Crime & Safety

Crime Blotter: Two Similar Distraction Burglaries, Landscaper Tools Stolen

In two similar cases a 30 to 40 year old man managed to get residents to lead him into their backyards while a partner burglarized their homes.

Information provided by the Arcadia Police Department

For the period of Sunday, August 18th, through Saturday, August 24th, the Police Department responded to 963 calls for service of which 123 required formal investigations. The following is a summary report of the major incidents handled by the Department during this period.

Sunday, August 18:
1. At approximately 12:10 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 400 block of Camino Real Avenue in regards to a residential burglary report. Unknown suspect(s) entered the residence and stole cash and jewelry while the victim was distracted by another suspect who led her to the backyard to discuss "free tree trimming services." After twenty-minutes, the victim declined the service and the suspect left the location in an unknown black two-door vehicle.
The suspect is described as a White male with dark complexion, 30 to 40-years-old, 5' 8' in tall, 170 lbs., clean shaven with brown hair, wearing an unknown-colored t-shirt, dark-colored pants, and a dark-colored baseball hat. 

2. Just before 10:00 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Huntington Drive and Baldwin Avenue for expired registration. The 26-year-old male driver explained he was unable to register his vehicle because it needed a smog check. He became upset and refused to sign the citation. He was ultimately arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 

Monday, August 19:
3. Around 1:36 p.m., an officer responded to the Girl Scouts Service Center, 101 East Wheeler Avenue, in reference to a theft investigation. The reporting party discovered a Girl Scout Leader used proceeds from the annual cookie sale to make several unauthorized charges using the troop's credit card account. At the time of the report, the suspect had already resigned from her position. Further investigation is being conducted by the Detective Bureau. 

4. Around 7:48 p.m., an officer was dispatched to In-N-Out, 420 North Santa Anita Avenue, in regards to a disturbance. A male subject was intoxicated and refused to leave the location. The officer determined the 37-year-old was unable to care for himself. He was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.  

Tuesday, August 20:
5. At about 9:31 a.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 200 block of East Magna Vista Avenue regarding a stolen vehicle report. An unknown suspect(s) stole the gardener's pickup truck from the front of the location and abandoned it in the 500 block of Leda Lane. Various tools were reported missing and no evidence was located.  

6. Around 12:38 p.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for expired registration on Workman Avenue, west of Baldwin Avenue. The officer noticed the vehicle's license plate had a 2013 year sticker though its registration expired in 2011. The 58-year-old Hispanic male was cited and released in the field for displaying a false registration sticker. His vehicle was left legally parked.
  
Wednesday, August 21:
7. Just after midnight, an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for driving on the wrong side of the roadway on Baldwin Avenue at Huntington Drive. The officer discovered the 21-year-old male driver was under the influence with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08 percent. He was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 

8. Around 9:43 a.m., an officer responded to the Arcadia Police Department front counter in reference to an identity theft report. The victim checked her credit report and discovered twenty-one credit card accounts had been opened using her name and social security number. She advised that her purse was stolen in 2005, and believed multiple people were still in possession of her personal information. 

Thursday, August 22:  
9. At about 2:00 a.m., an officer discovered two subjects sleeping inside a vehicle parked in the strip mall parking lot of 411 East Huntington Drive. An investigation revealed the 44-year-old male passenger was in possession of two plastic daggers and was on probation for domestic violence. He was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 

10. At approximately 1:52 p.m., an officer was dispatched to a residence in the 1800 block of El Vista Circle regarding a burglary report. The victim returned home and discovered unknown suspect(s) forced entry through a window, ransacked the entire location, and fled with jewelry and various personal documents. No witnesses or latent fingerprints were located. 

Friday, August 23: 
11. Just after 10:50 a.m., an officer responded to a residence in the 100 block of East Sycamore Avenue regarding a burglary investigation. The victim explained that on August 15th a male subject knocked on her front door and requested to show her something in her backyard. The victim let the suspect in the front door and led him to the backyard where he carried on a conversation for twenty minutes. At one point, the suspect excused himself to call another person on his cell phone. After the suspect left the location, the victim discovered multiple rooms had been ransacked and several items of jewelry were missing. 
The suspect is described as either White or Hispanic, 30 to 40-years-old, 5' 7 in tall, medium build, wearing a white hard hat and a bright yellow-colored construction vest. 

12. At about 8:03 a.m., an officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the area of Baldwin Avenue and Huntington Drive for tinted windows. The officer discovered the driver was never issued a license. The 42-year-old male was cited, released in the field, and his vehicle was left legally parked. 

Saturday, August 24:
13. Just after 2:49 a.m., officers responded to Arcadia Methodist Hospital, 300 West Huntington Drive, in regards to a male subject causing a disturbance. Officers located the subject in the area of Huntington Drive and Centennial Way, and discovered he was under the influence. The 29-year-old male was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 

14. At approximately 3:11 p.m., an officer responded to JCPenney at the Santa Anita Mall, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, in regards to a theft report. A 70-year-old  female concealed merchandise inside a used shopping bag and exited the store without making payment. A records check revealed she had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant. She was arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking. 


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Arcadia