La Cañada Crime: Expired registration sticker leads to arrest for marijuana possession
La Cañada Flintridge
March 17
Identity theft: 4300 block of Beulah Drive. A woman called police after receiving a letter from a credit company needing to verify her recent application for a card issued by a bank in Delaware. She had not applied for the card or given permission to anyone else to do so. The victim called “card services” and had the application canceled before notifying the three major credit bureaus of the incident.
March 20
Unauthorized use of access card: 5100 block of Angeles Crest Highway. A woman reported an “electronic theft of funds” from a pre-paid credit card belonging to her. On March 14, the victim called the customer service number on the card to check her balance and was informed the card had a zero balance. The customer service representative told her the balance amount had been transferred to another on March 11, but that the money could be returned after a 90-day investigation period. The card to which the funds were transferred was opened in Georgia, and the victim was referred to law enforcement. Because she did not have the card in her possession, deputies could not obtain her account number.
Vandalism to a mailbox: 300 block of Georgian Road. A woman contacted police to report that her brick mailbox had been ripped out from its foundation by an unknown person. She estimated the damage had occurred sometime between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m., and while she did not know who would have done it, she told police a few contractors had been working in the area and could have backed into it with a truck. The mailbox was ultimately found hidden among some nearby bushes.
Vandalism to a vehicle: 4300 block of La Granada Way. A man called to report that his vehicle windshield had been damaged while the car was parked across the street from his residence sometime between 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. The victim returned to the vehicle and discovered a crack across the windshield with a clear point of contact. He told police he had no idea who could have committed the crime, as he had no known enemies. No objects were found near the car, and no witnesses could be located with an appropriate line of vision.
March 21
Identity theft: 5800 block of Ocean View Boulevard. A woman reported that when she filed her 2013 taxes with an accountant on March 19, in which she’d claimed her sister as a dependent, she was informed that an unknown person had filed a tax return in her sister’s name, thereby nullifying her dependent claim. The victim, whose sister lives with her, said she had no idea who could have filed the return.
Possession of concentrated cannabis and marijuana: 4300 block of Chevy Chase Drive. While driving on Chevy Chase, an officer saw a white Toyota with a registration sticker that had expired in February and pulled over the vehicle. The 24-year-old driver identified himself but said he did not have his driver’s license with him. The officer smelled the odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and asked if there were any narcotics inside, to which the driver replied no. The driver was placed in the back of the deputy’s patrol vehicle and asked again about whether he was in possession of any drugs. This time, the driver confessed there was some marijuana inside the glove compartment and in the ashtray. Two clear plastic containers containing a green, wax like substance were found in the vehicle, along with a green leafy substance. The driver said he’d gotten the items from a friend at a party the night before, and admitted that he did not have a medical marijuana recommendation. He was arrested and booked at the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, and the narcotics were booked into evidence.
March 23
Burglary of a business: 2100 block of Foothill Boulevard. At about 10:45 a.m., a man was seen stealing a rolling sewing machine tote from a shelf at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store. He was described by the reporting party, a female employee, as being about 40 years of age, 6 feet tall and weighing approximately 230 pounds. He left the store and got into the passenger side door of a brown Chevy Astro van with chrome rims. A female was in the driver’s seat and two small children were in the back seat. The van drove west on Foothill Boulevard until it was out of sight, but the employee was able to take a photograph of the vehicle and record the license plate number, which deputies uploaded into their system. The officer was referred to the store’s loss prevention officer for surveillance footage.
Burglary of a residence: 4400 block of Hobbs Drive. At 10 p.m. a man arrived to his house, which is up for sale and being shown as open house, to discover the lights had been left on. He told police his Realtor usually shuts off all the lights before leaving. The homeowner also noticed several window shades were up and saw an earring on the floor of his bedroom by the bed. Under the bed were several empty jewelry boxes whose contents were missing: two diamond bracelets and earrings, a marcasite ring and two pearl pendants, one onyx and one white. The victim noticed an open window on the side of the residence and told police he believed this was the entry point. His Realtor said she left the property at around 6 p.m. and had turned off all the lights and locked all doors but had not checked to see if the windows were locked. She said numerous people had been in and out of the house all day and that she had “felt weird about a gentleman that was viewing the home.” The man was about 5 foot 8 inches and slim, appearing to be 40 to 45 years of age. He also had military tattoos on both arms and had asked about the home’s windows and doors. There was no video surveillance available, but fingerprints were ordered. No other witnesses were located.
La Crescenta
March 17
Vandalism to a vehicle: 5800 block of Freeman Avenue. A woman reported to deputies that, at around 10:30 p.m. the night before, her assistant witnessed a male removing the rear windshield wiper from her Toyota Scion. The assistant was alerted after hearing the victim’s dogs bark outside the house. The male suspect tore off the wiper, threw a piece of it on the ground and ran northbound on Freeman Avenue. The witness reported the suspect to be in his early 20s and wearing dark clothing, but could not give a facial description. The assistant retrieved the windshield wiper and returned it to the victim. No other witnesses could be located.
March 20
Identity theft: 2900 block of Fairway Avenue. A man reported to police that he’d received a letter on Feb. 18 stating he had an outstanding balance for an account opened in his name for three phone lines that he had no knowledge of opening. He contacted a customer service representative who told him the account had been opened under his name and social security number by a person claiming to be him. The victim was advised to file a police report so the charges could be dismissed.
March 23
Vandalism: 4400 block of La Crescenta Avenue. Police were called to First Baptist Church at La Crescenta, where the facility manager reported that unknown persons had tagged a block wall and storage container on the property. The damage was estimated to have occurred between 7 p.m. Saturday, when a work crew left the church, and 7 a.m. Sunday morning, when the manager arrived. No one suspicious was seen on the property. The tags read “Supreme,” “Stay turnt” and “Strong,” while another depicted a stick figure, according to the deputy’s notes. As the officer drove through the neighborhood, more vandalism in a similar style was located on the 4400 block of Glenwood Avenue, including yellow stick figures with accompanying expletive words and phrases, and photos were taken. The officer remembered seeing a yellow spray paint can on the ground at the church, but hadn’t thought much about it until noticing the stick figures on Glenwood. The officer retrieved that can and booked it into evidence, where it was “held for prints.” A search for witnesses was met with negative results.
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Compiled by Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com.
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