Police blotter 6-19-15
Tuesday, June 9
A San Antonio High School student was cited and transported to a local hospital after exhibiting signs of public intoxication. A witness told police that the 17-year-old male had staggered off campus around 10:30 a.m. and was having difficulty maintaining his balance. Officers caught up with the teen on the corner of St. Bonaventure and Oak Park, where he was detained and questioned by police. When asked if he’d been drinking, the boy told officers, “I took a muscle relaxer. No, wait…I took a Xanax. I’m not telling you what I took!” He was issued a citation for public intoxication and transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center for treatment.
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A Claremont woman taking a nap woke up to a nightmare after discovering thieves had broken into her home. According to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek, a resident on the 600 block of Purdue Drive had been home all day when she decided to catch a wink in her bedroom around 3:30 p.m. Approximately two hours later, she was awoken by the sound of footsteps and called out thinking it was her son. When there was no response, she walked into the living room and discovered her sliding glass door was wide open and her son was nowhere to be found. The victim told officers the slider was closed and secured prior to her slumber and further investigation revealed pry marks on the door. No property was taken. The investigation remains ongoing.
Wednesday, June 10
A limb length discrepancy wasn’t to blame for one driver who was arrested for DUI. Joseph Chappa was driving on Indian Hill near San Jose Avenue when he was stopped by officers around 12:21 a.m. for speeding and making a lane change without signaling. While speaking with police, the 31-year-old man exhibited signs of drunkenness and admitted he’d had two or three whiskey sours. Mr. Chappa performed a field sobriety test with some difficulty and when asked by officers if he saw any hazards on the sidewalk he replied, “No, my left leg is slightly longer than my right leg but it doesn’t affect my balance.” The Fontana man was found to be just over the legal limit and arrested for driving under the influence.
A Claremont woman was victimized at Padua Park after a thief broke into her SUV and stole her fancy handbag. According to Lt. Ciszek, the woman parked her Honda Pilot in the parking lot around 8:25 a.m. and left her designer purse on the floor. While she was gone, an unknown person used an object to smash the passenger window of the vehicle and steal the woman’s $1,000 Louis Vuitton purse containing a $400 Louis Vuitton wallet, $500 Louis Vuitton checkbook case, $2,000 in cash and various credit cards. One of the credit cards was used shortly thereafter at the Shell gas station on Foothill Boulevard. Police are continuing to investigate.
Thursday, June 11
An Upland teenager was found to be at fault for a collision that sent a Mt. Baldy woman to the hospital. The 17-year-old female driver of a 2006 Honda Accord was making a U-turn on Mt. Baldy Rd. near Flat River around 12:30 p.m. when she pulled into the westbound lane, causing the driver of a 1997 Honda Civic to collide with her vehicle. The 65-year-old victim was transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center with complaints of pain to her chest. Officers determined the teen driver failed to yield to the oncoming car and was found to be the cause of the crash.
Saturday, June 13
You can’t make a man do something he doesn’t want to do, regardless of the consequences. Around 11:47 p.m., Claremont police spotted driver Joseph Camacho leaving the parking lot of the DoubleTree and making an unsafe lane change. Officers pulled over the driver, who exhibited signs of alcohol intoxication and became argumentative with police about the maneuver. The 53-year-old man appeared to be under the influence so police asked him to perform a voluntary field sobriety test, He hesitated and told police, “If they’re not required, I don’t want to do them. I haven’t committed any crimes so I don’t have to do them.” Further testing determined the Ontario man was just over the legal limit and he was arrested for driving under the influence.
Sunday, June 14
Officers responded to the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church around 3:30 p.m. after a Phelan man stole the purse of one of the parishioners. The 63-year-old victim witnessed Bradley Gray take her handbag and flee the location. Police questioned three people that had accompanied the 32-year-old thief to the church. Although it was determined they had no involvement with the theft, further investigation revealed each had outstanding arrest warrants and were taken into custody. Mr. Gray was later located by police and found to be in possession of the stolen property. He was arrested and remains in custody in downtown Los Angeles.
Monday, June 15
They’ll be some sad kindergartners this fall at Sumner Elementary School due to thieves who stole some of their school supplies. Claremont police responded to the campus after hooligans used their feet and a wooden fence post to force their way into two outdoor sheds containing toys for the kindergarten students. Sometime between 5 p.m. on June 12 and 12:57 p.m. on June 15, the thieves removed tricycles and balls from the shed and scattered them across the playground before stealing five Leap Pads valued at $250. The investigation remains ongoing.
—Angela Bailey
news@claremont-courier.com
