Police blotter 1-23-15

Tuesday, January 13

Thieves who didn’t want to face the heat got out of the kitchen quick after stealing stoves from two Claremont homes. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, the unknown suspects used a pry tool to force open a side window to a home located on the 2900 block of Rhodelia Avenue. Once inside the residence, the suspects stole a $460 white Frigidaire stove and fled out the front door. A second home on the 1000 block of Butte Street was also burglarized, with thieves breaking the kitchen window to unlock it before entering the premises to remove a new Whirlpool gas range valued at $540. The suspects fled both locations undetected.

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It’s not unusual to see electric vehicles on Claremont city streets, but this must have been quite a sight. At about 10 p.m., James Jimenez entered Stater Bros. market and decided to take an electric shopping cart, intended for disable shoppers, for a spin outside the store. The 24-year-old transient placed his dog in the basket of the cart and traveled westbound on Foothill Boulevard to the Shell gas station before officers made contact with him. Mr. Jimenez returned the shopping cart to the store shortly thereafter. The business declined to prosecute the suspect.

Wednesday, January 14

A whisky-lovin’ woman with a squid “inked” on her bosom was arrested for shoplifting. Barbara Smith entered Stater Bros. grocery store around 11 a.m., walked immediately to the liquor aisle and removed three bottles of Jack Daniels from the shelf. A store employee witnessed the 51-year-old suspect place the items in her purse before leaving the store. The Pomona resident was confronted and detained by the store manager, who recovered the items from the suspect’s purse. Ms. Smith then fled the scene on foot, but was located a few minutes later and returned to the store by Claremont police. Store employees positively identified Ms. Smith as the suspect and a records check by police revealed she had three outstanding warrants. She was arrested and booked at Claremont jail for shoplifting, possession of narcotic paraphernalia and the previous warrants.

Thursday, January 15

Toyota Sequoia owners beware, thieves are targeting your vehicle. Two separate incidents of vehicle tampering occurred last week, with thieves removing the catalytic converters from cars parked in Claremont. A 2003 white Toyota Sequoia was tampered with while parked at Chaparral Elementary School between 8 and 11:30 a.m. The thieves used an unknown tool to remove both emissions-control devices from the victim’s vehicle and fled the scene undetected. Another theft was reported shortly thereafter on the 1500 block of North Mills Avenue when a Claremont resident discovered both catalytic converters on his 2004 Toyota Sequoia had been stolen while parked in the driveway of the residence. The vehicle alarm was not activated and the victim noticed nothing out of the ordinary.

Saturday, January 17

A Newport Beach man came down with a case of “affluenza” after Claremont police spotted him stumbling through the Village. According to Lt. Ciszek, Ian Schenkel was staggering side-to-side outside Walter’s restaurant around 2 a.m when an officer made contact with the 53-year-old as he was walking to his Rolls Royce. The officer determined the Orange County man had too much to drink and transported him to Claremont jail for detoxification. While in custody, Mr. Schenkel refused to exit the patrol car and became uncooperative, repeatedly asking officers, “Don’t you have anything better to do?” He also referred to female officers at the scene as “f**king b*tches.” He later revealed he was the CEO of  “a hundred f**king million dollar corporation” and threatened officers. “I’ll have all your f**king jobs for this!” He was booked for being drunk and disorderly and later released without charges.

Sunday, January 18

A 54-year-old man was transported to a local hospital following a traffic collision. Los Angeles County Fire responded to the call of a man passed out and possibly trapped on Indian Hill Boulevard and Arrow Highway. The victim’s vehicle had collided with a center median, taking out a one-way signpost in the process. Responders determined the man was not intoxicated, but may have had a seizure. He was transported to Pomona Valley Community Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

—Angela Bailey

news@claremont-courier.com