Southern California

A Marine veteran and former tram driver at Mt. San Antonio College faces charges for hitting and killing an ex-coworker with a car on campus.

James Milliken, 38, was arrested on suspicion of murder on Thursday, the same day the victim was hit, Sheriff’s Lt. Patricia Thomas said. Investigators are still working out the possible motive. She didn’t release his city of residence.

The victim, identified by the coroner’s office as 63-year-old Rafael Barragan Jr., died of sharp and blunt force injuries, according to the coroner’s office. Mt. SAC officials identified him as Ralph Barragan from Pomona.

Both Milliken and Barragan worked as tram drivers for disabled students at the college located at 1100 N. Grand Ave. in Walnut.

“James was a former college employee, working as a part-time driver for the ACCESS department from October 2016 until he resigned in September 2021. Out of respect for Ralph and his family, as well as to support the criminal investigation, we are unable to share additional details,”  Bill Scroggins, Mt. San Antonio College’s president, said.

“Losing Ralph has been heartbreaking for our campus community. The circumstances of his passing are additionally painful,” Scroggins said. “Many of you may have strong feelings regarding the tragedy. We want to assure you that we are doing all things possible to provide support and assistance at this time.”

A memorial to Barragan will be set up Dec. 5 at the west end of the Student Services Center, he said.

Milliken also had attended the college as a student. He first enrolled the summer of 2010 and last attended spring of 2018. He was in good academic standing, said Jill Dolan, spokeswoman for the college.

Milliken was born in 1984 in Blytheville, Arkansas and joined the Marine Corps after high school graduation, according to his biography on the college website. He served in Iraq in mid-2004 and 2005 and received awards.

“I was part of the main effort in November 2004 during Operation Al Fajr, the retaking of the city of Fallujah. Before the assault commenced, the operation was known as Operation Phantom Fury,”  he wrote. “3rd Battalion, 1st Marines was part of the composition of RCT 1. RCT 1 was partly responsible for clearing the infamous Jolan District, among others. Alongside RCT 7, four Marine battalions (including 1/3, 1/8, and 3/5) and various US Army units reclaimed the city of Fallujah from unrest.”

At the the time the biography was written, he was attending the University of La Verne for a bachelor’s degree in sociology.

Milliken remained in custody Friday at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles on a $2 million bail.

A driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI, gross vehicular manslaughter and other counts after a collision Saturday afternoon left two pedestrians dead, including a teenage girl, in Bloomington.

The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that it happened at 3:46 p.m. when a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup was traveling on Hawthorne Avenue eastbound, east of Palm Lane, when for unknown reasons it collided with a parked vehicle along the north curb of Hawthorne.

The parked vehicle then hit three pedestrians walking westbound along the north curb of Hawthorne.

Thirteen-year-old Mireya Cardenas was pronounced dead at the scene. Gloria Cardenas, 40, was taken to a hospital where she later died. They were both residents of Fontana. Information on the relationship between the two victims was not immediately available.

The third pedestrian remained in the hospital on Sunday recovering from serious injuries, said CHP Officer Ivan Sandoval.

The CHP said the Silverado driver was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, gross vehicular manslaughter, hit and run and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was identified as Josue E. Navarro, 43, of Fontana.

The crash is still under investigation and anyone with information about it was urged to contact Officer K. DeMartino at the San Bernardino CHP office at 909 383-4247.

 

 

 

A driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI, gross vehicular manslaughter and other counts after a collision Saturday afternoon left two pedestrians dead, including a teenage girl, in Bloomington.

The California Highway Patrol said in a statement that it happened at 3:46 p.m. when a 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pickup was traveling on Hawthorne Avenue eastbound, east of Palm Lane, when for unknown reasons it collided with a parked vehicle along the north curb of Hawthorne.

The parked vehicle then hit three pedestrians walking westbound along the north curb of Hawthorne.

Thirteen-year-old Mireya Cardenas was pronounced dead at the scene. Gloria Cardenas, 40, was taken to a hospital where she later died. They were both residents of Fontana. Information on the relationship between the two victims was not immediately available.

The third pedestrian remained in the hospital on Sunday recovering from serious injuries, said CHP Officer Ivan Sandoval.

The CHP said the Silverado driver was later arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, gross vehicular manslaughter, hit and run and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was identified as Josue E. Navarro, 43, of Fontana.

The crash is still under investigation and anyone with information about it was urged to contact Officer K. DeMartino at the San Bernardino CHP office at 909 383-4247.

 

 

 

The mother of 3-year-old twins was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence early Wednesday, Nov. 23, after she crashed into the back of a pickup on a Riverside freeway, a collision that killed one girl and injured the other, the California Highway Patrol said.

Agyeiah Adams, a 22-year-old Riverside resident, was also arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and was not licensed to drive, said Officer Javier Navarro, a CHP spokesman.

Superior Court records show that Adams is still paying off a $1,301 fine after she pleaded no contest to driving without a license and failing to provide proof of insurance following an October 2020 traffic stop in Riverside.

In Wednesday’s collision, Adams was driving a Kia Optima south on the 215 Freeway north of Blaine Street around 12:30 a.m. when the GMC pickup ahead of her in the right lane experienced mechanical problems and angled off to the right shoulder. Adams crashed into the left rear of the pickup, causing the Kia to overturn. The Kia’s right rear side suffered the greatest damage, Navarro said.

Both girls were secured in car seats in the back seat, but the impact killed the girl sitting on the right side, Navarro said. The other twin suffered a laceration and was hospitalized. Adams had minor injuries and also was hospitalized, Navarro said.

No one in the pickup was reported injured, he said.

Both vehicles were towed to be examined.

Navarro said it was not immediately clear how fast the Kia was traveling or where Adams had been or was headed.

All lanes were closed for a time; the last of the lanes reopened around 4 a.m.

 

The mother of 3-year-old twins was arrested on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence early Wednesday, Nov. 23, after she crashed into the back of a pickup on a Riverside freeway, a collision that killed one girl and injured the other, the California Highway Patrol said.

Agyeiah Adams, a 22-year-old Riverside resident, was also arrested on suspicion of child endangerment and was not licensed to drive, said Officer Javier Navarro, a CHP spokesman.

Superior Court records show that Adams is still paying off a $1,301 fine after she pleaded no contest to driving without a license and failing to provide proof of insurance following an October 2020 traffic stop in Riverside.

In Wednesday’s collision, Adams was driving a Kia Optima south on the 215 Freeway north of Blaine Street around 12:30 a.m. when the GMC pickup ahead of her in the right lane experienced mechanical problems and angled off to the right shoulder. Adams crashed into the left rear of the pickup, causing the Kia to overturn. The Kia’s right rear side suffered the greatest damage, Navarro said.

Both girls were secured in car seats in the back seat, but the impact killed the girl sitting on the right side, Navarro said. The other twin suffered a laceration and was hospitalized. Adams had minor injuries and also was hospitalized, Navarro said.

No one in the pickup was reported injured, he said.

Both vehicles were towed to be examined.

Navarro said it was not immediately clear how fast the Kia was traveling or where Adams had been or was headed.

All lanes were closed for a time; the last of the lanes reopened around 4 a.m.

 

One person was killed when a small plane crashed near Banning on Tuesday evening, Nov. 22, causing a small brush fire in a field south of the 10 Freeway.

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Here's a look at the scene of the plane crash in Banning. FAA officials told News Channel 3 that it remains unknown how many passengers were on board. We'll have the latest updates live at 10 and 11 p.m.

Details: https://t.co/kPDXPdtAbt pic.twitter.com/7beMwBb3Tf

— KESQ News Channel 3 (@KESQ) November 23, 2022

The single-engine aircraft crashed near the Ramsey Street exit of the Freeway on the south side of the freeway around 6:40 p.m., according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson Ian Gregor. A quarter-acre brush fire was quickly contained, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department spokesman Rob Roseen.

That location is near Banning Municipal Airport.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said no one on the ground was injured. The sheriff’s news release made no mention of anyone else who might have been on the plane. There was no immediate word on why the plane crashed, where the flight originated and where it was headed.

The identity of the victim was not released pending notification of family.

 

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Aircraft Emergency – 6:28 pm Hargrave X Malki, Banning. Firefighters responded to an aircraft down near the location of Hargrave and Malki. A 1/4 acre vegetation fire has been contained at 6:58 pm. Unknown aircraft and no information available regarding occupants. #BanningIC pic.twitter.com/yOdGcbiA25

— CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) November 23, 2022

The aircraft had not been identified, Gregor said, adding that the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. NTSB investigators were headed to the crash site Wednesday.

California Highway Patrol logs indicated the aircraft went down near railroad tracks and that train traffic had been halted in response to the crash.