South Pasadena Homes

Friends and co-workers remember South Pasadena officer in somber but lively ...

Just 23 years old, the young officer - a resident of Covina - died on June 14 after he collapsed following a training exercise in Azusa.

"He loved and was dedicated to his job, he was compassionate towards people and was loyal to his fellow officers," South Pasadena police Chief Joe Payne said breaking down. "I'm proud of that distinction and can honestly say without a doubt he will be missed, never forgotten - rest in peace."

Over 300 people filled the Irwindale church, many representing agencies like San Marino, Riverside and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

A bagpipe player led the group of six officers who carried Sandoval's black and silver casket into the packed church.

Payne said he met Sandoval as a 19-year-old cadet, which struck a chord with him since that was how he got his start in the department.

"Kevin was constantly striving to achieve the ideals of his chosen profession," Payne said. "His absence will leave an unfilled hole in our lives."

Payne recalled a recent trip with Sandoval and officer Juan Salcido for the "Baker to Vegas" event.

"I was in the back of the van when I heard these guys talking about things no police chief should ever have to know," Payne said laughing. "I had to remind myself that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

Payne also spoke about Sandoval's affection for an aging 2005 Crown Victoria. When people would comment on it's dents and scratches he would say "don't worry I'm just breaking her in."

On his time off Sandoval would write that the car was out of order just so no one else would take it, Payne said.

Sandoval became a cadet with the department in 2007 until he graduated from the police academy. He was sworn in as a reserve police officer in Nov. 2008 before becoming a full-time officer in 2009.

He is only the second South Pasadena police officer to die in the line of duty.

South Pasadena Officer Jose Corney and Salcido stood at the church's podium together to eulogize Sandoval.

Salcido met him when he was a cadet and remembers him as extremely eager to learn and willing to put in the time. The two grew closer once Sandoval graduated from the Rio Hondo Police Academy.

"I looked up to him even though he was younger than me," Salcido said.

South Pasadena's Paxton House :: Wrought Iron News

By Darrell Satzman

A stately manse that originally stood on Pasadena’s storied Orange Grove Boulevard — and later survived a date with the wrecking ball — has found new life on a leafy South Pasadena street.

Named for the rancher who commissioned it, the (Charles) Paxton House was designed by noted Southern California architect Reginald Johnson and built in 1920, earning the American Institute of Architects’ top prize for residential design. It blends Spanish and Mediterranean revival features and English elements to create indoor-outdoor living in a style that Johnson, whose legacy includes Pasadena’s All Saints Episcopal Church and Four Seasons Resort the Biltmore Santa Barbara, called “true California architecture.”

Despite its pedigree, Paxton House was set to be demolished after the property was purchased by a private girl’s school in the early 1970s. Word reached Cheryl Fremdling, an interior designer who had grown up in the home. She bought the house and had it moved to its present location several blocks to the south and west, according to real estate historian Tim Gregory. The 349-ton structure had to be cut into five pieces to make the trip.

Additions such as a guest house and swimming pool and spa followed in the ensuing decades. The current owners added a master bedroom suite and completed a major renovation aimed at preserving original details and adding modern upgrades.

Shielded from the street by tall walls of vegetation, the two-story home is sheathed in sand-colored stucco. Below the pitched composite shingle roof are numerous rectangular windows framed by black shutters. A wrought-iron balcony sits directly above a decorative plaster portico. Palms, oaks and jacaranda are interspersed among manicured gardens that surround the house.

The home’s entry has terra cotta tiles and iron light sconces. An arched opening leads to the high-ceilinged living room, which features original wood floors, a marble fireplace, glazed antique paneling and dentil molding. Two sets of French doors open to a brick backyard patio ringed with bougainvillea. A decorative arched doorway leads to a loggia enclosed on three sides. The loggia has stone paving, exposed beams, a wrought-iron chandelier and large arched cutouts in two walls.

The downstairs includes a library with antique pine paneling and a black granite fireplace as well as a formal dining room with a pastoral mural that covers all four walls. An arched glass door matches the one in the living room and leads to another backyard patio. Also downstairs is a suede-walled media room with a projection system and an attached bar that has marble counters, a hammered copper sink and a brass pub faucet. Like the home’s gym and family room, the media room was originally a bedroom.

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