Police blotter 2-26-16

Wednesday, February 17

An Upland man was arrested for DUI after rear-ending another driver. The accident happened at approximately 6 p.m. on Towne Avenue and Briarcroft Road, where police say 53-year-old Joseph Engkraf crashed into the car when both drivers were traveling north. When police arrived, they noticed Mr. Engkrof exhibited signs of intoxication and he admitted to drinking, according to Lt. Mike Ciszek. He was arrested and transported to CPD jail.

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An unknown burglar ransacked a home on the 2500 block of North Mountain Avenue, allegedly making off with thousands of dollars of jewelry. The break-in happened between 6:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., when police say the burglar broke the rear glass door with an unidentified object and entered the property, looted the house and escaped undetected. The homeowner estimated around $50,000 in jewelry was stolen. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411.

Friday, February 19

Police are seeking an unknown man who is alleged to have made criminal threats after he rode up on a bicycle and threatened to kill another man. The incident happened on the 400 block of Elder Drive at approximately 1:10 p.m. According to the victim, the man, who has been seen in an adjacent park drinking and looking in trash cans, rode up to him and said he was going to come back and “put a bullet in his head.” The man then rode away before officers could arrive. He is described as white, 40 years old, 5 feet, 11 inches tall, weighing 150 pounds with brown hair. At the time of the incident, he was wearing a blue hat, green shirt and sunglasses. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Claremont Police Department.

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A Claremont man was arrested for DUI after crashing into a pole at the intersection of Monte Vista Avenue and Claremont Boulevard. The accident happened just after midnight, when officers found 32-year-old Neil Ghosh standing beside his wrecked gray Lexus. Mr. Ghosh was uninjured, but officers smelled alcohol on him and performed a field sobriety check, where it was revealed he was driving with a blood alcohol content over .08. Mr. Ghosh was also found to be on active probation for a previous DUI. He was arrested and transported to CPD jail.

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Officers arrested a Pomona man for possession of a controlled substance after he was seen acting erratically at Motel 6. Witnesses told police that 37-year-old Ray Gonzalez was allegedly in the motel parking lot attempting to break into one of the rooms. When police arrived, they located Mr. Gonzalez standing on the eastbound 10 freeway on-ramp. Mr. Gonzalez told police that he smoked meth earlier in the day and he was “still high.” He was arrested and transported to CPD jail where he was booked, held for detox and released with a citation.

Saturday, February 20

As the saying goes, no good deed goes unpunished. Police are looking for two men and two women after they allegedly robbed a man who initially came to help move a freezer. The incident happened on the 400 block of South College Avenue at about noon, when two women approached a gardening crew and asked the crew leader if they could borrow money to buy a freezer, according to Lt. Ciszek. The gardener gave them $40 and sent one of his workers with the women to help them move the freezer. When the trio reached Oak Park Drive, two men then approached the victim, one brandishing a knife, and demanded the victim’s wallet. The four then got away. One woman was described as Hispanic, around 20 years old, weighing 120 pounds with brown hair. The second suspect was described as a 40-year-old Hispanic woman with brown hair. The other suspects were both described as Hispanic males, about 25 years old, standing 5 feet, 10 inches tall. Anyone with information should call the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411.

Monday, February 22

A Pomona woman was arrested for fiduciary elder abuse after bilking an elderly man out of over $37,000 in gift cards over the course of four months. The scheme came to light at Vons on the corner of Base Line Road and Mills Avenue just after 2 p.m., where police detained 25-year-old Ava Thomson after she tried to cash gift cards the man had just purchased. An attentive clerk at Vons became suspicious and called the police. According to police, Ms. Thomson had convinced the elderly man that the gift cards were loans and that she would eventually pay him back. Officers determined Ms. Thomson was taking advantage of the man, and she was arrested at the scene and transported to CPD jail, where she was booked and released on bond.

—Matthew Bramlett

news@claremont-courier.com