Crime Report: Vehicle burglary at LCHS

La Cañada Flintridge

Feb. 18

Attempted robbery: 2200 block of Foothill Boulevard. A woman left a nail salon, where her daughter was still being served. She carried both of their handbags to their car, opened it and tossed the purses on the front passenger seat. As she started to sit down on the driver’s seat, an Asian man in his 20s, dressed in khaki pants and a blue-collared shirt wedged himself between the door and the woman and demanded that she give him her bag. She asked “what?” and he repeated the demand. This same exchange continued several times, getting louder each time, she reported, until he threatened her, pressing a knife into her forearm as they struggled. He tried to grab one of the purses, but when its strap broke, he ran off on foot.

Vehicle burglary: 4463 Oak Grove Drive (La Cañada High School). A woman reported that as she was walking toward her brother’s car at about 7 p.m. she saw someone exiting it from the rear passenger door. At first she thought it might have been her brother. But as she got closer, she saw that the man she’d seen get out of the car, a Latino in his 20s, had gotten behind the wheel of a burgundy minivan that was parked next to it. He was accompanied by another male. The van was driven out of the lot. When her brother returned to the car she told him what she’d seen. He reported to sheriff’s deputies that he’d left his vehicle locked but that when he returned all doors were unlocked. The deputy observed pry marks near the driver’s side lock and door handle. A pair of black binoculars that had been left on the back seat was missing.

Residential burglary: 800 block Chehalem Road. A woman left her house locked and secured at 8:15 a.m. When her son returned at approximately 5 p.m. he discovered the house had been ransacked. The point of entry was a service door, where someone had shattered its window, reached inside and opened the door. Taken were a pearl necklace, an 18-karat gold necklace, a pair of amethyst earrings, an amethyst ring, several pieces of costume jewelry and two silver napkin holders.

Trespassing-interfering with a business: 2225 Foothill Blvd. (Jack in the Box restaurant). A manager reported that a man who entered the fast-food eatery at about 7 p.m. and ordered food was loudly intimidating a worker at the counter and was upsetting other customers. His food order was expedited by the manager, who then asked him to leave the premises, but he refused. When a deputy arrived on the scene he advised the manager that he could conduct a private person’s arrest for trespassing and interfering with a business and the manager did so. Arrested was Chun Hyuk, identified as a transient from Tujunga. Hyuk was then transported by the deputy to the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station where he was booked.

Feb. 19

Mail theft: 4300 block Woodleigh Lane. A woman reported that someone had removed all the mail that had been delivered to her mailbox between Feb. 12 and Feb. 16, while she was out of town. She spoke to someone at the post office, who confirmed with the carrier that mail had been delivered to the address. The victim said she typically receives eight-to-10 pieces of mail daily. She was advised to monitor her credit accounts.

Feb. 20

Vehicle burglary: 4500 block of Lasheart Drive. A man reported that his wife had left a car locked and parked in front of the house at about 3 p.m. on Feb. 19. When she returned to the car at about 11 a.m. on Feb. 20, she saw that the driver’s side door was not completely shut. Inside, she saw that items had been removed from the glove box, cup holder and a small compartment in the center console and strewn on the front passenger’s seat. The man said it did not appear that anything had been stolen. No signs of forced entry were found.

Vandalism, suspicious circumstances, possible mail theft. Alta Canyada Road at Flanders Road. A woman reported that within an hour of the usual 11 a.m. mail delivery time she discovered that someone had pried open the doors to three identical, locked mailboxes and left the doors hanging. Some mail was still in her mailbox, but she didn’t know if any was missing. A deputy visiting the scene reported that it appeared someone had used a screwdriver or other prying tool to open the boxes.

Grand theft, from vehicle: 900 block of Foothill Boulevard. A man reported that someone had stolen the tailgate and a backup camera from his Toyota Tacoma, which he’d left parked in the upper parking lot at Sport Chalet between 9:30 a.m. and noon on Feb. 19.

Vandalism: 4500 block of Lasheart Drive. A man reported that sometime between 3:30 p.m. the day before and 3:30 p.m. that day, someone pried open his locked mailbox and broke the lock. There was no mail in the box when the victim discovered the damage. A video surveillance camera was spotted at a nearby business, which was closed at the time.

Feb. 21

Vandalism: 4700 block of Lasheart Drive. A woman told deputies she was awakened by a loud crashing noise coming from the street at around 1 a.m. but, thinking nothing of it, fell back asleep. The next morning, when she went outside, she noticed her mailbox was on the ground next to an orange plastic construction cone. The box was extremely damaged, and the victim said she thought the cone may have been used to cause that damage. No witnesses could be located.

Feb. 22

Residential burglary: 300 Inverness Drive. A man taking care of a residence while the owner was away said he left the house at 1:45 p.m. that day, locking all of the doors and windows beforehand. When he returned at 2:30 p.m. and opened the front door, he heard glass shattering and two men talking in the southwest corner of the house and shouted something before running to that part of the home. When he got there, he could not see or hear anyone. An immediate search outside the home turned up nothing. A deputy noticed one of the double-paned glass windows leading from the dining room to a patio had been shattered by an unknown object. It appeared that a tool had been used to pry open the patio doors from the outside. Wood slivers and glass were all around the patio and in the dining room. A window in the bedroom at the southwest corner of the house had also been shattered, and deep pry marks were observed on the corners of the window frame. Deputies determined the suspect may have attempted to gain entry by shattering the small window in the patio door and reaching in to unlock the door. Unsuccessful in this, the suspect may have then tried to gain entry through the bedroom window. The caretaker said he didn’t know if anything had been taken, and would notify the homeowner. Fingerprints were ordered. An alarm was on the premises but was not activated at the time. No witnesses or outside video surveillance cameras could be located.

Feb. 23

Residential burglary: 1300 block of Padres Trail. A woman reported that she left her house for work at about 7:30 a.m. after first locking all the doors and windows and turning out the lights. When she returned at about 5:35 p.m. she discovered someone had shattered the double-pane glass window on the French door in her kitchen, the house had been ransacked and all the lights were on. Taken was a silver Tiffany necklace and a wood jewelry box/clock.

La Crescenta

Feb. 18

Theft of U.S. mail: 3000 block of Gertrude Avenue. A man reported that a neighbor retrieved two pieces of his mail that had been shredded and left on her lawn. He told deputies he did not know if any other pieces of his mail had been taken.

Feb. 22

Grand theft, vehicle: 4400 block Briggs Avenue. A retired Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy reported that sometime between 9 p.m. the night before and 9:30 a.m. that day, someone entered his unlocked 2006 Porsche Cheyenne while it was parked on the street in front of his house and stole two Gore-Tex jackets from the cargo area. Deputies determined the point of entry and exit to be the left gate of the cargo area. No witnesses or video surveillance cameras could be located. The report was kept in an “active” status, in case the victim’s background in law enforcement could possibly result in future crimes or thefts.

-- Sara Cardine and Carol Cormaci