POLICE BLOTTER: Fraud and Assault

For the period of Dec. 11-17, the responded to 870 calls for service, 111 of which required formal investigations. The following is a summary report of the major incidents handled by the Department during this period.

Dec. 11:

At about 10:57 a.m., an officer responded to at the regarding a theft report. A woman was seen carrying numerous articles of clothing, along with an empty Macy’s shopping bag into a fitting room. She exited the fitting room carrying a full Macy’s shopping bag and empty hangers, and left the store without paying. Police arrested the 27-year-old woman and transported her to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

At approximately 8:03 p.m., an officer responded to the 100 block of West Live Oak Avenue regarding a man hiding behind some bushes. An officer spoke with the man and noticed an odor of alcohol emitting from him. The officer arrested the 39-year-old man on suspicion of drunk in public and transported him to the Arcadia City Jail without incident.

Dec. 12:

Shortly after 2:30 p.m., an officer responded to the 1000 block of Highland Oaks Drive regarding a suspicious circumstances report. The reporting party explained a white man in his late 20’s, about 5-fee-5-inches tall, 165 pounds, wearing a brown beanie and unknown color jacket and jeans, approached her front door and told her that her roof had a leak. The man stated he represented “Five Star Roofing” and asked if he could come inside. The man stated he did not have any business cards available and asked the resident if she could provide him a pen so that he could write down his information. The resident refused to open the door. She noticed a second man, white, in his late 30’s, about 5-feet-10-inches tall, with a thin build, wearing a beanie, green shirt, and blue jeans, standing by a white pick-up truck parked in front of her house. The men were last seen driving northbound on Highland Oaks Avenue. Officers checked the area but did not find the suspects.

Around 4:21 p.m., an officer responded to the 000 block of West Lemon Avenue regarding a residential burglary report. The victim returned home after running errands and noticed his front door was open. Unknown suspect(s) smashed a rear sliding glass window that led into the kitchen, ransacked the home and fled undetected. Several items were reported missing.

Dec. 13:

At about 7:49 a.m., officers were dispatched to the 200 block of East Haven Avenue regarding a fire assist. Upon arrival, officers noticed black smoke coming from the vents and made several calls inside the house to no avail. The responded to the scene and forced entry. The fire was safely extinguished, however . An investigation revealed the resident left some candles burning inside the house.

At approximately 12:04 p.m., an officer responded to the 900 block of Balboa Drive regarding a stolen vehicle. The victim, a gardener, was doing yard work at a customer’s house. He left his grey Nissan pickup truck parked to the front of the house with the keys inside.  When the victim returned to the front yard, he noticed his truck was missing and observed an unoccupied black Nissan pickup truck still running in the middle of the street. An investigation revealed an unknown suspect abandoned a vehicle stolen out of Los Angeles, took the victim’s vehicle, and fled the area.

Dec. 14:

Shortly after 6:50 p.m., an officer responded to the 600 block of West Duarte Road regarding a theft report. The victim explained he accidentally left his debit card in the ATM at at 627 West Duarte Road. A short time later, the victim returned to the ATM but could not locate his card. He discovered a fraudulent withdrawal from his account. A follow-up investigation is being conducted by the Detective Bureau to determine if the suspect was caught on the ATM’s video surveillance.

Between 5:50 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., a Cadillac Escalade was burglarized in the parking lot of the Santa Anita Mall. Unknown suspect(s) entered the vehicle by an unknown means, took the GPS unit and third row seat and fled undetected. No forced entry was found.

Dec. 15:

Shortly after 12:40 p.m., an officer responded to the Arcadia Police Department front counter in regards to an identity theft investigation. The victim explained he discovered numerous unauthorized charges and cash advances on his Discover and Chase credit cards. He learned that someone in Texas was added to both accounts and subsequently issued new access cards. The victim did not authorize the new user.

Around 5:52 p.m., an officer responded to at the Santa Anita Mall in reference to a woman in custody for theft. The 47-year-old suspect left the store without paying for two bottles of perfume, which she concealed in her purse and a used shopping bag. She was transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.

Dec. 16:

At about 1:45 a.m., officers responded to the Santa Anita Mall regarding a fight in progress. A large group of men were loitering in the parking lot. When mall security asked them to leave, one of the men punched a security officer in the face while another man struck a security officer in the head with his elbow. An 18-year-old and 25-year-old in the group were arrested and transported to the Arcadia City Jail without incident. 

Around 11:18 p.m., an officer conducted an enforcement stop on a vehicle for speeding and lane swerving eastbound on Las Tunas Drive at Baldwin Avenue. Upon contact, the officer noticed an odor of alcohol emitting from the driver’s breath and person. The officer determined the driver was under the influence of alcohol. The officer arrested the 38-year-old driver on suspicion of DUI with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.08 percent.

Dec. 17:

Shortly after 7:50 a.m., an officer was dispatched to the 400 block of Fairview Avenue in reference to a residential burglary investigation. On white man in his 30’s, wearing grey pants and a grey jacket, knocked on the victim’s door, claiming he was from the “Water Department” and needed to check her water for possible contaminants. The suspect was let into the home, at which time he explained he needed to check all the faucets and proceeded upstairs while the victim stayed downstairs. A short time later, the suspect came back downstairs and said the water was safe. After the suspect left the residence, the victim walked into her bedroom and noticed her drawers had been ransacked. Jewelry and cash were reported missing.

At approximately 6:17 a.m., an officer responded to at the Santa Anita Mall, 400 South Baldwin Avenue, in regards to a theft report. Two men were seen concealing merchandise in a used shopping bag and left the store without making payment. The men, aged 21 and 22-years-old, were arrested for Petty Theft and transported to the Arcadia City Jail for booking.