Claremont police arrested a suspect after he struck a female in an attempt to steal her cell phone Saturday morning around 8 a.m.

A woman was walking on Berkeley Avenue just north of Eighth Street when a white male in his 30s or 40s demanded her cell phone. She refused to give it to him and, according to police, he struck her, knocking her to the ground.

A police search ensued. Residents in the area found an unidentified male in their yard and when they spoke to him, he fled on foot. The residents called police and an officer found him hiding in the area. He was arrested and taken
into custody without incident, according to a police alert sent out at about noon on Saturday.

The suspect was further described as tall and thin with dark hair and wearing a blue shirt. Claremont police did not release his name.

A second robbery occurred Thursday night at around 8:30 p.m. near the Claremont Museum of Art at 200 W. First St. Police said that robbery was not reported until Friday at around noon. The suspect in that case stole the victim’s cell phone and ran westbound on the train tracks. He was described as a male white in his 30s, wearing blue jeans and a tan shirt, and was described as possibly being a transient. At this time, police don’t know if these two crimes are related.

Claremont police note that this is another example of “See Something, Say Something,” where residents reporting suspicious behavior resulted in the arrest of a robbery suspect.