Crime Report: Couple steal cellphones from La Cañada store in 4-minute spree

March 25

Vehicle burglary: 4500 block of Lasheart Drive, La Cañada. A man reported that his 2016 Audi SUV, which had been left locked and parked in front of his house overnight, had been ransacked. Sunglasses and an iPhone charger were taken. A neighbor’s surveillance footage shows a vehicle being driven along Lasheart at 2:26 a.m. on March 24 and the Audi’s lights flashing on when the car passes by. The footage then shows a person returning on foot two minutes later, opening the SUV and ransacking it before leaving on foot. The suspect is described as “tall and light-skinned.”

March 27

Identity theft: 1000 block of Fairview Avenue, La Cañada. A woman reported learning from a check of her credit report that between March 16 and 17 someone had used her personal identification to submit several fraudulent credit applications in her name.

Grand theft and vandalism: 800 block of Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada. A man and a woman entered a cellphone store together at 2:49 p.m. and took off four minutes later with several phones they’d cut from display using wire cutters. They were both described as black, in their 20s, and wearing hoodies. The man, who had a beard, was 6 feet tall and about 195 pounds. The woman was described as 5 foot 5 and 185 pounds. Witnesses at neighboring businesses saw the couple get out of an older black Mercedes with paper plates that was parked on the south side of Foothill. They then crossed the busy street, almost getting hit by passing cars and entered the cellphone store. They were then seen leaving the store, returning to the Mercedes and traveling eastbound on Foothill Boulevard and out of view.

Unauthorized use of access card, elder abuse and petty theft: 400 block of Foothill Boulevard, La Cañada. A woman said that at about 12:15 on March 24 she was shopping when someone stole her wallet containing her driver’s license, three credit cards, a debit card and cash. She recalled that while she was shopping, a woman she described as possibly Filipino, 30- to 40-years old, 5 foot 3, average build and having a thick accent, followed her “extremely” closely, asking questions about various products. The victim believes that woman likely stole her wallet. She later learned her credit cards had been used to make purchases in La Cañada Flintridge, San Fernando and Montrose.

Identity theft: 1200 block of Homewood Lane, La Cañada. After noticing a recurring payment on an internet account that was not familiar to her, a woman investigated to discover that someone had opened the account in her name on Aug. 22, 2018. The victim says she does not believe she opened it, nor did she given anyone else permission to do so.

March 28

Petty theft: 3100 block of Orange Ave., La Crescenta. Someone stole an Amazon package from a man’s front porch after it was delivered at 11:15 a.m. March 23. He first realized it had been taken a day later, when a neighbor showed him the empty box, which was found in the neighbor’s trash can. Pet supplies and a men’s watchcap beanie were in the shipment.

Identity theft: 2700 block of Los Olivos Lane, La Crescenta. A man, who thought he’d misplaced his credit card around his home last fall discovered someone had used it repeatedly between Nov. 20 and Feb. 26, racking up charges. He was advised to file a police report.

Petty theft: 2600 block of Foothill Boulevard, La Crescenta. Three suspects walked out of a store just before 5 p.m. without paying for several items they’d collected from shelves, including some stuffed animals. All were described as being in their 30s. One was a Latino, 5 foot 8 and about 220 pounds, with a tattoo on his left forearm and the other two were Latinas, both about 5 foot 8 and 180 pounds.

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