Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Helicopter Crashes in Cajon Pass, Kills 3

CAJON PASS - Three people were killed Sunday night when a Mercy Air medical transport aircraft crashed near the top of the Cajon Pass. The helicopter - a Bell 412 known as Mercy Air 2 - was carrying a pilot and two crew members whose names had not been released as of late Sunday.

Holiday Comfort for Those Who've Lost

FONTANA - This will be the first Christmas in eight years that Julie Runyan will be without her husband. Patrick Runyan, a 37-year-old active Army captain, suffered a massive heart attack during training in February and died in El Paso, Texas.

'Road Rage' May Have Led to Attack

EASTVALE - A juvenile was in critical condition after he was shot in the head and leg Monday during a freeway chase that may have resulted from road rage, police said. Police did not release the teenager's name. He underwent emergency surgery in Riverside Community Hospital, Riverside County sheriff's Lt. Cynthia Wait said.

In Pomona, Solving a Murder Case Isn't Typical

POMONA - The city that already has the most murders in the Inland Valley also holds another distinction: A bad record on solving homicides. While Pomona has experienced far more killings during the past six years than other local cities of similar size - including Fontana, Ontario and Corona - the Pomona Police Department has closed only 44 percent of its murder cases.

Friendly Wave Acknowledges Good-Driving Deeds

Question: The other day I was driving in the car-pool lane and noticed that the car ahead of me would move significantly to the left every time a motorcycle would pass it. Then I saw something I have never seen before. Every single motorcyclist gave the car a downward wave with their left arm. Is this some sort of secret motorcycle sign language? -- Justin Fournier, Alta Loma

How the Inland Valley Celebrates the Season: Dec. 12

Our family tradition has been to gather in the kitchen once a week from just before Thanksgiving until Christmas and cook some special treat. I began this tradition when my Grandmother Bessie taught me to cook in the 1940s, and I continued the tradition with my three daughters - Bonnie Lubecki, Susan Aguilar and Lisa Backstrom - and my son, David Eckert, during the '50s, '60s and '70s.

She's Still a Symbol of Hope

Whether her image appears on votive candles, a muscle-bound back or a cathedral wall overlooking the Hollywood Freeway, La Virgen de Guadalupe's influence is witnessed daily in Southern California. For Roman Catholics, and even some non-Catholics, she has become a champion of causes and pursuits both spiritual and social, a mother figure for Mexico and the Americas - both Tonantzin, the mother-god of the Aztecs, and Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Adopted Dog Headed to Iraq to Find Fallen Soldiers

RIVERSIDE - Booney has searched for a missing boy in Fawnskin and for victims of deadly mudslides in the San Bernardino National Forest and La Conchita. Today, the 6-year-old black Labrador retriever and handler Tammie Belmonte, of Rancho Cucamonga, are on their way to Baghdad to search for the missing dead of Iraq.

Residents Want Fire Escape Route

NORCO - No one was injured in the wildfire that started north of the Wyle property and spread across 100 acres before it was extinguished early Dec. 3. But some homeowners in the area said the fire opened their eyes to how easily they could be trapped in the future.

City Fights Diamonds Strip Club

FONTANA - City leaders are taking a strip club to court. They want to shut it down. Some residents aren't happy with it either.

Seen & Heard: Dec. 12

Pardon me, she said what? San Bernardino County Supervisor Josie Gonzales closed a spontaneous address to hundreds of county staffers Wednesday with an unexpected and somewhat shocking message to county public safety employees.

Station Manager Will Be Missed

FONTANA - Esaul Suarez liked to walk from his home in Fontana to his job as a store manager at Slover Arco to get his daily exercise. On the morning of Dec. 4, he was doing just that, crossing Valley Boulevard at Oleander Avenue on his way to the gas station when he was struck by a motorist at the wheel of a dark gray Toyota 8100 truck that left the scene.

Das Seek to Protect Those Who Testify

When a violent crime occurs, an unspoken current of fear runs through the streets. Neighbors often turn a blind eye to crimes committed right before them. The threat of gang retaliation seems to outweigh any possible benefit of telling police.