Police Blotter – June 11th Edition
Wednesday, June 2
A homeowner in the 600 block of Clarion Place called the Claremont Police Department at 11:31 a.m. to report a line trimmer had just been taken from the back of his truck by a pair of men who drove off in a black Dodge Ram pickup. Police located the truck parked on College Ave. and 12th Street, and began questioning the driver, Jesus Miron, 24, from West Covina, and his passenger, 24-year-old Ontario resident Didier Valencia. During questioning they noticed what they believed to be the stolen trimmer in the bed of the Dodge, along with an assortment of other tools. Both men were charged with possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor, and arrested. Mr. Valencia also had three outstanding misdemeanor warrants out of Los Angeles County, so he was booked on those as well. Both men were released with a citation to appear for arraignment in Pomona Superior Court.
A 36-year-old Hacienda Heights woman was arrested for felony domestic violence after an argument allegedly turned violent at the home of her boyfriend in the 200 block of Olive Street at about 5:30 p.m. Police say the woman hit and scratched the victim, a 34-year-old Claremont man, on his chest. She was booked and spent the night in Claremont jail. But the following day the district attorney’s office reviewed the case and declined to press charges, and she was released.
Thursday, June 3
Claremont police were summoned to the Wheeler Steffen Sotheby’s International Realty office, at 500 W. Foothill Blvd., at 8:37 a.m. after someone called to report a suspicious person. Arriving officers found Rachel Allen, 25, from Inglewood, and determined she was under the influence of a controlled substance they suspected to be a stimulant. She was arrested, booked, and held for detox before being released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.
After police pulled over the driver of a 2009 Toyota Camry for a traffic violation near Foothill Blvd. and Towne Ave. at 10:21 a.m., they discovered the driver, a 28-year-old unhoused woman, was piloting a stolen car. She was then arrested for felony car theft, booked, and released with a citation to appear in court for arraignment.
Police were summoned to the sidewalk in front of Kazama Sushi, 101 N. Indian Hill Blvd., at 7 p.m. after three reports of a man “making inappropriate comments and attempting to grab women,” they said. On the scene they found 29-year-old Pomona resident Samuel Gonzalez, and quickly determined he was under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested for misdemeanor public intoxication, booked, and spent the evening sobering up in the Claremont jail before being released in the wee hours of the morning with a citation.
Friday, June 4
Claremont PD responded to an 8:53 a.m. call regarding a suspicious person inside one of the carports at a condominium complex in the 600 block of south Indian Hill Blvd. There they encountered an unhoused 31-year-old man, who police say was under the influence of an opiate. He was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance, and spent the day detoxing in the Claremont jail before being released with a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court.
Saturday, June 5
Officers on patrol at 12:30 a.m. questioned a pedestrian who was in the roadway at 915 W. Foothill Blvd., and say he was in possession of a powdery substance they suspected was methamphetamine. They arrested Alex Serna, 33, from Azusa, on a misdemeanor drug possession charge. He was booked and released with a citation to appear in court.
Monday, June 7
A 21-year-old Ontario man, Vincent Lucas, was arrested at 1:51 a.m. on the unusual charge of “theft of found property,” after telling police the other persons’ credit cards and ID cards he allegedly had in possession were found in a nearby parking lot. Cops on early morning patrol questioned Mr. Lucas at the encampment of unhoused persons located in the wash basin on the north side of the 10 Freeway near Indian Hill Blvd. They say Mr. Lucas first provided a false name, Ochoa. A search allegedly turned up the credit cards and IDs. Mr. Lucas also had a container of methamphetamine in his sock, they say. He was arrested on three misdemeanor charges: giving a false name to a police officer, misappropriation of found property, and possession of a controlled substance. He was booked and released with a citation to appear for arraignment in Pomona Superior Court.
The 31-year-old unhoused man, who was also arrested June 4 for being under the influence of a controlled substance, was arrested again at 10:31 a.m., this time for theft. Police responded to a call regarding a man in the parking lot of Western Dental, at 740 S. Indian Hill Blvd., who witnesses say stole some tools from the bed of a truck parked nearby. The victim then confronted the unhoused man, who reportedly confessed to taking the tools, and apologized. The unhoused man told him where he had hidden the tools nearby, and then walked away from the scene. The victim was then able to recover some of the items. Arriving police managed to find the unhoused man in the parking lot of the nearby Knight’s Inn, and, after witnesses identified him as the person who’d taken the tools, placed him under arrest for misdemeanor theft. He was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.
A 27-year-old unhoused man who attempted to withdraw cash with a stolen ATM card was arrested for felony commercial burglary after an alert teller recognized the name on the card and realized the man in front of her did not match up, and called the victim to alert him of the situation. Police say the man walked into the Chase Bank location at 865 S. Indian Hill Blvd. near closing time and attempted to get access to the account of a man who had his backpack stolen from his car in the 600 block of south Indian Hill Blvd. on May 25. The victim then called police, who tracked the man down at the nearby Western Dental location at 740 S. Indian Hill Blvd. He was arrested on the felony burglary charge, as well as two misdemeanors, possession of unlawful drug paraphernalia, a methamphetamine pipe, and possession of stolen property, the credit card. He was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.
Tuesday, June 8
Claremont police had to wrestle a suspected car thief to the ground after he took off running at 7:31 p.m., near the southwest corner of Foothill Blvd. and Towne Ave. It began when officers on patrol pulled over a 2005 brown Honda Accord for a traffic violation. Once stopped, the driver, Paul Valenzuela, 36, from Riverside, fled on foot. A very short chase ended after an officer grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him to the ground. Nobody was injured in the minor melee. Once Mr. Valenzuela was subdued, a license plate check revealed the Honda he’d been driving had been reported stolen the day prior out of El Monte. Mr. Valenzuela was then arrested without further incident for felony car theft and misdemeanor resisting arrest. He was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.
Claremont police to increase traffic enforcement
The Claremont Police Department is actively conducting enforcement around the City of Claremont for speeding, illegal racing, reckless driving, and illegal vehicle modification, funded in part by a grant obtained from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS).
Over the next two weeks, officers focus their attention on traffic safety around our schools. As our officers are actively issuing citations, we remind each of you that Road Safety Starts With You. Often times, citations are issued to Claremont residents, the very people asking for more enforcement.
