Monrovia Police: Man Buys iPhone With Fake Bills; Car Window-Smash Burglary; Bear Under House; Etc.

[Monrovia Police activities from the Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Report for February 27- March 1. - Brad Haugaard]

During the last seven-day period, the Police Department handled 338 service events, resulting in 66 investigations.

Fraud Report / Counterfeit Currency
February 28 at 7:39 p.m., a victim of fraud came to the police station lobby to report the incident. He was trying to sell an iPhone on a website. He made a deal with the suspect to sell the iPhone for a cash amount. He met the suspect at a fast food restaurant in the 400 block of W. Huntington. The suspect handed the victim the money for the phone in $20 dollar bills. After the suspect left the location, the victim realized the money was all counterfeit with matching serial numbers. The Secret Service was contacted and the investigation is continuing.

Vehicle Burglary
March 1 at 7:22 a.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 200 block of W. Lemon Avenue. The victim reported that sometime during the nighttime hours, someone smashed the window of his parked car and stole items from inside. The investigation is continuing.

Bear Sighting
March 1 at 1:00 p.m., a resident in the 700 block of Oakglade Avenue called to report a bear that was in his yard and was now sleeping in the crawl space of his neighbor’s home. The Department of Fish and Wildlife was contacted and took control of the investigation.

Theft of Mail
March 1 at 6:32 p.m., an officer was dispatched to an apartment complex in the 300 block of Genoa regarding a theft of mail. The victim went to retrieve her mail from her mailbox and the main door to the mailbox was open and mail was missing. There are a total of 14 mailboxes for the complex. There was no sign of forced entry. It appears the suspect may have used a mail service key to gain entry. The investigation is continuing.

Commercial Burglary
March 2 at 3:42 a.m., dispatch received a report of an alarm activation at a business in the 300 block of W. Foothill. Officers arrived and found the front door wide open. The building was searched, but no suspects were located. The investigation revealed the rear door had been pried open and the cash register was found on the ground. The investigation is continuing.