Police blotter 7-24-20
by Mick Rhodes | mickrhodes@claremont-courier.com
Tuesday, July 14
Claremont Police Department officers ran the plates of a 2003 Black Chevrolet Silverado parked near Bonita and Towne Avenues at 1 p.m. and found it was reported stolen July 12 out of San Bernardino County. As they approached, the car’s driver, Alfonzo Diaz, 26, made a run for it. Unable to catch him, police began a search of the area, assisted by the La Verne Police Department, a San Bernardino County Sherriff’s Department helicopter, and a criminal sniffing dog from the Chino Police Department. A little more than an hour later they found Mr. Diaz hiding in a yard near Foothill Boulevard and Towne Avenue. Mr. Diaz was arrested and charged with felony grand theft auto and resisting arrest, a misdemeanor. He spent a couple days in the Claremont jail before his arraignment July 16 at Pomona Superior Court.
Wednesday, July 15
At 2:10 a.m., Claremont police cruising the area noticed a man standing aside a 2019 Kia Niro near the corner of Base Line Road and Padua Avenue. While questioning the car’s driver, Dzhems Tsarukyan, 35, from Glendale, they say they saw through the Kia’s rear window what appeared to be a handgun. Mr. Tsarukyan said it was a BB gun, and gave consent for officers to search the car. The gun was in fact a BB gun, which is legal to carry. But during the search officers say they also discovered a small baggie of what they suspected to be methamphetamine, as well as a meth pipe. Mr. Tsarukyan was arrested on two misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked and released with a citation to appear.
Thursday, July 16
Thirty-nine-year-old Fullerton resident Alfredo Liera was pulled over for a traffic stop about 6 p.m. near Crystal Place and La Verne Avenue. A plate check revealed the white 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup he was driving had been reported stolen out of Santa Ana. Mr. Liera was arrested and charged with grand theft auto, a felony. He was booked and released with a citation to appear.
Friday, July 17
Claremont PD stopped a white Ford SUV with two men inside at 11:21 p.m. near Armstrong Garden Center, 700 E. Foothill Blvd. The driver, 63-year-old Steven Uhrig of Pomona, was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs and an outstanding warrant. Police say Mr. Uhrig was high on a “central nervous system stimulant,” presumably cocaine or meth, as well as marijuana. A records check revealed the passenger, a 61-year-old transient, had three warrants—a no bail felony probation violation as well as two misdemeanor warrants. Police say the man gave them a false name, also a misdemeanor. He was booked for the new charge and the warrants, and spent the night in jail before appearing in Pomona Superior Court July 18. Mr. Uhrig also spent the night in jail while he sobered up before being released with a citation.
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Claremont PD got a call about someone throwing objects off the roof at Rhino Records at 235 Yale Ave. At 7:45 p.m. they began questioning Darius O’Neal, 27, from Memphis, Tennessee on the corner of Yale Avenue and Second Street. A records check revealed the Volunteer State resident had three misdemeanor warrants for his arrest out of Orange County, and he was booked for those and released with a citation and a court date.
Saturday, July 18
Cops pulled over the driver of a blue Chevy sedan for speeding at 1:42 a.m. near San Jose Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard and ended up arresting 31-year-old Benito Ramirez from Montclair on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. He was released with a citation to appear.
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Police were called to the Knight’s Inn, 721 S. Indian Hill Blvd. at 7:21 a.m. on a possible domestic violence call. After arriving, they saw someone walking away from the motel, and questioned the 37-year-old homeless man. After an investigation, he was arrested for domestic violence. The 36-year-old female victim of the alleged crime was also arrested for possession of a controlled substance. An investigation is ongoing.
Sunday, July 19
Police responding to a 11:36 p.m. report of a disturbance at the Motel 6 at 840 S. Indian Hill Blvd. were talking to the desk clerk when they encountered San Bernardino resident Ilena Rutledge, 25, whom it’s alleged was involved in an argument with someone at the motel. Cops found Ms. Rutledge had two misdemeanor warrants out of San Bernardino County, and as she was being arrested she told them she had a baggie of meth. She was charged with misdemeanor drug possession and the two warrants before begin released with a citation to appear.
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Claremont police say Jason Trinidad, 41, made “bizarre statements” while being arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance at 11:55 p.m. near Indian Hill Boulevard and 10th Street. Police, paraphrasing Mr. Trinidad, said the Upland resident claimed “unknown people injected him, he thinks it’s meth.” He spent the night in jail before being released in the morning with a citation to appear. A blood toxicity report is pending.
Monday, July 20
Officers doing a routine business check of the Stater Bros. shopping center at 1055 W. Foothill Blvd. at 1:40 a.m. noticed two parked cars. They approached the white Dodge Ram and a silver Dodge Durango and found Pomona residents Dawn Croteau, 48, and Sammy Serrano, 50, as well as James Scott, 37, and Belinda Mendez, 52, both from Baldwin Park. They arrested Ms. Croteau for being under influence of a controlled substance; Ms. Mendez for three felonies: identity theft, possession of other people’s personal identifying information and possession of a narcotic for sale; Mr. Scott for identity theft, possession of other people’s personal identifying information, both felonies, and possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) and possession of drug paraphernalia; and Mr. Serrano, for possession of drug paraphernalia. A CPD investigation is ongoing.
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Police say they hope two felony burglary arrests will take two alleged smash-and-grab car burglars off the streets. As a result of an ongoing CPD investigation, Moreno Valley’s Maria Tucker, 35, and Bryan Heath, 43, from San Dimas, got picked up at 12:51 p.m. at the Motel 6, 502 W. Arrow Hwy., San Dimas. Claremont police identified them from a local retail store’s surveillance video that allegedly showed them using credit cards reported stolen June 27 from cars parked near Thompson Creek Trail. CPD say the pair had been staying together at the motel, and are also suspects in additional car theft crimes. They were booked and released with citations to appear.
Tuesday, July 21
An observant resident on an early-morning walk near Oak Park Drive and Sycamore Avenue saw a group of people near a white Chevy Avalanche at 5:55 a.m., heard metallic banging and cutting noises coming from under the pickup. The resident called the police on a possible catalytic converter theft in progress. Officers arrived and saw a white GMC Yukon SUV parked near the Avalanche. The Yukon, with expired tags, then began to motor away, and police pulled over the driver. The front seat passenger, Rialto resident Newton Rodriguez, 36, threw a large metal object out the window before the driver, Brandon Boggini, 33, from San Bernardino, pulled to the curb. The rear passenger was Reyna Pulido, 27, also from San Bernardino. The thrown object turned up a loaded semiautomatic handgun. Questioning the three suspects revealed an avalanche of criminal activity. Ms. Pulido, on probation out of San Bernardino County, was arrested for a probation warrant and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia after police say she had a meth pipe. She was booked and later transported to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s West Valley Detention Center in Fontana.
Mr. Boggini told police he had meth in his pocket, but it turned out to be “a substantial amount; a sandwich baggie full,” according to the CPD. They say he also had stolen credit cards. He was booked on three felony counts: grand theft auto with prior felony convictions, possession of narcotics for sale, and possession of stolen credit cards. He was held on $30,000 bail.
Finally, Mr. Rodriguez, who was wearing an ankle monitor, was arrested for three felonies: grand theft auto, possession of a loaded firearm, felon in possession of a firearm; and two misdemeanors, possession of a controlled substance—heroin—and possession of drug paraphernalia, a hypodermic needle. He was held on $50,000 bail. Both men remained in custody in Claremont until appearing July 23 Pomona Superior Court.
