Police blotter 6.28.13

Police catch up with man wanted for 5 murder attempts

On Wednesday, June 19, Claremont police and other agencies came to the aid of Pomona officers to assist in the arrest of a man wanted for the attempted murder of 5 people, including a 2-month-old baby.

Salvador Luna, 35, of Pomona was on parole through the prison realignment program during the time of the alleged incident. Police state that Mr. Luna had shot at an occupied vehicle near Kingsley and Karesh Avenues in Pomona. Nobody was injured. Though Mr. Luna attempted to flee the scene, police caught up with him near the scene of the initial incident. He is currently being held for $5 million bail.

Thursday, June 20

Alex Padilla, 25, returned home Thursday morning, or at least returned to someone’s home in the 1500 block of Briarcroft Road. As it turns out, it wasn’t actually his residence—the Claremont resident decided to walk through the front door of a random house, according to Lieutenant Mike Ciszek. He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly.

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More than $1500 worth of property was stolen over a several-day burglary spree at the Golden State Water facility on the 2100 block of North Indian Hill Boulevard. Crooks snuck onto the property on June 15 and returned on June 16 and 17 to cart off fire hydrants and a gallon of gas, according to police. There are no known suspects.

Friday, June 21

Leaving front and back doors unlocked was a costly mistake for a homeowner in the 1400 block of North Mills. A thief took advantage of the open access and made off with an estimated $4700 of jewelry.

Saturday, June 22

Police were called to the 5000 block of Colby Drive on Thursday afternoon after a neighbor was overheard threatening to kill somebody. Police contacted the man, but found he was home alone.

After an evaluation by police, it was decided that the man be taken to a local hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Monday, June 24

Driver’s training would have come in handy for 26-year-old Armando Sanchez of Claremont, who is responsible for rear-ending another vehicle with his car near Base Line and Towne on Monday afternoon. It wasn’t the first of such scenarios for Mr. Sanchez, who was found to have 2 outstanding warrants: one for hit-and-run, the other for driving unlicensed. He was still unlicensed as of Monday. Mr. Sanchez was arrested and held at the Claremont jail.

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A crook made off with a slew of power tools located in a resident’s unlocked detached garage in the 400 block of Elder Drive. The stolen tools are worth an estimated $3000.

Tuesday, June 2

Employees of the Visiting Nurses Association, 150 W. First St., received a particularly unpleasant wakeup call on Tuesday morning, courtesy of a loud fight right outside their building. A male and female, claiming to have been in a 3-month relationship, were bickering outside their car when the argument suddenly escalated. The 32-year-old male was seen grabbing his girlfriend by the neck and shoving her into the side of his car. He had been reportedly attempting to take away her phone so she wouldn’t contact the police. They were contacted regardless. The man was arrested for battery and for preventing a 911 call.

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A car parked in the 200 block of Cucamonga Avenue on Tuesday ended up being a gold mine for an unknown auto burglar.

The thief, using burglary tools to enter the vehicle, gained access to $2800 worth of loot, including culinary knives, golf clubs, gift cards, a car stereo and iPod headphones.  

—Beth Hartnett

news@claremont-courier.com