Police blotter 11-28-14

Monday, November 17

It’s a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it. A Claremont officer responded to a call of a suspicious subject near Norm’s restaurant located at 801 S. Indian Hill Boulevard. The officer located Joseph Gugino in a nearby bush, covering his eyes with a shirt over his head, near the freeway off-ramp. When the officer asked the 38-year-old man what he was doing, he responded, “I have a poopy in my butt,” according to police. The officer put on some rubber gloves and escorted the San Dimas resident out of the bushes. Further investigation revealed that Mr. Gugino was under the influence of a controlled substance and he was arrested. He was released the following day on $2,500 bail.

Wednesday, November 19

What was thought to be trash turned out to be a treasure in the yard of a Claremont resident. A homeowner on the 900 block of Marymount Lane first noticed the white bag in her side-yard earlier in the week but assumed it was a white plastic bag and left it alone. It wasn’t until a few days later when she was doing yard work that she discovered the bag was actually a pillowcase filled with jewelry including over 50 pairs of earrings, 10 ladies’ watches, 15 pearl necklaces, five bracelets and five colored necklaces. Most of the items are thought to be costume jewelry but have been logged with the Claremont Police Department as found property.

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Thieves know no boundaries are they have now tainted one of the most loved places in Claremont. Unknown suspects broke into at least four vehicles at Evey Canyon, using an unknown weapon to smash the windows in order to gain access to the vehicles’ trunks. Each of the victims had their purses, wallets, credit cards, California driver’s licenses and cash stolen sometime between 8:45 and 10:30 a.m. Some of the victims located their purses down a nearby embankment although their contents were removed.

Saturday, November 22

Evey Canyon thieves struck again between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m., this time breaking the windows of three vehicles and taking the victims’ purse, wallet, passport, credit cards, coin purse, makeup, keys, gift cards. The unknown suspects remain at large.

Sunday, November 23

Although membership has its privileges, access to the offices at the Claremont Club isn’t one of them. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, a briefcase containing $1,300 cash, a wallet, an iPad, credit cards, a spare BMW key, a house key and eyeglasses was left unattended in an unlocked office at the Club when a suspect stole it. The crime occurred around 9:15 a.m. and the property loss is valued at $1,700.

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A Pomona man was arrested following a pursuit by Claremont police. Around 9:35 p.m., officers coming to a stop at Indian Hill and Foothill Boulevards observed a 2006 Honda Accord run a red light at approximately 70 mph. The police conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle at Foothill and Towne Avenues during which the driver, Aaron Chandler, exited the vehicle and instructed officers to shoot him before re-entering the car and driving southbound on Towne Avenue. A pursuit ensued, leading police to the home of the 24-year-old suspect, where he pulled into the driveway and exited the car yet again.

Officers instructed the Pomona resident to lay on the ground, but he refused and told officers to “just f**king shoot me.” According to Mr. Chandler’s statement to police, he had been arguing with his passenger, 22-year-old Itzel Estrada, when he ran the red light. He told police that when they were pointing a gun at him, he knew he should get on the ground but was like, “I ain’t gonna.” He reportedly told police he was angry at the world and that he didn’t care if he died or hurt anyone else. Mr. Chandler was arrested for the pursuit and resisting an officer. He remains in custody at Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown LA and held on $100,000 bail with a court hearing scheduled for January 6, 2015. Ms. Estrada of Fullerton was arrested for public intoxication.

—Angela Bailey

news@claremont-courier.com