The Arcadia Police Department responded to 985 calls for service from Sunday, Feb. 20 through Saturday, Feb. 26, of which 120 required formal investigations. Here is a summary report of the major incidents handled by the officers of the Arcadia Police Department during this period. (Listed in crime categories created by Arcadia’s Best).
ARCADIA POLICE DEPARTMENT Calls for Criminal Activity Totals Year-to-Date (thru 2/26) Calls for Service: 7,856 (2010 total: 48,318) <2009 total: 50,371; 2008 Total: 49,699> Formal Investigations: 1054 (2010 total: 6,895) <2009 total: 7,092; 2008 total: 6,705>
BJ’s employee gets drunk, refuses to leave Units were called to BJ’s restaurant around 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22, in reference to an employee refusing to leave the location. A 25-year-old male Hispanic employee showed up to work and began drinking beer at the bar. When the manager told him to leave for being intoxicated, he refused. The suspect was combative and pushed and spat at officers. The man was arrested for battery, obstructing/resisting, and disorderly conduct. . $3,500 violin stolen from student locker at high school A grand theft occurred at the Arcadia High School boys’ gym between 2 p.m. Feb. 18 and 8 a.m. Feb. 22. A $3500 violin was stolen from an unsecured locker. . Man chokes and strikes wife Units responded to the 1100 block of West Duarte around 2:41 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, in reference to a domestic dispute. During an argument, the suspect choked and struck his wife. The victim had abrasions, scratch marks, and redness to her neck. An emergency protection order was obtained and served. . Falsifying license plates Around 9:27 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, a license plate check on an Acura revealed that the license plate belonged to a Chevy. A traffic stop was conducted at Sunset and Balboa and investigation revealed that the 33-year-old male Caucasian had switched the license plate because the Chevy plate had a valid registration. Additional license plates from vehicles destined for the salvage yard were also found. The driver was arrested for expired registration, unlawful display of registration, no proof of insurance, and an outstanding warrant. . Homeless man found in church music room A private person’s arrest was made at Arcadia Presbyterian Church, 121 Alice, around 10:12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22. A 27-year-old male Caucasian transient was found inside a music room after hours and was taken into custody for trespassing and 3 outstanding warrants totaling $120,000.
Alcohol/drugs * A traffic collision occurred at East Foothill and North Santa Anita around 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24. Investigation revealed that a car was stopped at a red traffic signal when an intoxicated driver rear-ended the stopped vehicle. A 53-year-old male Caucasian was arrested for DUI, driving on a suspended license for DUI, and no proof of insurance.
Residential burglaries/theft * A residential burglary occurred in the 200 block of West Las Flores between 9:45 a.m. and 10:03 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23. A male Hispanic, posing as an AT&T employee, confronted an elderly resident outside the home and indicated that he needed to check out the phone lines inside the house. While the resident accompanied the man during the inspection, another male Hispanic suspect entered the house, ransacked rooms, and stole cash from a bedroom. The theft was captured on surveillance video. * Between 10 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 23, a residential burglary occurred in the 500 block of West Wistaria. Unknown suspect(s) pried open a rear sliding glass door, ransacked rooms, and stole cash, expensive jewelry and watch, flatscreen television, laptop computer, and other electronic equipment.
Business theft, burglary, grand theft * Between 3:15 p.m. on Feb. 18 and 8:02 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 21, a commercial burglary occurred in the 00 block of West Foothill. Unknown suspect(s) entered the business by removing a glass pane from a glass door. The suspect(s) then ransacked the office and stole cash, iPod dock speakers, and a bottle of Valium. * Another commercial burglary occurred in the 1000 block of North Santa Anita between 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 and 10:42 a.m. Monday, Feb. 21. Unknown suspect(s) broke the door handle to enter the hair salon and took property. * Loss prevention personnel from Hollister at Westfield Santa Anita, detained a male juvenile for theft around 1:06 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25. Investigation revealed that two male Hispanic suspects entered the store with shopping bags. The suspects concealed merchandise in the bags and fled the scene when they were confronted by store personnel. After a lengthy foot pursuit, a 17-year-old suspect was apprehended and taken into custody for commercial burglary. Store merchandise worth about $627 was recovered. * Around 12:29 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, units responded to an art school located in the 500 block of South First in reference to a commercial burglary that just occurred. A male African-American suspect, 18-20 years of age, entered the reception area and stole a laptop computer and a wallet. The reception area was occupied by children and adults during the time of the theft. * Loss prevention personnel from Sport Chalet advised that they had detained two women for theft around 3:06 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26. The suspects brought large shopping bags into the store and filled them with snowboarding equipment and clothing. Private persons’ arrests were made, and the Caucasian women, ages 18 and 19, were taken into custody for commercial burglary.
Outstanding warrant A traffic stop was initiated at Peck and Clark around 7:58 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 20, on a vehicle that had a warrant attached to it. A 34-year-old male Hispanic was taken into custody for driving on a suspended license, providing a false name to officers, and a $20,000 outstanding warrant.
. Click image above for video of ride-along demo of new automated license plate reader system.
Click two images below for two-part video of Police volunteers, including ride-alongs.
Click image above for video tour of police station.
Click image above for video of dedication to Arcadia’s only officer who died in the line of duty.