Police blotter 2-3-17
Police warn of rubberized paint scam
Homeowners should be aware that aggressive “energy” contractors are attempting to sell over-priced paint with promises that it will reduce a home’s energy costs. This is widely regarded as a scam that will not only not achieve the promised results, but can damage the home.
Contractors use sophisticated, high-pressure sales tactics to sell an easy-to-install product at inflated prices, according to the city manager’s office. Generally, the contractor’s prices are two to three times the regular contractor rates and based on promises of low payments through the PACE-style lending programs. The problem in these instances is not necessarily the lending programs; it is the prices that the contractor is charging for work that is relatively simple to install.
Before hiring a contractor who has contacted you door-to-door or by phone, call the state contractor’s license board to check the status of their license and if there are any complaints or lawsuits against them. Ask for a price quote and then compare it with at least two other reputable contractors who you contact directly. It will quickly become apparent if your first quote is a scam. For advice, contact Sustainable Claremont at (909) 625-8767 extension 238 or city sustainability staff at (909) 399-5470.
Increase in stolen vehicles reported for January
During the first 24 days of 2017, six residents have had vehicles stolen and the Claremont Police Department has located and recovered 20 vehicles stolen from other cities.
On January 22 at 7:32 a.m., a resident in the 1400 block of Mural Drive reported that her vehicle had been stolen after she left the car running in their driveway. Within 30 minutes, responding officers located the vehicle unoccupied and parked in Pomona near Towne Avenue and Arrow Highway. The suspect had sprayed the interior of the vehicle with WD-40 to prevent the detection of fingerprints.
Claremont police officers located three additional stolen vehicles in the neighborhood during the investigation.
Monday, January 23
Police are looking for four people who stole $1,800 worth of top-shelf alcohol from Vons. The theft occurred around 10:30 p.m., when the suspects entered the supermarket, unlocked the glass liquor cabinet and made off with the booze, Lt. Mike Ciszek of the Claremont Police Department said. Among the alcohol stolen was Don Julio, Dom Perignon and Remy Martin VSOP. The suspects were described as an African-American male in his 30s, six feet, one inch tall and 200 pounds with brown hair; an African-American man in his 30s, five feet, seven inches tall and 260 pounds with brown hair; an African-American woman, five feet, five inches tall and 200 pounds with blonde hair and an African-American woman in her 30s, five feet, two inches tall and 110 pounds. Anyone with information should call the Claremont police at (909) 399-5411.
Tuesday, January 24
A Pomona woman was arrested after she returned to a stolen car. The car was discovered parked at one of the pumps at the 76 station on the 1000 block of west Foothill Boulevard just after 11 a.m. It had been there for a few hours, and police determined it was stolen out of Upland on December 28, Lt. Mike Ciszek of the Claremont Police Department said. Surveillance footage caught three suspects, one of which was 32-year-old Trienna Patton, exiting the vehicle. Ms. Patton then returned to the scene and was detained by officers. She was arrested for grand theft auto, possession of stolen property, possession of drug paraphernalia and burglary tools.
Wednesday, January 25
Another car was broken into at Evey Canyon. Sometime between 3 and 6:30 p.m., the thief smashed the rear driver’s side window of the car and stole a backpack with an iPad, valued at $520.
Thursday, January 26
Around $350 worth of insulated wiring was stolen from a business on the 600 block of south Indian Hill Boulevard. Between 6 and 6:18 a.m., the two suspects—both described as African-American men in their 40s—entered a cargo trailer in the parking lot of the business and made off with several boxes of the wiring.
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Three suspects are at large following a Claremont residential burglary. The burglars smashed the glass back door of a home on the 1000 block of Northwestern Drive around 2 p.m. and made off with an unknown amount of property, Lt. Ciszek said. A witness saw the burglars get into a four-door sedan and leave the scene. They are described as Hispanic men, one with numerous facial piercings. Anyone with information should call the Claremont Police Department.
Saturday, January 28
An Ontario man was arrested after he tried to get away with a stolen bike. The $2,400 bike was reportedly swiped by 48-year-old Hovie Phillips from the Metrolink platform between 2:15 and 4 p.m., Lt. Ciszek said. Police found the bike in the bed of Mr. Phillips’ truck, and he admitted to stealing it. He was arrested and transported to CPD jail.
Sunday, January 29
Police are looking for hoodlums who keep dropping pieces of ice from the top of the Village West parking structure. The pieces of ice, about the size of a softball, have torn holes in the outdoor patio cover of the Whisper House, causing about $400 in damage. In all, officers observed 10 holes in the patio cover, and Lt. Ciszek noted it is a continuous problem. Anyone with information should call the police department.
—Matthew Bramlett
news@claremont-courier.com
