Crime Report: Local seniors targeted in ‘grandparent scams’

Sept 18

Commercial burglary: 600 block of Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada (T.J.Maxx store). At 8:51 p.m. four black males wearing hoodies entered the store and, wielding a bat, smashed glass counters and stole 15 high-end handbags before escaping. See news story for more details.

Sept. 19

Residential burglary: 4200 Mesa Vista Drive, La Cañada. At 8:30 p.m. a homeowner heard the sound of breaking glass, went to a guest bedroom and flipped on the light. There he found a shattered window. Video surveillance footage showed four people walking into his backyard and approaching the window. They ran away and out of view when they saw the bedroom light go on. See news story for more details.

Sept. 20

Theft by false pretenses: 3000 block of Markridge Road, La Crescenta. A woman reported she’d been scammed on Sept. 17 by someone claiming to be her grandson who said he was in need of bail money to get out of jail in Miami. As instructed, she transferred the requested funds to a Wells Fargo account number she was provided by the caller. On Sept. 20 she received a second call purportedly for the same reason. She told the caller she had no money left and hung up. She then called her grandson, who said he was in Boston and had never been to Miami.

Sept. 23

Fraud by false pretenses, elder abuse (financial): 400 block of Baptiste Way, La Cañada. A senior couple was also targeted by fraudsters with the “grandparent scam.” They believed it was their grandson on the phone telling them he was in jail in Denver and couldn’t reach his father. The grandmother was then contacted by a man who claimed to be a narcotics detective with the Denver Police Department, advising her of the amount of her grandson’s bail and telling her she needed to mail the amount in cash to a North Carolina address. She complied. Then she was contacted by another person claiming to be a public defender who told her they’d received the money she’d sent but that the judge in the case required her to wire transfer more funds to a Bank of America account. She did so. Then, on Sept. 19, she was contacted again by the bogus “public defender,” who told her the wire transfer had not gone through and now the judge was seeking more money to cover a related fine. He told her to send that money in cash via UPS overnight to an address in Georgia, which she did. On Sept. 22 the victim texted her grandson to console him. He immediately called her back and asked what she was talking about. It was at that point she realized she and her husband had been conned.

Theft by access card: 2300 block of Jayma Lane, La Crescenta. A woman reported she’d discovered someone had used her stolen Visa card to make several unauthorized purchases between Aug. 1 and Sept. 4.

Vehicle burglary: 4900 block of Palm Drive, La Cañada. Someone entered and ransacked a 2018 Jeep Wrangler that had been left locked by its owner and parked in front of her residence overnight Sept. 22 to Sept. 23. No signs of forced entry were found on the Jeep. A pair of aviator-style sunglasses was stolen.

Sept. 24

Attempted burglary: 1200 block of Homewood Lane, La Cañada. A woman whose home was burglarized once before in recent weeks said she was awakened at 1:45 a.m. Sept. 24 to a thumping noise. She then heard two males speaking to one another, and she believes they are the same men who targeted her property before. She reported that this time they unsuccessfully tried to open a side door before leaving.

Compiled from reports on file at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station.

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