Willow Glen Cigars smelled like smoke on June 21 and not because people were lighting up stogies.

Willow Glen Cigars clerk Dennis Alcazares left a scented candle burning on top of a cigar box in the store's restroom the night before; he said, "I forgot about it."

The smoke of the burnt wooden cigar box set the fire alarm off in the early hours of Monday morning, he said.

The next thing he knew, the San Jose police showed up at his apartment, after the authorities found Alcazares' name and home address on the store counter.

When Alcazares reached the store at 6 a.m., the fire had been put out, but San Jose police officers, firefighters and an investigator were still on the scene.

San Jose Fire Department spokeswoman Capt. Allison Cabral said it was a "very small" fire, with a minimal number of firefighters because it was not even a first-alarm fire.

Alcazares said the fire caused minor damage to the restroom and that the store would remain open for business.

—Beth Walker

Canoas Avenue is the
scene of SWAT action

San Jose resident Gerald DeLaRosa, 62, was arrested on June 10 on suspicion of molesting a child living in San Jose. Authorities arrested DeLaRosa at 6 p.m. at the location where he worked, at a local business in the 2200 block of Canoas Garden Avenue, said San Jose Police spokeswoman Officer Gina Tepoorten.

Employees at seven businesses on Canoas Garden Avenue, on the eastern edge of Willow Glen, said they had no information or knowledge of the arrest, leaving the exact location of the arrest unknown as of press time.

Police were acting on a felony warrant when they arrested DeLaRosa.

Tepoorten also said she didn't know if DeLaRosa had a criminal history and that the authorities only knew of one alledged victim. She added that information about the victim could not be released because she said that the family is fearful.

Tepoorten said the case was brought to police attention the first week of June, and the San Jose Police Sexual Assault Investigations Unit requested the help of six officers and one sergeant on the MERGE—the San Jose SWAT—team to make the arrest.

The authorities were concerned DeLaRosa would flee the area, which is why they called in the SWAT team.

DeLaRosa was arrested without incident and booked into the Santa Clara County Jail.

—Beth Walker

Artists receive grants
in chosen disciplines

Willow Glen artists are once again in the limelight for their creative talents.

Nina Koepcke and Daniel Helfgot were honored on June 15 by Arts Council Silicon Valley with $3,000 each in unrestricted grants to help them continue pursuing their artistic careers. The awards were announced at the Triton Museum.

Koepcke was awarded the fellowship for her work in the field of visual arts and her three-dimensional work, which includes sculpting, painting and community art. Helfgot received the grant for his work in the theater arts. Helgot has been involved in opera production on an international scale for 18 years.

The arts fellowship program was established in 1988 and makes awards to artists each year in rotating disciplines.

The fellowships are supported through the Arts Council's PARTNERS Grants Program, which provides an avenue for corporations, foundations, individuals and government agencies to invest in artists and arts organizations in Silicon Valley.

—Moryt Milo