Friday morning, June 22 proved unlucky for teenage burglars attempting to get away with stolen goods in Claremont. Neighbors came to the rescue in separate incidents to aid Claremont Police in catching crooks. A resident in the 300 block of Geneva Avenue contacted police after witnessing a man attempt to break into a neighbor’s Volkswagen Beetle around 6:45 a.m. Police located the man, identified as James Bunch, 18, hiding in a carport in the 600 block of Indian Hill Boulevard. Mr. Bunch was also found to be involved with a series of car thefts in the 300 and 400 blocks of Geneva Boulevard within the same time frame. Police found a bag of stolen property from these thefts discarded on a nearby street. Items included a rosary, makeup box, jewelry, cash, sunglasses and a GPS navigation device.

Later that morning, around 9:30 a.m., a resident in the 400 block of Charleston Drive ran after a man seen exiting a neighbor’s house with stolen property. The neighbor was unable to catch the man, last seen turning right onto Mills Avenue. The neighbor also associated a green sedan with a rear spoiler in possible connection the burglar. Though unable to trace the car, police found the runner—Christopher Vasquez, 19, of Ontario—who admitted to the burglary. Stolen items were found in a pillowcase discarded in a nearby bush, including a Wii gaming console with accompanying video games, a laptop computer and 5 jewelry boxes.

See our Saturday edition for a complete police blotter report.