Police blotter 9.1.12

North Claremont home targeted with hate crime

Claremont police seek information on what they deem a hate crime incident against a north Claremont homeowner. On August 28 at 8:43 a.m. Claremont police responded to the 2200 block of Navarro Drive, where an unknown suspect used black spray paint to write a homosexual slur across the garage door of the residence. The incident occurred sometime between Monday, August 27 at 8 p.m. and Tuesday, August 28 at 7:30 a.m.

News outlets report that the resident had received up to 17 phone calls from a blocked phone number prior to observing the graffiti. Police say the homeowner rents a room to a person who is homosexual. Officers are actively investigating this crime. Anyone with any information is urged to call the Claremont Police Department at 399-5411.

Wednesday, August 22

Dogs barking in the middle of the night alerted a resident in the 400 block of Notre Dame that something was amiss. The resident awoke to find a person attempting to steal the catalytic converter from his truck. The resident yelled, scaring off the thief, who got into the driver’s seat of a dark colored sedan and sped off. He was last seen going west on Vista Drive.

Later that day, sometime between 9:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. a home in the 1100 block of Alamosa Drive was also targeted by thieves, who used a pry tool to enter a rear sliding glass door. Bedrooms in the home were found ransacked, but a list of stolen goods has not yet been made.

Friday, August 24

Claremont police found a 65-year-old man lying on the ground in the 700 block of West Bonita Avenue in only his underwear Friday around 2:30 a.m. The man claimed, “I have been running around in my underwear for 2 hours looking for the person that took my broom,” according to Lieutenant Shelly Vander Veen. Robert Boyens was arrested for public intoxication and later released with a citation.

Saturday, August 25

The Mt. Baldy car burglaries continue. A Toyota Prius was broken into via a smashed front passenger window between noon and 1:30 p.m. It was parked on the turnout of Mt. Baldy Road and Evey Canyon. A purse with a wallet and credit cards left on the floor were stolen. There are no suspects at this time.

Vacant Claremont homes have also been targeted once again. Sometime between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., burglars entered a vacant residence in the 1900 block of North Mountain Avenue through a rear window and stole power tools worth an estimated $500.

Sunday, August 26

A resident of Sequoia Court, west of Navarro Drive, received a shock when pulling out of the driveway Sunday morning. A pedestrian had bent down to pick up the paper, and was struck by the vehicle as it pulled out. The man was pushed backward, hitting his head on the concrete. He was taken to a nearby hospital for lacerations to his head.

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The driver of a stolen vehicle discovered Sunday evening had a secondary reason to run. Police pursued the driver and a passenger of a stolen Nissan Sentra around 5 p.m. after they attempted to flee on foot near Foothill Boulevard and Garey Avenue. Though the passenger wasn’t located, the driver was found hiding in an apartment complex nearby. Francisco Vergara, 42, of Pomona was not only arrested for the stolen vehicle and foot pursuit, but also for possession of a glass meth pipe found in his pocket.

Tuesday, August 28

A resident in the 700 block of Santa Barbara reported a bicycle stolen out of the garage of the residence between August 21 and 26. Two days later the bike showed up again, ridden in the front of the residence by a 16-year-old, next door neighbor. The boy gave the bike back but when the bike’s owner called the police, he fled. Police found the teenager and arrested him for possession of stolen property. He was later released to his parents. The boy claims he had bought the bike from an unknown salesman for $15.

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A purse-stealing crook didn’t get far from the scene of a crime in the Village late Tuesday afternoon. Christopher Renteria, 37, of West Covina, grabbed the purse from a customer dining at 42nd Street Bagel, 225 Yale Ave., and got into the passenger seat of a maroon Mitsubishi Galant. A witness was able to provide police with a description and license plate number. Not far down the road, a Claremont police officer was monitoring a traffic stop at Cambridge and Harrison when the Galant sped through the stop at 35 miles per hour, according to Lt. Vander Veen. The officer pulled over the vehicle right at the moment dispatch informed officers of the theft and attempted getaway. Mr. Renteria was arrested for theft with prior convictions and the driver, Laura Wohlhueter, 48, also of West Covina, was arrested for conspiracy to commit a theft. The purse was recovered and returned to its owner.

Wednesday, August 29

Police officers and firefighters paid an emergency house call to a residence in the 1000 block of Lamonette Street around 1:45 a.m. A man at the home had notified the emergency responders that a woman at the house was having chest pains. It was the caller, however, who ended up receiving the attention of the officers. Neil Ghosh, 29, was found to be under the influence of a controlled substance and was arrested. He told police he had taken an unknown white powder, according to Lt. Vander Veen. Because of his vitals, Mr. Ghosh was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was later issued a citation.

—Beth Hartnett

news@claremont-courier.com