Highlighted Activity for the Weekdays of January 28-30, 2013

Juvenile Problem

January 28 at 11:42 a.m., officers were dispatched to an elementary school in the 200 block of Jasmine Avenue.  A 10-year-old student was found to be in possession of a plastic Airsoft pistol.  The student said he left it in his backpack from the day before and forgot he had it in the backpack.  He showed it to a fellow student.  The fellow student later reported the incident to school personnel.  The principal called the student in and retrieved the Airsoft pistol.  There were no plastic BB's or magazine clips with the pistol.  The student's parent was notified and responded to the school.  The parent later surrendered two additional Airsoft pistols and requested Monrovia Police Department have them destroyed.  No injuries were reported and the school will be suspending the student.  The incident was documented.

Grand Theft Auto

January 28 at 7:11 p.m., police responded to the 600 block of Vaquero on the report of a stolen vehicle.  The victim parked and locked her vehicle on the street at 4 p.m. in the evening.  She returned to her vehicle the next day a little after 7 p.m. and discovered it had been stolen.  The vehicle is a blue, 1991 Toyota Camry.  The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary

January 29 at 10:33 a.m., police dispatch received an alarm call from a residence located in the 400 block of Parkrose.  The alarm was heard by neighbors who checked outside after a few minutes and saw the front door of the residence was open and called police.  Officers responded and realized the front door appeared to have been kicked open.  Containment of the area was established and the residence checked.  No suspect(s) were located or seen by neighbors.  It appears the suspect(s) kicked the front door and headed straight to the master bedroom.  The loss appears to be costume jewelry.  The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary

January 30 at 3:54 p.m., police responded to the report of a burglary in the 200 block of North Mountain.  The resident left at 7:20 a.m. and returned at 3:30 p.m.   Upon her return, she discovered her home had been broken into and ransacked.  The loss was jewelry from the master bedroom.  The suspect(s) entered through an unlocked living room window and ransacked the entire residence.  The investigation is continuing.

Residential Burglary

January 30 at 11:12 p.m., a residential burglary was reported in the 400 block of Norumbega.  The crime occurred between 2 p.m. and 11 p.m.  The suspect(s) forced open the front door and the house was ransacked.  Jewelry was stolen from the location.  The investigation is continuing.

Detective Bureau Case Follow-Up

Monrovia Police Detectives Recover Large Quantity of Stolen Property in Los Angeles County Burglaries

On January 18 at 6:21 p.m., a female called to report her daughter was suicidal and had threatened to hang herself.  Officers arrived and searched the location for the suicidal subject, but she was not at the home.  During the search for the daughter, a large cache of cameras and other electronics was found.  A female subject who was at the location was found to have a warrant for receiving stolen property.  While she was being taken into custody, the suicidal subject returned home.  She was taken to a hospital and held for a 72-hour mental evaluation.  Due to the volume of property at the location, a search warrant was obtained.  Another male subject who was wanted by the Burbank Police Department for receiving stolen property showed up at the location.  He was also arrested.  The search warrant for the location was served and resulted in the recovery of a large amount of stolen property taken in burglaries from across the Los Angeles area: Hollywood, Walnut, Chino Hills, and Hacienda Heights.

Subsequent investigation indicated more stolen property was in a storage facility in the name of the female taken into custody days before.  The storage facility was located in the city of West Covina and another search warrant was obtained for that location.  The second search warrant resulted in the recovery of another large quantity of stolen property.  The recovered property was more than what could be processed and contained at the Monrovia Police Department.  Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives assisted with the case and are processing the recovered property.  Investigation by Los Angeles County Sheriff detectives has indicated that many of the victims of these suspects were individuals who had placed themselves on the Los Angeles Times vacation list.  These victims were subsequently burglarized and are encouraged to contact Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Detective Jack Jordan at (562) 946-7893.  Victims should be prepared to supply the police report number from the burglary and a description of the items stolen. 

Tip of the Week

Home Burglary Prevention

Criminals look for easy targets.  Burglars, watch for homes that are dark and seem to be temporarily unoccupied.  Residential burglary prevention continues to be a focus of the Monrovia Police Department.  Police officer presence in neighborhoods, investigators working surveillance, following up on leads and tips, and recovering stolen property are all part of preventing residential burglaries and property crime.  

Here is what you can do to help:

Lock all of your doors and windows when you are not home.  Leave any exterior lights on if they are not sensor activated.

Make sure that all side gates are locked and secured.

If you have an alarm system, activate it, even if you will be away for just a few minutes. 

If you have surveillance cameras affixed to the exterior of your property, make sure you periodically check them to ensure they are working properly. 

Ensure that all of your hedges and or bushes are trimmed from the front of your residence so that your house is not concealed from the street.

Never leave old newspapers, mail or door leaflets piled up on the front steps of your residence.

Never leave valuables in plain view from the outside.

If you have valuables, please secure them in either a safe or safe deposit box at your local bank.

Always take an active role in getting to know your neighborhood.

Keep your eyes open to suspicious activity in your neighborhood and always do your part as a good witness.  Never attempt to stop a crime; always call 911.

The most important deterrent in preventing property crime is you, the resident.  It is very easy for you to take an active role in keeping your property safe.  It is extremely important for residents to discourage a would-be thief and make their job as difficult and time consuming as possible.  And if you see something suspicious happening in your neighborhood, do not hesitate to call police and report it.