San Gabriel Valley

After allegations that Greyhound would attract a serious criminal element were proven false, the Montclair City Council this week approved a contract that allows the long-distance bus service to operate at the Montclair TransCenter.

By a 4-1 vote, the council on Monday, Dec. 20, awarded Greyhound Lines a five-year contract to run 11 daily trips out of the multi-modal transit depot in north Montclair starting March 1, 2022. Greyhound will sell tickets at the TransCenter and operate service to various destinations, including New York and Dallas.

The majority of the council welcomed the addition, with Councilman Ben Lopez opposed.

Greyhound will be moving its operation from Claremont Greyhound Depot, at 888 Indian Hill Blvd., to the Montclair TransCenter at 5060 Richton St. But last month, the contract was in jeopardy and a vote postponed when Lopez presented an oral presentation of a report he received from a Claremont Police Department lieutenant, saying the departmtent had received 236 calls relating to the depot from Jan. 1, 2020, to Nov. 15, 2021.

Lopez listed the logged calls for prostitution, automobile theft and drug-related crimes. He strongly objected to the contract in Montclair, saying it would bring a criminal element and overburden police and fire first responders in the city.

But at Monday’s meeting, after consulting with the Claremont chief of police, city officials said only seven of those calls were related to criminal activity at the Claremont depot. Montclair City Manager Edward Starr said Lopez’s information was misinterpreted and that Claremont did not intend to portray Greyhound as a magnet for criminal activity.

For the bulk of the calls on the Claremont report, police officers and citizens use the Claremont Greyhound Depot as a landmark when reporting crimes at nearby motels, convenience stores and liquor stores, said Robert Avels, Montclair chief of police and executive director of the city’s Office of Public Safety. He said more than 500 Claremont police calls were made to a business near the Indian Hill Boulevard depot, and more than 1,000 to another business nearby.

“What were actually related to Greyhound (in Claremont) is very miniscule,” Avels told the Montclair council. “It doesn’t cause me any concern to bring Greyhound to the area (Montclair).”

The seven calls related to Greyhound in Claremont included one for graffiti, one for trespassing and a few for a mental health evaluation of a person, while a grand theft auto report was taken at the Indian Hill Boulevard depot as a courtesy but the crime did not happen there, Avels said.

Lopez said he was still concerned about the number of calls in Claremont and believed that could happen in Montclair. He also raised the issue of releasing former inmates from nearby prisons and jails to the Claremont depot, saying those bus customers will now be coming to Montclair.

“I think we will have an increased concentration of those calls at the TransCenter with Greyhound,” he said. “I don’t think we need that component in Montclair.”

Avels said releasing inmates to catch a bus is not unusual and said inmate releases have taken place for the past two decades at the TransCenter without incident. He said the Claremont police chief only recalled one incident in his entire career in the city in which a released inmate caused a problem by being arrested for public intoxication.

“I don’t really see a major concern with it,” said Avels, answering Lopez’s questions.

Members of the public and council who spoke in favor of adding Greyhound, a first for the city’s transit center, said many residents with lower incomes don’t drive or don’t fly and would use the service.

“This is the only way for a lot of families to travel,” said Councilman Bill Ruh.

The Montclair TransCenter is jointly owned by the city, Caltrans and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, and the latter two agencies support Greyhound, Starr reported. The transit hub also serves Omnitrans, a San Bernardino Valley bus service; Foothill Transit, a bus agency that serves San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties; Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) with bus service to downtown Riverside; and Metrolink, a commuter rail service. The private Flix Bus runs a service to Las Vegas from adjacent Montclair Place. FlixMobility, the parent company of FlixBus USA, acquired Greyhound on Oct. 21, 2021.

Under terms of the new contract, Greyhound would share a bus bay with Omnitrans, pay the city of Montclair $1,800 a month in rent and indemnify the city. It would also contribute $25,000 to a self-cleaning restroom at the transit center.

Robert Pipersky, who ran against Lopez in November 2020 and lost, characterized Lopez’s remarks as anti-minority and racist and said at the meeting that the council should not have delayed the vote in November.

“The optics sure smack of racism, by denying minorities the ability to travel safely from Montclair to all points in the United States,” Pipersky said during public comment.

Lopez denied the allegation, saying he was only concerned about crime and overburdening the Montclair Police Department.

“In no instance was this ever an issue of one’s color of skin. I am a minority myself. I don’t look at things through racially tinged colored glasses,” Lopez responded.

Mayor John Dutrey said every council member must be aware that what they say in public meetings can have repercussions. He said a member of the Claremont City Council called him and was very upset after reading what Lopez said in an earlier article published by this news organization.

“It is very important we maintain a good relationship with neighboring cities,” said Dutrey.

A plan to add Greyhound bus service to the Montclair TransCenter has been postponed indefinitely after a member of the City Council said the move would bring prostitution and other crimes into the city.

The city had been working on a deal for months that would locate the long-distance, inter-city bus service to its transit center. Greyhound would close its operations at 888 Indian Hill Blvd. in Claremont and move to the TransCenter at 5060 Richton St., in north Montclair.

But Councilman Ben Lopez objected at a meeting Monday night, Nov. 15, saying Claremont police received 200 to 300 calls for service made from the Greyhound building in 2020 for prostitution, automobile theft and drug-related crimes, quoting an anonymous source he referred to as a police lieutenant.

Lopez said the lieutenant laughed and said the neighboring city was happy to get rid of Greyhound, which operates out of a small building just south of the 10 Freeway and has done so for more than 30 years.

“I am not comfortable at all with them coming to Montclair,” Lopez said, after demanding the consent calendar item be discussed openly at the meeting. He said Greyhound’s riders would prompt more calls for police and fire services, causing an undue burden on Montclair’s police officers and firefighters/paramedics.

Robert Avels, chief of police and executive director of the Montclair Office of Public Safety, said the issue did not come up at the last joint-cities public safety meeting.

Mayor Pro Tem Bill Ruh suggested that the crimes were more related to several low-cost motels and fast-food eateries near the Claremont Greyhound station and its proximity to the freeway. He asked for an analysis of the Claremont crime log from Avels.

Avels confirmed there were “some low-cost hotel issues” in the area of the Greyhound station. “Whether (criminal) activities there are connected to Greyhound, I have no knowledge,” he told the Montclair council.

After a heated discussion, the council did not vote on the contract as recommended by staff, instead postponing a decision possibly until January or later. Mayor John Dutrey ordered Avels to meet with Claremont police Chief Aaron Fate to go over the crime stats and determine whether the bus riders or others in the vicinity were breaking the law, then report back to the council and City Manager Edward Starr.

The Montclair TransCenter is jointly owned by the city, Caltrans and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, and the latter two agencies support Greyhound, Starr reported. The transit hub also serves Omnitrans, a San Bernardino Valley bus service; Foothill Transit, a bus agency that serves San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties with express buses to L.A.; Riverside Transit Agency (RTA) with bus service to downtown Riverside; and Metrolink, a commuter rail service. The private Flix Bus runs a service to Las Vegas from adjacent Montclair Place. FlixMobility, the parent company of FlixBus USA, acquired Greyhound on Oct. 21, 2021.

Greyhound planned 11 bus routes from Montclair that would take passengers to stations in Los Angeles and San Bernardino, as well as Las Vegas, Yuma, Dallas and New York. The draft contract allowed operating hours from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and a staffed ticket counter, Starr said.

Greyhound would share a bus bay with Omnitrans, pay the city of Montclair $1,800 a month in rent and indemnify the city. It would also contribute $25,000 to a self-cleaning restroom at the transit center.

Starr said Greyhound’s installation at the Montclair TransCenter would be the first time it would operate in a multi-modal facility. He said operations would be very different from the building/stop in Claremont.

Starr said he raised the issue of crime with Greyhound and “they took great offense.” Last week, Greyhound’s public information representative said in an email that the company has no announcements regarding the possible move to Montclair or the proposed contract.

“Whether or not Greyhound serves as a transportation agency for people of ill repute may or may not be the case,” Starr said at the meeting.

It also was revealed that the California Institution for Men, a prison in Chino, drops off released inmates at the Montclair TransCenter to catch a bus or train. Lopez said the prison does the same at the Claremont Greyhound station.

Avels knew of the drop-offs at the Montclair TransCenter, something “that has been going on for a long time,” he said. “We try to curb and prevent criminal activity,” he added.

Lopez said he didn’t think it was a good idea for Montclair to take more inmates that would have been headed to Claremont.

“If we are already getting some from CIM, we don’t need Claremont’s share,” Lopez said. “I have a bad taste in my mouth about this.”

Dutrey said he wasn’t thrilled about allowing Greyhound into Montclair but said the TransCenter needs to provide transit options that take single-occupant drivers off the crowded 10 Freeway.

“This is an intermodal transit facility and part of our responsibility is to provide as much transportation as we can to the public,” he said.

An off-duty Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy died and his passenger was injured when their car hit a street sign and a light pole near El Monte early Thursday morning, Sept. 16, a California Highway Patrol spokesman said.

The coroner’s office identified the deputy as Cameron Blaine Fish, 33, of Temple City.

It happened just after 2 a.m. on Santa Anita Avenue, north of Freer Street, which is in the unincorporated county area near El Monte, said Officer Rodrigo Jimenez, a CHP spokesman.

The deputy was speeding in a 1965 Cobra 427 and heading north on Santa Anita Avenue, Jimenez said, and didn’t negotiate a curve.

I, along with @lasdhq, mourn the loss of Deputy Cameron Fish. Our prayers are with his family during this difficult time. It’s never easy when I lose one of my own Deputies. May he rest in peace. https://t.co/RkakbHkMRA

— Alex Villanueva (@LACoSheriff) September 16, 2021

The Cobra veered to the left and onto a center median then hit a street sign and a light pole. The driver was ejected and died at the scene, Jimenez said.

It was unclear how fast the car was traveling just before the crash.

The passenger, a 28-year-old woman, sustained head injuries and was taken to Los Angeles County USC Medical Center, Jimenez said.

Fish, a 12-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Department, worked as a bailiff at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center in Los Angeles, said Deputy Miguel Meza, a department spokesman.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, Aug. 31, approved a $10,000 reward in the July 4th hit-and-run in Diamond Bar that led to the death of a 72-year-old man.

With the board’s vote, the reward in the case has grown to $20,000. The city of Diamond Bar has also offered a $10,000 reward.

Bruce Bodel died from his injuries four days after the hit-and-run.

“Someone out there has information about who did this and what happened, and I urge them to come forward. The Bodel family deserves answers and Bruce Bodel deserves justice,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement.  She recommended the county offer the reward.

Bodel was walking north on Penarth Avenue at Lycoming Street around 10:30 p.m. on July 4. As he crossed Lycoming Street, a car struck him, deputies said.

The car was heading west on Lycoming Street when it hit Bodel. It was last seen south on Lemon Avenue.

Deputies described the suspect’s car as a two-door silver sedan with damage to the front and a cracked windshield.

Detectives asked that anyone with information about the hit-and-run to call 909-859-2817. Anonymous tipsters can call L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or use the website lacrimestoppers.org

City News Service contributed to this report

Sheriff’s officials and the family of a 72-year-old Diamond Bar man asked for the public’s help on Monday, July 12, for information that would lead to the hit-and-run driver who fatally struck the senior as he took a walk in his neighborhood on July 4th.

The pedestrian died four days later at a local hospital, according to the coroner’s office. Sheriff Alex Villanueva identified the man as Bruce Bodel.

“While most of us were at home settling in for the night after celebrating the 4th of July, the family of 72-year-old Bruce Bodel received the most devastating news. Their loved one would most likely never make it home,” Villanueva said during a press conference held in front of the Sheriff’s Walnut/Diamond Bar Station on Valley Boulevard in Walnut.

Bodel was taking an evening stroll in his neighborhood around 10:30 p.m. when he was run down, Villanueva said. The driver never showed any compassion for his actions and didn’t stop, the sheriff added.

“We would appreciate any assistance, any additional information about what happened to my uncle on July 4th. This has devastated my family,” Jessica Bodel said during the press conference.

She said her uncle always liked to go for walks, it was just his habit. Rather than take a car, she said he would ride a bicycle or walk.

“He enjoyed going out into the community and supporting it in every way he could. He was a vegetarian. He’d never hurt a fly,” Jessica Bodel said. “So anybody who could help bring my uncle justice would be greatly appreciated.”

Bruce Bodel was walking north on Penarth Avenue at Lycoming Street, Sgt. Michael Luter said.  As he crossed Lycoming Street, a car struck him.

Luter described the car as a two-door silver sedan with damage to the front and a cracked windshield.

The car was traveling west on Lycoming Street when it hit Bruce Bodel, according to a sheriff’s statement. The sedan was last seen heading south on Lemon Avenue

Investigators asked anyone with information about the suspect or the suspect’s car to call 909-859-2817. Anonymous tipsters can call L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or use the website lacrimestoppers.org

Foothill Transit is doing something it has never done: offering a deal on its bus passes.

From July 1 to Sept. 30, Foothill Transit bus passes will be offered at half-price. Foothill Transit offers 31-day and one-day passes and provides public transportation for the San Gabriel and Pomona valleys to downtown Los Angeles and its neighboring communities.

This is the first time in Foothill Transit’s 33-year history it has offered passes at a discounted rate.

“We just want to help,” Cynthia Sternquist, chair of Foothill Transit’s executive board, said in a release. “We continued to offer service throughout the pandemic to keep our essential workers mobile. Offering this sale made sense, and we look forward to seeing all our customers on board again.”

Riders can purchase bus passes through TAP cards or the TAP LA app. The discount will automatically be applied to purchases.

Also, Foothill Transit is giving away 1,000 free TAP cards at its Foothill Transit stores starting Thursday. Visit foothilltransit.org/summersale for more information.

The prices for 31-day passes are 50% off:

Local

• Adult, $30

• Student, $20

• Senior/People with disabilities, $15

Silver Streak (to the J line Metro Silver)

• Adult, $55

• Student, $42.50

• Senior/People with disabilities, $27.50

Express

• All riders, $90

One-day pass

• Adult, $3

• Senior/People with disabilities, $1.50

A driver was arrested on suspicion of being linked to a weekend crash in West Covina that killed an athlete-scholar who graduated from Glendora High School last year.

Kerry Welsh, 18, of West Covina was going to pick up her younger sister at a birthday party on Saturday night, May 29, a friend said, when she was fatally struck.

The collision happened at a four-way stop at Vine and Hollenbeck avenues around 11:15 p.m., West Covina Lt. Brian Daniels said.

Welsh was driving a silver Honda Accord south on Hollenbeck while the suspect was in a dark-colored Honda Accord heading west on Vine, he said.

“She was in the intersection when the suspect failed to stop at a stop sign,” Daniels said. “He collided into her.”

Welsh died at a hospital early Sunday, May 30, coroner’s spokeswoman Sarah Ardalani said.

Police arrested Gilberto Moralez, 24, on suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs, Daniels said. There was no passenger in the car.

Court records show Moralez, a Pomona resident, has a prior conviction for misdemeanor resisting arrest in Los Angeles County. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced on July 9, 2015, to three years of probation and 20 days of community labor.

On Wednesday, Moralez remained in custody at West Covina jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Welsh played varsity soccer at Glendora High and had been part of the Legends soccer club. She graduated in 2020 and was lauded as the scholar-athlete of the year. She landed a scholarship at Loyola Marymount University. Friends and coaches said she wanted to be a doctor.

RELATED STORY: Glendora community mourning the death of 18-year-old Kerry Welsh, who wanted to become a doctor

Staff writer Fred Robledo contributed to this report

Detectives are still looking for the armed man who robbed and pistol-whipped a 67-year-old Lyft driver at a South El Monte gas station on Monday, May 10.

The robber fled with the victim’s cell phone and $1560 he made from another job, according to a GoFundMe organized by his daughter-in-law, Christine Ting. As of Friday, the account surpassed the $3,000 goal and raised more than $22,000.

“I’ve confirmed with my father-in-law that the man did tell him to “Go back to China” several times. He didn’t mention it to my husband and I at first because he didn’t want us to worry,” Ting wrote in an update to the GoFundMe account. “He said that he probably wouldn’t be standing here talking to us if he had not kept telling the man he was from Taiwan and not China.”

The severity of driver Paul Liao’s injuries were not clear after a visit with a physician on Friday and he is scheduled for a CT scan, Ting said of her father-in-law. Liao had spent much of Thursday at a Sheriff’s station.

Liao has not yet returned to driving with Lyft, though the ride-share company reached out to Liao and his family, asking them to send any medical bills or documentation of the incident, Ting said.

During the robbery, the suspect asked if the victim was from China and the victim said no, according to Sheriff’s Sgt. Richard Lewis.  But authorities don’t know if the suspect targeted the victim because he is Asian.

Detectives are investigating the case as a robbery, assault and possible elder abuse, Lewis said. They’re also not ruling out the possibility of a hate crime, he added.

“Safety is fundamental to Lyft and the incident shown is horrifying. We are in touch with the driver’s family to offer our support and stand ready to assist law enforcement with any investigation,” Ashley Adams, a spokeswoman for Lyft, said in a statement.

The robbery occurred at the Arco station on the corner of Rosemead Boulevard and Rush Street around 9:20 p.m. on Monday. It was reported to the Sheriff’s Temple station on May 11, Lewis said.

Liao told KCAL 9 that he had finished washing the car and was waiting for his next fare.

Video from a dashboard camera on the BMW showed a  man wearing a Pittsburgh Pirate baseball cap and holding a handgun get in the back seat. There is no audio.

The suspect pointed the gun at Liao several times, reached to the front of the car and snatched the victim’s cell phone. The victim pulled out money which the gunman grabbed from his hands. The suspect also hit Liao twice with the gun. The victim’s glasses were knocked off and blood trickled from his nose.

Liao told the TV station that the suspect wanted to take the car, too, but he convinced the man it was keyless and that he wouldn’t be able to drive it.

“He wanted the car and he wanted the money. That’s it,” Liao told the station.

 

So far, investigators have not found similar crimes that occurred within the Sheriff’s Temple station area, Lewis said. But he said a crime analyst is researching if there are similar crimes and detectives are checking with other law enforcement agencies.

Authorities asked that anyone with information on the robbery call the Sheriff’s Temple Station at 626-285-7171 and ask for Sgt. Richard Lewis. Anonymous tipsters can call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.