Police Blotter: July 23, 2021
by Mick Rhodes | mickrhodes@claremont-courier.com
Wednesday, July 14
Claremont Police Department officers made a 10:51 p.m. traffic stop on a 1997 Honda Civic they say was speeding near Base Line Road and Indian Hill Blvd. They then questioned the driver, Isaiah Cortez, 22, from Rancho Cucamonga, who allegedly admitted to being in possession of a 9 mm FMK handgun and a high capacity magazine. It turned out the firearm also wasn’t registered to Mr. Cortez, and he was driving on a suspended license. He was arrested on three misdemeanor charges of possession of a loaded firearm, possession of an unregistered firearm, and driving on a suspended license. He was then booked and released with a citation to appear for arraignment in Pomona Superior Court. Mr. Cortez’s car was impounded for 30 days for driving on a suspended license.
Thursday, July 15
A clerk at EZ Cash, 412 Auto Center Dr., called police at 5:58 p.m. after 27-year-old Pomona resident Linda Hatch tried to cash an allegedly fraudulent $750 payroll check. Arriving officers questioned Ms. Hatch and allegedly found her to be in possession of a methamphetamine pipe as well as the suspected fake check. She was arrested on one felony count of possession of a fictitious check, and two misdemeanor charges of forgery and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was then booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.
An apparent former resident of a home under renovation at 1111 N. Indian Hill Blvd. was arrested for felony vandalism and misdemeanor trespassing at 8:42 p.m. after a pool maintenance person noticed some valves had been moved, and called the homeowner. The homeowner then called a caretaker, who arrived and found a 55-year-old Pomona man, Rodney Rodriguez-Funez, inside, and noticed some decorative tiles had been spray painted. The caretaker called police, who arrived and arrested Mr. Rodriguez-Funez on the vandalism and trespassing charges. Police say the man said he was there to retrieve his property, bicycles and some toiletries. He was booked and released with a citation to appear in court.
Saturday, July 17
Claremont police responded to a 1 a.m. domestic violence call from a home in the 600 block of E. Foothill Blvd. Arriving officers investigated and determined a 38-year-old Claremont man allegedly punched and kicked a 34-year-old female victim in the face, chest and left arm. Since the alleged victim showed no visible injuries, the suspect was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge and held in the Claremont jail before appearing at his Pomona Superior Court arraignment July 20.
At 1:37 a.m. CPD fielded another domestic violence call, this one from the Chevron/McDonald’s at 860 S. Indian Hill Blvd., where witnesses say a 24-year-old Upland man punched a 24-year-old Los Angeles woman several times in the back of her head and then threw her to the ground, resulting in a laceration to her left middle finger. The man was arrested for felony domestic violence, booked, and held in the Claremont jail until appearing July 20 for his arraignment in Pomona court.
Sunday, July 18
In yet another call regarding an instance of alleged domestic violence, Claremont cops responded to the Shell Station at 747 S. Indian Hill Blvd. at 1:30 p.m. regarding a report of two unhoused men in a physical altercation. Police say the suspect, 30, hit the alleged victim, 44, over the head with a tennis shoe. The 30-year-old was arrested for misdemeanor domestic violence, booked, and held in the Claremont jail pending his July 20 arraignment in Pomona court.
Police conducted a traffic stop on a 2013 BMW at 9:25 p.m. near the Claremont Lodge, 736 S. Indian Hill Blvd. The driver, Christopher Stachowski, 25, from La Verne, was allegedly in possession of methamphetamine, and since he’d been previously convicted of DUI, he was also cited for driving without an “interlock device,” a machine that measures alcohol levels that convicted drunk drivers are sometimes ordered to have installed in their cars. Mr. Stachowski was arrested on the two misdemeanor counts. His passenger, a 36- year-old unhoused man, had an outstanding warrant out for his arrest, and was detained as well. Both men were booked and released with citations to appear in court.
Monday, July 19
Pasadena resident Isidoro Avila, 37, was cited for misdemeanor DUI at 2:10 a.m. after police pulled him over for speeding near the corner of American Ave. and Indian Hill Blvd. Mr. Avila allegedly failed a field sobriety test before being arrested, booked and spending the morning detoxing in the Claremont jail. He was released in the morning with a citation to appear in Pomona court.
