Police blotter 11-14-14
Tuesday, November 4
A criminal with a career in burglary might want to consider another line of work. Around 8:09 a.m., a suspect broke into a Toyota 4Runner parked and locked at Western Christian School. Using an unknown object to break the front passenger window, the burglar stole the victim’s purse containing her wedding ring, and fled the location undetected. Surveillance cameras provided police with a description of the suspect, who later used the victim’s Discover card for an online purchase and had it shipped to an Ontario address. Follow-up by Claremont police resulted in the arrest of Gerald Crutcher after officers determined the 53-year-old matched the description of the suspect. Property loss is estimated to be $10,000.
Wednesday, November 5
Another SUV broken into, another wedding ring stolen. Around 10:45 a.m., unknown suspects smashed the rear driver’s side window of a white 2000 Lexus RX300 to snatch a leather handbag tucked underneath the back seat. The burglars fled the 5100 block of Mt. Baldy Road unseen, making off with $3,000 worth of items including a leather purse and wallet, a cell phone, a platinum band with six diamonds, $200 cash, credit cards and various gift cards.
Thursday, November 6
A Pomona resident stopped for speeding spent the night in jail after police determined he was drunk driving. Felipe Alonso was driving near Foothill Boulevard and Lynoak Drive around 1:30 a.m. when officers witnessed the vehicle traveling 53 mph in a 40 mph zone and pulled the driver over. During the investigation, officers determined the 31-year-old driver was under the influence of alcohol and arrested him for DUI. During his field sobriety test, Mr. Alonso’s passenger, Sergio Osorio, was fast asleep in the front seat of the vehicle and snoring very loudly. The 29-year-old Val Verde resident did wake up briefly, but only to open the passenger door and puke. Mr. Osorio was arrested for public intoxication. Both men were later released on bail.
Friday, November 7
A grown man was arrested after vandalizing two vehicles and trying to evade police. A victim claimed Michael Orcasitas threw a large rock at his 2012 Chevy Tahoe as it traveled down Indian Hill Boulevard near San Jose around 8:30 a.m. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, the 26-year-old man ran from the scene and then accosted another vehicle stopped at a traffic light. While waiting for the light to change, Mr. Orcasitas allegedly jumped on the hood of a silver Toyota Camry, punching and spitting on the car while cursing, causing $500 in damage before he was apprehended by police. The transient was arrested for vandalism and resisting arrest. The owner of the Chevy Tahoe claimed $5,000 in damage to his vehicle. Mr. Orcasitas remains in custody at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in Los Angeles.
Saturday, November 8
Police are on the lookout for two unknown suspects who had a meal at Casablanca and attempted to pay their bill with counterfeit cash. Officers responded to the Packing House location around 11:30 p.m. after a male and female came into the eatery and paid for their bill with four counterfeit $20 bills before fleeing the scene. The first suspect is described as a white male, 5’10” and 160 pounds with a shaved head and tattoos on his neck and arms. The second suspect is a Hispanic female, 5’10” and 150 pounds with straight, long hair. Both remain at large.
Sunday, November 9
A Montclair man with a history of impaired driving got behind the wheel and did it again. Officers responded to a welfare check of a man passed out in a vehicle with the door open in the middle of the intersection at Northwestern and Santa Clara. While en route to the scene, officers were advised the vehicle was now northbound on Towne Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. Police stopped the vehicle and made contact with the driver, Gregg Gomez, who exhibited symptoms of driving under the influence. The 28-year-old told officers he didn’t want to be driving at all, saying, “I want to be off the road because I don’t want to hurt people” and alerted police to his two previous DUIs. Mr. Gomez was arrested for DUI at nearly twice the legal limit and released the following day on $5,000 bail.
Monday, November 10
Two homes north of Base Line Road were burglarized. The first burglary occurred between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. in the 900 block of Moody Place, south of Mt. Baldy Road and west of Padua Avenue. The suspect entered the residence by smashing a glass back door and made off with a 45-caliber Springfield pistol and jewelry. The second burglary occurred at approximately 5:15 p.m. in the 2300 block of Bradley Avenue, located north of Base Line Road and east of Indian Hill Boulevard. The suspect entered the residence through an unlocked sliding door.
Claremont police remind residents to report any suspicious people or vehicles in neighborhoods. Anyone with information regarding these burglaries should contact the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411 or call 9-1-1 if it is an emergency.
—Angela Bailey
news@claremont-courier.com
