Police blotter 3-17-17
Tuesday, March 7
Police are looking for a thief and a getaway driver who made off with a display iPhone at the Sprint Store. The robbery occurred just before 6 p.m. at the mobile shop on the 400 block of Auto Center Drive, according to Lt. Mike Ciszek of the Claremont Police Department. The thief reportedly walked into the store and tried to remove the phone from the display mount, which caused the top of the display cabinet to pull off. The thief then attempted to flee with the phone while an employee tried to stop him. A scuffle ensued, and the employee suffered several scratches on his right arm. The thief fled in an awaiting black newer-model Chevy Camaro. He is described as a Hispanic man, five feet, four inches tall and 170 pounds.
Wednesday, March 8
Claremont police would like to know who bought nearly $400 in candy from the Claremont Kiwanis Club with two fraudulent checks. The bad checks were used to purchase $384 worth of See’s Candies between December 21 and December 23 at the Kiwanis Christmas candy pop-up shop at the Richard Hibbard showroom on the 100 block of Indian Hill Boulevard. When Kiwanis deposited the checks, the bank notified them they came from a closed account. There is no suspect information.
Friday, March 10
A Claremont family was unloading their car after a trip on the 900 block of Kent Lane between 10 and 10:20 p.m. When they walked into the house to put away additional luggage, they returned to the car to find a suitcase missing, Lt. Ciszek said. A suspicious man, described as Caucasian, around 18 years old, five feet, eight inches tall and 180 pounds, was observed fleeing the scene on a skateboard. The value of the goods in the stolen suitcase was around $1,440.
Saturday, March 11
Officers came upon Claremont resident Sheldon Smith, 23, walking south in the northbound lanes of Towne Avenue just after 4 a.m. When officers contacted Mr. Smith, he became “verbally abusive,” yelling obscenities at officers and twice trying to walk away from the scene. Officers took down Mr. Smith and arrested him for public intoxication. He was later released without charges.
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Police received a 9-1-1 call just before 8 p.m. from 52-year-old Derrick Johnson of Montclair, who claimed he was being followed, his phone was being hacked and he was being “held up” at a house. Dispatch traced the call to the 600 block of west Arrow Highway. When officers arrived, there was no evidence of Mr. Johnson’s claims, but he did display clear symptoms of drug use. He was arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance and was transported to CPD jail.
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Sometime between 6:45 and 8:30 p.m., a burglar used a cutting tool to slice open the passenger-side vinyl door of a Jeep Wrangler parked in the Norm’s parking lot. The thief got away with a gym bag containing about $100 worth of items. The thief reportedly got away in an awaiting silver Toyota Prius. An investigation is ongoing.
—Matthew Bramlett
news@claremont-courier.com
