Police blotter 6.23.12
Housekeeper’s quick thinking leads to arrest
On Saturday, June 16 a routine room check for a housekeeper at the Claremont Lodge turned into what could have been a fatal attack. The housekeeper found Charlie Clark, 47, of Moreno Valley, washing his hands in what was supposed to have been an unoccupied room at the Lodge at around 5 p.m. on Saturday. Mr. Clark looked at the housekeeper, putting his finger to his lips to gesture her to be quiet, according to Det. DeMetz. However, the housekeeper left the room and reported Mr. Clark’s break-in to her manager. Later, Mr. Clark allegedly approached that same housekeeper, took 2 knives found on her cart and came at her moving his hands in a downward motion to attack. The housekeeper was able to move backward and ran to her manager’s office to call the police. Though he attempted to flee, police were able to locate Mr. Clark and positively identify him as the attacker. He was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and for being under the influence of a controlled substance. Mr. Clark had been staying at another room of the Claremont Lodge with Rosemary Johnson, 57, of Perris, who was also arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.
Wednesday, June 13
The occupant of a vehicle near Indian Hill Boulevard and San Jose Avenue was startled when a man with a bloody lip began pounding on his car door and threatening to beat him up. Police located the bloodied man—George Rivera, 19, of Ontario—at the Rancho San Jose Park basketball court and determined he was under the influence of alcohol. He initially gave police a false name and it wasn’t until he was at the jail that they determined his actual identity. Mr. Rivera was arrested for public intoxication and giving false information to an officer.
Saturday, June 16
Police arrested a 34-year-old male is accused of threatening and assaulting a homeless man. Anthony Gomez allegedly told the man that he was going to kill and eat him, according to Claremont Police Detective David DeMetz. The altercation took place Friday night, June 15, at College Park, 100 S. College Ave. In addition to criminal threats, Mr. Gomez is accused of physically assaulting the man, causing minor injuries. Reportedly, Mr. Gomez had gotten into a previous altercation with the same person at Claremont City Hall last September. Mr. Gomez was arrested for criminal threats.
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A set of vehicle break-ins was made simple for a burglar in the 3800 block of Williams Avenue between Friday, June 15 at 11:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 16 at 10 a.m. Each of the 3 cars found broken into had been left unlocked. The burglar, who remains unknown, stole an estimated $350 of property from one vehicle, including an iPod and navigation system. About $3 in change was stolen from another vehicle with nothing reported missing from the third. The cars were parked in separate residential driveways.
Sunday, June 17
A vandal used a BB gun to damage to 3 cars parked in the 800 block of W. Bonita Avenue Saturday night. The vehicles were discovered Sunday morning, each with damage to the rear passenger side, according to Det. DeMetz. One also had a shattered window. There are no witnesses or any substantial evidence at this time.
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Sumner School, at 1770 Sumner Ave., was subject to a break-in sometime last weekend, according to Claremont police. The unknown person or persons had attempted to enter all of the rooms located in the school’s 500 quad by sliding open windows, according to Det. DeMetz. Access was gained to only one classroom, and nothing was reported as missing or damaged.
Tuesday, June 19
An afternoon fraud scheme left a Village West business down more than a thousand dollars. An anonymous woman, claiming to be an employee of California Edison, called Bua Thai Cuisine, 450 W. First St., to inform management that they were behind on their electricity bill payments. The woman, who claimed she was also an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, requested the owner go to the local CVS store, purchase 3 pre-paid money cards and give her the numbers over the phone. The amount totaled approximately $1450. If the owner failed to do so, the woman claimed the restaurant’s electricity would be shut off within 20 minutes. The owner did as instructed.
It wasn’t until later after reviewing the company’s bank account and seeing that the payments were up-to-date that the owner realized the scam. A report was filed with the Claremont police, and an alert was sent to other Claremont businesses.
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Police are searching for a woman involved in a pedestrian vs. vehicle hit-and-run accident that occurred on Tuesday. The woman, driving an older model white Nissan 4-door, struck a 15-year-old pedestrian near the intersection of Bonita and Cambridge Avenues. The teenager landed on the hood of the car and rolled off, but the woman continued to travel east on Bonita without stopping. The police and fire departments responded, treating the teenager for minor injuries. The woman is described as being in her late 90s, according to Det. DeMetz.
—Beth Hartnett
