Police blotter: 12-24-15

Tuesday, December 15

An unknown thief tried to break into a house after stealing packages from the front porch. The incident happened at approximately 6:44 p.m. on the 700 block of Alamosa Drive. The thief first parked his car at a neighboring house and approached the home, stealing two packages, according to Lt. Mike Ciszek. While he was walking back to the car, he then turned around and returned to the house, trying to pry open the front window to gain entry. The burglary alarm sounded, and the thief escaped. Estimated property loss from the two packages was $105. There was no description of the thief or the vehicle.

Wednesday, December 16

Police arrested a La Verne man after he stole a Jeep from the parking lot of a Claremont business and led them on a short pursuit. Moises Mercado, 44, stole the Wrangler at a business on the corner of Bonita and Yale avenues. The victim called the police at approximately 5:45 p.m., and Mr. Mercado and the stolen Jeep were located in La Verne two hours later. When police tried to pull him over, Mr. Mercado gunned it but had a change of heart two minutes later, stopping in front of an apartment complex on the corner of Dover and D Street. Mr. Mercado was arrested and charged with evading police, stealing a vehicle and possession of stolen property. He also had a no-bail parole warrant for possession of a controlled substance.

Thursday, December 17

Claremont police arrested a housekeeper after she allegedly forged thousands of dollars worth of checks in her client’s name. Reina Gutierrez, 49, of Riverside, was arrested after an investigation revealed she reportedly stole $12,000 by forging checks in the name of the elderly woman she worked for. The incidents happened between October 1 and November 28. The theft was reported on December 10, according to Lt. Ciszek. Ms. Gutierrez was arrested on December 17 and charged with burglary, forgery and fiduciary elder abuse.

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Several students at El Roble Intermediate School have been questioned by police in the wake of a sexting scandal at the school. The incident was reported to police at approximately 8:19 a.m. after the student resource officer at the school became aware of lewd pictures of a student posted on social media, according to Lt. Ciszek. “We don’t know how big it’s going to get or if it’s going to get any bigger,” Lt. Ciszek said. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is ongoing.

Friday, December 18

A DUI/license checkpoint at the intersection of Dartmouth and Foothill netted 12 arrests and was also the scene of a four-car accident. During the checkpoint, officers cited eight drivers for driving without a license, three for driving with a suspended license and one for possession of a controlled substance, according to Lt. Ciszek. While the checkpoint was taking place, a woman was reportedly not paying attention to the slowing cars in front of her and crashed into the line-up, causing a four-vehicle accident. No injuries were reported, but a child in the backseat of the car was transported to the hospital as a precaution, according to Lt. Jason Walters. The woman was driving without a license, but she was not arrested.

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A man was arrested after he was observed driving 30 miles per hour over the speed limit in the opposing lanes of traffic. At about 8:45 p.m., officers spotted Sean Maiuri, 41, on the 3300 block of Yankton Street and attempted to stop him. Instead of complying, Mr. Maiuri jumped out of the car and fled on foot. He was eventually located and apprehended in the back yard of a house on Crane Street. During a search, officers found meth in Mr. Maiuri’s wallet. He was transported to CPD jail where he was booked.

Saturday, December 19

An unknown thief soured the holidays for one Claremont resident, making off with two lawn Christmas laser lights.  Between 2:30 and 3 a.m. on the 200 block of San Jose, the homeowner, who was still awake, observed the thief grabbing the lights and fleeing the scene in a dark-colored minivan. A white Trek mountain bike was also stolen from the side yard of the property. No description of the vehicle or the thief was available. Anyone with information should contact CPD at (909) 399-5411.

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Claremont police arrested a man after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend while they were walking down the street. The incident happened near the corner of Bonita and Cambridge at approximately 12:48 p.m. According to the report, 34-year-old Taylor Bishop pushed the victim to the ground while the victim was pushing the couple’s 10-month-old baby in a stroller. The victim received abrasions to her hands and left knee as a result of the fall. Mr. Bishop then fled the scene but was later caught by police. Mr. Bishop is charged with assault on a spouse or cohabitant and a parole violation.

—Matthew Bramlett

news@claremont-courier.com