Police blotter 10-2-20

by Mick Rhodes | mickrhodes@claremont-courier.com

Monday, September 21

The Claremont Police Department received a call at about noon regarding a voluble verbal dispute happening in the 500 block of Bowling Green Drive. They arrived and after some investigative work arrested a 41-year-old woman on a felony charge of making criminal threats against a 44-year-old male. The threats led the victim to believe his life was in danger, police said. The woman was booked and eventually released with a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court after posting a $100,000 bond.

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A 51-year-old Claremont woman got a scare when she saw someone attempting to get in through a back door of her house in the 600 block of West 12th Street about 6 p.m. She immediately called police, who arrived soon thereafter but couldn’t locate the man. The woman guided officers to a back house on the property, where they found Joseph Guinta, 30, from Yucaipa, who had apparently been squatting there. Mr. Guinta claimed his aunt owned the home and that he’d been there for four years, which the resident said was untrue. He was arrested for misdemeanor prowling and released with a citation to appear in Pomona court.

Tuesday, September 22

A Claremont Police Department dispatcher got a call at 9:50 p.m. about a man who was involved in a confrontation at a home in the 100 block of Bryn Mawr Road. Officers arrested Ramon Cazares, 22, from Pomona, on a charge of being under the influence of a controlled substance, a central nervous stimulant. Mr. Cazares spent the evening in the Claremont jail before being released in the morning with a citation to appear in court.

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A female resident of a home in the 3100 block of Lansbury Ave. called the cops at 11 p.m. alleging Amy O’Grady, 54, from Claremont, was intoxicated, yelling and vandalizing an umbrella in her yard. Claremont PD found Ms. O’Grady nearby in the 800 block of Culmore St., determined she was drunk, and arrested her for public intoxication. The victim pressed charges, so Ms. O’Grady was also charged with misdemeanor vandalism. She spent the night in jail before being released with citation to appear in court. 

Thursday, September 24

At 8:45 a.m. a 31-year-old Pomona man, Patrick Moore, was pulled over for a code violation in front of the Claremont police station at 570 W. Bonita Ave. Officers say he used a fake  name at first, but a records search revealed his true identity and two warrants for his arrest, one a felony and the other a misdemeanor. He was also driving with a suspended license and allegedly had meth and a meth pipe on him. Mr. Moore was arrested on the warrants, as well as driving on a suspended license, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued a citation to appear on the new charges, and transported to West Valley Detention Center in Fontana for the warrants.

Friday, September 25

Claremont police have been stepping up patrols in the South Indian Hill Boulevard and 10 freeway area over the past several weeks in an effort to get a handle on increasing criminal behavior. The focus has primarily been on the area around the three nearby motels: the Claremont Lodge, Knight’s Inn and Motel 6. At 12:40 a.m. CPD got yet another call from the area, this time from the Knight’s Inn at 721 S. Indian Hill Blvd. This one was regarding somebody in the pool area who was not a motel guest. Police arrived and questioned the woman, 42-year-old Chrystal Marquez from Pomona, and discovered she had two outstanding warrants. She was arrested  and released with citation.

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Later that morning at 10:16 a.m. CPD received another call from the 10/Indian Hill area, this time about a man injecting drugs in the parking lot near Western Dental, 740 S. Indian Hill Blvd. Arriving officers allegedly found 46-year-old Rancho Cucamonga resident Brian Oldham with a loaded syringe, and recognized the substance inside as heroin. A records check revealed a warrant from San Bernardino County, so Mr. Oldham was picked up for that and two new charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was booked and released with a citation to appear in Pomona Superior Court.

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Alejandra Ibarra, 46, from Muscoy, got pulled over for a code violation at 3:15 p.m. near Base Line Road and Grand Avenue. The officer discovered she had a warrant out for her arrest, and a search of her Ford sedan allegedly turned up a Social Security card and four IDs that did not belong to her. She was subsequently arrested for the warrant and misdemeanor identity theft, and was booked and released with a citation to appear.

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A 93-year-old female called CPD at 5 p.m. to report a 64-year-old homeless man was on her property on the 200 block of East Arrow Highway in violation of an existing restraining order. Cops arrived and say they found the man hiding under a bed in a backyard trailer. He was arrested for violation of a court order and resisting arrest, and for two outstanding warrants. He spent a few days in the Claremont jail before appearing in court September 29.

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29-year-old James Upshaw, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, apparently just did not want to leave the comforts of the Chevron/McDonald’s at 860 S. Indian Hill Blvd., even though the proprietor had twice called police, who’d attempted unsuccessfully to get him to move on. The third time CPD went down to deal with Mr. Upshaw, at 9:10 p.m., turned out to be the last. The proprietor asked police to press charges and he was arrested for misdemeanor trespassing, booked and released with a citation to appear.

Saturday, September 26

Police on extra patrol at the Claremont Lodge, at 736 S. Indian Hill Blvd., questioned a guest, 20-year-old West Covina resident Justice Johnson, at 4:10 p.m., and found she had two warrants for her arrest in Los Angeles. Ms. Johnson was picked up for the warrants and then released with a citation. 

Sunday, September 27

In still more Indian Hill motel action, Claremont police on patrol at 2:39 a.m. ran the plates of a 1989 Toyota pickup in the Motel 6 parking lot at 840 S. Indian Hill Blvd., and found it had been reported stolen in Pomona. They approached two people they say were walking away from the truck, Jayden Williams, 20, from Chino, and 22-year-old Anaheim resident Joaquin Gonzalez. Officers say Mr. Gonzalez had the keys to the hot truck in his pocket, along with some methamphetamine. Since the truck was not a high value vehicle, he was charged with misdemeanor grand theft auto as well as possession of a controlled substance, also a misdemeanor. Police also allegedly found meth and meth pipe on Ms. Williams, and she was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. The pair were booked at the station before being released with citations to appear in Pomona Superior Court. 

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The south Indian Hill corridor continued its fertile run of bad news when CPD responded to a 10:30 a.m. call for help at the Claremont Lodge, 736 S. Indian Hill Blvd. Turned out the 35-year-old reporting party sent a text to her friend, who was not at the motel, asking her to summon police to intervene in a verbal argument that was in progress. Her friend then sent a text with the request to 911. (Yes, you can text the police by texting 911 with your concern and your location will be automatically triangulated via cell towers and routed to the appropriate jurisdiction.) Claremont officers arrived and found the female who asked for the help in the room with Enrique Falcon, 34, from Van Nuys. A records check revealed Mr. Falcon had two warrants out for his arrest, one from Los Angeles County, the other San Bernardino County, and a search allegedly turned up some meth. He was arrested for the two warrants and the new misdemeanor drug possession charge, was booked and released with a citation.