Police blotter 1-17-20
By Matthew Bramlett
Tuesday, January 7
Police are looking into an apparent mail theft at Zaky Mediterranean Restaurant. Around 10:15 a.m., police found pry marks at a freestanding mailbox that serves Zaky, Denny’s and Starbucks, Lt. Jason Walters of the Claremont Police Department said. It is unknown if any property was taken, but one business owner told police he hadn’t received mail in two weeks.
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A Claremont man was arrested after he allegedly drove his car into a parked car while drunk and tried to flee the scene. Armando Franco, 65, is accused of hitting a car near the intersection of San Jose Avenue and Lehigh Drive around 11:20 a.m. and driving away, Lt. Walters said. He was found in his Toyota Tacoma near Arrow and Geneva, and was allegedly under the influence of alcohol with an open container in the truck. He also had heroin, Lt. Walters said. Mr. Franco was arrested.
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Around 15 units at All-American Mini Storage on the 700 block of south Mills Avenue were found with broken locks, and at least four of them were broken into, Lt. Walters said. The break-ins occurred between January 4 and 7, and among the items the thieves took include a handgun, shooting gear, DVDs, containers, pots and pans, a knife set and Christmas decorations. There is no suspect information.
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An unknown thief rummaged through two unlocked cars in south Claremont, taking a number of items. The two cars were parked next to each other in a carport on the 600 block of west San Jose Avenue, Lt. Walters said. A wallet with credit and debit cards was taken from one car, while two pairs of sunglasses were taken from the other.
Thursday, January 9
Two brand-new cars—a Dodge Charger and a Dodge Durango—were taken right off the John Elway lot in the middle of the night. At approximately 1:30 a.m., a security guard noticed the Dodges driving away from the dealership at a high rate of speed and called police. The two cars were found hours later around 6:30 a.m. in Pomona unscathed, Lt. Walters said.
The theft occurred one week after two other brand new Dodge Chargers were stolen from the John Elway lot as well. The Chargers were eventually found stripped of parts in Pomona and San Dimas Canyon, Lt. Walters said. Police believe an organized group may be responsible for the thefts, and a special task force is investigating.
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Another car was broken into at the Evey Canyon turnout. Between 9:30 and 11 a.m., the unknown thief shattered the passenger side window of the victim’s Hyundai, taking a purse containing a wallet, credit cards and Apple AirPods. Police are investigating.
Saturday, January 11
Police are investigating a hot prowl burglary that occurred while the homeowner was asleep. Between 12 noon and 5:30 p.m., the burglar shattered the sliding glass door of the home on the 300 block of Geneva, ransacking the house before fleeing. The victim was home at the time and asleep in another room, Lt. Walters said. There is no suspect information and it is unknown what was taken.
Sunday, January 12
An unknown suspect broke into a car at the Courier Place apartment complex. Between 1:30 a.m. and 10 a.m., the thief entered the car and took a laptop, earbuds and computer parts totaling around $2,000, Lt. Walters said. There were no signs of forced entry to the car, though the victim told police he had locked it.
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A battery and a surge protector were stolen from a camping trailer parked on the 500 block of Converse. The victims parked their trailer on the street the day before, and returned Sunday to find the items were taken. The total value was $600.
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Officers were called to the Knight’s Inn around 1 p.m. after Alma Guido, 25, of Pomona checked in with a false ID and refused to leave the room. Police eventually got into the room, where they found stolen mail, fraudulent checks and IDs belonging to at least 10 victims, Lt. Walters said. Ms. Guido was arrested and taken to CPD jail on suspicion of identity theft.
