La Mirada Crime Report July 23-29, 2012
The following is the crime report for La Mirada July 23-29, 2012
Residential Burglary-Two residential burglaries were reported last week. A burglary was reported on the 12600 block of Biola Ave. It's unknown if any items were stolen from the home. A burglary occured on the 14900 block of Tacuba Dr. Various electronics, laptops, and jewelry were taken.
Grand Theft-A grand theft was reported from the 14200 block of Artesia Blvd. The incident is under investigation.
Grand Theft Vehicle-Four vehicle thefts were reported last week. A vehicle was stolen from the 16100 block of Rosecrans Ave. The vehicle was recovered two days later by the La Habra Police. A van was reported stolen from the 14000 block of Foster Rd. The van was recovered by Century Sheriff's Station the same day. A vehicle was reported stolen from the 13900 block of El Moro Dr. The vehicle was recovered the same day. A vehicle was taken from the 15500 block of Talbot Dr. The vehicle has not been recovered.
Church has Stained Glass Potrait Refurbished
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| Workers put the finishing touches on the stained glass portrait of Jesus at the Fountain of Life Lutheran Church in La Mirada. |
La Mirada~If you have taken a walk along Biola Avenue just north of Biola University, especially at night, you more than likely have seen it-the large stained glass portrait of Jesus that adorns the front of the Fountain of Life Community Church.
For the first time ever, repairs had to be made recently, to the towering twenty foot glass mural, which is comprised of 13 large segments pieced together.
The church, located at 13518 Biola Avenue in La Mirada is the former Mt. Olive Lutheran Church established in La Mirada in 1957-three years before La Mirada’s incorporation as a city.
The name change came about when the church merged with Hope Lutheran Church of Whittier in 2008.
The church is also home to the La Mirada Community Garden, located in the rear of the property.
The portrait, which is 54 years old, is original to the building and reportedly has survived a fire and numerous earthquakes.
According to church Secretary Betty Emery, the rendering has begun to show its age in recent years, saying the
sectionals had become loose in their casings, and the church was concerned they would fall out.
A company in Pasadena that specializes in stained glass repair was contacted and they extracted the pieces, then restored and reinstalled the sections securely.
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| The view from the inside of the church |
“Now we are good for another 50 years,” said Emery.
Apparently, there is quite a demand in the industry for these types of repairs and installations at churches, “We had to wait almost two months for their business, because so many other churches have had the same problem,” said Emery.
With the installation now complete, evening walkers along Biola will once again be able to view the illuminated portrait.
For more information about the Fountain of Life Community Church, including their service times, call (562) 941-4610.
Sheriff Volunteers to Host Fundraiser
La Mirada~The Los Angeles County Sheriff Volunteers on Patrol (VOPS) serving La Mirada will be hosting a Goodwill Donation Drive fundraiser this Saturday, August 4th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the city hall parking lot at 13700 La Mirada Boulevard.
Residents can donate used clothing , housewares, furniture and other miscellaneous items to VOPS. The VOPS program will receive funds in return for the amount of merchandise they collect, per trailer load.
The VOPS serve as a valuable resource to La Mirada's Public Safety team and act as the eyes and the ears of the Sheriff's Department. They identify suspicious activities, report crimes, and identify dangerous situations.
For more info, contact the La Mirada Community Sheriff's station at (562) 902-2960.
3rd Annual La Mirada Blog Fest Brings the Community Together
La Mirada~The 3rd Annual La Mirada Blog Fest will take place Saturday, August 18th at La Mirada Regional Park in La Mirada
Transformation of a Neighborhood: Breezewood, A Redevelopment Success Story
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| This Google Maps aerial shot shows the Breezewood Village, with Green Hills Shopping Center to the left. Dulles Elementary School can be seen on the bottom right. Imperial Highway is on top and is north. "It was a cesspool up and down the street"-former city manager Gary Sloan |
Check this story out in the print edition of this weekend's La Mirada Lamplighter!
La Mirada~The State of California may have did away with city redevelopment agencies (RDA’s), but a great example of how the system was designed to work, is represented well in La Mirada.
The Breezewood Village Residential Community-an RDA project- hosted their 10th Anniversary celebration last Thursday night. It was attended by Breezewood residents and staff, along with numerous representatives from city hall including city council members Steve DeRuse and Steve Jones.
California's approximately 400 municipal RDA’s were eliminated as part of a cost-saving measure by the state last year. The repercussions and details of this action, and the affect it will have on cities, is still currently being worked out in court.
In 1999, the city, along with its RDA, used its eminent domain power to tear down the 30-unit apartment building on the site that also included five duplexes.
The area is bordered by Imperial Highway to the north, Breezewood Drive to south and east, and the Green Hills shopping center to the west.
At the time, the dwellings suffered from the influx of drugs, prostitution, high crime, and child neglect among other things, and really was an undesirable and unsafe area of La Mirada-all within 500 feet of Dulles Elementary school.
One of the worst units on the property was owned by former Cerritos city council member Sherman Kapee.
After the property was condemned, the LA County Fire Department used it for training, and literally burnt it down.
La Mirada Man Pleads to 2011 Hit and Run Death
Norwalk~A La Mirada man pleaded no contest today to vehicular manslaughter in a fatal hit-and-run last September that killed a 72-year-old man, the District Attorney’s Office announced.
Geoffrey Matthew Rocha, 27, also admitted an allegation that he fled the scene of the Sept. 20, 2011 accident that killed Raul Quintanilla, said Deputy District Attorney Marlon Powers.
Rocha is facing seven years in state prison when he returns Aug. 22 for sentencing before Commissioner Michael Schuur in Norwalk Superior Court.
Rocha pleaded no contest to striking Quintanilla, who was out for his daily walk, at the intersection of Santa Gertrudes Avenue and Lawnhill Drive in La Mirada.
Authorities said the victim’s arm was severed at the shoulder with the force of the impact and carried away by the fleeing car. The limb was discovered about a mile from where the victim was struck.
The defendant, who fled the scene of the 4:30 a.m. accident, later surrendered to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department authorities in Norwalk.
In exchange for his plea, prosecutors will ask that the remaining two counts-leaving the scene of an accident and driving when privilege suspended-be dismissed at sentencing.
John Glenn High Alumni Planning 30-Year Reunion
The John Glenn High School Class of 1982 will be holding its 30-Year High School Reunion on Friday, September 28, 2012 at the Double Tree Hotel (formerly Marriot) in Norwalk, CA. The cost for the event is just $70 per person and includes dinner, dancing and other surprises.
Don’t miss out on this special evening catching up with friends and classmates you grew up with.
For more information, please contact Maclovia Chaidez Esnayra via email at macchaidez@gmail.com. You may also contact Maclovia Chaidez Esnayra, Socorro Lazalde or Yolanda Romo Ortega on Facebook for additional information, comments and questions.
The committee members are Anabell Ortega Sanchez, Socorro Lazalde, Yolanda Romo Ortega and Maclovia Chaidez Esnayra.
La Mirada City Council Votes to Put Tax Measure on November Ballot
La Mirada~On Tuesday night, the La Mirada City Council voted 5-0 to adopt an ordinance to place a 1 percent tax revenue measure on the November 6th ballot.
La Mirada voters will decide if the sales tax in the city will be raised from 8.75 percent to 9.75 percent.
If approved, the increase would go into effect April 3, 2013 and would last five years.
According to a city report, the city is claiming it needs the tax to pay for immediate infrastructure needs.
Recently, a study identified $67 million worth of work that needs to be done to repair city streets, curbs, gutters, storm drains, and traffic signals.
The report also stated that an additional $126,932,000 has also been identified as being required to fund other community wants, such as privately owned deteriorated block walls.
The city declared a fiscal emergency this past February 14th.
La Mirada Resident Plays Music as Therapy After Brush With Death
La Mirada~La Mirada resident Kenny Metcalf who “was at death’s doorstep” just a few short years ago, will headline at the Orange County Fair July 27th and the Los Angeles
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| Elton-The Early Years Will Play at the Orange County Fair July 27th and the LA County Fair September 7th. |
County Fair September 7th with his tribute band “Elton-The Early Years.”
He is another of one of the many teen musicians in La Mirada from the 1960’s and 70’s that still play music in one form or another today.
Metcalf’s family moved to La Mirada in 1964 from an area in Inglewood that was directly affected by the Watts riots that year a short time later.
“For me growing up in the 70’s in La Mirada; it was party central. We all grew up at the same time and the city didn’t know what to do with all of us. I lived here when you could ride motorcycles at Regional Park before there was a Regional Park. It was a small town, everybody knew everybody, and it was full of kids.”
He decided he wanted to play music when he saw the Beatles on TV and chose the drums. He grew up taking music lessons at the La Mirada Mall and other places, and was in the Los Coyotes Intermediate School Band.
But it was his freshmen year in 1973 at La Mirada High School that would determine his musical path and when the Elton “bug” first hit him.
“A guy walks into the drama room, his name was Marty Adams, who was a junior, and he started playing Benny and the Jets which was number one on the charts at that time. Then all the girls in the room gathered around him. I turned to a friend and told him I’ve never had that effect on a girl playing drums.
So, since my Mom had just bought a piano, I went home and taught myself to play.After 10 years, I gave up playing drums and started jamming with other guys I had met in La Mirada.”
Metcalf is part of a long list of local La Mirada teen musicians that performed back then including: Mark Servi, Mike Ferlita, Joe Caruso, Don Brennan, Anthony Cortez, Joe Allesandro, Steve Gage, Mark Cortez and others.
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| Kenny at his home studio. |
Brennan is performing at this year’s La Mirada Blog Fest August 18th at Regional Park.
In 1977, Kenny assembled a band called Amulet and entered the band in the first talent contest at the newly opened La Mirada Civic Auditorium and has a funny story to tell, “Our band got mispronounced at the show, they called it The Kenny Metcalf Band, and the other guys got real mad at me at the time.”
In that same talent show there was a band called Robert Sweet and the Firestorm Band. This band went on to become Stryper, the well-known heavy metal Christian band. Kenny toured as the original keyboardist for them in 1985-86. Before they embarked on their world tour, he says he left the group to raise his kids.
Amulet, which featured Metcalf, Servi, Ferlita, and Allesandro played again at the La Mirada Theatre in 1978 in front of a packed house of 1200 people and they were featured in an article in the La Mirada Lamplighter newspaper.
Metcalf married his wife Evelyn in 1980 and they have resided in La Mirada for the past seven years after raising two children Desiree and Sharlene. Evelyn was his junior high school sweetheart.
Crime Report July 2-8, 2012
CRIME REPORT
Aggravated Assault An assault was reported on the 15600 block of Surrey Ln. A suspect was arrested by responding deputies.
Other Structure Burglary An incident was reported on the 14000 block of Estero Rd. A tool box was stolen after the latch was pried off from a carport storage locker at the location.
Vehicle Burglary Six vehicle burglaries were reported last week. A vehicle's door lock was punched in on the 16700 block of Trojan Way. Speaker boxes and an MP3 player were stolen. A window smash burglary was reported on the 12000 block of Santa Gertrudes Ave. A purse was stolen from the vehicle. A burglary occurred on the 14600 block of Mercado Ave. A car stereo, third row seat, and other items were taken. A window smash burglary was reported on the 13500 block of Dalmatian Ave. A laptop computer was stolen. Two separate incidents occurred on the 14200 block of Firestone Blvd. and the 14500 block of Artesia Blvd. Car stereos were stolen from both vehicles.
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