Suspect in San Gabriel Valley Schools & Hospital Threats Arrested by 5-Agency Team
A five-agency effort to investigate recent threats to a
hospital, a mall, and school campuses in the San Gabriel Valley was successful
in identifying a suspect. He was
arrested Tuesday in the city of Monrovia.
A series of phone calls last week threatening to shoot
people at a hospital, a mall, and school campuses in the San Gabriel Valley
resulted in numerous locations being locked down, and police officers and
sheriff’s deputies searching the campuses, hospitals, mall, other buildings,
and nearby communities. Out of an
abundance of caution for public safety, the schools, hospital, and mall were
searched in the cities of Arcadia, Covina, Duarte, Glendora, Monrovia and West
Covina.
A five-agency effort was formed to put a stop to these
threats and included investigators from the police departments of the cities of
Arcadia, Covina and Monrovia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Los
Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators from Temple Station, Major Crimes
Bureau, and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Using advanced technology and investigative techniques, key
information was gathered by the team, and the suspect was arrested as he left
his Monrovia home about 4:00pm Tuesday, September 17, 2013. Investigators are continuing the
investigation, including serving a search warrant at his home.
26-year old Suspect Gerardo Cortez was booked at Monrovia
Police Department for five counts of felony Making Criminal Threats (422 of the
California Penal Code), and five counts of False Report of an Emergency (148.3(a) California Penal Code). This case will be presented to the Los
Angeles County District Attorney’s Office by Monrovia Police Department
detectives for consideration of criminal filing. At this point his bail is set at $250,000.00
and his next court date is Thursday, September 19, 2013
All policing agencies involved in this investigation took
this very seriously. The nature of these criminal threats brought tremendous
fear to students, faculty, parents, patients, and the community. It also drew a significant amount of policing
resources away from other legitimate purposes.
Incidents such as these will continue to be handled in a serious manner.
The incidents that led to this arrest was the caller said he
had an AK-47 and threatened to shoot people at the following locations:
Covina: A call was
made referencing “Citrus Medical Center:” (there is no hospital by that exact
name) On Monday, Sept. 9, the
threatening call was made to the Covina Police Department. Covina Police Dept. officers searched
Intercommunity Hospital in Covina. West
Covina Police Dept. officers searched Queen of the Valley of the Valley Hospital
and East San Gabriel Valley Hospice in the City of West Covina. Glendora Police Dept. officers searched
Foothill Presbyterian Hospital in the Glendora.
Monrovia: A call was made referencing Sante Fe Middle
School: On Monday, Sept. 9. the threatening call was made to the Monrovia
Police Department.
Arcadia: Santa Anita
Mall: Tues, Sept 10: Arcadia Police
Department News Release http://local.nixle.com/alert/5063996/
Duarte: Duarte High
School: Tues, Sept. 10: LASD Temple Sheriff’s Station News Release
http://nixle.com/alert/5060862/
Arcadia: Arcadia High
School: Thurs, Sept 12: Arcadia Police Department News Release
http://local.nixle.com/alert/5063996/
Anyone with information regarding these incidents that may
be of assistance to investigators please contact the Monrovia Police Department
at 626-256-8041. Or if you wish to
remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477),
texting the letters TIPLA plus your tip to CRIMES (274637), or using the
website http://lacrimestoppers.org
Local policing agencies have been conducting drills with
school administrators and students to help ensure campus safety through the
County of Los Angeles. For information
about how parents, school administrators and law enforcement are working together
to maximize campus safety refer to the booklet:
Standing Up For School Safety handbook
Joint News Release:
Arcadia Police Department
Covina Police Department
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Monrovia Police Department
Forwarded by:
Captain Mike Parker
Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
323-267-4800
Here are links to the APD News Releases for each event:
Westfield Santa Anita Mall
http://arcadiapolice.blogspot.com/2013/09/news-release-threats-to-westfield-santa.html
Arcadia High School Lockdown
http://arcadiapolice.blogspot.com/2013/09/news-release-arcadia-high-school.html
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