Woman encounters burglar inside Pasadena home

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Brian Day

PASADENA — A Pasadena woman awoke to find an intruder in her home early Saturday, police said.
The woman, who is in her 40s, woke up about 5:15 a.m. at a home in the 1100 block of Palm Terrace and discovered a burglar in her living room, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said.
“The suspect realized he had been noticed and ran out of the front door,” he said.
After looking around the home, the residents discovered several “minor” items missing, Clawson said. It was not clear exactly what was stolen.
The startled woman was only able to described the intruder male and wearing a red hooded sweat shirt.

Suspect jailed following Sierra Madre break-in

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Brian Day

SIERRA MADRE — Police jailed a 32-year-old Sierra Madre man Sunday after he broke into an occupied home in the middle of the night, officials said.
Benjamin Charles McMillan was booked on suspicion of burglary following his arrest shortly after 1 a.m. in the 400 block of East Highland Avenue, Sierra Madre Police Chief Larry Giannone said.
Police received a call from a woman reporting that there was an intruder inside her home, the chief said.
“Officers actually arrived in less than a minute and set up a containment,” he said.
About the same time, the woman’s husband encountered the intruder inside the home, and the alleged burglar ran out the back door.
Officers searched the area and found McMillan hiding in the backyard of the home. He was taken into custody without a struggle.
It was determined he accessed the home through an unlocked side door, the chief added.
According to county booking records, McMillan was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail pending his initial court appearance.

Pasadena home burglarized as resident sleeps inside

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Brian Day

PASADENA — A burglar or burglars ransacked a Pasadena senior citizen’s home as she was asleep inside early Sunday, officials said.
A 65-year-old woman as asleep in her home in the 1400 block of Glengarry Road about 12:15 a.m. when she heard some noises, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said.
“She believed the noises were from another family member, so she did not investigate the sound,” Clawson said.
But when the woman got up in the morning, he said, she found someone had entered her home through an unlocked window, and several electronic items had been stolen.
No description of the intruder or intruders was available.

Suspect jailed in South Pasadena ‘hot prowl’ burglary

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Brian Day

SOUTH PASADENA — A parolee was behind bars Thursday on suspicion of trying to break into a South Pasadena home last month while residents were asleep inside, authorities said.
Police arrested Anthony Ace Martinez, 24, early Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles and booked him on suspicion of burglary, South Pasadena police Sgt. Jim Valencia said in a written statement.
Residents of a home in the 800 block of Kendall Avenue in South Pasadena were awakened about 2:30 a.m. July 18 by the sounds of two men trying to force their way in the back door, the sergeant said.
“(A) resident yelled and scared away the suspects,” Valencia said. “It was determined that the suspects tried to pry open the door and also removed the screen to a bedroom window.”
Fingerprints collected from the window screen matched Martinez, who was on parole for burglary and making criminal threats, police said.
South Pasadena police went to his home Wednesday morning and, after briefly hiding in the home’s attic, he was taken into custody, Valencia said.
The second suspect remained at large.
Martinez was being held without bail at the Pasadena Police Department’s jail, according to county booking records. Information on his initial court date was not available.

Police urge caution after ‘hot prowl’ burglaries in Arcadia

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Brian Day

ARCADIA — Two reports of an intruder breaking in or trying to break in to occupied homes in Arcadia this week have police reminding residents to lock their doors and windows at night.

“Although in different areas of the city, these crimes and suspect descriptions are similar,” Arcadia police Sgt. Tom Le Veque said in a written statement. “In both crimes, the suspect appears to be looking for a crime of opportunity, targeting unlocked residential doors.”

A woman was asleep at her home in the 100 block of Diamond Street about 4:50 a.m. Tuesday when she awoke to find a man with a flashlight inside her bedroom, police said.

The man grabbed the woman’s purse and fled, Le Veque said. Two teenage children were inside the home with the woman, but no one was hurt.

Police described the intruder as a white man, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a white T-shirt and basketball shorts.

“Officers found that the suspect had entered the residential unit through an unlocked front door,” Le Veque said.

A man living in the 600 block of West Walnut Avenue was awakened about 11 p.m. Thursday to hear someone trying to open his front door, officials said. Moments later, the intruder began trying to open a side door.

“The resident turned on the porch light and was able to see the suspect on the porch,” Le Veque said. “The suspect shined a flashlight in the face of the resident and then fled off the property, never making entry into the location.”

Police described the suspect in the Walnut Avenue incident as a white man in his 20s, about 5 feet 10 inches tall, 150 pounds and wearing a red shirt.

Le Veque urged caution and reminded residents to lock doors and windows at night to avoid become victims of opportunistic criminals.

“Please remember to check your home before going to bed. Close and lock your doors and windows, and set your alarm, if you have one installed at your home,” he said.

“Many times, thieves will target homes and vehicles that have been left unlocked or open. Take the time to help prevent this type of crime before it happens. If you see or hear anything suspicious, call the police right away.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Arcadia police at 626-574-5150.

Prowler steals car following burglary in Arcadia

Posted on November 20, 2010 by Brian Day

ARCADIA — A resident awoke Friday to find his home had been burglarized and his car stolen, police said.
A man woke up shortly after 6 a.m. in the 300 block of Oxford Drive and noticed a front window of his house open, Arcadia police said in a written statement.
Sometime overnight, officials said, a burglar or burglars forced their way in through the window and stole cash, a Wii video game console, a purse and keys from the home.
The crook or crooks then fled in the victim’s car, which police described as a dark blue, 4-door, 1998 BMW 740 with a license plate number of 3WTP022. It also had a yellow sticker reading “Carmel” on the rear bumper.

Diamond Bar robbery murder update

Posted on December 4, 2007 by Frank Girardot

Diamond Bar killing connected to home invasion robbery

Posted on December 4, 2007 by Frank Girardot

Reporter Tania Chatila indicates that the killing on Overlook Ridge Road in Diamond Bar is connected in some way to a home invasion robbery in the 1000 block of Overlook Ridge In Diamond Bar. Tania responded to the scene before Sheriff’s homicide detectives, so some details are still sketchy.

Here’s Tania’s dispatch from the scene:

DIAMOND BAR – Los Angeles County Sheriff’s homicide detectives are investigating a home-invasion robbery that ended in a death Tuesday morning, according to officials.

A man was killed about 6 a.m. in the 1000 block of Overlook Ridge Road, Deputy Tony Moore said. He nor any other sheriff’s deputies at the scene Tuesday would divulge any more details surrounding the death.

Deputies blocked off the street and turned drivers away all morning as they awaited the arrival of homicide detectives.

A department volunteer told neighbors in the area that a “home-invasion robbery” was the reason why residents were being turned away.

Hot prowls in South Pas

Posted on September 24, 2007 by Frank Girardot

We’re getting two different stories from South Pasadena police about a series of burglaries taking place there over the past several weeks.
The first version of the story was published on our website Monday…
and picked up by CBS2 and Mary Beth McDade of KCAL9
Here’s what we wrote:

SOUTH PASADENA – Two thefts of valuables at city residences reported over the weekend are part of what police are describing as a “rash of burglaries” over the last few weeks.
Cash and jewelery and other small valuables have been the only objects taken in any of the eight recent burglaries reported in the city, according to Corporal Craig Cooper of the South Pasadena Police Department.
“They are going for cash and carry items and ignoring larger items like laptops and cell phones,” said Cooper.
He said that in all the cases the burglar entered through an unlocked door in the house.
The two weekend burglaries, which took place on Saturday, were reported on Milan Street and Marengo Street, according to Cooper.
Investigators suspect that the same person or people have been responsible for all the burglaries, said Cooper.

Here’s what Brian Day learned from another South Pasadena police officer Monday night…

Continue reading “Hot prowls in South Pas” »

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