Police blotter 8-15-14

Thursday, August 7

Would-be thieves broke into Wolfe’s Market around 4:15 a.m. and left with absolutely nothing. Two suspects entered the Claremont landmark through the shop’s west entry and attempted to disable the surveillance equipment before perusing the aisles for a couple of minutes in search of something they apparently never found. The duo exited the market, got into their vehicle and made a quick getaway. The crime is still under investigation.

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Friday, August 8

The appeal of Sprint’s new “Framily Plan” may have been too much for two suspects who broke into the Auto Center Drive Sprint store and made off with more than $7,000 in merchandise. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, the thieves smashed the front glass doors around 2:45 a.m. and stole 12 display cell phones before fleeing the scene undetected. Officers reviewed and collected surveillance footage at the business and were later notified that one of the stolen phones had been activated. GPS tracked the device to Riverside, where Claremont officers responded and located the property. Arrest details are not available at this time.

Saturday, August 9

A checkpoint set up by Claremont police on Dartmouth and Foothill Boulevard resulted in 1,146 vehicles screened and 16 arrests. Those arrested included one drug offense, five unlicensed drivers, nine suspended drivers and one DUI.

Upland resident Robyn Wingfield told police she’d had one beer when she was stopped around 10:30 p.m. A field sobriety test determined the 34-year-old was driving impaired and she was arrested and later released on $5,000 bail.

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The driver of a stolen U-Haul truck was hauled off to jail following a quick chase by Claremont’s finest. Around 1:30 a.m., an officer patrolling the Piano Piano parking lot located an unoccupied 2014 Ford 150 reported stolen and embezzled out of Covina. The $23,000 truck had been rented but was never returned to its U-Haul rental location. Riverside resident Rodolfo Magana was spotted entering the truck a short time later and officers conducted a traffic stop. The 37-year-old then fled on foot, with officers giving chase, before the suspect was arrested. He remains in custody at North County Correctional Facility in Castaic and is being held on $65,000 bail.

Sunday, August 10

With Facebook friends like this, who needs enemies? A Claremont teen celebrating his birthday had 200 unexpected people show up to his house party on the 2300 block of Mills Avenue after posting the details on Facebook. A fight broke out in the driveway, which then spilled into the street. As partiers scattered, police were called after an unknown suspect struck the 19-year-old in the face with a bottle. A friend of the intoxicated birthday boy took him to Pomona Valley Medical Center, where he was treated for facial injuries, including a possible broken nose, a laceration on the bridge of his nose and contusions to his forehead. Claremont and La Verne PD both responded to the home to question witnesses but no one was willing to cooperate. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411.

Tuesday, August 12

Recent dropped calls and bad reception may be the result of a copper wire caper in which an unknown bandit broke into a Claremont cell tower and stripped it of its wiring. The perpetrator entered the Claremont Unified School District maintenance yard sometime between 3:30 p.m. on Monday and 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Using a tool to cut the padlock off the cell tower door, the greedy thief made off with 300 feet of copper wiring valued at $5,000.

—Angela Bailey

news@claremont-courier.com