Police blotter 4-20-18
Wednesday, April 11
Police are investigating two vandalism incidents and one burglary they believe are connected. Officers arrived to Oak Park Cemetery to find yellow spray paint on 20 feet of fencing and on an unknown number of coffin vaults. The letters SAG and DRSK were written with the spray paint. Police believe it occurred between 4:30 p.m. on April 10 and 8:15 a.m. on April 11. It will cost an estimated $300 to get rid of the tags.
Around the same time, an unknown group of suspects broke into a home on the 100 block of Arrow Highway, taking a Macbook and a Trek hybrid bicycle, according to Lt. Jason Walters of the Claremont Police Department. The tag SAGK was found on a table in the backyard, leading police to suspect the two incidents were related. Anyone with information should contact the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411.
Thursday, April 12
Police arrested a Pomona man after he tried to get away on foot after getting caught in a stolen car. Officers found a 1998 Honda CRV that was reported stolen in the area of Vista Drive and Notre Dame Road. When police pulled the car over at La Verne and Mountain around 3:15 a.m., 29-year-old Roberto Gonzalez ditched the car and tried to run away from police. He was caught after running into an alley and into someone’s back yard. He was arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto, possession of meth, possession of burglary tools, warrants and resisting arrest.
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Police are investigating a break-in at a home on the 700 block of Vassar Street. Between 8:30 p.m. on April 11 and 8:40 a.m. on April 12, the unknown burglar pried open a rear window that led to an attached addition to the home, but was stymied when they tried to open a sliding glass door into the main home, which was locked. Nothing was stolen from the home, and there is no suspect information.
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Police received a call from Oakmont School employees around 10 a.m. claiming a man was walking eastbound on Arrow Highway while carrying a “large sword” in his backpack. When officers arrived and contacted the 27-year-old subject, they found the “sword” was actually made of plastic, according to police logs. Nobody was arrested, and a report was not written.
Friday, April 13
Police are investigating an attempted break-in at 42nd Street Bagel. Between 5:30 p.m. on April 12 and 11 a.m. on April 13, the unknown suspects removed one of the skylights and cut a circular hole in another skylight from the roof, but did not make entry into the business. There was nothing stolen from the restaurant, and there was no evidence from the suspects found.
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A car seat and a stroller were stolen from an unlocked Honda Pilot as it sat in the driveway of a home on the 700 block of Vassar Street. The theft occurred between 8 p.m. April 12 and 2 p.m. on April 13.
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A Pomona man was arrested after he called police regarding an attempted break-in that apparently never happened. Police responded to the Knight’s Inn around 8:45 p.m. after 40-year-old Carlos Barrera called police claiming someone was trying to break into his room, Lt. Walters said. But when officers arrived, they found no evidence of anyone trying to break in. They did, however, allegedly find two meth pipes in Mr. Barrera’s possession. He was arrested for possession of paraphernalia and transported to CPD jail, where he was later released with a citation.
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A campaign sign on the northwest corner of Claremont and Foothill Boulevards was defaced with “anti-police comments,” according to police logs. Officers arrived to the scene just before 7 p.m., and a voicemail message was left for the owner of the signs, the logs stated.
Saturday, April 14
Police are looking for a man who filled a shopping cart full of groceries at Vons and left without paying. The theft occurred around 8 p.m., and the suspect loaded the stolen goods into a green Toyota SUV before fleeing the scene. He is described as an African-American man, 45-55 years old, five feet, nine inches tall to six feet tall and 240 to 260 pounds wearing a dark blue Jordan shirt, dark sweatpants, sandals and white socks.
Sunday, April 15
A bicycle valued at $1,200 was stolen from an open garage on the 500 block of Baughman Avenue. The theft occurred between 2 p.m. on April 14 and 11 a.m. on April 15. There is no suspect information.
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According to police logs, 46-year-old Daniel Watson, a transient, tried to use the private restroom at the Claremont Museum of Art around 2:30 p.m. When an employee denied him entry, Mr. Watson became angry, yelling obscenities at the employee and walking outside toward the Metrolink platform, where he was still fuming when officers arrived. A check revealed he had five warrants out for his arrest, and he was taken to CPD jail.
—Matthew Bramlett
news@claremont-courier.com
