Police blotter 8-8-14

Wednesday, July 30

A man tried to break into a home before the home even had a chance to be broken in. Police were called to the newly constructed Ivy Walk development on Vista Drive around 10:44 p.m. when a burglar alarm went off in one of the model homes. Officers attempted to make contact with the suspect, who fled on a bicycle to evade capture. The suspect eventually ditched the bike and took off on foot. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, the suspect attempted to enter the home through a rear slider, which set off the alarm. No entry was made and there was no property loss, other than the suspect’s bicycle that was collected as evidence.

Thursday, July 31

A Chino resident took his driving to the next level when he drove up onto a median and became stuck, attracting the attention of Claremont’s finest. At 9:30 p.m., police saw two suspects in a vehicle stranded on the raised center median on Indian Hill Boulevard, just south of First Street. Michael Orozco identified himself as the driver of the vehicle. The 25-year-old exhibited symptoms of intoxication and officers conducted field sobriety tests before transferring Mr. Orozco to Claremont jail for detox. He was later released on $250 bail.

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A Duarte man was sent packing from the Packing House after being warned not to return to the area. Officers received a call at 10:42 p.m. of a suspicious man sleeping in a storage unit in the underground parking structure. John Collier Jr. was located and identified by police. Further investigation revealed the 33-year-old had been warned and previously arrested for trespassing at the same location. Mr. Collier was again arrested and booked for trespassing. He was later released on $5,000 bail.

Monday, August 4

Looks like a different kind of full service may have returned to a Claremont gas station. Two females wearing short-shorts were seen loitering in the Shell station parking lot located on Indian Hill Boulevard and shared with the Howard Johnson Express Inn. Around 9:30 a.m., after receiving a report of prostitution occurring in the area, police contacted the hotel clerk and asked if any females matching the description were registered at the hotel. The clerk advised the officers the ladies were staying in one of the rooms with a man. Officers approached the room where 20-year-old Danielle Tillett answered the door. A record check of the San Bernardino resident revealed a $38,000 outstanding warrant for prostitution out of Los Angeles. Ms. Tillett was arrested on the warrant and held for court. Following her court appearance, Ms. Tillett was transported to Century Regional Detention Facility in Lynwood and will be released in October.

Wednesday, August 6

A man suspected of being under the influence of alcohol and driving on the wrong side of the road collided with numerous vehicles before coming to a stop and fleeing from the scene. According to Lieutenant Karlan Bennett, Claremont officers searched the area yard-by-yard and located the suspect hiding in some bushes in the backyard of a residence on the 100 block of Brooks Avenue.

 Witnesses at the scene said that a Chrysler PT Cruiser was headed north on Claremont Boulevard when it jumped the median near Arrow Highway and continued north in the southbound lanes. A work crew installing a pipe had one southbound lane closed, which forced the vehicle to use the remaining lane. The driver narrowly missed a bus and another vehicle before crashing into a grey sedan.

Steve Spearman, a foreman with Ventura Drilling who was working on the pipe installation, said that the car nearly clipped the backhoe he was operating, which forced a drilling worker to jump out of the way. After the collision, the driver ran from the scene, leaving his passenger at the location.

Mr. Spearman chased the man on foot for a couple of blocks before giving up halfway up Brooks Avenue. “He could have killed me or one of my men,” Mr. Spearman said. “Thank God I quit smoking or I never would have been able to run like that. But I wish I could have got him.”

The driver was apprehended at 2:29 p.m. and taken in for booking. The suspect, 29-year-old Frank Verduco of Upland, was apprehended at 2:29 p.m. and taken to Claremont PD for booking. His passenger, Richard Hernandez, was arrested for public intoxication and remains in custody. No other injuries were reported.

—Angela Bailey

news@claremont-courier.com