Police blotter 9.27.13

Still unknown if 3 Claremont burglaries are related

On Wednesday, September 18, as Claremont residents hustled to work, burglars made a sweep of 3 local homes. A home in the 2100 block of Oxford Avenue was the first target, broken into around 10 a.m. while an elderly man was home. The victim described the burglar as a white or Hispanic male about 20-30 years old with brown hair.

Another home was broken into between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the 2200 block of Indian Hill Boulevard. A third home, located in the 100 block of Avila Way, was burglarized between 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. It is unknown if these burglaries are related. There is no suspect description for the Indian Hill or Avila Way incidents. Any information on these crimes should be reported to the Claremont Police Department at 399-5411.

 

Thursday, September 19

The Claremont Forum was targeted for the second time this month, with both incidents occuring within a week of each other. Burglars entered the Packing House nonprofit on September 14 through the west-end doors, facing the entrance to the parking garage, and made off with more than $100 in cash and coins. Thieves attempted to repeat their success on Thursday, but without luck. Employees arrived at the store around 1:30 p.m. to find both rear door handles removed in the thieves’ attempt to pry open the doors. However, they were unable to gain entry to the business. There are no suspects in either incident.

 

Friday, September 20

A Claremont car burglary has some people out of their seats. The owner of a gray Chevrolet Suburban returned to the vehicle, parked at the Claremont Unified School District office, to find an unknown burglar had punched out the keyhole of the SUV and taken off with the Suburban’s third-row bench seat. There are no suspects.

 

Saturday, September 21

A dinner date turned into an unexpected dinner party at Norms on Saturday night. A couple was enjoying a night out on the town when 29-year-old Richard Rodriguez of West Covina decided to join in on the fun. The couple wasn’t amused with their unexpected company. Police arrived to escort Mr. Rodriguez, determined to be drunk and disorderly, to his own night out in the Claremont jail.

 

Sunday, September 22

It wasn’t too difficult for police to track down the man responsible for attempting to break into a home in the 500 block of Clark Avenue on Sunday morning. A perfect shoeprint found in the mud outside his point-of-entry was enough for the police to identify a 17-year-old boy, already on juvenile probation, in connection with the crime. He was transported to Los Padrinos juvenile detention center.

 

Monday, September 23

Several residents and hikers have voiced their frustration over the recent strict parking enforcement at the Claremont Hills Wilderness Park. A few people, however, decided to take out their irritation in a more expressive way by attacking an inanimate object. Three men were caught on video kicking and punching the Wilderness Park kiosk, knocking it back into a planter and causing $2500 in damages. Follow-up investigation is being conducted.

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There may be some truth to locals’ concerns over the safety of the bustling Sprouts Shopping Center. A bicyclist was left in the dust on Monday afternoon after being struck by a gray Jeep near the southwest corner of the shopping center. The biker was pedaling down Mountain when the jeep exited the north alley near Kindred Spirits and collided with the cyclist, according to Lt. Mike Ciszek. The driver initially exited the vehicle before speeding off without leaving any contact information. Officers arrived and transported the bicyclist to Pomona Valley Hospital.

 

Tuesday, September 24

A drive down Mt. Baldy Road led to a fatal fall on Tuesday night just outside of Claremont. Around 11:30 p.m. near Shinn Road in Mt. Baldy, a Toyota veered to the left of the roadway, colliding with a retaining wall and light pole before falling 150 feet over the side of Mt. Baldy Road, according to the California Highway Patrol. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no passengers. The cause of the crash is under investigation. 

 

Thursday, September 26

Burglars, after an initial failed attempt to break into the MW Smoke Shop in Peppertree Square earlier this month, were able to successfully gain entry into the Smoke Shop located at 444 Auto Center Drive early Thursday. Police arrived to the shop around 2:30 a.m. to check an alarm activation. The front window of the store was found smashed in and the security screen pried off. An undisclosed amount of cash and cigarettes were stolen. Any information on this crime should be reported to the Claremont police at 399-5411. 

—Beth Hartnett

news@claremont-courier.com

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