29, 2021 at 11:59 p.m.: Pasadena Police received numerous calls from residents reporting hearing multiple shots fired in the area of the 100 block of Valley St. Officers responded and checked the area for victims, suspects, and evidence of a shooting. Officers were able to confirm a shooting had occurred, but no victims or suspects were located.

Related:

Second Suspect Arrested in Pasadena Shooting That Killed 1 Duarte Man, Seriously Wounded Another

2 Suspects Arrested in Connection With Deadly Shooting Outside Pasadena Taco Shop