Crime Report: Thieves target cars, use fraudulent IDs to get cable, gas, loans

May 25

Fraud, access card: 1700 block of Verdugo Boulevard. A woman said she received a notice in the mail from a creditor the day before regarding unpaid charges and insufficient fees incurred on April 19 and 20. Bank of America’s fraud department said their bank account number was obtained online and used at two different Circle K gas stations in Las Vegas, though she and her husband were in Arizona at the time. The victim said she last used her debit card at a Circle K station in Arizona.

May 29

Vehicle tampering: 4800 block of Tocaloma Lane. A man reported his home security camera caught an unknown male approaching his 2012 Toyota RAV4 at around 4:11 a.m. that day. The man checked his door handle and, finding it locked, left. The suspect wore a light-colored hooded sweater and had a beard.

May 30

Identity theft: 300 block of Noren Street. A man told deputies he received a letter the day before from the Department of Treasury informing him his Social Security number had been used to obtain employment. He called the IRS and was told the incident may have been a mistake and would not impact his tax account.

May 31

Identity theft, credit card: 600 block of Chatham Place. A man was alerted by American Express on May 22 that his new credit card had been compromised and a new one was on its way. A representative later told him cyber thieves had likely used an algorithm to obtain his card number. Three email alerts from Life Lock said credit inquiries were made on him regarding a loan and credit account applications. Two addresses listed in the application process included one on Flintridge Avenue and another in La Puente.

June 1

Burglary, residence: 4800 block of Revlon Drive. A woman said sometime between noon the day before and 2 p.m. that day, someone entered her grandfather’s residence, possibly from a rear door, and stole her Microsoft laptop and iPad. She’d left the equipment on the dining room table and later, while sleeping at around 10 p.m., was awakened by a backyard motion light and later heard the rear door closing. The next morning the items were missing. The grandfather said he usually leaves the rear door unlocked.

Burglary, vehicle: 2100 block of Bristow Drive. A man left his locked 2010 Hyundai Accent parked on the street at around 10:30 p.m. the day before. At 8:30 a.m. that day, his father noticed the trunk was open and woke him up. Missing from inside were several iPhones and phone chargers and accessories. Deputies observed the vehicle had been ransacked.

Grand theft, vehicle: 4700 block of Lasheart Drive. A man left his unlocked 2011 Lexus 300 parked on the street at around noon the day before. When he returned at around 2 p.m. that day, he noticed his trunk was open. The car’s glove compartment was opened and papers were scattered about. Among the items missing were three Head tennis rackets, 10 balls and a tennis bag, a bag of art supplies, $20 in cash and some grip tape. A neighbor’s Ring doorbell camera showed an unknown male with black hair looking into her vehicles on Flanders Road at around 4 a.m. before entering a white sedan that drove off southbound on Lasheart.

June 2

Grand theft: 600 block of Foothill Boulevard. A store employee was working the front counter at around 7:30 p.m. on May 24 when he saw an unknown male in a hooded camouflage jacket and dark face mask remove a case of Marlboro cigarettes from a storage cabinet underneath a nearby register. When he called out for the man to stop, the suspect ran out of the store and got into a dark Dodge pickup truck with paper plates then drove out of sight.

Identity theft: 4600 block of Alveo Road. A woman received a notice on May 18 regarding an overdue cable bill, though she didn’t have cable. Someone in Barstow had used her Social Security number to open an account.

Compiled by Sara Cardine