Police Blotter – July 2nd Edition

Wednesday, June 23
A 35-year-old unhoused man was arrested for shoplifting a bottle of shampoo from Rocky’s Liquor, 1045 W. Foothill Blvd., at 11:13 a.m. A clerk on duty at the time who allegedly witnessed the man take the shampoo called police, and told them he desired prosecution. A records check indicated the man was on post-release community supervision for a previous drug conviction. He was booked for misdemeanor shoplifting and released with a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court.

Claremont police were summoned to Authenix, 143 Harvard Ave., at 4 p.m. by a clerk reporting a suspicious person in the shoe store. Arriving officers questioned Los Angeles resident Edwardo Galicia, 45, and a records check revealed he was on probation, and had an outstanding felony warrant out of L.A. for a previous car theft conviction. A search then allegedly turned up a small baggie of what Mr. Galicia said was cocaine, and a glass pipe. He was arrested for the two misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia, as well as on the warrant. Mr. Galicia was then booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.

Another unhoused man, this one 45 years old, was arrested at Dollar Tree, 342 S. Indian Hill Blvd., after a clerk called police at 4:30 p.m. to report the man had stolen some items at the discount store. Arriving police questioned him and searched his backpack, where they say they found the stolen goods. The items were returned to the Dollar Tree and the clerk did not desire prosecution. But, police say a methamphetamine pipe was also in the backpack, so they arrested him on a misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia charge. He was then booked and released with a citation to appear in court.

Police say they witnessed a 21-year-old Lake Balboa woman, Chavonne Jernigan, jaywalk near Auto Center Dr. and Indian Hill Blvd. at 11 p.m. They then approached her to let her know she could be ticketed for the infraction, asked her to identify herself, but she allegedly refused. They then informed her she could be arrested for the misdemeanor offense of failing to identify herself. She still refused, and they then arrested her for the infraction of walking against a don’t walk signal, and the misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and failing to identify herself. She was booked and released with a citation to appear for arraignment in Pomona Superior Court.

Police stopped Samuel Molina, 44, from Fontana for piloting his moped without a helmet at 8:30 p.m. near the corner of Indian Hill Blvd. and San Jose Ave. Mr. Molina consented to a search, and was allegedly found to be in possession of methamphetamine and a meth pipe. He was then arrested for the two misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia. He was booked and released with a citation.

Thursday, June 24
A security company monitoring cameras at Claremont Toyota, 601 Auto Center Dr., made a call to the Claremont Police Department at 12:02 a.m. to report a man wearing black clothing and carrying a black backpack attempting to steal multiple cars from the lot. Arriving officers found Los Angeles resident Derek Quinonez, 24 and as they questioned him, a security company representative informed police the man had attempted to break into 10 cars, and had previously attempted to steal cars from the lot. No cars were damaged, as Mr. Quinonez was apparently entering the vehicles through unlocked doors, police said. A records check revealed he was on probation for a felony conviction for evading police in a car, and he was arrested for the new charge of misdemeanor attempted car theft. Mr. Quinonez was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.

Friday, June 25
Victor Prada, 39, from Upland, was arrested for DUI at 1:24 a.m. near the intersection of Indian Hill Blvd. and the 10 Freeway after police stopped him in his grey Toyota Tundra pickup truck for an illegal U-turn. Officers say they then observed “several objective symptoms of alcohol intoxication,” and performed a field sobriety test. Mr. Prada also submitted a blood sample, which police sent off to a lab for analysis. He spent the rest of the morning sobering up in Claremont jail before being released in the morning with a citation to appear on the misdemeanor DUI charge.

An employee at the Greyhound Bus Station called police at 3:55 p.m. to report “six transients loitering and smoking meth.” Arriving officers questioned four people, but found no drugs, or evidence of drug use. A records check did turn up a no-bail Los Angeles County probation violation warrant for one of them, a 39-year-old unhoused man. He was arrested, booked and then likely transferred—police were unsure—to the Inmate Reception Center in downtown Los Angeles to face a judge on the no-bail warrant.

Saturday, June 26
Police on patrol at 10:30 p.m. say they noticed a silver Lexus G4 with no front license plate near the intersection of Foothill Blvd. and Towne Ave., and made a traffic stop. A record check of the driver, Gabriela Preciado, a 32-year-old Ontario resident, turned up a felony no-bail warrant from Pomona. Ms. Preciado was then arrested and released into the custody of the Pomona Police Department, which held her until her subsequent court appearance.

Sunday, June 27
Police say they noticed a grey Acura RSX with out of code dark tinted windows and no front license plate near Indian Hill Blvd. and the San Bernardino Freeway about 2:45 a.m. After they pulled over the driver, Patrick Hall, 30, from Pomona, they say they observed signs of alcohol intoxication. They then conducted a field sobriety test, arrested him for DUI, and retrieved a blood sample, which was sent off to a lab for analysis. Mr. Hall spent the rest of his morning in the Claremont Jail before being released with a citation to appear on the misdemeanor drunk driving charge.

Monday, June 28
The manager at Motel 6, 840 S. Indian Hill Blvd., called police at 9:50 p.m. after receiving multiple anonymous reports from motel guests about a man walking the hallways brandishing a handgun. Arriving officers say they saw the suspect, 34-year-old Rialto resident Marlon Pumphury, walking with the butt of the gun sticking out of his jacket. When he saw the cops, he allegedly took off running, tossing the firearm into a trash can along the way. A short foot pursuit later, police subdued Mr. Pumphury and placed him under arrest. Nobody was injured in the incident. They then allegedly found the gun in the trash can. A record check revealed he was on parole for a prior felony conviction, and Mr. Pumphury was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest, and three felonies: possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a loaded handgun with a prior felony conviction, and carrying a concealed firearm. He was booked and held in the Claremont jail before being arraigned in Pomona Superior Court on June 30.

Tuesday, June 29
Cristian Acosta, who police say admitted to being high on cocaine, got arrested at 4:20 p.m. as he was hiding at the McDonald’s location at 860 S. Indian Hill Blvd., after he himself had called the cops regarding what he allegedly described as a possible gas explosion at the nearby Motel 6. “He said he was doing cocaine, had been doing cocaine for a lot of years, and he’d just snorted some,” police said. The 34-year-old Pomona man was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, and then spent the evening in the Claremont jail detoxing before being released with a citation to appear in court.