Police blotter 2-27-15

Monday, February 16

A drunk driver crashed into a parked car but didn’t know how he did it. Officers responded to a traffic collision around 1 a.m. at Carlton Drive and San Jose Avenue where they found a Honda Civic with moderate damage that had rear-ended a parked vehicle. Police made contact with 51-year-old Jose Lopez, who identified himself as the driver. The Upland resident smelled of alcohol and told officers he’d been at his friend’s house where he had beers and several Jack Daniel whiskey drinks. Although polite and cooperative, Mr. Lopez was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and booked at Claremont jail.

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A man on a marijuana mission ended up in the wrong neighborhood and in the custody of Claremont police. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, officers responded to the 700 block of W. Eleventh Street around 6 p.m. after receiving a call of a man yelling for “Mario” in the driveway a residence. Police made contact with the suspect, 21-year-old Christopher Arreola, who told officers he didn’t live at the Claremont home but he was looking for someone from which to buy weed. He thought he was on Eleventh off Indian Hill Boulevard, but was really near Mountain Avenue.  After admitting to police that he’d been drinking tequila since 11 a.m., officers arrested the Pomona man for being drunk and disorderly.

Tuesday, February 17

Allen Perez was arrested again this week for being drunk and disorderly. The Pomona resident was discovered at a home on the 200 block of W. Sixth Street around 7:15 p.m. According to Lt. Ciszek, the 41-year-old was found lying on the front porch, mumbling to himself, “Son of a b**ch, son of a b**tch.” When asked by officers what he’d drank, he replied, “Vodka, too much!” Having urinated on himself and unable to stand up on his own, Mr. Perez was arrested and booked at city jail. He was later released with a citation to appear in court. This is the 25th time Mr. Perez has been arrested by Claremont police in two years.

Wednesday, February 18

Three unknown assailants stole a man’s iPhone, sending the victim to the hospital. A driver with two passengers pulled up beside the victim while he was walking north on Dartmouth Avenue near Platt. The motorist asked to borrow the victim’s white iPhone 5S, which he gave to him. As the suspect began to drive away, the victim held onto the suspect and was dragged alongside the car as it drove up the street. The victim eventually fell to the ground, suffering numerous abrasions. He was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital for medical attention. The first suspect is described as a black male, 30 years old, 5-feet, 10-inches tall, weighing 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. The second suspect is a black male, and a third suspect is unknown. The phone is valued at $500.

Thursday, February 19

A traffic collision on the 4000 block of Mt. Baldy Road resulted in serious injuries. The unnamed driver of a black Nissan Altima was drunk and traveling at a high rate of speed around 9 p.m. when he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to leave the roadway, overturn and collide with a tree. The suspect and his passenger sustained severe head injuries and were flown to USC Medical Center for medical attention. The driver admitted to drinking alcohol at the time of the crash and a witness put him in the driver’s seat at the time of the accident. Officers collected a blood sample from the suspect after receiving a search warrant signed by a judge. He remains hospitalized due to his injuries and has not yet been placed under arrest.

Friday, February 20

Someone is going to be in a whole heap of trouble after thieves made off with a carload of military gear belonging to the United States Marine Corps. Around 5 a.m., the victim parked his Lexus in a parking lot located on the 500 block of Foothill Boulevard when two unknown thieves drove up beside it, opened the unlocked driver’s side door and unloaded gear belonging to the USMC. The gear included three large military training backpacks, sleeping backpacks, a Gortex jacket and poncho, Kevlar vest, magazine pouches with empty magazines, canteens, gas masks and other miscellaneous items. In addition, they also stole personal items belonging to the victim including a Kindle, clothes and books. The total value of the items taken has not been determined.

Saturday, February 21

A La Verne resident was arrested for battery after getting too close for comfort to his Uber driver. The victim told police she picked up 27-year-old Itan Chavira and 22-year-old Danny Joyner in the area of Foothill Boulevard and Regis around 1:30 a.m. Once inside the vehicle, Mr. Chavira leaned toward her and placed his chest against her arms while making kissing motions with his lips. The victim leaned away from the man and ordered them both out of her vehicle. The men were located by police and arrested for being drunk in public and held for detox. Mr. Chavira was also arrested for battery and issued a citation. Mr. Joyner was later released without charges.

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A duo hoping to make it a trio by using a popular online “hook-up” website was surprised when their “date” suddenly split with all their belongings. According to Lt. Ciszek, officers were called to the 700 block of S. Indian Hill around 1:45 p.m. after a couple looking for a good time was left to fend for themselves. The victims, a 30-year-old female and 22-year-old male, had met a man on Grindr in search of a sexual encounter. The threesome drove together to a local hotel but when the pair went inside to inquire about room rates, the suspect drove off with the victims’ property valued at $680.

—Angela Bailey

news@claremont-courier.com