Latest news with #AlhambraPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Yahoo
L.A. County emergency official charged with murder of his mother
A seasoned L.A. County emergency management official who specialized in emergency alerts was charged May 9 with murdering his mother. The L.A. County District Attorney's Office alleges Robert Barreras 'took advantage of a position of trust and confidence' to commit the murder of Karen Lee Barreras, according to the criminal complaint. Barreras, a 42-year-old Alhambra resident, was arrested May 7. The Alhambra Police Department did not immediately respond to inquiries for more information on the arrest. The district attorney's office confirmed the victim was Barreras' mother, but declined further comment. Barreras, who earned roughly $188,000 from the county last year in total compensation, was on leave when the alleged murder took place and has since been suspended without pay, according to a county spokesperson. It was not immediately clear why he was on leave. Barreras is currently being held at Twin Towers Correctional Facility on $2 million bail. He pleaded not guilty on May 15, according to the court docket. His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Within the office of emergency management, Barreras specialized in building and maintaining the technology that allows county residents to be quickly notified about emergencies through their phones, radios, and television. Since joining the county in 2016, he participated in multiple panels detailing how these alert systems worked for L.A. County. The alert system has been under scrutiny since the January wildfires after the county failed for hours to send alerts to parts of Altadena decimated by flames and later sent out glitchy alerts to residents in unaffected areas. The county said in a statement that Barreras was assigned to administrative duties and 'had no operational role in the wildfire response.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
Burglar posing as food delivery driver arrested in California — how to protect your home from prowlers
The rise of food delivery apps has made it so that unfamiliar cars on your block don't necessarily raise suspicions. But CBS News Los Angeles reports that some criminals are now posing as delivery drivers to scout out homes to rob. Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how I'm 49 years old and have nothing saved for retirement — what should I do? Don't panic. Here are 5 of the easiest ways you can catch up (and fast) Nervous about the stock market in 2025? Find out how you can access this $1B private real estate fund (with as little as $10) In April, police officers were called to the 3300 block of Balzac Street in Alhambra after getting reports of a suspicious person who seemed to be posing as a driver for Uber Eats. The "food delivery person" was asking residents if they had ordered DoorDash. "Turns out, she wasn't delivering food but rather checking if the house was vacant," said the Alhambra Police Department in an Instagram post. "We don't think she even knew which app she was pretending to work for." Ordering food delivery is a convenience many people enjoy. The problem is that because it's become such a common thing, people posing as food delivery drivers may not arouse suspicion. What happened in Alhambra, per CBS News, is that police arrested a group of three people for residential burglary. According to police, the fake delivery driver walked up to a home to see if it was vacant. Once she confirmed no one was home, she signaled to her remaining crew members to move forward with a robbery while she served as a lookout. "The suspects jumped the fence and forced entry. Just as they started grabbing stuff, they noticed APD outside and decided to play hide-and-seek," said the Alhambra Police Department on Instagram. The lookout/fake delivery driver tried to warn her crew that the police were there via text, but she got arrested. With assistance from police dogs, a perimeter was established and the remaining criminals were caught. Similar burglaries have occurred in Southern California before. In 2024, a Monrovia man was arrested for breaking into four homes in the city after posing as a delivery driver. He reportedly carried around a food bag. "Definitely a unique set of circumstances with using that delivery appearance," IPD spokesperson Kyle Oldoerp told CBS News. "It allowed him to knock on doors, look around on his phone as if he was lost. So, definitely helped him blend into the area." Read more: You're probably already overpaying for this 1 'must-have' expense — and thanks to Trump's tariffs, your monthly bill could soar even higher. Here's how 2 minutes can protect your wallet right now There were 457,558 home burglaries reported in the U.S. in 2023, according to the FBI. Residences were by far the most targeted property for this sort of crime, with the second-highest category being office buildings at 51,892 reports. It's important to take steps to protect your home — and to minimize the blow if your house does end up being targeted. To that end, one thing you can do is install a security system — ideally one with video cameras. But if you're going to install a security system, make sure it's turned on every time you leave the house. It's not a given that criminals will try to rob you at night. Sometimes, burglars intentionally try to rob homes during the day because that's when people are more likely to be out at work. Or, they may try to target your home in the evening, when people may be out to dinner. Meanwhile, it's important to do a walk-through of your home before you leave to make sure you're not giving a burglar easy access. Lock your doors and windows, and make sure sliding doors are latched. Dogs can also be a huge deterrent for home invaders. If you've been on the fence about adopting one, consider the added benefit of having a pet whose bark might scare would-be intruders away. At the same time, take steps to make your home's exterior as illuminated as possible at all times, but especially at night. Invest in automatic lighting that's triggered by motion outside of your home. An intruder may be more apt to run away if a large beam of light starts illuminating the property as they're trying to sneak in. Also, keep trees and bushes trimmed so people can't easily hide behind them. Meanwhile, it's important to take steps to protect your most valuable belongings. You could buy a safe and store things like jewelry there, but a burglar might be able to either crack it or take it with them and get into it once they're off the premises. An even better bet may be to store valuables in a safe deposit box you rent from the bank. Another strategy you could try is hiding jewelry and other valuables in random drawers of your home while filling a portable safe with items of little value, like soap or batteries. That way, if someone breaks into your home, they might see the safe, assume it's got your most prized possessions, grab it, and leave without taking anything of real value. Whether you rent your home or own it, it's important to make sure your insurance policy covers you in the event of theft as well as property damage. Read through your documents carefully and call your insurer if you have questions about your coverage. It's also a good idea to have money set aside in an emergency fund in case you're robbed and encounter unplanned expenses that your insurance company doesn't pay for or reimburse right away. For example, if your laptop is stolen and you need it in order to work, you may not get a check from your insurer for weeks. You need funds to be able to replace that device so you're not forced to go without an income. Finally, aim to maintain a home inventory of your most valued possessions so that if a burglary occurs, you'll know what's missing. You don't have to list every single bottle of shampoo or pair of socks. But items of substantial value such as jewelry, outerwear, handbags, and electronics should be included in that document. Store a copy of that inventory online so that even if your laptop is stolen, you'll have a copy. You may need to provide this information to law enforcement and your insurance company as you attempt to pick up the pieces. Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan 'works every single time' to kill debt, get rich in America — and that 'anyone' can do it Rich, young Americans are ditching the stormy stock market — here are the alternative assets they're banking on instead Robert Kiyosaki warns of a 'Greater Depression' coming to the US — with millions of Americans going poor. But he says these 2 'easy-money' assets will bring in 'great wealth'. How to get in now Here are 5 'must have' items that Americans (almost) always overpay for — and very quickly regret. How many are hurting you? This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Burglars caught posing as food delivery service in Southern California: Police
Three burglary suspects pretending to be part of a food delivery service to determine if a home was vacant have been taken into custody in Alhambra, police said Tuesday. The incident took place in the 3300 block of Balzac Street and was captured on surveillance video. 'A suspicious individual posing as an Uber Eats driver pulled up and asked if the residents ordered DoorDash. We don't think she even knew which app she was pretending to work for,' the Alhambra Police Department posted on Instagram. After determining that no one was home, the suspect signaled to her crew and waited outside as a lookout while they jumped a fence and forced entry. 'Just as they started grabbing stuff, they noticed APD outside and decided to play hide-and-seek,' the post read. The lookout then tried to warn her partners by texting that officers were in the area, 'but she got caught herself,' police said. Officers set up a perimeter and used K-9 unit 'Doggo' to help capture the suspects identified as Kennisha Powell of Lake Elsinore, Dejon Brown of Baldwin Park and Jerry Mullens of Los Angeles. All three were booked on suspicion of residential burglary. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
Armed robbery crew arrested amid violent Los Angeles crime spree
A violent armed robbery crew that terrorized convenience store clerks in Los Angeles late last week has been taken down, authorities announced. The crime spree started on April 18 at around 1 a.m. and continued through 11 p.m. when officers with the Alhambra Police Department initiated a pursuit of the four-person robbery crew in a stolen blue Hyundai that was taken over by the Los Angeles Police Department as it entered the downtown area, officials said in a news release. Three of the suspects, now identified as 21-year-old Jacuri Tobias and two juvenile males, 15 and 17, were taken into custody. A fourth suspect remains outstanding, as well as the blue steel handgun with an extended magazine used in each of the five robberies, primarily targeting 7-Eleven stores. In video footage of the robberies released by LAPD detectives, the crew was seen pulling up to the stores in the stolen Hyundai. Three suspects would enter the store, one of them armed with the handgun and demanding cash from the register, while the others kept watch, and the driver stayed behind the wheel of the car. Family shaken after intruders ransack Southern California home In one instance, a suspect was seen jumping over the counter while brandishing the gun, while the seemingly terrified clerk held his hands up. Investigators said five 7-Eleven stores were robbed — three in L.A., another in Pasadena and one in Baldwin Park. Authorities said there may be additional armed robberies that went unreported and are asking anyone who may have been a victim of the crew to contact investigators. Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to contact LAPD's Rampart Division Robbery Det. Jose Hidalgo at 213-713-2932. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-222-8477 or leave tips online at Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Yahoo
Officers search for driver after they abandoned car during pursuit
The California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement officials are searching for the driver of a vehicle who led them on a pursuit Tuesday before they left their vehicle in the middle of a Koreatown street and took off on foot. The driver of the silver Ford Focus with front-end damage is wanted to allegedly making criminal threats, according to the California Highway Patrol. The Alhambra Police Department told KTLA the alleged threat happened yesterday, and the driver is accused of displaying a gun when making the threat. That person was spotted today in Alhambra, which is what sparked the pursuit, the APD added. When Sky5 arrived shortly after noon, the driver was on the freeway, though they quickly exited to surface streets in Pico-Union. On surface streets, the driver traveled at a relatively high speed and went through intersections and across lanes without stopping. Just before 12:15 p.m. near Koreatown, the driver pulled over and ran from the vehicle on New Hampshire Avenue near the intersection with 4th Street, leaving the car in the middle of the street. Law enforcement was continuing to search residential complexes for the driver as of just before 12:30 p.m. Nidia Becerra and Sofia Pop Perez contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
