Police Blotter: January 28,2022

Wednesday, January 19
Claremont Police Department’s license plate reading cameras helped collar another alleged would-be car thief. It began in the early morning hours when one spotted a black 2022 Toyota Camry that had been reported stolen out of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Pacific Division. Claremont PD located the Camry at 5:25 a.m. at Christy’s Donuts, 773 Indian Hill Blvd., Pomona, and arrested the driver, 36-year-old Los Angeles resident Marcus Morris, on two felony counts of car theft and possession of a stolen vehicle. He was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court.

Police received a disturbing 9:03 a.m. call from a witness in the 300 block of Notre Dame Rd. reporting a man masturbating. Arriving officers questioned Matthew Hernandez, 37, from Pomona, and a records check revealed he was on parole for a previous robbery conviction, and had a no-bail felony arrest warrant out for violating the terms of his parole. A search allegedly turned up a methamphetamine in his left sock, and Hernandez was arrested for misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, and the felony parole violation. He was then booked in Claremont then transported to West Valley Detention Center in San Bernardino to face a judge on the warrant.

Thursday, January 20
Police received a 12:32 p.m. call reporting a cell phone theft on a Claremont College campus in the 800 block of N. Columbia Ave. Arriving officers interviewed the victim, who was able to help police track the phone to First St. and Harvard Ave. Police later followed the signal to Indian Hill Blvd. and the 10 freeway, where they found Upland resident José Navarro, 27. They then snapped a photo of Navarro, whom the victim identified as the man who had stolen the phone. He was arrested for misdemeanor petty theft, booked, and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.

At 10:47 p.m. Claremont PD stopped a Toyota Corolla for a code violation near the corner of Indian Hill Blvd. and San Bernardino Ave. in Pomona. A records check of the driver, Matthew Gray, 40, from Hemet, revealed a felony arrest warrant out of Riverside County. A search allegedly turned up methamphetamine in Gray’s right front pocket, and he was arrested on a misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance charge, and for the warrant. Gray was booked and transported to the Riverside County Jail, where he was held on the felony warrant.

Friday, January 21
A Baldwin Park man was arrested for misdemeanor drunk in public after employees at Walter’s, 308 Yale Ave., called police to report he was causing a disturbance. Police arrived at 10:05 p.m. and say Leo Godinez, 30, was on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant arguing with staff. They say they attempted to question Godinez, who was by then walking in the street, swaying, and being belligerent with officers. He allegedly told them he had been drinking in the bar at Walter’s. A field sobriety test reportedly revealed he was unable to walk a straight line, and Godinez was arrested for public intoxication, booked, and spent a few hours detoxing in the Claremont jail before being released in the wee hours with a ticket and a court date.

Saturday, January 22
The ex-wife of a 36-year-old male Claremont resident is alleged to have attacked his home and car with a baseball bat, resulting in her arrest for felony vandalism. It began at 4:25 p.m., when police received a call about a woman hitting a grey Land Rover with a bat in the 300 block of Teasdale Dr. Police arrived and say they observed Glendora resident Karen Bercian, 34, hitting the front passenger side window of the SUV with the weapon. Bercian is also alleged to have used the bat to shatter a front bedroom window of her ex’s home, and destroy a yard sign. She was arrested without incident, booked, and transported to Los Angeles County Jail in Downtown L.A. to await a court date.