Monrovia Police: Making Fake Credit Cards; Runaway; Meth and More

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for July 14-16. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 383 service events, resulting in 52 investigations.

Grand Theft
On July 14 at 2:01 p.m., a grand theft in the 700 block of West Huntington Drive was reported to police. Construction is being done on the street and at the end of the work week last week, the construction crew covered the open trenches with two steel plates. When they arrived at work the next week, the plates were gone. Each sheet is 4 feet by 8 feet and they are worth $1000 each. The investigation is continuing.

Juvenile Problem
On July 15 at 8:40 p.m., officers responded to a home in the 400 block of Royal Oaks to look for a female juvenile who had run away from the residence. A description was obtained and the female was located a few blocks away. Officers counseled the juvenile, returned her to her residence and spoke with the parent. Approximately three hours later, the parent phoned police, reporting she and the juvenile had argued and the juvenile had left the residence again. Officers again located the juvenile, and after speaking with her, determined she needed to be held for mental evaluation. She was taken to a hospital, where she was held for observation and treatment.

Possession of a Controlled Substance – Suspects Arrested
July 16 at 3:50 p.m., officers responded to a residence in the 300 block of Beechworth regarding a suspicious male subject sleeping in a vehicle. When officers arrived, they saw a male subject lying in the backseat of a vehicle. The subject reached for a purse on the floor, as if he was attempting to conceal it. He told the officers the purse belonged to a female that was with him, but she was currently visiting a friend at one of the residences. The male subject was arrested on an outstanding warrant. A search of the purse revealed methamphetamine and pipes. While officers were dealing with the male subject, the female who owns the purse returned and approached the officers. She was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and an outstanding warrant.

Under the Influence of a Controlled Substance – Suspect Arrested
On July 16 at 7:52 p.m., officers responded to the report of suspicious subjects in a park located in the 400 block of North Grand. Officers arrived, located the subject and determined he was under the influence of a controlled substance. He was arrested and taken into custody.

Detective Bureau Case Follow-up - Grand Theft Auto – Felony Charges Filed
On July 12 at 7:19 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers observed a suspicious vehicle and driver in the area of Encino and Huntington. They followed the vehicle until it drove into a driveway in the 1800 block of Encino. A check of the license plate revealed the vehicle was stolen. The officers approached the car and driver, but the driver ran inside the house at the location and hid. The suspect was eventually located and arrested. During the course of the investigation, another stolen vehicle was found at the location. Interviewing the residents revealed another suspect at the home, and both suspects were arrested. After follow-up by the Detective Bureau, the case was taken to the District Attorney and felony charges were filed.

Grand Theft / Forgery/ Receiving Stolen Property – Five Felony Counts Filed
On July 14 at 9:30 a.m., Monrovia Special Enforcement Team officers provided information about a subject with a no-bail warrant for his arrest to the San Gabriel Valley Anti-Crime Task Force, which has an officer from Monrovia Police Department assigned to it. The task force tracked the wanted subject to a location in Pasadena. During the contact with the wanted subject, he was found to be in possession of credit card blanks and stolen credit card numbers. A second room at a different location was determined to be involved, so Monrovia Police Department Forgery/ Fraud Detectives responded and searched the room. A credit card embossing machine was also found. After questioning, it was determined the suspect had been making fake credit/gift cards using illegally obtained account numbers.

The suspect was arrested and booked. The case was presented to the District Attorney’s office and five felony counts were filed. It was the great collaborative work by task force members, Special Enforcement Team members, and detectives that brought about this successful apprehension, arrest and filing.