Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder

CARD FRAUD: San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two Monterey Park men who tried to use forged credit cards at a JC Penney department store at Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga.

About 2 p.m. March 4, the store’s loss prevention team called Deputy Eddie McCloud to report that two Asian men, later identified as Yucai He, 32, and Chang Wong, 39, were trying to use the cards, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputies detained the men and searched them. Stolen credit cards, property and a large amount of money were found, officials said.

Both were arrested and booked in the West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of burglary, grand theft, conspiracy and fraudulent use of credit cards.

FATAL CRASH: A Hesperia man was killed March 6, after losing control of his car and veering into drainage channel In Victorville.

San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene at 6:44 a.m. They determined that James Jimenez, 32, had been traveling eastbound on Silica Avenue between 3 and 6:44 a.m.

As Jimenez tried to take a curve to head south on Industrial Boulevard, but lost control and veered off the road and landed in a drainage channel east of the intersection of Silica Avenue, officials said.

A passing motorist spotted the car in the channel and reported the crash to authorities. Jimenez died at the scene.

The preliminary investigation suggests alcohol may have been bee involved in collision.

VEHICLE VS. PEDESTRIAN: A pedestrian was killed and two men arrested following a crash that may have involved drugs or alcohol.

The collision occurred about 8:30 p.m. March 8, near the intersection of Live Oak Street and Roble Avenue. Deputies say 25-year-old Gabriel Arias had been walking in the middle of Live Oak when an eastbound 1991 Ford Bronco driven by Tony Willman struck him.

Arias died at the scene. Officials say the victim was wearing dark clothing that night. But Willman and his passenger, Gary Amaoka, were arrested on unrelated drug charges, officials said.

Investigators are now looking at the possibility that drugs or alcohol may have contributed the collision.

SEX WITH A MINOR: A 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion he had sex with an under-aged girl.

Police say an off-duty police officer caught Alexander Cordoba having sex in a car that was parked in the area of Third Avenue and Seventh Avenue in Hesperia, sheriff’s officials said.

The girl told deputies she met Cordoba at a party. The investigation is ongoing. Cordoba was arrested and booked into Victor Valley jail.

GANG ARRESTS: A year-long investigation ended last month with the arrest of 10 people who are suspected of participating in gang activity.

Members of the Victorville Sheriff’s Station, Gang Enforcement Unit/SMASH led an investigation into several members Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley street gangs that were moving their drug dealing operations to the High Desert.

Victorville SMASH were able to identify street level drug dealers and high ranking gang members, officials said.

On March 8, SMASH members from several sheriff’s stations conducted a gang sweep and arrested Daniel “Danny Boy” Lechuga, 35, Denise “Baby Loca” Hererra, 24, Ivan “Trusty” Montero 26, Joel “Bouncer” Pompa 32, Jessica Rodriguez, 36, Regina Chavira, 40, Angel “Bandit” Aranda, 39, Ivan Montero, 25, Hugo Manzano, 31, and Amanda Ortega, 31.

All are suspected of participating in a criminal street gang, conspiracy to commit crimes, illicit sales of narcotics, weapons violations, parole violations, extortion, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and others, which could carry sentences of life without the possibility of parole.

ATTEMPTED MURDER: A 52-year-old Rancho Cucamonga man suspected of stabbing an unidentified person with a steak knife was arrested March 9.

The incident happened in Rancho Cucamonga. Authorities said that the fight between Larry Engle and the unnamed victim on Feb. 28 escalated to the stabbing.

Engle fled after the incident and was on the run for several days, officials said. But a deputy tracked him to the area of Raymond Street and Eleventh Avenue in the city of Upland. Engle was booked into West Valley Detention Center on suspicion of attempted murder.