Police Blotter: July 15, 2022

Tuesday, July 5

At 1:18 p.m. the Claremont Police Department received a report of a stolen vehicle at 85°C Bakery Cafe in the 400 block Auto Center Drive. The victim parked the car in front of the business, went inside and returned to find it missing. The vehicle is described as a 2012 grey Hyundai Sonata. Police took a report but have no suspect information.

Police received a call at 2:38 p.m. that someone had gained access to a victim’s electronic benefits transfer card, commonly referred to as food stamps, and withdrew $900 from the account. It’s unclear how the perpetrator accessed the card and there is no suspect information.

Wednesday, July 6

Police received a call at 9:22 a.m. regarding a traffic hazard at the 76 Station in the 1000 block of W. Foothill Boulevard. When officers arrived, the “hazard” turned out to be a 39-year-old unhoused Pomona man who was standing in the entrance to the parking lot of the business and blocking it with his possessions. When officers contacted him, and without being asked, he pulled out glass pipe and gave to them. A search turned up a small amount of methamphetamine. He was arrested for possession of the pipe and the drugs and was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court within 90 days.

An officer driving through the parking lot of Cahuilla Park, 1700 block N. Indian Hill Boulevard, at 12:06 p.m. noticed two separate light poles with blue and green graffiti painted on them. Unfortunately, no suspect could be found, so the officer notified the city’s graffiti abatement crew to come and clean it up.

At 1:04 p.m. police received a call from a victim in the 100 block of Princeton Avenue relating that someone had gained accessed the victim’s savings account and had withdrawn about $50,000 over the course of several months. The alleged crime is under investigation and there was no further information.

Thursday, July 7

Claremont police received a notification at 1:21 p.m. that a vehicle reported stolen in Claremont had been recovered in Montclair, and that officers there had a suspect in custody. Police do not have the suspect’s identification, but the good news is the recovered vehicle is the 2012 grey Hyundai Sonata taken from the 400 block Auto Center Drive two days earlier.

Police were called to the corner of Base Line Road and Wiley Court at 8:42 p.m. to check on a pedestrian in the area. They contacted Rialto resident Cedric Johnson, 42, and a records check reveled he had eight outstanding San Bernardino County warrants. A search of his person produced methamphetamine and a glass pipe. He was arrested on possession and the warrants, taken to the police station, and booked and released with a citation to appear in court.

A woman called Claremont police at 9:49 p.m. to report that her husband was missing. Neither the woman nor her husband are from Claremont, but she was calling police departments in the area with his description along with that of his vehicle because he had threatened to harm himself.

Friday, July 8

Police received a call at 12:01 a.m. regarding somebody going through the recycling cans in the 300 block of W. Green Street. Officers contacted Derek French, 39, and a records check produced three active warrants, including a felony. He was arrested and taken to the Pomona police station where he was held until he appeared in court on Monday.

A would-be apartment seeker was scammed out of money instead when the prospective new landlord disappeared. At 9:08 a.m., police received a call from the victim, a resident of the 700 block of W. 10th Street, to report the alleged theft. The victim was attempting to rent an apartment in San Francisco and was instructed by the fraudster to transfer deposit money from his bank account. After the transaction was complete, the supposed landlord stopped all communication. The victim did some investigating and learned that the person to whom he sent money did not own the property.

At 10:19 a.m. a woman called the police to report a man had exposed himself to her. The victim was walking in the 700 block of Harrison Avenue and saw a grey Ford Focus parked at the curb and a male inside, allegedly with his pants down, masturbating. She continued walking, but while she was calling the police, the man drove away east on Harrison toward Indian Hill Boulevard. The suspect is described as a white male in a black T-shirt and grey pants.

Police received two calls from hikers in the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park regarding a bear on the trail. At 1:50 p.m., the first caller reported the bear near the portable toilets on Cobal Canyon Mountainway. Nineteen minutes later a second group of hikers, who had a dog with them, called to say the bear seemed to be following them, albeit at about a half mile. When police arrived a short time later the bear had fled the scene.

Saturday, July 9

Officers on patrol pulled over Danny Quintero, 28, of Hesperia at 1:35 a.m. near the intersection of Foothill Boulevard and Towne Avenue because his vehicle had expired tags. During questioning it was determined that Quintero had three warrants from San Bernardino County and one from Los Angeles County. He was held at Claremont jail until appearing in court on Monday in Pomona.

Sunday, July 10

At 12:09 a.m., police received a call of robbery in progress at Hanoi Kitchen in the 400 block of Auto Center Drive. Witnesses say a Black male suspect about 25 years old and wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, black T-shirt, black mask, and black pants, entered the business and proceeded to walk behind the counter. There he brandished a handgun and asked employees to open the cash register. One of the employees shoved the suspect, who then fled. He was last seen running toward Indian Hill Boulevard. The alleged crime is still under investigation.

Sunday at 8:59 p.m. police received a call of an intoxicated driver who crashed into a fence on N. Mills Avenue. When officers arrived at the scene in the 3600 block of Hollins Avenue, they determined the driver, Claremont resident Ned Paniagua, 49, was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him. While in the patrol car, Paniagua slipped out of his handcuffs and allegedly damaged the vehicle’s rear window. He continued to be uncooperative after arriving at the jail, and allegedly damaged a jailhouse phone. He was charged with DUI and felony vandalism because the value of the damaged property exceeded $400. He was later released with a citation and a court date.

Monday, July 11

At 3:24 p.m. police received a call of a hit-and-run at the intersection of Indian Hill Boulevard and Santa Fe Street. Witnesses say a food truck heading south reportedly ran through the railroad crossing, damaging the gate arms, then left the scene traveling south on Indian Hill and heading west on Interstate 10. A witness was able to provide a license plate number to police. The damaged guard rails belong to Metrolink, and the rail system elected to have its insurance carrier handle the situation.