Three arrested for alleged check fraud DOWNTOWN...

Three arrested for alleged check fraud

DOWNTOWN GLENDALE -- Three Los Angeles people face charges of

check fraud and burglary today after allegedly using a bogus check at

Mervyn’s and trying to pass another one at Old Navy.

Felisha Pleasant, 21, Nitra Andrews, 22, and Daymond Jackson, 25,

were arrested Monday after Mervyn’s security guards reported the

suspect checks to Glendale Police officers, according to police

reports. The three were seen shopping at Old Navy, at 106 S. Brand

Blvd., where they were waiting for a check to clear for a stack of

clothes, police said.

The three are scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday and are each

being held on $20,000 bail at Glendale City Jail.

Darleene Barrientos

Glendale family, LCF resident to have preliminary hearing

GLENDALE -- A preliminary hearing was set Tuesday for a Glendale

family accused of abusing mentally ill adults by housing them in

squalid care facilities and siphoning money from their bank accounts.

Abraham DeGuzman, 52, Alicia DeGuzman, 48, and Abraham’s mother,

Natalie Buendia, 73, will appear in court Jan. 29 for their

preliminary hearing. Devere McGuffin, 59, of La Canada Flintridge and

then-chief executive officer of Glendale-based California Adventist

Federal Credit Union was also arrested in the case on suspicion of

conspiracy to commit grand theft.

After the preliminary hearing, a judge will decide if enough

evidence exists to bring the case to trial.

Darleene Barrientos

Court cases delayed for local men

GLENDALE -- A preliminary hearing in one Glendale case was

rescheduled for Monday to allow one of the defendant’s attorneys

continue trial in an unrelated case, while a La Canada Flintridge man

was ordered to return in February to set a date for his hearing.

Edgar Hatamian, 21, Gagik Galoyan, 53, Gayk Tadevosyan, 38,

Andranik Safaryan, 24, all of Glendale, and Edvard Gyulnazaryan, 40,

of Burbank are charged with conspiring to murder as many as eight

people in an alleged murder-for-hire ring. The preliminary hearing

will take place Monday and a judge will ultimately decide if enough

evidence exists to send the case to a trial. Each man was being held

Tuesday for bail amounts ranging from $2 million to $10 million.

Timothy Whelan, 35, of La Canada Flintridge was also being held

Monday without bail for allegedly killing three people, including two

children, after crashing into the car in which they were riding on

Nov. 5. Whelan is scheduled to set a date for his preliminary hearing

on Feb. 20.

Darleene Barrientos

Fund started in Marlene Roth’s name

GLENDALE -- Soroptimist International of Glendale has established

a fund in the name of Marlene Roth, a longtime member and past

president of the organization who died Saturday.

Roth, who was president of the local organization in 1976-77, died

Saturday at her Glendale home. She was 61. Roth had lived in Glendale

for more than 20 years.

Roth had been sick with cancer of the bile ducts for about eight

months, and she had been in and out of Glendale Memorial Hospital

during that time for chemotherapy.

A funeral service for Roth was Tuesday at Mt. Sinai Memorial

Parks in Los Angeles. Donations can be made to Soroptimist

International of Glendale’s Marlene Roth Fund at P.O. Box 826,

Glendale, CA 91209. Donations can also be made in Marlene Roth’s name

to VNA Care and Hospice Group, 517 E. Wilson Ave., Glendale, CA

91206.

Gary Moskowitz

Budget session rescheduled for funeral

GLENDALE CIVIC CENTER -- The City Council and the Glendale Police

Department canceled scheduled budget study sessions Tuesday for the

funeral of Marlene Roth, a former Glendale city planner and 30-year

member of Soroptimist International of Glendale.

The study session was scheduled to discuss the effects of Gov.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed 2004-05 fiscal budget on the police

department. Police officials also planned to discuss expanding the

department and reinstating non-essential service programs, like the

Police Athletic League.

The session was rescheduled for Jan. 27.

Darleene Barrientos

Small-business marketing seminar takes place today

GLENDALE -- A seminar on marketing for small business is from 9:30

a.m. to noon today at the office of the Service Corps of Retired

Executives, 330 N. Brand Blvd. The seminar will focus on what

entrepreneurs can do to market their products and services. Stan

Leibling, a veteran marketing executive, will conduct the seminar.

For more information, call 552-3206.

Ryan Carter

Charter committee to discuss council, manager relationship

GLENDALE CITY HALL -- The Charter Review Study Committee will

consider the relationship between the City Council and the city

manager at its 6:30 p.m. meeting today in Room 105 of the Municipal

Services Building, 633 E. Broadway. The committee will discuss a

noninterference clause, which would make it illegal for council

members to interfere with the city manager.

Raphael Sonenshein, a political science professor at Cal State

Fullerton and a charter expert, will also give a presentation on

boards and committees. For more information, call 548-2080.

Josh Kleinbaum

Association to honor man and woman of the year

DOWNTOWN GLENDALE -- The Glendale Hispanic Business and

Professional Assn. will have a luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday at the

Cuban Bistro, 112 N. Maryland Ave.

The event will include a program honoring the organization’s

woman, man and business of the year. For more information, call

240-3412.

Ryan Carter