Crime Report: Security spots woman ‘returning’ new items for in-store credit

La Cañada Flintridge

June 23

Shoplifting: HomeGoods, 935 Foothill Blvd. On the evening of June 10, a woman walked into the store carrying empty bags, headed to the bedding department, picked up two items, took them to the cash register and said she was returning them without a receipt. She was given a store credit in the form of a gift card by the clerk.

A suspicious store loss prevention officer on June 15 reviewed surveillance tape that allegedly shows the woman taking the items off the shelf and then accepting the gift card for the “return.” The store said the suspect is known in the company for the same manner of shoplifting at other locations, and she has given different names and home addresses when making the fraudulent returns.

June 24

Burglary: 400 block of Starlight Crest Drive. A couple reported that after they retired for the evening at 10 p.m. on June 23, someone smashed a sliding glass door, entered their home and took a gold money clip holding an unspecified amount of currency that had been left on a desk in a spare bedroom.

The female residing there said that when she awoke at 6:30 a.m. she noticed the smashed door, and at first thought a bird might have struck it. But then she noticed her boyfriend’s wallet sitting inside a sink in the bathroom leading to the spare bedroom. Her boyfriend told responding deputies he remembered leaving both his wallet and his money clip on the desk before going to sleep that night. Nothing else was determined to have been stolen during the break-in.

June 25

Burglary, 700 block of Craig Avenue. A woman reported that she and her son left their home locked at 8:50 a.m. When they returned about an hour later, they found the front door unlocked and the house ransacked.

Three fine jewelry necklaces, one bracelet, a pair of diamond earrings, three ATM cards and the victim’s driver’s license were immediately identified as having been taken, pending a more thorough inventory by the victim.

Responding deputies found a piece of a window and some glass in one of the home’s bathrooms. Investigating outdoors, they saw that the bathroom window had been pried off its tracks and thrown on the ground. Beneath the window were a lounge chair and a rug, the latter of which did not belong to the victims, and two pieces of jewelry.

June 26

Vehicle burglary: Crescenta-Cañada Family YMCA, 1930 Foothill Blvd. A man reported that someone broke into his Volkswagen Jetta sometime between 7:30 and 8:50 p.m. and stole an iPad.

The front passenger window had been smashed to gain entry. While the victim was filing his report with officials, he said that the iPad was on and could be traced by his cellphone. It indicated the iPad was in the 1400 block of Curran Street. Deputies went to that street, found the iPad in a trash can there and returned it to the victim.

La Crescenta/Montrose

June 22

Attempted burglary: 2400 block of Altura Ave. Between 12:50 p.m. A victim told deputies that a black male jumped over a brick wall into his yard and tried to enter his home. The victim said his wife and child had just left the house when he heard the doorbell ring. He looked out the window and saw the front end of a silver vehicle parked behind the property’s brick wall. He walked over and opened the front door. A black male, about 20 years old, was standing on the front porch. When the resident asked the man what he was doing there, the suspect replied he was there to pick up “Cynthia” for a party.

When the victim said there was no person by that name living there, the suspect asked him to open the driveway gate so he could get out, as the property is only accessible by the driveway gate and a front walk gate, both of which were locked. When the resident used a remote control to open the driveway gate, the suspect walked through it, got into the waiting silver car, described as a BMW sport utility vehicle, and was driven away.

June 23

Petty theft: 3000 block of Markridge Road. A man reported that a Sony PS4 video game system that he had ordered from Best Buy was taken from his front porch after having been delivered by UPS. Video surveillance showed a white male, between 20 to 24, approaching the house, removing the contents of a larger carton and putting them into a bag he had with him.

June 24

Petty theft: 2900 block of Stevens Street. A man reported that sometime between 8:30 p.m. June 23 and 6:30 a.m. June 24, someone stole a catalytic converter from his 2000 Honda Accord. He recalled that at about 2:15 a.m. he’d heard a grinding or sawing noise coming from outside. He looked out a window and saw a white sedan driving away in front of his home.

Petty theft: 3100 block of Stevens Street. A man reported that sometime between 8:30 p.m. June 23 and 8:30 a.m. June 24, someone stole the catalytic converter from his 2005 Toyota Corolla. The victim did not see or hear anything related to the crime.

Burglary attempt: 2400 block of Janet Lee Drive. between 1 and 1:21 p.m. A woman reported that her home burglary sounded when someone removed a screen from her son’s bedroom window by poking a hole and bending a latch. She believes the alarm scared off the burglar(s), as nothing was taken from the home.

Petty theft: 2800 block of Stevens Street. A woman said sometime between 9 p.m. June 23 and 10:30 a.m. June 24 someone stole a catalytic converter from her 2004 Toyota Camry.

June 26

Grand theft: 2700 block of El Caminito. A man reported that sometime between 3 p.m. June 25 and 6 p.m. June 26 someone stole two catalytic converters from his 2005 Toyota Camry.