Police blotter 3-13-15
Sunday, March 1
Theatergoers encountered a scary scene when Laemmle’s Claremont 5 received a bomb threat. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, officers were dispatched to the movie house located at 450 W. Second St., at 10:38 p.m. after a staff member at the main box office received a phone call from an unknown male stating there was a bomb in the building. Officers arrived on scene and evacuated 50 people, including patrons and staff, while they did a security sweep of the location. No explosive device was located. Patrons of the theater received refunds, as that was the last show of the night.
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A home on the 400 block of Westpoint Drive became the target of burglars who attempted to steal property from the home on three separate occasions. According to Detective Isaac Reyes, unknown suspects twice pried open a rear window between March 1 and March 4 and ransacked the residence. The thieves made a third attempt by prying open a rear door between 7:30 p.m. on March 4 and 7 a.m. on March 5. However, their efforts were unsuccessful. A list of property loss has not yet been provided to police.
Monday, March 2
Three residential burglaries in the span of nine hours have residents on high alert.
The first burglary occurred on the 2400 block of Michigan Drive around 11:30 a.m. The 53-year-old victim was upstairs in her bedroom when she heard the sound of breaking glass coming from the rear of her home. She looked downstairs and saw an intruder standing in her dining room. The suspect saw the resident, ran outside, and fled in a silver Mercedes Benz with blue dealer paper plates with white or yellow writing. The suspect is described as a light-skinned black male, about six feet tall, wearing a blue dress shirt and carrying a small silver case. No property was stolen.
The second burglary occurred on the 200 block of E. Arrow Highway between 1:15 and 5:15 p.m. The unknown suspects entered the home through a smashed kitchen window, ransacked the residence and made off with $10,000 in property including Apple electronics, a diamond necklace, an engagement ring and various other jewelry items.
The third burglary occurred on the 900 block of Saint Catherine Way around 8:20 p.m. The victim was home asleep when thieves broke a rear glass door to enter the residence. The homeowner woke up and heard the suspects as they were making their way up the stairs. She called out, thinking it was a family member, and heard the suspects say, “Oh, sh*t” before taking off with various property including a tablet and a laptop. Equipped with GPS software, the laptop was later located in San Bernardino County and a man arrested for receiving stolen property. If you have any information regarding these thefts or become suspicious of activity in your neighborhood, contact the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411.
Tuesday, March 3
A clean getaway wasn’t in the cards for a Fontana gal who was cited for shoplifting at a popular Village store. According to Det. Reyes, Bridgette Rabanal was perusing Rhino Records around 2:30 p.m. when she picked up a deck of $20 tarot cards and placed them in her purse. When the 19-year-old attempted to leave the store without paying, an employee detained her before calling police. Ms. Rabanal was arrested and issued a citation for petty theft.
Thursday, March 5
Two juveniles were arrested after snatching a purse in the Village. Officers responded to a call of a robbery in progress at The Junction, located at 1 N. Indian Hill Boulevard. The victim met with police, providing them with a description of the suspects who fled on foot towards the railroad tracks after stealing her handbag. Officers were able to track the victim’s cell phone that was in her purse to an apartment complex on Arrow Highway. Police conducted an area check of the complex, locating two subjects that matched the victim’s description. When officers attempted to make contact with the suspects, a foot pursuit ensued. A 15-year-old male and 17-year-old male, both from Pomona, were ultimately detained and identified by the victim before their arrest. The victim’s purse and property were recovered.
Sunday, March 8
A few Pomona College students spent the night in city jail after failing to heed the warnings of Claremont officers. According to Det. Reyes, police responded to Bridges Auditorium around midnight after receiving calls regarding a loud party in the area. Once on scene, officers observed Tatsu Monkman near their parked patrol vehicles and advised the 21-year-old to stay away from the cars.
Disregarding their advice, Mr. Monkman hit a spotlight on the vehicle and pulled up the driver’s side windshield wiper. The Alaska resident was arrested for public intoxication. About 20 minutes later, officers returned to the location for another noise complaint and witnessed 20-year-old Owen Bell leaning on a patrol vehicle. After police requested the Tennessee resident to move away, he went and did it again. Mr. Bell was arrested for public intoxication and possession of a fake Texas ID. Another 20 minutes later, 19-year-old Cristian Romero was spotted relieving himself on a Claremont police car and he, too, was arrested for public intoxication and urinating in public.
Tuesday, March 10
A Pomona parolee was arrested following a residential burglary in the City of Trees. Claremont police responded to a residential alarm on the 300 block of S. Mills Avenue and discovered that a window at the home had been smashed. A neighbor told police that the suspect was seen running from the residence. Officers conducted an area check and located Guillermo Garcia walking on the 500 block of Sycamore Avenue. The 20-year-old Pomona resident had an active “no bail” parole violation warrant for his arrest and is currently on active parole for robbery. Mr. Garcia was booked into the Claremont City Jail and charged with residential burglary.
—Angela Bailey
news@claremont-courier.com
