Tip of the Week - Car Repair Scam on the elderly

Tip of the Week

Vehicle Repair Scams Targeting the Elderly In the last five months, the city of Monrovia
has had four reported vehicle repair scams targeting elderly victims that occurred in the
Huntington Oaks parking lot. Arcadia has Also been getting hit with these scams.

The suspects are described as male Hispanics/middle eastern, 5’4” to 5’10,” thin
build, approximately 40-50 years old. The suspects tend to move around a lot from city
to city, committing these crimes.
There are two different variations of this scam. The first is when the victim parks their vehicle and a male subject (the scammer) either parks next to the victim or approaches the victim’s driver side front door on foot. The scammer tells the victim that something is wrong with their vehicle, and in some cases, the victim could not close their driver side front door. One victim reported seeing the scammer holding a small screwdriver, possibly what the scammer used to prevent the victim from closing their door. The suspect then claims he just happens to be an auto mechanic and he can fix the
problem.

He inspects underneath the steering column and produces something as evidence, such as a burnt fuse. The scammer then tells the victim that he has a replacement fuse. The scammer reaches back inside the vehicle and claims to have fixed the problem. Once this is done, the victim’s driver side front door is able to close.

The second scam is when the scammer watches the victim leave their vehicle and then does something to disable it. When the victim returns, the vehicle will not start. The scammer uses the same ploy as above and says he can fix it. He reaches underneath the steering column and “fixes” the problem. The scammer tells the victim that he/she needs to pay for the cost of the replacement part. In most cases, the scammer asks for a ridiculously high amount, anywhere from $400.00 to $8,000.00. Unfortunately, the victim will agree on the price or sometimes asks to lower the amount. Once a price is agreed upon, the scammer asks to get into the victim’s vehicle (sometimes drive it) and drive to the victim’s local bank or a bank kiosk. The victim pays the scammer and the scammer leaves.

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Please share this with the elderly neighbors who may not read the blog or are not internet capable in general.  This is importnat information they need to have.

Tip of the Week, SeatBelt enforcement campaign

Click It or Ticket

The Monrovia Police Department wants to remind motorists to Click It or Ticket. In order to enforce this reminder, beginning Monday, May 19th, officers will be joining in the 2014 national seat
belt enforcement mobilization and cracking down on motorists who are not belted.

Even with a seat belt usage rate of 97.4 percent, California still has 800,000 or more who aren’t buckling up. In a crash, they stand a 50 percent greater chance of being killed than those who have taken the two seconds to buckle in. In an ongoing effort to reach those remaining safety holdouts, police, sheriff
and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) departments across the state will be taking part in Click It or Ticket from May 19 through June 1.

The cost for a seat belt violation in California for unbuckled vehicle occupants over age 16 is a minimum of $161 for a first offense. The penalty fees for failing to properly buckle up any child under the age of 16 is a minimum of $490 per child for a first offense, plus a violation point will be added to the driver’s record. If the parent is not in the car, the driver gets the ticket.

For more traffic safety information, visit the California Office of Traffic Safety at www.ots.ca.gov or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Click It or Ticket mobilization, www.nhtsa.gov/ciot.

Highlighted Activity for the Weekdays of March 10-12, 2014

Under the Influence – Suspect Arrested
March 10 at 1:51 p.m., a resident in the 200 block of South Violet called police and
reported a suspect inside a neighbor's house. The suspect was seen leaving the
residence holding a tub of ice cream, which he was eating with a spoon. The suspect
was reportedly going door-to-door, trying doorknobs to see if he could gain entrance.
Officers responded along with the Foothill Air Support Team helicopter, which helped
direct officers to the suspect. The suspect had entered several homes ending up at a
residence in the 400 block of South Sunset. While officers were checking the rear of
the location, the suspect exited the home but would not comply with the officer’s
commands. The suspect appeared to be under the influence and took aggressive steps
toward the officers. The officers hit the suspect with a beanbag round in an attempt to
get him to comply, and the suspect fled back into the residence. Containment of the
area was established and Monrovia High School was placed on lockdown by the district
as the residence backs up to the school.
After a 45 minute standoff, the suspect eventually exited the residence and was taken
into custody. He was evaluated by paramedics and taken to a hospital for clearance.
The suspect told officers he was under the influence of bath salts. He was later
released, brought to Monrovia Police Department for booking, and then taken Los
Angeles County Jail for housing.
Burglary / Assault with a Deadly Weapon / Vandalism – Suspect Arrested
March 10 at 3:45 p.m., police responded to a business in the 1600 block of South
Mountain. A subject was seen entering the men’s restroom with a can of computer dust
cleaner. A loss prevention officer walked in and saw the subject was inhaling the
substance. Loss Prevention officers followed the subject as he exited the store.
As the suspect exited the store, he noticed loss prevention following him. Before they
could detain him, he smashed a passing vehicle's window and then pulled out a paint
can opener and threatened to stab the loss prevention officers, who then grabbed a
crowbar to protect themselves. They tried to stop the subject, but he fled the location.
He was stopped by the responding officers a block away and taken into custody.
Vehicle Burglary
March 11 at 7:40 a.m., a resident in the 100 block of Seymour Place reported a vehicle
burglary. Unknown suspect(s) smashed a window on the vehicle and stole items from
inside. The investigation is continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
March 11 at 10:14 a.m., a victim came into the police department to report a vehicle
burglary. The victim believes the burglary occurred the day prior while he was parked in
a business parking lot in the 500 block of West Huntington. The victim parked his
vehicle in the lot and went into a restaurant to eat. He believes unknown suspect(s)
went into the vehicle, opened the trunk of the vehicle and his tools from the trunk. The
victim does not remember if he locked the vehicle. The investigation is continuing.
Vehicle Burglary
March 11 at 2:50 p.m., an officer was dispatched to the police department lobby on the
report of a vehicle burglary. The victim parked her vehicle at her residence in the 200
block of East Lemon. She reported that someone entered her vehicle and took her
purse, which she had left on the floorboard of the vehicle under a sweatshirt. She found
her purse in the trashcan behind her home. The purse had been emptied out on the
ground by the trashcan and her identification was missing from the purse.
Theft from an Unlocked Vehicle
March 11 at 4:15 p.m., a resident from the 100 block of North May Avenue reported a
theft from his vehicle. Unknown suspect(s) entered the unlocked vehicle overnight and
took the victim’s wallet, which he had left inside.
Commercial Burglary
March 11 at 5:00 p.m., loss prevention from a business in the 500 block of West
Huntington phoned police to report a female suspect inside the store, concealing items
into her purse and on her person. She emptied the contents of her purse before
leaving, but fled the store with the items concealed on her person. She was detained
outside the store by responding officers and arrested for burglary.
Brandishing a Replica Firearm – Suspect Arrested
March 12 at 1:00 a.m., security from a bar in the 300 block of South Myrtle called police
to report that a 21-year-old male subject had brandished a black handgun at them and
yelled at them for no apparent reason. The suspect was last seen entering a bar in the
400 block of South Myrtle.
Officers arrived at the location, surrounded the bar and located the suspect in the rear
alley. He appeared to drop something in the shadows of the alley when officers told him
to stop. The officers detained him and recovered the gun on the ground next to him. It
was a black, metal, Airsoft pellet gun, which had the red tip removed. After the suspect
was positively identified by the victim, he was arrested for brandishing a replica firearm.
Criminal Threats / Obstructing or Resisting Officers with Violence – Suspect
Arrested
March 12 at 10:36 p.m., officers responded to an apartment in the 800 block of West
Walnut regarding a 16-year-old male juvenile who had been making threats to kill his
family members, as well as punching holes in his bedroom wall. When officers arrived
and attempted to speak with the juvenile, he yelled obscenities at them and became
physically violent toward them. A struggle ensued during the attempt to arrest the
juvenile for criminal threats, but the officers were able to detain the juvenile and took
him into custody. Both of the officers sustained injuries during the altercation due to the
juvenile flailing around so violently. The juvenile was arrested and taken to Los Angeles
County Juvenile Hall, where he will be held until his appearance.
During the altercation with the 16-year-old male, one of his sisters outside of the room
had to be taken into custody to keep her from entering the room. She refused to
cooperate with officers and began yelling obscenities at assisting officers.
Wanted Persons Arrest for Robbery
March 13 at 12:59 a.m., sheriff's deputies stopped a suspicious male subject at Buena
Vista and Central. A computer check revealed he was wanted by the Monrovia Police
Department for robbery. Monrovia officers responded and took custody of the suspect.
The suspect was wanted for a robbery that occurred at a park in the 800 block of East
Olive on November 10, 2013. Several suspects had approached the victims at the park.
One of the suspects threatened the victim’s with a machete and they took a computer
and one of the victim’s wallets and fled the area.

Tip of the Week

Scam Alert - Business Utilities Shut-Off Threat
The Monrovia Police Department wants to alert the public to a scam that has been
occurring in the area targeting businesses.
The Suspects in this scam call the business claiming to be in billing or collections for
Southern California Edison (SCE) and/or Verizon. The caller tells the business their
services are going to be shut off within 45 minutes to an hour, and a crew has already
been dispatched to cut off the service unless a same-day payment is made
immediately. They claim their records show the business is late on their payment and
the service to the business will be affected within the hour.
The caller then requests the payment be made by a prepaid VISA or Money Pak Card
and then tells the business where they are available. The suspects sound seemingly
legitimate and are targeting businesses, as businesses typically cannot afford to be
without phones or power over the weekend.
It is NOT normal SCE or Verizon protocol to shut off service on the weekends.
The Monrovia Police Department is asking the public to spread awareness to this scam
in hopes of preventing this crime from happening and to help keep Monrovia businesses
from becoming the victim. Please be aware that utility companies do not work this way
and always call the company to verify any information. If you feel something is
suspicious, you can always call the Monrovia Police Department at (626) 256-8000.

TIP OF THE WEEK - Heavy Rains expected tonight

Tip of the Week

Monrovia Preparing for Significant Rain Event on Friday,

February 28 - Flash Flood Watch 2/27-3/1

Below are a few helpful tips to follow during rain events:

 Don’t park cars on the street. If possible, keep vehicles in

the driveway or inside garages to prevent damage.

 Have sand bags and gravel bags on hand.

 Provide additional barricade protection temporarily across driveways if

necessary.

 Check on neighbors, especially seniors or those with limited mobility.

 Do not alter drainage flow to impact your neighbors. Work with neighbors to

minimize problems.

For more information go to the City of Monrovia website