Police Blotter: January 13, 2023
Monday, December 26
The Claremont Police Department received a 2:40 p.m. call regarding a man walking in lanes of traffic on Base Line Road near Mills Avenue. When officers arrived a short time later they located Anaheim resident Donald Tavares, 43, still walking in the street. A records check showed he had an outstanding no-bail felony warrant out of San Bernardino County for aggravated trespassing with credible threats to the property owner. He was arrested, taken to the Claremont jail, booked, and later transported to West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Saturday, December 31
At 11:43 p.m. police were called about a solo vehicle collision in the 500 block of E. Arrow Highway. When officers arrived they found a tan 1998 Toyota Camry which had crashed into the front yard of a residence. Police questioned the driver, Tony Buckner, 30, of Claremont, and reported smelling a strong odor of alcohol and that he appeared to be under the influence. Buckner said his car suffered a sudden flat tire, which caused him to lose control and crash. A records check showed Buckner had a suspended license for a previous DUI and that his car was required to be equipped with an ignition locking device necessitating he provide a breath sample before the engine will start. The check also brought up a misdemeanor San Bernardino County warrant. Due to heavy rain police could not perform field sobriety tests, so they arrested Buckner for the warrant, driving on a suspended license, and not having the ignition lock. He was transported to CPD jail where police conducted sobriety tests which they say showed he was driving under the influence, and an additional charge of misdemeanor DUI was added. He was booked, held for detoxification, and later released with citation to appear at Pomona Superior Court.
Sunday, January 1
A witness called 911 at 11:25 p.m. after spotting a physical altercation in the 600 block of W. Bonita Avenue. The caller said a man pushed a woman to the ground and was holding her down. When officers arrived the woman complained of pain but refused medical treatment. The man was arrested for felony domestic violence, booked, and then transported to Inmate Detention Center in Los Angeles where he was held for court.
Monday, January 2
Police were called to the 200 block of W. First Street at 8:55 a.m. about a man sleeping on the ground. When officers arrived the man identified himself as “Joshua Sanchez” and said he did not have an ID because he had just arrived from Honduras. He also told officers he had a knife in the sleeve of his sweatshirt. Police found the five-inch long fixed blade knife, and Sanchez was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of possessing an illegal dirk or dagger, and transported to the CPD jail. At the station a fingerprint check showed he was in fact not Joshua Sanchez, but 30-year-old Anner Rodriguez of San Bernardino. A background check of his actual name brought up a no-bail parole violation warrant. Police added an extra misdemeanor charge of providing false identification before he was booked. He was issued a citation for the new charges and held until he could be transported to West Valley Detention Center for the parole hold.
Tuesday, January 3
Police pulled over the driver of a white 2012 Nissan Altima at 1 a.m. in the 500 block W. Foothill Blvd. because the front window tint was too dark. A records check showed the driver, Kevin Lachapelle, 49, of Pomona, had an outstanding San Bernardino County warrant for possession of a controlled substance with a $10,000 bail. His passenger, Kristina Fesar, 36, also a Pomona resident, had a Los Angeles County felony no-bail warrant for conspiracy to commit burglary. Both were arrested and taken to the Claremont jail, where they were booked. Lachapelle was released with a citation to appear in court. Fesar was transported to the Century Regional Detention facility in Los Angeles to be held for court.
Friday, January 6
At 2:22 p.m. police received a call from a woman in the 600 block of west Bonita Avenue who reported she was completely blind and had bumped into an unknown man inside her apartment who identified himself as Steven. The victim said she then pushed the man out her front door and called police. A CPD officer responded within two minutes to find the suspect, later identified as Palm Desert resident Steven Arias, 34, standing in the street in front of the victim’s apartment. The officer radioed fellow officers about Arias’ location and then went to check on the victim. As backup units arrived they found Arias still standing in the middle of the street and detained him. Officers say they recognized him from prior prowling calls, including two on January 4 on Stamford and Baylor drives, during which he had been issued a citation. He was then arrested for felony burglary and taken to the Claremont jail. A background check showed Arias was on active probation for arson. Police then called the L.A. County Parole Department, which authorized a parole violation hold. He was transported to the Inmate Detention Center in Los Angeles and held for court.
Saturday, January 7
Claremont Police drove to the Brea Police station at 7 p.m. to pick up Chino resident Dean Bentson, 27, who was in custody on a two-year-old Claremont warrant for evading police and reckless driving. Back in August of 2020 officers allegedly spotted Bentson driving a grey 2003 Ford F150 heading the wrong way in the northbound lanes of Indian Hill Boulevard at American Avenue. Police conducted a traffic stop and Bentson complied briefly then made a U-turn, driving north in the southbound lanes, which meant he had to drive around other cars. He then entered the 10 Freeway west and attempted to flee, reaching speeds up to 80 mph. A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s helicopter was already in the area and assisted in the pursuit. Bentson proceeded to lead police on a wild chase down the 57 Freeway that included exiting and reentering the freeway twice, and cutting off a semi-truck, forcing the truck’s driver to come to a complete stop. The chase continued on the 22, 55 and 91 freeways before heading back to the 57, at which point the California Highway Patrol took over. The CHP later contacted Claremont police to report the pursuit had ended and that Bentson was in custody in Chino Hills. Back at the Claremont jail officers learned Bentson had an outstanding warrant from San Bernardino County and a suspended license. He reportedly told officers he fled because he knew he had a warrant. He was booked and held for court. At some point in 2020 the court released him on probation, but he violated the terms and a warrant was issued. On Saturday he was brought back to the Claremont jail, booked, and held for court. During a court appearance on Monday a judge put Bentson back on probation.
Officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle at Foothill Boulevard at Towne Avenue for an unknown vehicle code violation. While questioning the driver and passengers, police learned that Denver, Colorado resident Lisa Villa Lobos, 55, who was sitting in a rear passenger seat, had a felony no-bail warrant in her home state for “dangerous drugs.” She was arrested for the warrant and taken to the CPD jail, where she was booked and later transferred to Century Regional Detention facility in Los Angeles to await extradition to Colorado.
