Detectives Use High Tech Software To Capture Thief

Santa Fe Springs, CA – On February 24th, Whittier PD detectives assigned to Santa Fe Springs, arrested a suspect responsible for a rash of car battery thefts, most of which took place in the latter months of 2008. Javier Soto, a 22 year-old Downey resident, was taken into custody, and charged with eleven felony counts of petty theft with a prior conviction.

Soto was responsible for twenty-seven separate thefts, nineteen of which occurred in the city of Santa Fe Springs. The investigation lasted several months, and was led by Detective Arnold Navarro who followed up on countless leads, and evidence. Detective Navarro with the assistance of the Whittier PD Crime Analysis Unit, utilized cutting edge crime profiling software, which led them to similar thefts in surrounding cities. Following the investigation, an overwhelming amount of evidence identified Soto as the suspect responsible for the battery thefts.


On February 26th, the case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office which resulted in eleven felony counts of theft being filed against Soto.

Railroad Vandals In Custody

Santa Fe Springs, CA – On February 26th at 4:16pm, Whittier PD officers patrolling Santa Fe Springs, were dispatched to a vandalism is progress call in the 9200 block of Greenleaf Ave. When officers arrived, they were directed to the railroad tracks adjacent to the business, where the vandals “tagged” numerous railroad cars. As officers approached the area, several suspects fled, and a short foot pursuit ensued. Officers eventually took two male juveniles in custody for felony vandalism. During their investigation Whittier PD officers were able to identify the outstanding suspects involved in the incident. Damages are estimated to be in the thousands. The juveniles arrested in this case are Whittier residents.

Lottery & Inheritance Scams On The Rise

Whittier, CA – Recently there have been several incidents where Whittier residents have been approached with promises of instant riches. In most cases the unsuspecting victims have been enticed with “winning” lottery tickets, inheritances, or claims of found money.

In one instance, an elderly male was approached by a male suspect in the parking lot of the Costco warehouse in La Habra. The suspect, who is described as a male African American in his 50’s, approximately 5’7” tall with a thin build, approached the victim claiming he had just received an inheritance. He told the victim that he was leaving to Africa and could not take the money with him, and wanted to give the money away. The male suspect along with his accomplice, who is described as a female African American approximately 50 years-old, 5’8” tall with a medium build, drove with the victim to a Bank of America in Norwalk. Once at the bank, the female suspect went inside and claimed to have withdrawn $6000 dollars. The victim was convinced to drive to the Southern California Credit Union in Whittier, where he withdrew $6000 dollars from his own account, and hands it over to the suspects. Both suspects told the victim to drive around the block to “see if they can trust him”. When the victim returned to the bank the suspects were nowhere in sight, having left with the victims money.

On February 24, at 5:00pm, an elderly female was approached by a female African American, approximately 5’7” tall, 190 lbs, with straight hair, wearing tight purple pants and large purple sunglasses, in the parking of the Ralphs grocery store, located at 11825 Whittier Blvd. In this case the female suspect used tactics similar to the ones in the incident above, and eventually got away with $11,000.

Whittier PD Detectives are urging the public to be cautious and to immediately notify the police when approached by strangers, particularly when they claim to have inheritances, found money or winning lottery tickets.

Anyone with information pertaining to any of these suspects’ identities is urged to contact the Whittier Police Department at (562)-945-8250.

Firearm Brandishing Incident

Whittier, CA - On February 23, 2009 at approximately 5:45 pm, a male subject residing in the 13600 block of Sunrise Dr. exited his residence and allegedly yelled to no one in particular that someone was going to die while holding a shotgun. It was unclear who his statement was directed towards. He then entered his vehicle and drove away from the neighborhood.

Apparently there were media members and a neighbor, present in his vicinity, but his statement was not specific and did not appear to be directed towards anyone in particular. Officers were called to the neighborhood and monitored the area until the subject returned later that evening.

A criminal report was taken for “brandishing a firearm,” a violation of 417 (a) (2) PC.

Additional inquiries may be directed to Administrative Lt. Mike Davis at (562) 945-8288

Citibank Robbery Suspects In Custody

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: February 18, 2009
Contact: Asst. Press Information Officer Mike Dekowski
Subject: Citibank Robbery Suspects In Custody

Whittier, CA – On February 10th at 4:59pm, Whittier PD officers were dispatched to a call of an armed robbery at the Citibank, located at 15401 Whittier Blvd. The suspect entered the bank armed with a knife, and wearing a bandana over his face. He demanded cash from several tellers and fled the bank with and unknown amount of money. As the suspect left the bank, a witness followed him outside and watched him get into a white Lincoln LS and leave the location. The witness obtained the license plate number of the vehicle and later passed the information onto officers.

Utilizing the information provided by the witness, officers obtained the vehicle’s registration address, and confirmed it matched the description of the vehicle used in the robbery. The vehicle was registered in Glendale, CA, and the Glendale Police Department was notified immediately. Patrol officers from Glendale PD drove by the address however, the vehicle was not there.

The following morning, Whittier PD detectives, with the assistance of the Glendale PD, located the get away car at the residence. While detectives watched the car, a male subject, later identified as Ara Hovanesyan (pictured below), got into the vehicle and began to drive away. At this point, Glendale patrol officers conducted a traffic stop and detained Hovanesyan.

During interviews conducted by Whittier detectives, Hovanesyan admitted to being involved in the robbery and led detectives to an additional suspect in Los Angeles. The second suspect, John Giampapa (pictured atop), a 21 year-old Whittier resident, was arrested at the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

According to detectives, evidence was located at both Hovanesyan’s residence and Giampapa’s hotel room. All of the money from the Citibank robbery was recovered.

Wamu Bank Robber In Custody

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: February 18, 2009
Contact: Asst. Press Information Officer Mike Dekowski
Subject: Wamu Bank Robber In Custody

Whittier, CA – On February 18 at 9:35am, Whittier PD officers responded to a call of a robbery at the Washington Mutual located at 15625 Whittier Blvd. The suspect entered the bank, walked up to a teller and presented a note demanding $10,000 in cash. The teller complied with the suspect’s demand and handed over an undisclosed amount of cash. After collecting the cash and placing it into his designer bag, the suspect left the bank and got into an awaiting taxicab. Before the taxicab left the parking lot however, a die pack activated, marking the suspect with red paint.

Leaving the cash behind, the suspect stepped out of the taxicab and fled towards the Whittwood Towne Center on foot. Approximately twenty minutes after the robbery occurred, an officer assigned to the shopping center found the suspect standing near the doors of an unoccupied bus parked in front of Sears covered in red paint and still carrying his designer bag. The suspect, Robert Michael Varela, a 22-year-old resident of Los Angeles was safely taken into custody by Whittier PD officers for robbery.
Additional media inquiries may be directed to Officer Mike Dekowski at 562-505-6983.
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Armed Robbers Target Gas Station

Whittier, CA – On February 12th at 11:00pm, a robbery took place at the Valero Gas Station, located at 14005 E. Whittier Boulevard. Two male suspects wearing masks demanded cash from the clerk while brandishing a handgun and a knife. The clerk handed the suspects $40 dollars from the register before they fled in an unknown direction. The suspects possibly used a white, newer model Chevy Malibu as a getaway car.

Whittier PD Detectives are actively investigating the incident and encourage anyone with information about this crime or the identity of the suspects, to contact the Whittier Police Department at (562)-945-8250.

Whittier PD Detectives Investigating Home Invasion Robbery

Whittier, CA – On February 12th, at 5:45pm, Whittier PD officers were called to a home invasion robbery in the 12600 block of Shreve Rd. Two suspects, described as a male Hispanic adult, and a male African American adult, forced their way into the victims home, after claiming they were acquainted with the victim’s husband, and they had some of his belongings. After forcing their way into the residence, the suspects assaulted an unidentified male occupant of the household while a female victim locked herself and her daughter in a nearby bedroom.

Prior to leaving the residence in an unknown direction, the suspects took a television and a laptop computer. Shortly after the suspects fled, the victim’s daughter was able to climb out of a bedroom window and eventually calls the police. Despite the suspect’s claims, the victims insist they have no knowledge of their assailant’s identities.

Anyone with information pertaining to this case or to the identity of the suspects is urged to contact the Whittier Police Department immediately at (562) 945-8250.

Whittier PD Cracks Down On Local Taggers

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: February 11, 2009
Contact: Asst. Press Information Officer Mike Dekowski

Whittier, CA – On February 2, 2009, members of the Whittier PD Special Enforcement Team made a significant arrest involving a local tagger. The “SET” Team (Special Enforcement Team) has continued its efforts in bringing these vandals to justice, contributing to a cleaner and safer Whittier. Notably, a 13-year-old Whittier resident responsible for over sixty-six acts of vandalism. The damage caused by this individual cost the city more than $23,000 dollars to repair.

The juvenile defaced multiple locations in the east end of Whittier. Most of the vandalism was to city property, including signs, curbs, walls and sidewalks. The vandal denied being part of a tagging crew, but did admit to most of the damage he caused. According to the SET team supervisor, Sgt. Kent Miller, the boy knew Whittier PD Officers were looking for him two weeks prior to his apprehension. He told investigators he quit tagging as soon as he found out the police were on to him.

Again, on Tuesday, February 3rd, Whittier PD Special Enforcement Team officers followed leads, which led to the apprehension of yet another tagger, a 15 year old girl residing in the unincorporated area of Whittier. Investigators substantiated this young girl is responsible for over one-hundred and twenty-six “tags”, most of which most she admitted to. Damages from these vandalisms are estimated at over $28,000 dollars. In addition to damages within the city of Whittier, it is also known this vandal “tagged” throughout the cities of Pico Rivera and La Habra. Whittier PD Investigators are working closely with responsible agencies to discover how much damage was done by this particular tagger.

The Whittier PD Special Enforcement Team along with the Patrol Division, have been actively pursuing taggers throughout the city, using new technologies and creative enforcement. The City’s Graffiti Abatement Crew has been instrumental in keeping Whittier free of unpleasant vandalism, making it a more attractive place to live, shop and play.

At this time it is not known if the District Attorney’s Office will file charges on all counts of vandalism. According to Sgt. Miller, both the juveniles and their parents will held accountable for the damages and the cost of clean up. With the continued support of the public and local business, the amount of vandalism has drastically reduced. The Whittier PD would like to encourage citizens to report all acts of vandalism by calling (562)-945-8250.

Additional media inquiries may be directed to Officer Mike Dekowski at 562-945-8286.

Church Vandal In Custody

On February 8th at 12:00am, Whittier PD officers responded to call of suspicious activity at the Whittier Area Community Church (8175 Villaverde Drive). When officers arrived, several unidentified subjects fled from the Church, evading officers. With the assistance of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Air Support, a 16 year old Whittier resident was detained at the scene and later arrested. While conducting their investigation officers discovered an extensive amount of vandalism both inside and outside of the Church.

The bulk of the damage was done inside of the Church’s Sunday School classroom, where a piano had been tipped over and several cabinet doors had been torn off. In addition to the property damage, several items, including a small couch and a DVD player were taken. Most of the property taken by the suspects has since been recovered by Whittier PD Detectives.

The juvenile who was arrested admitted to partying inside the church with several other suspects. Those suspects are still at large. According to Church officials, the damages are estimated to be in excess of $15,000 dollars. At this time, there is no indication this was a hate crime.

The Whittier Police Department is actively investigating the incident and seeking assistance from anyone with additional information. Please call the Whittier Police Department at 562-945-8250.

Internet Warning Information

An email titled "A Warning from Whittier Police" has been circulating via email and blogs on the Internet.  The email reads as follows:

"I am sending this to all of you, per the advice of the Whittier Police. Last night on my way home from work, I was followed off the freeway without realizing it.  A lot of people take the Telegraph off ramp to go home.  Then I turned left on Norwalk going north.  This Van pulled up on my right side and told me that my right rear tire was going flat and that I should pull over and let him put my spare on. I was only 2 miles from home and in an industrial area where no gas stations, etc. so told him NO THANKS, and kept going slow the rest of the way home.  When I got home I told Richard what had happened and he checked my tire...  The tire was perfectly OK. That's when I realized what had happened and it scared me to death. According to the Police there are allot of car jacking going on, then they rob you of everything (money, jewelry, etc) due to the economy. The best thing I could do was to let the gals at work know to be more than careful of their surroundings.  It's happening all over So Cal , not just LA or Orange Counties . 

Please my friends, be very careful out there."

The originator of this email did in fact contact the Whittier Police Department to report the above facts and a report was taken.  

For clarification purposes, the Whittier Police Department did not advise the caller that "there are a lot of car jackings going on".  The Department has not received any other reports that involve these sets of circumstances, which led to a car jacking. 

While there is no definite way at this time to determine the true intent of the van driver, motorists are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to the Whittier Police Department. 

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21-Year-Old Dies in Suspected Gang Related Stabbing

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: January 31, 2009
Contact: Press Information Officer Jason Zuhlke

Whittier, CA. – As a 21-year-old Hispanic man from Whittier was walking eastbound in the area of 12700 Wardman Street with his girlfriend at 7:45pm, two Hispanic men in their 30’s approached and began to question him regarding gang affiliation. According to the victim’s girlfriend, a 16 year-old from Whittier, the victim initially tried to avoid conflict before running away from the would be assailants. A short distance later however, both suspects caught the victim and began stabbing him. After delivering the wounds, the suspects fled southbound in the West alley of Milton Avenue and out of sight while the victim and his girlfriend ran North on Milton Avenue into the 7000 block. Bleeding profusely, the victim ran into a house in the area and collapsed on the floor where he would later expire. The homeowner would contact the Whittier Police Department who responded immediately and initiated CPR before paramedics from the LACO Fire Department continued to administer first aid to no avail.

Both suspects were described as male Hispanics in their 30’s clad in “gang” attire and wearing dark colored baseball hats. The suspect who stabbed the victim was further described as wearing long shorts with high socks and a dark jersey with “LA” written on the front in white letters. The second suspect was only further described as wearing long, dark-colored pants. As of this time, the motive behind this stabbing is unknown.

Anyone with information pertaining to this case or to the identity of the suspects is urged to contact the Whittier Police Department immediately at (562) 945-8250.

Additional inquiries may be directed to PIO J. Zuhlke at (562) 945-8282

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Whittier Police Seek Child Predator

Whittier, CA - On January 28th at 8:00am, an 11-year-old female was walking from her residence on Washington Avenue to Lydia Jackson School, located at 8015 Painter Avenue. While she walked in the 7900 block of Washington Avenue, a White male in his 40’s, 5’7” to 5’8” tall, with dirty blond hair, dark eyes, medium build, a mustache, and wearing a black and blue racing style jacket with the number “24” on it, blocked her path and asked the girl for her name, age, and other information. As she went around him, the suspect grabbed her from behind and rubbed her crotch before she broke free from the suspect and made her way to school. Once at school, the girl reported the incident and the Whittier Police Department was contacted. According to the victim, she has seen the suspect 4-5 times in the area of the Boys & Girl’s Club at 7905 Greenleaf Avenue but has never spoken with him on previous occasions.

The Whittier Police Department is enlisting the public’s help in bringing this suspect to justice. Anyone with information pertaining to the suspect’s identity is urged to contact Detective G. Hamilton at (562) 945-8274. Furthermore, the Whittier Police Department is asking that the public contact our Dispatch Center should you observe anyone fitting the description. You may contact the Whittier Police Department by dialing (562) 945-8250.

Media inquiries may be directed to PIO J. Zuhlke at (562) 945-8282.

Detectives Investigating Robbery

Whittier Police Department Detectives are actively investigating a robbery that occurred on January 20th at 4:15pm at the Bank of America located at 15742 Whittier Blvd. According to witnesses, the suspect entered the bank via the Whittier Blvd. entrance and loitered around the business side of the bank. After several minutes, he approached the teller and asked about opening an account. When told she could not help him, the suspect lowered his voice and said, “This is a robbery give me the money.” The money was placed in his pockets and he fled out the same door toward Santa Gertrudes Avenue. The suspect was described as a male Hispanic, 20-30 years old, 5'-6", and weighing 170 pounds. He was wearing dark clothing, a dark baseball cap and dark sunglasses. He also had a tattoo on the left side of his neck. No weapon was seen and the loss was estimated to be approximately $4,000.

If you have information about this crime, please contact Detective R. Wolfe at (562) 945-8268

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Santa Fe Springs Detectives Investigating Homicide

Santa Fe Springs- The Whittier Police Department is actively investigating the death of a 30-year-old man from Santa Fe Springs. At 3:15 am on January 19th, a call was received of a man down in front of a green Ford pickup truck in the parking lot of the "Santa Fe Inn," located in the 10900 block of Orr and Day Road. Arriving officers discovered the man lifeless having suffered from multiple gunshot wounds and he was soon pronounced deceased at the scene. No witnesses were located as the shooting occurred after the bar closed.

The Santa Fe Springs Investigations Bureau of the Whittier Police Department is actively seeking information from anyone who may have information pertaining to this case. Please contact the Whittier Police Department at 562.945.8250 with any information.

Victim of Stabbing Turns Aggression Towards Officers

On the eve of January 18th at 5:30 pm, Vince Zaragozza, a 23-year-old man from Willmington, got into argument with his mother's boyfriend at her home in the 15000 block of Jupiter Street. As the argument escalated, the boyfriend, Sergio Bayardo (55 years old) of Whittier, armed himself with a steak knife and stabbed Zaragozza twice. Zaragozza sustained stab wounds to the lower back and upper right arm before his mother intervened and persuaded Bayardo to leave prior to Whittier Police Officers arriving. As Bayardo left the home however, he threw a brick through a window of the home before being located and taken into custody by officers.

During the course of the investigation, Zaragozza would become uncooperative and threatening towards officers and he was subsequently tased. Zaragozza was later transported to UCI where he received treatment for his stab wounds.

Thieves Arrested After Stealing Skateboard

On January 18th at 5:20pm, in the area of 14419 Washington Avenue, four gang members took a 15-year-old's skateboard by holding a knife to his throat. While fleeing, the mother of the victim saw them as she was driving in the area. Officers responded and two of the four suspects were positively identified and taken into custody and booked for robbery. Both suspects were juveniles residing in Whittier.

Whittier PD Seeks Possible Child Predators

Whittier - On Wednesday January 14th at 3:30pm, two 12 year old boys were walking to the East Whittier Library when they were approached by a vehicle driven by a white male in his 30's, approximately 5'9" tall, 220 pounds, wearing an orange short sleeve t-shirt and blue jeans. His car was described as a dark red sedan. Approaching the boys he asked them if they wanted a hamburger to which they replied "No", and continued to walk towards the library. As the boys continued to walk, the driver and a passenger, also described as a White male in his 30's, approximately 6'0 tall, 180 pounds, with black hair and a light mustache, wearing a brown t-shirt and dark blue jeans, exited the car and once again approached them. The driver held out a Carl's Jr. bag and again offered the boys a hamburger which was rejected before the boys ran into the library to call the police. The driver and passenger of the sedan were unfamiliar to both children, and it is unknown which direction the vehicle left the parking lot.

The Whittier Police Department is investigating the incident and seeking assistance from anyone with additional information. Please call the Whittier Police Department at 562-945-8250.

Starbucks Robbery

On January 13th at 10:30pm, Officers received an alarm call from the Starbucks at 15909 Valley View Avenue with the operator advising he could hear a male voice in the background telling the clerks to count to 100. Moments later a Whittier Police Officer arrived just as the clerks finished their count. Speaking with employees, they stated they were robbed at gunpoint as they were locking up the store. The suspect forced them back into the store, told one of the girls to open the safe, and had them lay down while he removed the money and put it in a backpack. Prior to leaving, the suspect also took cell phones belonging to the employees.

The suspect was described as a male, possibly black, wearing a ski mask and long sleeved shirt and fled the location in a green SUV, possibly a Suburban. Both victims were female and reside in Whittier and La Mirada, aged 20 and 24 respectively.

Shooting Leaves Three Victims Injured

On January 10th at 8:15pm, Whittier Police Officers responded to assist Sheriff units responding to a call of shots fired with a victim down to the front of the condos at 8105 Norwalk Blvd. and a second victim down in front of 8140 Norwalk. As officers arrived, it was apparent the shooting had occurred in front of 8105 and the second victim had fled on foot in a southbound direction until he came to rest in front of 8140. Up to that point, details were vague as to what had occurred however, about 2 hours into the investigation, Pomona PD informed the Whittier Police Department that a 3rd gunshot victim had arrived at Pomona Valley Hospital who had admitted to being involved.

A short while later, a Whittier Officer responded and made contact with the victim in Pomona. According to this individual, he and an acquaintance were walking southbound on Norwalk and came to the front of the residence at 8105. They began to exchange words with three individuals that were standing near the front porch of the condo at 8105 when a single shot was fired from one of the suspects near the porch. This single shot struck the [Pomona] victim in the lower back area. Almost immediately, the victim's acquaintance returned fire with an unknown type handgun, possibly a revolver since no shell casings were found at the scene.

After the initial exchange 7 rounds were fired from one of the three suspects by the front porch and the second victim (acquaintance) was hit several times. Both victims then fled southbound on Norwalk Blvd. together. One of the victims was able to run all the way to Broadway Avenue (to the 7-11) where he called a friend to pick him up while the second victim, after being shot several times, went down to the front of 8140 Norwalk.

One of the 3 suspects in the yard was struck several times and the 2 remaining suspects fled westbound through the condo complex and into the neighborhood in the county area west of the location. The suspect that was hit several times retreated into the condo prior to units arriving but re-emerged to the front of the condo where he was treated by paramedics.

The Whittier Police Department's Detective Bureau and Forensics Division were called to the scene to investigate.