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MONDAY, MAY 9, 2016 - MAY 15, 2016 - VOLUME 7, NO. 19
Global Supertanker Launches 747 (VLAT) Very Large Air Tanker to Fight Wildfires
The Spirit of John Muir’s firefighting scope is not limited to the U.S.: from Colorado Springs, the plane can fly anywhere in the world in under 20 hours.
Man Convicted of Kidnapping Elderly Woman
A 53-year-old man was convicted late Wednesday, May 4, of kidnapping and robbing a 79-year-old woman, and burglarizing the home of another elderly woman, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced. SEE PAGE 16
San Gabriel Man Arrested on Fraud Charges
taken into custody by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A criminal complaint unsealed after this morning’s arrest charges Huang with wire fraud and money laundering, charges that together carry a statutory maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. Huang operated Ju Ding Inc., which solicited funds
SEE PAGE 2
Pasadena Kidnapping Suspect Identified and Arrested
Allegedly Operated Ponzi Scheme That Collected Nearly $7 Million The operator of a Breabased investment company that prosecutors allege was a Ponzi scheme that brought in about $7 million with promises of breakthrough products made with graphene was arrested this morning on federal fraud charges. Wenxing Huang, who is also known as “Di Peng” and “Fatty,” 33, of San Gabriel, was
– Photo Courtesy Bill Gabbert
2015 was one of the most devastating wildfire seasons in American history, with more than 10 million acres of land burned and billions of dollars of damage inflicted on homes and property. The U.S. Forest Service has warned that this record may not stand for long: fire seasons are starting earlier and burning longer every year. Serious wildfires have already broken out this year in Virginia, Oklahoma, and Kansas, burning over 400,000 acres and threatening the lives, livelihoods, and homes of millions. As the U.S. Forest Service and state emergency responders across the nation continue their hazardous and exemplary work, they can soon look forward to mobilizing a powerful new tool in their arsenal: Global SuperTanker Services LLC’s firefighting 747, the Spirit of John Muir. This converted B747400, a Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT), is the largest, fastest way to fight fires from the air. The Spirit of John Muir is the world’s youngest VLAT and has almost twice the capacity of the next biggest aerial tank-
from investors with false promises that their money would be used to invest in and develop technology based on graphene, which is a layer of pure carbon that is only one atom thick. But, according to the complaint, Ju Ding does not appear to have engaged in any business or to have sold SEE PAGE 2
On Saturday, April 30, at approximately 10 p.m., two 18-year-old females were waiting at a bus stop at Fair Oaks Avenue and Montana Street in Pasadena when they were offered a ride by a male in an older extra cab pick-up truck. After some coaxing by the driver, the women accepted his offer. The women soon noticed that the suspect was not driving them to the direction they requested. As the suspect drove on
to the 210 freeway on-ramp at Mountain Street, the one of the female victims in the front passenger seat opened the door and jumped from the moving truck. A passerby saw her fall from the truck and called 911. The victim was subsequently transported to a local hospital and suffered a fractured ankle. A short time later, a CHP officer contacted the second SEE PAGE 2