Police Blotter 8-20-20
by Mick Rhodes | mickrhodes@claremont-courier.com
Wednesday, August 12
Claremont police were called after a 20-year-old Upland man, Kayn Cox-Whittle, allegedly pulled a semiautomatic handgun on a two people near College Avenue and Seventh Street about 4:55 p.m. The victims said Mr. Cox-Whittle brandished the weapon with no provocation as they were both stopped in traffic in their respective cars. CPD caught up to Mr. Cox-Whittle’s maroon Nissan Ultima a short time later at Bonita Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard and pulled him over. He was arrested on 11 charges, at least four of them felonies, including assault with a deadly weapon, brandishing a weapon, making criminal threats, being under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of drugs while armed, possession of a high capacity magazine and unlawful possession of a semiautomatic handgun. Mr. Cox-Whittle was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court after posting $50,000 bail.
Thursday, August 13
CPD arrested Steve Hardy, 28, from Pomona, at 11:30 a.m. after a clerk at the Motel 6 at 840 S. Indian Hill Blvd. recognized him as the man they say had cut wires to the motel’s security cameras about 5:45 a.m. that morning. Mr. Hardy was charged with felony vandalism and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. He also had an outstanding warrant for malicious mischief. He spent a few days in the Claremont jail before appearing in Pomona Superior Court August 17.
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A Claremont police officer on foot patrol arrested Adam Negrete—the man witnesses say went on a bizarre vandalism spree in the Village on August 6—at 1:45 p.m. on an unrelated warrant. The officer recognized Mr. Negrete, 35, near the Claremont Depot, 200 W. First St., ran a background check, found the warrant and took him into custody. Back at the station, CPD detectives contacted the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, which subsequently filed 11 felony and four misdemeanor counts of vandalism against Mr. Negrete stemming from the August 6 incident when he was accused of using metal pipes to smash windows of 16 cars and two businesses. The following day a Pomona Superior Court judge set his bail at $270,000 for the felony vandalism charges, in addition to the $50,000 bail on the unrelated warrant. Mr. Negrete remains in custody at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic. His arraignment is set for August 24 in Pomona.
Friday, August 14
Along with the nearby Motel 6, The Knight’s Inn, 721 S. Indian Hill Blvd., is a hotspot for Police Blotter entries. The streak continued about 6 a.m. when police responding to a disturbance call arrested Pomona resident Jesse Lopez, 32, for possession of drug paraphernalia and a controlled substance substance—methamphetamine. He was booked and released with a citation to appear.
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CPD pulled over Anthony Gonzalez, 20, from Perris, about 11 p.m. when they noticed him driving erratically near Indian Hill Boulevard and Vista Drive. Police allege Mr. Gonzalez was drunk, and he was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and DUI under the age of 21. A background check of his passenger, 22-year-old Moreno Valley resident Grethel Edmiston, revealed a felony fugitive from justice warrant out of the US Marshal’s office. Claremont police couldn’t say what the warrant was for. After her arrest, US Marshals took custody of her at the Claremont police station.
Saturday, August 15
Claremont officers responded to a 7 p.m. call regarding a naked man with blood running down his face being chased by a man wielding a skateboard as a weapon in the parking lot of the Metrolink station, 100 E. First St. Officers detained both men, with the victim, a 57-year-old Chino Hills resident, transported to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. The alleged assailant, Michael Greenwood, 29, from Pomona, was taken into custody. Police determined the victim had been sleeping in nearby bushes at the time of the attack, which was an apparent robbery attempt. It’s unclear whether the victim had been sleeping in the nude, or if his nudity was related to the attack. Police say the victim and the alleged assailant knew each other. It was unclear if anything was taken in the robbery. Mr. Greenwood was booked on two felony charges of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon, and a misdemeanor charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance. He was also listed as being on active probation for the controlling charge of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. He was held in Claremont jail before appearing August 18 in Pomona Superior Court.
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Officers responded to a fire along the train tracks between Towne and Cambridge Avenues at around 7:30 p.m. The brush in the area was fully engulfed and quickly spread to the Plum Tree Apartment complex garages, police said. Numerous free-standing garages caught fire and burned the vehicles parked inside. Witnesses stated they saw multiple fireworks coming from the 900 block of West Arrow Highway and landed on the train tracks; however, no one could identify who lit the fireworks. The flames were extinguished and the LA County Arson Investigator arrived to investigate.
Sunday, August 16
Police arrested Claremont resident Fidel Silva, 37, for criminal trespassing after witnesses say he jumped the backyard fence of a home in the 100 block of Bryn Mawr Road. Officers responded at about 2 p.m. and found Mr. Silva, who claimed to be looking for recyclables. The homeowner chose to prosecute, and Mr. Silva was arrested for criminal trespassing and released with citation.
Monday, August 17
Employees called police at 5:20 p.m. after Melanie Montoya, 24, of Montclair, was allegedly seen trying to get into a room that wasn’t hers at the DoubleTree, 555 W. Foothill Blvd. Ms. Montoya was arrested on two previous warrants, and released with a citation.
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Residents in the 600 block of W. First St. called 9-1-1 at approximately 4 a.m. after hearing a pop or boom and seeing a small grass fire on the north side of the railroad tracks. The LA County Fire Department extinguished the fire. Per LACF, a bottle of lighter fluid was found within the burn area. Based on the circumstances and the close proximity to the arson on August 15, LACF forwarded the information to the arson investigator assigned to that case.
