Police blotter 2-19-21

Wednesday, February 10

At 4:49 a.m., one of Claremont’s license plate reader cameras took notice of a white 2019 Toyota RAV4 that had been carjacked in Palm Springs the night before. Claremont Police Department officers on patrol located the car shortly thereafter near Indian Hill Blvd. and San Jose Ave., and pulled it over. The driver, Richard Poplos, 29, from Los Angeles, was arrested without incident. Palm Springs PD later took custody of Mr. Poplos and transferred him to their jail, where he was booked for felony car theft.

Thursday, February 11

The increasingly prevalent crime of catalytic converter theft is definitely on the rise. The previous two weeks’ Blotters included references, and this past week Claremont’s finest arrested another set of alleged thieves, this time while they were allegedly in the act. One of the city’s license plate reader cameras spotted “a possible car we were interested in” for previous catalytic converter thefts, according to police. Officers located the older model Toyota parked on the street near Mountain and San Jose avenues at 9:49 a.m. and say they saw a man underneath a truck parked nearby, attempting to remove its converter. The suspects, Michael Lucero, 23, from West Covina, and 26-year-old Fontana resident Johnny Cervantes, were arrested without incident and charged with one count each of felony grand theft and vehicle tampering, a misdemeanor. They were booked and released with citations to appear in Pomona Superior Court. 

Saturday, February 13

A resident near Mountain Ave. and 12th St. called police at 1:26 p.m. after seeing an apparently intoxicated man stumbling in the street. Arriving officers interviewed 58-year-old Mario Lucero and determined he was under the influence of alcohol. The Pomona man was arrested on a misdemeanor drunk in public charge. He was booked at the station, but after being ensconced in Claremont jail to sleep it off, he complained of a medical problem, and was subsequently transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Police presented him with the parting gift of a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court.

Monday, February 15

Claremont officers on patrol at 3:50 a.m. near Monte Vista Ave. and Claremont Blvd. noticed a white Acura without a rear bumper, and pulled it over. The driver, Adolfo Leon, 24, from Moreno Valley, was issued a citation for the vehicle code violation, and also for driving under the influence of alcohol. His passenger, Karely Peralta, a 20-year-old Montclair woman, was arrested for misdemeanor drunk in public. Both were held in the Claremont jail until they sobered up. Mr. Leon was issued a citation to appear on the misdemeanor DUI charge, and Ms. Peralta was released without being charged.

Someone called Claremont PD from the Village at 1:39 p.m. after allegedly seeing a 33-year-old Montclair man, Gregory Daniels, urinating in public and yelling at passersby. Arriving cops questioned Mr. Daniels and quickly determined he was drunk. He spent most of the rest of his Monday sobering up in the Claremont jail before being released with a citation to appear in court.

Tuesday, February 16

Claremont officers on patrol at 5:30 a.m. say they saw a white Dodge Durango with no license plate on its rear bumper moving in traffic near Foothill Blvd. and Towne Ave., and pulled it over. A records check of the driver, David Flores, 36, from Los Angeles, turned up a felony probation violation warrant out of L.A., and another misdemeanor warrant. Mr. Flores was arrested and transferred to the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles.

Wednesday, February 10

At 4:49 a.m., one of Claremont’s license plate reader cameras took notice of a white 2019 Toyota RAV4 that had been carjacked in Palm Springs the night before. Claremont Police Department officers on patrol located the car shortly thereafter near Indian Hill Blvd. and San Jose Ave., and pulled it over. The driver, Richard Poplos, 29, from Los Angeles, was arrested without incident. Palm Springs PD later took custody of Mr. Poplos and transferred him to their jail, where he was booked for felony car theft.

Thursday, February 11

The increasingly prevalent crime of catalytic converter theft is definitely on the rise. The previous two weeks’ Blotters included references, and this past week Claremont’s finest arrested another set of alleged thieves, this time while they were allegedly in the act. One of the city’s license plate reader cameras spotted “a possible car we were interested in” for previous catalytic converter thefts, according to police. Officers located the older model Toyota parked on the street near Mountain and San Jose avenues at 9:49 a.m. and say they saw a man underneath a truck parked nearby, attempting to remove its converter. The suspects, Michael Lucero, 23, from West Covina, and 26-year-old Fontana resident Johnny Cervantes, were arrested without incident and charged with one count each of felony grand theft and vehicle tampering, a misdemeanor. They were booked and released with citations to appear in Pomona Superior Court. 

Saturday, February 13

A resident near Mountain Ave. and 12th St. called police at 1:26 p.m. after seeing an apparently intoxicated man stumbling in the street. Arriving officers interviewed 58-year-old Mario Lucero and determined he was under the influence of alcohol. The Pomona man was arrested on a misdemeanor drunk in public charge. He was booked at the station, but after being ensconced in Claremont jail to sleep it off, he complained of a medical problem, and was subsequently transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. Police presented him with the parting gift of a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court.

Monday, February 15

Claremont officers on patrol at 3:50 a.m. near Monte Vista Ave. and Claremont Blvd. noticed a white Acura without a rear bumper, and pulled it over. The driver, Adolfo Leon, 24, from Moreno Valley, was issued a citation for the vehicle code violation, and also for driving under the influence of alcohol. His passenger, Karely Peralta, a 20-year-old Montclair woman, was arrested for misdemeanor drunk in public. Both were held in the Claremont jail until they sobered up. Mr. Leon was issued a citation to appear on the misdemeanor DUI charge, and Ms. Peralta was released without being charged.

Someone called Claremont PD from the Village at 1:39 p.m. after allegedly seeing a 33-year-old Montclair man, Gregory Daniels, urinating in public and yelling at passersby. Arriving cops questioned Mr. Daniels and quickly determined he was drunk. He spent most of the rest of his Monday sobering up in the Claremont jail before being released with a citation to appear in court.

Tuesday, February 16

Claremont officers on patrol at 5:30 a.m. say they saw a white Dodge Durango with no license plate on its rear bumper moving in traffic near Foothill Blvd. and Towne Ave., and pulled it over. A records check of the driver, David Flores, 36, from Los Angeles, turned up a felony probation violation warrant out of L.A., and another misdemeanor warrant. Mr. Flores was arrested and transferred to the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles.

@font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:””; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:”Times New Roman”; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.Section1 {page:Section1;}