Police Blotter 5.24.13
Thursday, May 16
Too much sushi and booze inhibited a minor’s slick getaway plan Thursday night. An officer was undercover at Sushi Cruise, 962 Foothill Blvd., when he spotted 2 customers who appeared to be drinking underage. Instead of turning over his driver’s license, one of the minors decided to make a run for it, according to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek. He didn’t make it very far and was arrested for resisting an officer, as well as the underage drinking offense. The other, learning from his friend’s example, surrendered to the officer, only receiving a citation. The owner of Sushi Cruise was also cited for selling alcohol to minors.
Friday, May 17
The Claremont Packing House was targeted in an early Friday morning burglary. Around 4 a.m., an ATM machine was stolen from the Packing House lobby adjacent to the Hip Kitty, according to police. While no suspects have been found, parts of the machine have been located and will be dusted for prints, according to Lt. Ciszek. Investigation is ongoing.
Saturday, May 18
A little soap and water wouldn’t have been enough to hide the evidence stacked against 42-year-old Sonya Vest of Chino. Ms. Vest was caught at the car wash near Towne and Foothill on Saturday afternoon in possession of a stolen vehicle. The stolen car ended up being only one of several problems for Ms. Vest. Inside the stolen car were a series of stolen paperwork and fraudulent checks. Ms. Vest was arrested. The vehicle was taken away without the car wash.
Sunday, May 19
Anthony Herrera, 21, of Pomona was spotted embracing his father in the 400 block of South Indian Hill, but it wasn’t the bear hug it sounds like. Mr. Herrera’s father claims he was trying to calm down his son after he started acting up, according to Lt. Ciszek. The father’s attempt ended with the pair in a wrestling match. When officers arrived, the younger Mr. Herrera allegedly began cursing and yelling, all while staggering and stumbling around. He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.
****
Restricted parking on Via Santa Catarina wasn’t the only reason for questioning a suspicious car parked early Sunday morning. The car had 2 wheels up on the curb and its driver, 28-year-old James Trujillo of Rancho Cucamonga, was fast asleep in the front seat. Mr. Trujillo continued slumber behind bars, arrested for driving under the influence.
****
The Boy Scouts of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 1700 N. Towne Ave., will need to find some new camping gear before heading out into the wilderness this summer. Sometime between May 14 and May 19, a padlock for a storage container on the southeast side of the church was broken and the container ransacked, according to Lt. Ciszek. The boy scouts’ tent and Dutch oven were carted off. There are no suspects.
Tuesday, May 2
Beware of burglars with swords. Four shiny steel swords, 36-inch and 20-inch in length, were carted away from the Sekai Academy, 859 W. Foothill Boulevard, in the city of Claremont’s latest smash-and-grab burglary.
Suspects entered the business sometime between Monday, May 20 at 8 p.m. and 11:30 a.m. the following day by smashing a front glass window with a rock. A duffle bag with karate equipment was taken away along with the steel swords. There is no suspect information at this time. Any information regarding this crime should be reported to the Claremont Police Department at 399-5411.
****
The circumstances may have been strange, but a local landscaper who fell prey to theft Tuesday morning can at least be happy with the outcome. The landscaper was hard at work in the 2700 block of Westfield Place on Tuesday morning when he noticed his truck was missing. While the truck was recovered several streets down, the landscaper was not so lucky with his gardening tools, all of which had been taken out of the back of his truck. Through follow-up investigation, police were able to locate a suspect. The suspect was contacted but claimed the theft was actually the handiwork of a roommate, so police temporarily left the residence, according to Lt. Ciszek. Coincidentally, the landscaper’s gardening tools were found left in the yard of the Westfield Place residence the next day.
—Beth Hartnett
news@claremont-courier.com