Inland Valley

Even though he could afford to move out, Whittier Police Officer Lanell Whitfield lived in the Lynwood home he grew up in with his grandmother, his family said, so he could help her with chores and maintenance.

He had just picked up his motorcycle from the shop on Saturday afternoon, June 4, and was on his way home to change clothes and attend a family gathering in Carson when he crashed in the 3900 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard.

The 25-year-old off-duty police officer died as a result of blunt force trauma, according to Los Angeles County Coroner’s officials.

 

Investigators ruled Whitfield’s death an accident. Relatives said they were relieved he did not die because of violence in the line of duty.

“We are at peace because he lived such a full life,” Rodrick Whitfield Jr., his 33-year-old brother, said through tears. “He really lived.”

Whitfield is survived by his parents, three sisters, three brothers and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. They described him as dependable, determined and kind. His father, Rodrick Lanell Whitfield Sr., 56, called him a “go-getter.”

“If he said he was going to do something, he would make it happen,” Whitfield’s father said. “And he excelled at everything he did.”

Even as a child, Whitfield was easy to get along with and made many friends, his sister, Kalia Whitfield, 29, said. He loved to tinker and learn with his hands.

“We were looking at pictures and there was one of him, 3-years-old, this bike with training wheels, and he’s holding a wrench,” Whitfield’s brother said. “Before we knew it, those training wheels were gone.”

He developed a passion for cars, and eventually bought a Corvette Z06 that he customized over the years, relatives said. Friend Josh Gonzalez said he was fearless and competitive on the track, but didn’t cut corners when it came to safety on the road. He also enjoyed skateboarding, played soccer, dabbled as a model, and had recently learned to play guitar, his sister said.

“At some point in the pandemic, he told us he was going to record an album,” Kalia Whitfield said. “Then, just a couple of weeks later he’s sending us Spotify tracks.”

Whitfield was inspired by the example of his grandfather, a retired LAPD lieutenant, the Whittier officer’s father said. The Lynwood native was a former police explorer and had been a part of his local Reserve Officer’s Training Corps program. So few were surprised when Lanell Whitfield chose a life of service in law enforcement.

He graduated from the University of La Verne and joined the Whittier police department in October 2021 after two years as a deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He worked patrol in Whittier.

“This tragic and sudden loss has been very difficult for our law enforcement family, ” Whittier Police Chief Aviv Bar said in a statement on Monday. “In a very short time, Lanell developed a strong bond with his fellow police officers and with the community that he enjoyed serving each day, a testament to his character, commitment, and friendly personality. He truly loved and enjoyed being a police officer.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Traffic Services Detail is investigating the crash but has not released any details about it.

The Peace Officers Research Association of California and the Whittier Police Officers’ Association created a memorial fund to help the officer’s family with funeral expenses.

“As we grieve this terrible loss, our thoughts and prayers are with Lanell’s family, his many law enforcement partners and friends, and the community he protected,”  Bar said.

A bicyclist was killed early Monday morning, June 6, in Colton in a hit-and-run, police said.

Colton police were sent to a crash at 12:54 a.m. near the intersection of North Rancho Avenue and West Johnson Street, where a 41-year-old man was suffering from blunt force trauma, police said in a news release. The victim was treated by the Colton Fire Department, but he died at the scene, police said.

The man’s identity was being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin, authorities said.

No description was immediately for any suspects in the crash. The manner in which the crash happened wasn’t immediately clear.

Anyone with information about the crash was encouraged to contact the Police Department at 909-370-5000.

A man was killed early Monday morning in a collision between a big rig and an SUV on the 10 Freeway in San Dimas.

The crash was reported at 2:55 a.m. on the eastbound 10 Freeway at Via Verde Street, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The big rig was described as a tanker with about 80,000 pounds of gasoline, but none of the fuel was leaking, according to the CHP log.

A SigAlert was issued at 3:13 a.m. for eastbound lanes 2, 3, 4 and 5, with the HOV lane and lane 1 remaining open.

Crash details were not immediately available.

A Whittier police officer has been killed in a motorcycle crash in Lynwood.

“It is with great sadness that our department mourns the passing of Officer Lanell Whitfield, who was involved in an off-duty traffic collision earlier today in the city of Lynwood,” the Whittier Police Department posted Saturday on Facebook.

“Officer Whitfield joined our department in October of last year, having worked previously for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department,” the department said in the statement. “Officer Whitfield was a beloved partner and friend, and a dedicated protector of the community.”

The crash was reported at 3:32 p.m. Saturday at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Beechwood Avenue, said Deputy Tracy Koerner of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau.

The officer was pronounced dead at the scene, Koerner said.

A caller reported that a motorcycle was on fire and the driver was on the ground, he said. It was not clear whether the motorcycle collided with a vehicle or crashed into an object.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, Koerner said.

Whitfield was 25, coroner records show.

The Whittier Police Department said Whitfield was survived by his parents.

Thirteen people were hospitalized Friday morning, June 3, after a Greyhound bus carrying 33 people blew a tire and collided with another vehicle before slamming into the center divider on the 10 Freeway in Banning, the California Highway Patrol said.

None of the 13 injuries — ranging from minor to major — was considered life-threatening, said Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department. Officer Jason Montez, a CHP spokesman, said there was one major injury. The exact nature of the injuries was not available.

Eleven people from the bus and the two occupants of the Mitsubishi were hospitalized, Montez said. The bus driver was among those hospitalized, said Crystal Booker, a Greyhound spokesperson.

The uninjured bus passengers were taken to the Morongo Tribal Hall at 11555 Potrero Road in Cabazon.

The crash happened just before 11 a.m. in the eastbound lanes west of Ramsey Street. The bus was headed from Los Angeles to Phoenix when the left front tire failed, causing the bus to strike a Mitsubishi Outlander, an SUV. The bus then crashed into the center divider, Montez said.

Eight ambulances responded to the crash, along with Cal Fire crews.

The pilot of a small airplane died when the aircraft crashed in the San Bernardino County desert community of Lucerne Valley on Thursday, June 2, authorities said.

The pilot was the only person aboard, said Eva Lee Ngai, a spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Ngai said the airplane was a small, single-engine Hornet. Such airplanes are often described as sport Hornets and ultralights.

The crash happened at about 11:35 a.m. in the area of Harvest Moon Street, said Mara Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. No one on the ground was reported injured, she said.

The Coroner’s Office had not announced the name of the pilot as of Thursday afternoon.

The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the cause of the crash, with the NTSB taking the lead, Ngai said.

Lucerne Valley, at an elevation of 2,950 feet, is east of Victorville and north of Big Bear.

Prosecutors on Thursday declined to file charges against a man suspected of killing a motorcyclist in a collision at a Menifee intersection while intoxicated, returning the case to police for additional investigation.

Jose Antonio Celedon, 41, was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of second-degree murder, felony DUI and DUI resulting in great bodily injury for the death of 32-year-old Luis Christian Silva of Winchester.

The case was submitted to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office based on the Menifee Police Department’s investigation. However, prosecutors decided that evidence was insufficient to file a criminal complaint.

“It has been sent back to the agency for further investigation,” D.A.’s office spokesman John Hall told City News Service.

No specific reasons were given. Menifee police officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Celedon, who has been held on $1 million bail, was slated to be released from custody Thursday afternoon.

According to Menifee police Sgt. Matthew Bloch, about 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, Silva was riding his motorcycle westbound on Bundy Canyon Road at an unknown speed, approaching Cottonwood Canyon Road, when Celedon reached the intersection at the wheel of a sedan.

Bloch said the suspect was headed south on Cottonwood Canyon and allegedly initiated a left turn onto Bundy Canyon — directly in front of Silva, who had the right of way.

“The motorcyclist was unable to stop prior to colliding with the vehicle,” the sergeant said. “The victim was ejected from his motorcycle as a result of this collision.”

Celedon stopped and did not attempt to flee, Bloch said.

Paramedics reached the location within a few minutes and pronounced Silva dead at the scene.

Patrol officers questioned Celedon and determined that he was allegedly inebriated, according to Bloch.

Celedon was taken into custody without incident.

Background information on him was unavailable.

 

A man suspected of killing a motorcyclist in a collision at a Menifee intersection was driving under the influence, authorities alleged Wednesday, June 1.

Jose Antonio Celedon, 41, was arrested Tuesday and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of second-degree murder, felony DUI and DUI resulting in great bodily injury.

Celedon was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

According to Sgt. Matthew Bloch of the Menifee Police Department, 32-year-old Luis Christian Silva of Winchester was riding his motorcycle westbound on Bundy Canyon Road at an unknown speed at about 5:15 a.m. Tuesday, May 31, approaching Cottonwood Canyon Road, when Celedon reached the intersection at the wheel of a sedan.

Bloch said the suspect was headed south on Cottonwood Canyon and allegedly initiated a left turn onto Bundy Canyon — directly in front of Silva, who had the right of way.

“The motorcyclist was unable to stop prior to colliding with the vehicle,” the sergeant said. “The victim was ejected from his motorcycle as a result of this collision.”

Celedon stopped and did not attempt to flee, Bloch said.

Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire paramedics reached the location within a few minutes and pronounced Silva dead at the scene.

Officers questioned Celedon and determined that he was inebriated, according to Bloch. The suspect was taken into custody without incident.

Background information on him was not available.

The weekend arrest of Paul Pelosi, the husband of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, on suspicion of driving under the influence came after the Porsche he was driving was hit by another vehicle in Napa County, authorities said.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was taken into custody shortly before midnight Saturday, according to a sheriff’s office online booking report.

He was driving a 2021 Porsche into an intersection near the town of Yountville and was hit by a 2014 Jeep, the California Highway Patrol said in a statement late Sunday.

No injuries were reported, and the 48-year-old driver of the Jeep was not arrested.

Pelosi could face misdemeanor charges including driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol content level of 0.08 or higher, the police booking report said. He was released early Sunday on $5,000 bail, records showed.

Drew Hammill, spokesperson for Nancy Pelosi, told The Associated Press on Sunday: “The Speaker will not be commenting on this private matter which occurred while she was on the East Coast.” A telephone message left Monday with Nancy Pelosi’s office seeking comment on the additional details in the highway patrol statement was not immediately returned.

Nancy Pelosi delivered the commencement address Sunday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Paul and Nancy Pelosi have been married since 1963.

Pelosi’s arrest was first reported by TMZ.