Protective dog chases burglar from Pasadena home

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Brian Day

A protective dog chased a burglar from its owner’s home and into the arms of police in Pasadena late Friday, authorities said.
The break-in occurred about 9:40 p.m. at a house in the 700 block of South El Molino Avenue, according to Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe.
A woman was awakened by the sound of her dog barking, the lieutenant said. A burglar had made his way into the home through an unlocked front door.
“The victim saw the suspect walk in, but then the dog scared off the suspect,” Grisafe said.
Responding officers found and arrested a suspect nearby, he said.
A 22-year-old Pasadena man was booked on suspicion of burglary, according to Pasadena police and Los Angeles County booking records. He was being held in olieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.

UPDATED: ‘Yu-Gi-Oh’ trading card leads to arrest of Covina burglary suspect in Pomona

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Brian Day

A suspect in a Covina burglary was arrested in Pomona Thursday after the victim spotted one of the items stolen from her home — a rare card from the collectible trading card game Yu-Gi-Oh which she designed — for sale online, authorities said.
Officers carried out a search warrant at around 10 a.m. at a home in the 500 block of East Pasadena Street in Pomona. They arrested Jennifer Gomez, 23, of Pomona, on suspicion of burglary and receiving stolen property, according to Covina police officials and Los Angeles County booking records.
Gomez was taken into custody without a struggle, Covina police Lt. Ric Walczak said.
The burglary was first discovered on Oct. 25, 2016, when the victim returned home from a vacation and found her apartment in the 1100 block of N. Conwell Avenue had been broken into, according to the lieutenant.
Jewelry and various valuables were stolen from the apartment, including a rare, autographed, framed trading card from the popular Japanese card came Yu-Gi-Oh, Walczak said. The card, described as a “Gagaga Cowboy”card, is valued at about $500.
But the sentimental value attached to the cars was invaluable, Covina police Detective Ivan Ostarcevic said. The victim, a successful artist and graphic designer, had personally designed the card.
“Our victim is actually the person who designed the card. She drew it,” the detective said.
The card was autographed by voice actor Steve Blum, who voiced a character on a Yu-Gi-Oh television series, Ostarcevic explained.\
A break in the case arose recently when the victim spotted the rare collectible card listed for sale on the online marketplace, OfferUp, Walczak said.
“Detectives were able to establish that the seller of the stolen property had been a neighbor of the victim at the time of the crime,” police said in a written statement.
Investigators went to the suspect’s home in Pomona on Thursday, armed with a search warrant.
“Items stolen during the burglary were recovered during the search warrant service included jewelry and (the) trading card,” according to the statement.
Of an estimated $4,000 worth of goods stolen in the October break-in, police recovered about $1,000 worth of items from suspect’s home, Walczak said. The remainder of the victim’s property remained unaccounted for.
Adding insult to injury, the victim had shown significant generosity to the alleged burglar, Ostarcevic said.
When she moved out of state, in part because of the break-in, she gifted her neighbors about $1,000 worth of housewares, such as bedding and plates, the detective said.
Months later, she would learn the same neighbors were allegedly responsible for the burglary.
Gomez was being held in on $50,000 bail pending her initial court appearance, scheduled Tuesday in the West Covina branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

PHOTOS: [ABOVE] Covina police recovered jewelry and a valuable “Yu-Gi-Oh” trading card stolen from a Covina home while carrying out a search warrant in Pomona on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2017. A woman was arrested on suspicion of burglary and receiving stolen property. (Courtesy, Covina Police Department) [BELOW] Jennifer Gomez, 23, of Pomona. (Courtesy, Covina Police Department)

Mother awakens to find burglar at her bedside in Pasadena

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Brian Day

PASADENA >> A Pasadena woman asleep at home with her children awoke to find a burglar inside her bedroom on Saturday night, police said.
The break-in was reported about 10:30 p.m. at a home in the 500 block of North Rosemead Boulevard, Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe said.
A woman in her early-40s as asleep in bed when she was awakened by some noises, he said.
“She got up to check on her children, at which point a suspect stood up from the ground at her bedside and ran out of the room,” the lieutenant said.
The woman did not get a clear view of the intruder, according to Grisafe. Several items were found to have been stolen from the home after the burglar fled.
Neither the woman nor her children were hurt during the burglary.
Anyone with information can reach Pasadena police at 626-744-4241. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Police: Pasadena woman finds burglar asleep on floor of her home

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Brian Day

PASADENA >> A Pasadena woman awoke to find a burglar asleep on the floor of her home after breaking in, rummaging through the house and making himself a sandwich early Saturday, police said.
The burglary was reported just after 6:30 a.m. in the 300 block of South Grand Avenue, Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe said.
An intruder made his way into the home through an unsecured door and rummaged through several rooms, he said.
But the man apparently developed an appetite while in the midst of the break-in.
“He decided to make himself a sandwich,” according to the lieutenant.
A woman who lives at the home awoke to find the burglar asleep on the floor, Grisafe said.
She called police, who took responded and took him into custody without a struggle.
Marvin Donnerson, 51, was booked on suspicion of burglary, according to Pasadena police officials and Los Angeles County booking records.
Donnerson, who has an extensive arrest record in Los Angeles County dating back at least three decades, was being held without bail due to a hold placed on him by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, records show.
He was scheduled to make an appearance Tuesday in the Pasadena branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Mother and child lock selves in bathroom during San Dimas break-in; 2 suspects jailed

Posted on July 22, 2017 by Brian Day

SAN DIMAS >> Deputies jailed two men who they say broke into a San Dimas home as a woman and her 6-year-old daughter his in an upstairs bedroom on Friday afternoon.
The woman first called 911 about 1:15 p.m. to report hearing someone inside her home in the 1000 block of Avenida Lomita, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
“She also saw two male adults, unknown to her, trying to open the back door to her home,” according to the statement.
The woman grabbed her 6-year-old daughter and locked herself and the girl in the home’s upstairs master bedroom, Lt. Thomas Reid said. Then the mother locked herself and her child inside the bathroom within the master bedroom and called 911.
“The victim remained on the telephone with a sheriff’s 911 operator and provided updates as to the suspect’s location inside the house,” the statement said.
“The victim could hear the suspects walking up the stairs and forcing open doors, and sounds of rooms being ransacked.”
Reid said the intruders forced their way into the master bedroom, and even tried to open the door of the bathroom where the mother and daughter were hiding, but did not get through the final door separating them from the victims.
Despite the intruders inside her home, the mother was “nervous, but calm and in control” as she relayed information to the dispatcher, Reid said. “It was a big help.”
Deputies arrived an surrounded the home, with a helicopter keeping watch from above.
Two men heeded deputies orders to exit the home and were taken into custody without a struggle, Reid said.
“One suspect had in his possession a bag containing items stolen from the house, including jewelry, clothing and small electronics,” the statement said.
Investigators determined the men had broken into the home by forcing open a rear window, officials said. A rental car believed to have been used by the suspects was found parked nearby.
The names the suspects provided to deputies were determined to be false, Reid said. Officials were still working to confirm the mens’ true identities on Friday evening.
Anyone with information can reach the sheriff’s San Dimas Station at 909-450-2700. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Have you seen these burglars? Burglary crew caught on camera breaking into Irwindale seafood restaurant

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Brian Day

IRWINDALE >> Police are seeking a crew of robbers caught on video smashing their way into an Irwindale seafood restaurant early Thursday before making off with two safes and a cash register, officials said.
The break-in involved “as many as six suspects” and took place about 2:50 a.m. at Mariscos Uruapan, 16034 Arrow Highway, Irwindale police officials said in a written statement.
“The suspects made entry to the location by smashing the front glass,” according to the statement. “Once inside the restaurant, the suspects stole two safes containing an unknown amount of cash. The suspects then fled the location in two separate vehicles.
The burglary was over in a matter of minutes, Sgt. Rudy Gatto said. “They were in and out really fast.”
He said the burglars first forced their way into a separate nearby storefront also owned by the restaurant and used for overflow storage. They then turned their attention to the main restaurant, which contained the safes and cash register.
Surveillance video released by police in hopes of generating tips from the public shows the suspect head directly for the restaurant’s office and kick in the door. They then forced two seemingly bolted-down safes free from the floor and carried them away. The burglars also stopped to grab the cash drawer portion of the business’s cash register.
All of the burglars wore dark clothing, including masks and gloves. One wore a red hooded sweat shirt with the words “The Label 400” written on the back.
The two cars used in the crime were described as newer-model, dark-colored sedans.
Authorities had yet to determined how much money was obtained in the crime.
Anyone with information, or who recognizes the burglars, is urged ton contact Irwindale police Cpl. Armando Lopez at 626-430-2290, or via email at alopez@irwindaleca.gov. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

VIDEO, PHOTOS courtesy of the Irwindale Police Department

Man robbed as he arrives home in San Marino; robbers force way into house

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Brian Day

SAN MARINO >> Three men confronted and robbed a San Marino man at gunpoint as he arrived home early Wednesday, then forced their way into his home, where a family members was sleeping inside, officials said.
The crime unfolded about 12:20 a.m. in the 2000 block of Melville Drive, according to San Marino police Sgt. Tim Tebbetts.
Three robbers confronted the victim as he pulled into his driveway, he said. One of them brandished a handgun.
“(The gunman) pointed the firearm at the victim and demanded his wallet, keys and watch,” the sergeant said in a written statement.
Once the man handed the items over to the robbers, they ordered him to stay in his car.
“The suspects then used the victim’s keys to enter his residence,” Tebbetts said. “The victim used his cellphone to call 911 to report the incident, and stated his adult son was asleep in an upstairs bedroom.”
Police arrived within a minute and set up a search perimeter around the involved home, with help from neighboring police agencies, he said.
San Marino firefighters brought a ladder to the scene, which police used to rescue the adult son through a second story window, Tebbetts said.
After safely removing the resident from the home, officers searched the home but did not find the robbers.
Police described all three robbers as black men of about 20 years old, between 5 feet 5 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall. One wore a gray hooded sweatshirt and carried a black, semi-automatic handgun. The other two wore black hooded sweatshirts.
No vehicle was seen or heard in connection with the crime.
Anyone with information is urged to contact San Marino police Detective Garcia at 626-300-0726. Tips may also be sumbmitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Three Riverside men charged with Diamond Bar smoke shop break-in

Posted on June 7, 2017 by Brian Day

DIAMOND BAR >> Three Riverside men are awaiting trial on charges that they burglarized a Diamond Bar smoke shop two weeks ago, making off with two trash bags full of stolen cigarettes and other tobacco products, authorities said.
A report of a “burglary in progress” about 6:40 a.m. on May 24 first drew deputies to the D Bar Smoke Shop, 1127 Grand Ave., Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
“The suspects had fled prior to the deputies arriving,” according to the statement. But a witness was able to provide deputies with a description of the burglars and their getaway car.
Deputies soon found the suspects’ vehicle entering the eastbound 60 Freeway and pulled it over on the 71 Freeway at the Chino Avenue exit in Chino, officials said.
“The deputies searched the vehicle and found two trash bags filled with tobacco products that had been stolen,” according to the statement.
“Station detectives followed up on the case and served a search warrant at a residence in Riverside where more stolen property was recovered,” according to the statement. The merchandise recovered from the home included, “thousands of dollars of items stolen from Home Depot.”
Details of the alleged theft from Home Depot were not available Wednesday.
Eugene Little, 51, Louie Gutierrez, 28, and Jon Eric Gallarde, 47, all of Riverside, have each been charged with two counts of burglary, according to Los Angeles County booking and Superior Court records. All three men are scheduled to appear for arraignment hearings July 24 in the Pomona branch of Pomona Superior Court.
Little is free on bond pending the trial process after posting $20,000 bail, records show. Gallarde is being held in lieu of $130,000 bail, and Gutierrez, who has an outstanding warrant in Riverside County, was being held without bail.

PHOTOS courtesy of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Long Beach trio accused of bringing children along during burglary in San Marino

Posted on May 26, 2017 by Brian Day

SAN MARINO >> Two women and a man are facing burglary and child endangerment charges after they were caught in the middle of a San Marino burglary with four young “dirty and unfed” children in tow earlier this week, police said.
Police arrested the three suspects and placed the children, between 2 and 6 years old, in the custody of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services following the alleged break-in, which took place about 1 p.m. Monday in the 2100 block of Oak Knoll Avenue, according to San Marino police Sgt. Tim Tebbetts.
A woman first called police to report her car, which was parked inside her locked garage, had been broken into, the sergeant said in a written statement. “The front driver-side window had been smashed and the center console ransacked,” he said.
When police arrived, the resident told them a window of the home which she had left closed was now open, and an air conditioning unit that had been shut off was running.
Officers used the resident’s key to enter the home, where they encountered two women, a man and four small children, Tebbetts said.
“They also recovered jewelry the suspects could not identify as theirs, mail, drug paraphernalia and property from the burglarized vehicle,” Tebbetts said.
“The children were between 2 and 6 years old and were dirty and unfed,” he said. “The four children were cleaned, fed and transported to the San Marino Police Department until social workers from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services responded to take custody of the children.”
Police determined one of the arrested women was the mother of three of the children, and the other was the mother of one, Cpl. Brian Wong said. The male suspect was described a one of the women’s boyfriend.
Arrested were Norina Ann Lopez, 26, Sereena Anita Lopez, 24, and Randy Fernando Andrade, 26, all of Long Beach, according to police and Los Angeles County booking records.
Norina Lopez has pleaded not guilty to one charge of burglary and three charges of child endangerment, while Sereena Lopez has denied one count of burglary and one charge of child endangerment, and Andrade had pleaded not guilty to one count of burglary and two counts of child endangerment, Los Angeles County Superior Court records show. All three are scheduled to appear for hearings on June 13 in the Alhambra courthouse.
The suspects were being held in lieu of $330,000 bail, $150,000 bail and $80,000 bail, respectively.
Anyone with information regarding the investigation is asked to contact San Marino police Detective Patrice Garcia at 626-300-0726. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

Duarte attempted burglary suspects jailed; loaded gun an heroin seized

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Brian Day

DUARTE >> A report of an apparent burglary in progress in Duarte led deputies to arrest three suspects and recover a loaded pistol, as well as about an ounce of heroin, authorities said.
The incident began about 12:40 p.m. when man called 911 report two men and a women were at his front door in the 2900 block of Elda Street, jiggling the door handle in an attempt to break in, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Robert Hahnlein said.
“The resident reported that the individuals did not enter his house and left the area in a black Range Rover,” sheriff’s officials said in a written statement.
Deputies soon saw and pulled over an SUV matching the description of the burglar’s vehicle at Royal Oaks Drive and Greenbank Avenue in Duarte,
“The female driver had a no-bail warrant out of Oregon and was driving with a suspended license,” according to the statement. “A loaded .40-caliber (handgun) was found in the vehicle along with approximately an ounce of heroin.”
Further information regarding that the woman was wanted for out of state was not available.
The woman, along with two male passengers, were expected to be booked on suspicion of attempted burglary and possession of heroin for sales, Hahnlein said.
Karine Garabedyan, 32, Rosalio LopezUribe, 27, and Joshua Taft, 33, all of Oregon were expected to be booked on suspicion of attempted burglary and possession of heroin for sales, Hahnlein said. At least one of the suspects was also expected to face charged in connection with the gun.

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