Mercury News
Safe Shopping Detail Springs Into Action in Pasadena’s Shopping Centers
By Alfred Lee, Staff Writer
Posted: 11/27/2009 04:32:19 PM PST
Updated: 11/27/2009 06:52:22 PM PST

John Kendall, Pasadena Police volunteer on patrol during the city’s busiest shopping centers, speaks to a woman who forgot to place her handicapped sign on her mirror while parking in a handicapped parking in shopping area near Whole Foods in Pasadena on Foothill Boulevard. Volunteers are focusing on keeping down crime and keeping a high visibility during the Police Department’s Annual Safe Shopping Detail Friday November 27, 2009. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Walt Mancini)

PASADENA - The holiday shopping season has arrived, and so have a team of crime-fighting Pasadena police volunteers at the city’s major shopping areas.

Trained police volunteers from the Citizens Assisting the Pasadena Police (CAPP) program began patrolling designated shopping districts Friday, as part of the department’s annual Safe Shopping Detail.

The detail will serve as the department’s eyes and ears every weekend from now until Christmas, a period when crimes and burglaries tend to increase, police said.

Volunteers Tom Lenzo, 60, and John Kendall, 81, pulled a mid-day shift patrolling shopping centers near Hastings Ranch on Friday, relieving a pair of volunteers who had been out there since 3 a.m.

“The main thing for us is to be visible,” Kendall said. “If a guy’s thinking about breaking into a car and he sees a police car in the lot, or sees us walking around, he’s a lot less likely to.”

The volunteers are told to radio in if they see a shopping-season crime in progress, such as a purse-snatching or car break-in. Kendall and Lenzo also spend much of their time checking handicap parking spots - the $340 ticket for a handicap parking violation is the only one they’re authorized to write.

They’re also tasked with talking to people who make it easier for potential criminals by leaving valuables in plain sight in their car or their windows cracked open. A surprising number of shoppers leave children in the car - three or four of them, sometimes - for too long, they said. “It’s like people are so intent on shopping they forget the normal stuff,” Lenzo said.

On Friday, the pair uneventfully watched the Best Buy parking lot of the Hastings Village Shopping Center on Sierra Madre Villa Avenue and Foothill Boulevard, checked in with a private security guard at an AT&T store in the Hastings Ranch Shopping Center on Rosemead and Foothill boulevards, and walked the area near a Trader Joe’s on Rosemead.

The extra volunteer patrols will be placed wherever they appear to be needed most, Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope Givens said. “They are very liquid, very fluid,” she said. “They can go where the problems are.”

Last year, Hastings Ranch was particularly problematic when it came to seasonal holiday crime such as auto break-ins, Pope Givens said.

In part, patrolling also offered a chance to enjoy a sun-drenched November afternoon, the volunteers said.

“We’re both long-time Pasadena residents,” Lenzo said. “It gives me a chance to give back.”

alfred.lee@sgvn.com

(626) 578-6300, Ext. 4496

Following a focus group conducted by the Volunteers in Police Service Program on the subject of using volunteers for investigative purposes, we decided to feature four such agencies in our latest VIPS in Focus. These well trained and skilled volunteers work in investigations and on cold case squads, while enhancing their department’s productivity in handling crimes against persons and property, and identity crimes.

Pasadena, California, Police Department
Pasadena, CA, has a population of 146,000 and is home to one of the country’s most famous tourist spots, the Rose Bowl. The Pasadena Police Department (PPD) employs a staff of 400 employees and 260 sworn officers. Currently the department has more than 160 active volunteers placed on 12 specialized teams, boards, and committees, assisting the department on all levels. Pasadena was the host city for the California Association of Chiefs of Police State Conference earlier this year as Chief Bernard Melekian serves as the current President of the association. The conference attracted more than 365 attendees.
The volunteer services program at the PPD has been in existence for more than 20 years. Volunteers are recruited, screened, and interviewed by the volunteer coordinator. The PPD’s Citizens Police Academy serves as the basic recruiting tool for volunteer services. All volunteers, with a few exceptions, must complete the academy prior to applying for any volunteer position. The 12-week course exposes citizens to the different divisions and operations of the Pasadena Police Department. Volunteers are also subject to a background investigation and interview before being cleared for duty. Volunteers are selected for a specific division on the basis of program and department needs. Orientation to the department is reinforced at the time of placement in the position. Hands-on training is given by a police staff member when a volunteer assumes a new assignment. Department volunteers actively assist with various volunteer programs including the Citizens Assisting Pasadena Police Program, Youth Accountability Board, Parade Watch, Safe Shopping Detail, Volunteer Translation Team, Chaplains Group, and Equestrian Unit. Volunteers assist with traffic control and parking at local events, participate in National Night Out, the Kids and Teen police academies, and the Citizens Police Academy.

In 2006, the Pasadena Police Department received an award from the International Association of Chiefs of Police for their Identity Theft program, the first of its kind. The nnovative “Community Response to Eradicate and Deter Identity Theft” (C.R.E.D.I.T.) program is made up of five volunteers who assist the Financial Crime Unit of the department. Each volunteer brings a distinctive asset to the program to assist in solving ID crimes. One volunteer retired as a Vice President with the Bank of America, where she worked for 39 years. Volunteers spend between two to ten hours a week sifting through cases and pursuing potential leads by making phone calls, contacting businesses and victims, and typing case reports. The volunteers are not only able to keep the victims up to date on their case status, but also offer a personal connection and attention that officers may not have the time to provide. The volunteers have proven to be an invaluable resource to the department and as a result, the Pasadena Police Department has forged strong partnerships with the community. At this time, the department is looking into a Pawn Shop Detail Program where the bulk of the work performed would also be completed by volunteers. The program will be modeled after the C.R.E.D.I.T program. It is California law that pawners provide a copy of all pawn slips to the local police department. The volunteer will assist in entering pawn tickets into a searchable database, making it easier for detectives to conduct stolen property searches.

Charlotte Mecklenburg, North Carolina, Police Department

Known as the “Queen City,” Charlotte, North Carolina, is America’s fifth largest urban area. While rooted in the southeast of the country, Charlotte offers a metropolitan lifestyle with southern charm. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) serves a population of 809,500 residents. More than 1,600 sworn officers and 465 civilian employees provide public safety services to the communities of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. The department has more than 550 volunteers, including one who has been on board for a record-breaking 26 years. Volunteers at the CMPD provide critical services in to the department and community. In addition to a Citizens on Patrol Unit, Animal Control Unit, Parking Enforcement, and Police Athletic League program, CMPD volunteers also assist with the Investigations Bureau, and have a Crime
Scene Investigations Unit (CSI). All volunteers are required to go through fingerprinting and a criminal background check, including a driver’s license history check and drug screening. Volunteers that take on special roles such as investigations are often required to submit to additional screening such as a polygraph test given that some positions involve sensitive and classified information. Those steps are taken to ensure the volunteers working on the cases adhere to the same standards set for officers of the department. Volunteers are required to complete a training and orientation session helping them become familiar with the policies of the department and their assigned position prior to placement. Volunteers must dedicate a minimum of 16 hours of service per month with a minimum of six months service. The first 90 days are probationary for the department and the volunteer. Some units have specific requirements and training. Volunteers assigned in investigative units offer a unique perspective to solving crimes. At this time, the CMPD Cold Case Squad consists of two detectives and one FBI agent. The review teams consist of six civilian employees with former law enforcement experience that determine if the case needs investigations. If so, volunteers are sometimes incorporated into the team. There are two exceptional volunteers that assist in several capacities. Some of those duties include conducting research, locating eople, patting witnesses, and/or writing lab requests, and any other duties determined necessary by the individual division offices. To date, the volunteer unit has worked on 101 of 350 cold cases. Of those cases, 26 have been solved.
Volunteers assigned to the CSI unit at CMPD assist in processing of evidence by fingerprinting and taking photographs. Volunteers may be assigned to the following units: auto theft, missing persons, gangs, vice/narcotics, sex crimes, criminal intelligence, language skills, or homicide. These volunteers receive special technique training pertaining to the identification, handling, and preservation of key evidence. In addition to specialized training, they also ride with a certified crime scene investigator prior to their first investigation.
In addition to their individual duties, volunteers assisting in the evaluation of a case will write critique reports. The support and aid of the volunteers in these investigative efforts has been immeasurable to not only the families and victims but the police department and community as a whole.

El Paso County, Colorado, Sheriff’s Department

El Paso County encompasses more than 2,200 square miles of land in east central Colorado. The topography of the county varies from mountainous regions on the west to flat prairie land on the east. All sides feature uninterrupted panoramic views of the country which inspired Katherine Lee Bates to write the poem “America the Beautiful” after her visit there. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) employs 538 full time staff, 349 sworn and 189 civilian, organized under three bureaus: the Detentions Bureau, the Law Enforcement Bureau, and the Support Services Bureau. EPSO’s 500 VIPS volunteers fall under the purview of the Support Services Bureau with supervision from a full-time civilian coordinator.
EPSO has several components to its volunteer program including: The Citizen’s Advisory Council; Reserve Section; Cadet Program; Victim Advocacy; Search and Rescue; Wildland Fire; Citizen Patrol; RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service); Inmate Programs (Chaplains, Music Therapy, Shakespeare classes, Reintegration/Recovery); Patrol Chaplains; Language Services; Fire Investigations; HazMat; Range Assistants; Emergency Services; Administrative/Clerical; CERT; and Investigations.
The volunteer program at EPSO began in 1996 and the volunteer investigative unit followed in 2001. In 2000, three retirees from various professions formed the Cold Case Squad who examine major crimes, general investigations, sex crimes/offenders, while paired with sworn officers. It was through this squad that the current volunteer investigative unit was conceived.
Currently, the unit has eight active volunteers who contributed a total of 725 hours in 2008 and have logged 826 hours through July of this year. At this time, Colorado Springs has all volunteer cold case staffers. Detectives screen the volunteers who must also pass a criminal background and reference check, a voice stress analysis, and polygraph test. The investigations unit assists with property and financial crimes, missing persons, runaways, and cold cases. Volunteers in this unit maintain the cold case library, including the organization of the case books and workbooks; answer tip lines; organize case information; create spreadsheets and reports; search computer and other records for background information on persons or property; reconstruct crime scenes; and attend meetings and briefings concerning investigations.
In 2006, the unit solved a 19-year-old murder case. The volunteers are currently working on 16 homicide and two missing persons cases.

Denver, Colorado, Police Department

The most populous city in the state of Colorado, Denver is known as the Mile High City as it sits one mile above sea level on the base of the Rocky Mountains. The city is also home to the this year’s Annual IACP Conference and Exposition, attracting more than 13,000 law enforcement executives to the city. The Denver Police Department is staffed with 1,569 sworn employees, accompanied by 250 volunteers. In 2006, Denver Police Department (DPD) began using a volunteer in the Cold Case Homicide division and the following year, created the Volunteer Crime Scene Team (VCST), the first of its kind. There are now 15 cold case volunteers in Denver’s Volunteer Crime Scene Team and one volunteer in Cold Case Homicide. The VCST has contributed more than 7,456 hours, and the homicide volunteer more than 407. The Volunteer Crime Scene Team program was developed in 2006 to augment crime laboratory field resources in response to an overwhelming number of property crimes, including car theft. This approach was in addition to Denver’s nation-leading use of DNA to reduce the rate of property crimes. The all volunteer team took part in an intensive one year training program at the Denver Police Department Academy. The goal of the program was to select 21 volunteer civilians who could demonstrate the volunteer service and spirit by fulfilling the Volunteer in Policing mission to deliver quality support services to the sworn and civilian employees of the Denver Police Department and to the citizens of Denver. This task was completed by training highly qualified and dedicated civilians to collect fingerprints, biological evidence, and to take photographs while gathering other critical forensic evidence on scene to assist the crime laboratory in processing and handling theft from motor vehicle, criminal mischief crimes, and other assignments.
Driving a specially marked Volunteer Crime Scene van with a city seal when responding to calls, the volunteers are equipped with kits to process evidence photography equipment and kits to process equipment. The VCST unit has responded to calls of theft from motor vehicle cases in an effort to help reduce the rate of property crimes by documenting, processing, and collecting evidence on scene as well as by assisting the crime laboratory detectives as needed. All VCST volunteers go through an extensive criminal background check which includes driving history, personal and work references check, and a polygraph examination. Each volunteer is provided with full coverage insurance by the city, that covers accidental injury, liability, and supplemental auto insurance. This is one of the largest budget items in the program. Training for the volunteers is Denver Volunteer Crime Scene Team conducted by the detectives from the Crime Lab and Homicide Bureau. All volunteers are given a comprehensive handbook that includes the ins and outs of the program, as well as the volunteer policy manual. In addition, all VSCT members attend community response training classes and are certified in CPR and first aid on an ongoing basis. The VCST unit continues to succeed by providing assistance to resource-constrained Denver Police Department. With current economic struggles, DPD admits that employees are not being replaced and if not for the volunteers, most everyone would be facing an increased work load. VCST’s participation enables department detectives to quickly and efficiently eliminate search areas in question, allows department personnel to remain in service by freeing up valuable patrol time, and adds remarkable value to the DPD by creating a safer and better city.

An Emerging Sector in Law Enforcement Volunteering: Volunteers in Investigations (PDF)

PASADENA, CA - The Pasadena Police Department will be conducting an illegal street racing enforcement detail on Monday, August 31, 2009, designed to eradicate street racing by citing and impounding illegally modified cars.  This enforcement detail will be deployed in the City of Pasadena.  The hours of operation will be from 7:00 am – 3:00 pm.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“Street racing kills,” says Chief of Police Bernard Melekian.  “Many times the victims are innocent drivers or uninvolved bystanders.    This program is an effective tool for achieving the Pasadena Police Department’s goal of reducing the number of traffic collisions resulting from illegal street racing.  The funding we receive allows us to run these operations and ensure the safety of our city streets.” 

To view the PDF version of this Press Release click PASADENA POLICE DEPARTMENT TO CONDUCT

PASADENA, CA –   Pasadena Police announced today that the District Attorney filed murder and torture charges against the mother and her boyfriend in the death of the mother’s 2 year-old toddler.  Maria Pelaez, 29 and Gabriel Diaz, 32 were charged with taping the feet, legs and arms of Rene Torres on the night of August 17, 2009. During the course of the night, the child died of asphyxiation.

Rene Torres was initially found deceased by paramedics in the 500 block of Summit Avenue at 6:00 AM Tuesday morning after suspect Pelaez called 911 claiming the toddler had stopped breathing.  During the course of the investigation and subsequent interviews, the suspects admitted that they had repeatedly restrained the toddler with tape over the last several months as a form of discipline. On occasion the victim’s mouth was also taped.  Evidence indicated that the victim had died earlier, either late in the evening prior, or earlier that morning.   Detectives searched the residence and located articles of clothing belonging to the victim which had been bound by tape. 

Bail for both suspects is set at $2 million.

911 Tapes Audio Recording (.wma files)

Tape 1

Tape 2

To view the PDF version of this Press Release click Couple Charged with Murder and Torture of Child

PASADENA, CA –   Pasadena Police announced today the arrest of a mother and her boyfriend in the death of their 2 year-old toddler. Maria Pelaez, 29,  and Gabriel Diaz,  32, both of Pasadena were arrested last night. Detectives are investigating the case as a homicide.

Rene Torres was found deceased by paramedics in the 500 block of Summit Avenue at 6:00 AM yesterday after his mother called 911. The suspicious nature of the toddler’s death led Detectives to open an investigation in the case. The suspects were arrested after interviews and examination of evidence pointed to foul play. Their bail is $1 million dollars each. Detectives are continuing their investigation and awaiting the results of the autopsy.

“It is standard procedure to begin an investigation into the death of any individual that has died suddenly with no apparent causes, particularly the deaths of children,” said Chief Melekian.  “It is unfortunate that too many times, we find that children have died at the hands of another and it is particularly disturbing when the evidence leads us to those who are the primary caretakers.” 

To view the PDF version of this Press Release click Death of Two Year-Old Investigated as Homicide Mother, Boyfriend Arrested

  
   Marcus A. Mattox

PASADENA, CA – On Friday August 14, 2009, the Pasadena Police Department arrested a suspect responsible for a residential burglary in the 1000 block of South El Molino Avenue that occurred on August 8, 2009.  Three handguns were stolen in that burglary along with jewelry and electronic items, none of which have been recovered. 

Pasadena Police Forensic personnel were able to locate fingerprints belonging to Marcus A. Mattox, 23 years old from Pasadena, inside the victim’s residence.  Mattox is currently on parole for burglary and has other felony arrests in his background.  “Mr. Mattox is a career criminal”, says Chief of Police Bernard Melekian.  “We believe that he could possibly be responsible for other burglaries. Therefore, we are providing his photograph just in case someone has seen him either in the area of this burglary or in other areas where burglaries have occurred. With more and more parolees being released, we will need to rely on the public’s help in assisting us to identify and incarcerate those people who habitually re-offend.”

The investigation is on-going at this time.  Any one who may have seen Mattox in areas where burglaries have occurred are asked to contact Detective Sergeant Marie Sell at 626-744-3816 or Detective George Vidal at 626-744-7108.

To View the PDF version of this Press Release click Parolee Arrested for Suspected Burglary

 PASADENA, CA –   At a little after 6:00 a.m this morning, Pasadena Police officers responded to a call of a baby not breathing in the 500 block of Summit Avenue.  First responders arrived and were unable to revive the two year old boy.  He was pronounced dead at the scene.  Detectives responded and the incident is under investigation.

 “The death of a baby is always tragic, “ says Chief of Police Bernard Melekian.  “In cases like this, it is standard procedure to try and find out what happened and we will continue our investigation to do just that.”

The cause of death will be determined by the Los Angeles Coroner’s office. 

 To view the PDF version of this Press Release click Two Year Old Baby Boy Dies

PASADENA, CA –   Pasadena Police officers responded to a call of  “Shots Fired” at a party in the 500 block of Westgate last night at 10:30 PM. Officers located a female victim, 17 years of age, who had sustained a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was immediately transported to a local hospital in critical condition.

Pasadena Police Detectives responded to the scene to investigate and believe the victim was not the intended target. 

The investigation is ongoing.  Anyone with any information about this case is asked to call the Pasadena Police Detective Section at (626) 744-4522.

To view the PDF Version of this Press Release click Attempt Homicide

PASADENA, CA –   Pasadena Police announced the arrest of double murder suspect Manuel Penaloza after receiving information that Mexican Federal Agents and the U.S. Marshalls arrested Penaloza in Mexico.
 U.S. Marshalls flew a team to Mexico on August 6, 2009 and met up with Mexican Federal Agents after receiving a tip that Penaloza was hiding in the small town of Zorcua, Guerrero (Mexico). A team of agents flew to that location, set up surveillance, spotted Penaloza and arrested him without incident.
 Penaloza is wanted in connection with the October 2006 double homicide that occurred near the intersection of Colorado and San Rafael boulevards. During that incident a Good Samaritan stopped by to help Penaloza believing that he had been injured during what appeared to be an auto accident. The Good Samaritan, instead, was severely beaten and dragged by the vehicle in which Penaloza was driving. Based on later information from informants and additional tipster information from America’s Most Wanted TV show,   Detectives learned that Penaloza immediately fled to Mexico after the murders.
 “This is an outstanding example of collaboration between our Detective Bureau and local, state and federal agencies,” said Pasadena Police Chief Bernard Melekian. “The U.S. Marshalls, LAPD Detectives, the California Department of Corrections Fugitive Unit, the District Attorney’s Office and the Mexican Federal Police worked together to make this arrest possible.”

Penaloza is currently being held in a federal detention center in Mexico City awaiting extradition hearings.

To view the PDF version of this Press Release click Homicide Arrest

PASADENA, CA –   Pasadena Police announced the arrest of the suspect wanted in connection with the stabbing of a man earlier in the week near the intersection of Fair Oaks and Orange Grove Blvd. Elvin Estrada (Male adult, 24 years, and Pasadena resident) was apprehended hiding in a residence in Succasunna, New Jersey yesterday at 5:00 PM (PST).

Acting on tips from the public that indicated Estrada had fled the state, police Detectives and the Pasadena Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit (FAU) contacted the U.S Marshall’s Office for assistance. Estrada was tracked through Texas, Georgia and finally New Jersey where agents made the arrest. U.S. Marshalls apprehended Estrada without incident inside a residence believed to belong to a relative of Estrada. At the time of the arrest Estrada was armed with a knife but offered no resistance.

Estrada is believed to have stabbed Mario Sanchez Pacheco on July 16, 2009. The motive for the killing is still unclear, Detectives said. 

Police Detectives will be working with local authorities in New Jersey to begin the extradition process to bring Estrada back to California. An arrest warrant for murder was issued for Estrada by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office on Thursday.

 “The conclusion of this case is a testament to the excellent relationship between the community of Pasadena and their police department,” says Chief Bernard Melekian.  “And it is also a warning to those who desire to commit crimes in our city: our Detectives and FAU Team are relentless in their dedication to solving cases and capturing criminals.” 

Anyone with additional information that will help with this case is asked to call the Pasadena Police Detective Section at (626) 744-4522

To view the PDF version of this Press Release click HOMICIDE SUSPECT ARRESTED IN NEW JERSEY