Teens arrested in school break in

A group of local teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of breaking into Vista Elementary School (500 Vista Dr.) on Sunday night.

At 11 p.m. on Sunday, June 12, the teens used bricks to break windows of a classroom at the school. Once inside the classroom, the suspects ransacked and vandalized the classroom, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage.

They also attempted to steal computers but as police responded to the scene following notification from burglary alarms, they dropped the computers and fled the area. They also left behind their bicycles in order to evade police.

Based on previous contact with the individuals, police recognized the bicycles and subsequently identified the suspects. Two of the juveniles were located today at 12:50 p.m. walking near Bonita and Cambridge Avenues. Another suspect was arrested at his home in the 700 block of West San Jose Avenue.

A fourth suspect was already in custody at Los Padrinos Juvenile Detention Center as a result of his involvement in a burglary at a 98-Cent Store in Pomona early Monday morning. The teens will be held with no-bail at Los Padrinos pending a court appearance scheduled for Thursday.

Sobriety checkpoint tonight

As noted in the news update section on the COURIER's homepage, the Claremont Police Department will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint this Friday at an undisclosed location in the city. The checkpoint will begin at 6 p.m. and conclude at 2 a.m. Drivers will be stopped long enough to ensure they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Officers will also check for valid driver licenses and to see if drivers are wearing safety belt.

Attempted robbery at Little Caesars

A second Claremont business was targeted this week by robbers. After the incident Monday at Video Paradiso, staff at Little Caesars (336 S. Indian Hill Blvd.) got a scare from an armed man. At 9:23 p.m., the man entered the business and placed an order for food.

As the employee rang him up and gave him the total, the suspect displayed a 9mm handgun and demanded money from the register, according to a CPD press release. The employee removed the money from the register, however the suspect did not take the cash and left. He walked out of the business, heading eastbound towards Arrow Highway.

The suspect is described as a male Hispanic 20-30 years old, 5'11, 250 lbs, with short black hair, wearing a tan jacket and black pants. He had a tear drop tattoo under his left eye and another tattoo on the right side of his neck.

Little Caesars has been targeted by robbers several times in recent years. There have been at least 5 reported robberies at the restaurant since 2007. If anyone has information about the incident, contact the Claremont Police Department at (909)399-5411.

Robbery at Video Paradiso

A robbery took place at Video Paradiso (330 W. Bonita Ave.) in the Village last night. According to a Claremont Police Department news release, a man entered the store around 9 p.m. and tried to sell several used DVDs. The suspect did not agree to the offered price for his DVDs and made threats about using a knife against the employee.

The man then reached over the counter and attempted to grab money from the register. The employee stopped the suspect from taking the money and a struggle ensued. Another employee heard the struggle and tried to help her co-worker. The second employee joined in the struggle at which time the suspect took a pair of scissors away from her, threatening both employees with the scissors. The suspect was able to get away from the employees and fled west on Bonita Avenue towards Indian Hill Boulevard.

The man is described as a white male, 19, buzzed blond hair, wearing a turquoise shirt with a pattern on the front, dark colored shorts and sneakers. He also had a pair of roller blades in his possession.

If anyone has information about this case, they are asked to contact the Claremont Police Department at (909) 399-5411.

Sobriety checkpoint on Friday night

The Claremont Police Department will hold a sobriety checkpoint this Friday at an undisclosed location in the city. The checkpoint will started at 6 p.m. and run until 2 a.m.

Drivers will be stopped long enough to ensure they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They will also be checked for safety belts and valid driver licenses. Funding for the checkpoint was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Police presence at neo-Nazi rally

There appears to be some confusion about the police presence at Saturday's rally by the National Socialist Movement, a neo-Nazi group. City manager Jeff Parker incorrectly announced at last night's city council meeting that over 400 cops were on hand. It was more like 120. Here's a break down of the numbers:

LA County police: 39
Neighboring Foothill Communities: 53
Claremont police: 27
NSM members: about 30
Counter protesters: 400 to 500

The mutual aid officers from outside the city “did not cost the citizens of Claremont a dime,” Parker said. However, many of Claremont's sworn officers were paid overtime for working the event at a cost of $9,600 to the city.

Armed robbery on Monday night

An armed robber targeted La West Liquor Store at 333 E. Arrow Hwy. last night. At 9:18 p.m., police received a call reporting that the robbery just took place. The suspect entered the business, displayed a handgun and demanded cash from the register, according to a police press release. The clerk complied and handed the suspect an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect then fled the location on foot in an unknown direction.

The robber is described as a black male, about 19 years old and weighing about 150 pounds. He was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and tan shorts. Anyone with information in this case should contact the Claremont Police Department at 909-399-5411.

Tip-a-Cop event tonight

In support of House of Ruth, several Claremont police officers will act as STAR waiters at Buca di Beppo tonight. All tips received by the special guest waiters will be donated to the House of Ruth.

The event runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Buci di Beppo is located at 505 W. Foothill Blvd.

For 33 years, House of Ruth has been providing services to women and children victimized by domestic violence. For more information, call (909) 623-4354.

Police investigating a homicide

Claremont police are investigating a homicide after the body of a man was pulled from an empty field at the northwest corner of Foothill Boulevard and Monte Vista Avenue.

Upland police originally received a call from a witness on Monday, December 27 about a subject seen dragging a dead body in the field. Upland and Claremont Police arrived at the scene to find the subject standing next to the dead body.

They determined the death occurred in Claremont jurisdiction but the body had been dragged over 170 feet to the area of Foothill Boulevard and the drainage tunnel that runs under Foothill and Monte Vista.

The Claremont Police Department began its homicide investigation with the assistance of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office. The subject seen dragging the victim was initially arrested but later released pending further investigation. The Coroner has is withholding the name of the victim until he can be positively identified. The exact cause of death is unknown at this time.

Missing teenager found

Deontay Antone Barlow, the Claremont teenager who disappeared from his home Thursday afternoon, turned up at a hospital in Downey. Hospital staff notified his family and he was released to his mother on Monday night. It's how he ended up at the hospital but police said he did not have any injuries. Police have not yet interviewed him but are happy that he's been found. "Luckily he's home safely," Claremont Police Lieutenant Shelly Vander Veen said.

Missing teen sought

A developmentally disabled teen went missing yesterday, according to Claremont Police. The 18-year-old man was last seen at his residence in the 600 block of South College Avenue at about 4 p.m. His name is Deontay Antone Barlow. He is described as an African American male, 5 feet 9 inches tall, 110 pounds with short brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing a grey sweater, blue jeans and blue shorts. According to police, the teen is disabled and has the mindset of a 7-year-old juvenile. Those who have any information are asked to contact the Claremont Police Department detectives at 909-399-5411.

DUI checkpoint this Sunday

The Claremont Police Department will be conducting a sobriety checkpoint this Sunday at an undisclosed location within the city. The checkpoint will run from 6 p.m. and end at 2 a.m.

Drivers will be stopped long enough for officers to verify they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Motorists will also be checked for valid driver licenses and ensure they are wearing their safety belts.

The Claremont Police Department has already run 2 sobriety checkpoints earlier this month.

DUI Checkpoint this Friday

The Claremont Police Department will hold a DUI checkpoint this Friday at an undisclosed location in the city. Drivers will be stopped long enough to ensure they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, have valid driver licenses and are wearing their seat belts. Funding for the checkpoint came from the California Office of Traffic Safety. The checkpoint will run from 6 p.m. until 2 a.m.

Police arrest man twice in 4 days

In today's issue of the COURIER, we ran a story about a Claremont police officer who was injured while pursuing a burglar.

On Saturday, Officer Matt Hamill broke his ankle in 2 places after jumping from a 12-foot fence during the pursuit. Another officer eventually tracked the suspect down about 200 yards from the scene. He was hiding in some bushes.

Police arrested Robert Hunt, 19, of San Dimas for stealing alcohol from Vons and resisting arrest causing serious bodily injury.

During the booking process, Hunt's fingerprints were taken and entered into the Cal-ID print system. On Tuesday, a match was returned on the prints for a residential burglary that occurred in Claremont on April 24.

During that incident, a resident in the 400 block of Platt Boulevard woke to voices heard in his home and the sound of footsteps leaving through the front door. It was discovered that someone entered the home and stole a laptop.

Police were able to locate several latent fingerprints. Initially there was no match in Cal-ID to the prints and they were maintained pending a match.

Yesterday in court, Hunt pleaded guilty to misdemeanor petty theft for stealing alcohol from Vons and obstructing an officer. He was sentenced to probation.

As Hunt was leaving court, Claremont police detectives arrested him again for the residential burglary. Police are continuing to investigate if Hunt is responsible for additional thefts or burglaries.

Police nab prowler

Police arrested a 17-year-old Claremont resident involved in yesterday's hot prowl on Morningside Drive.

Yesterday around 2:15 a.m., a resident woke to the sound of noises in his home. He got up to inspect the cause of the noise and found a man in his 7-year-old daughter's bedroom.

He chased the suspect from the home and immediately called police. Police did an area check but were unable to immediately locate the suspect.

Based on forensic evidence found at the scene, police arrested the teenager at his home around 3:30 this afternoon. The 17-year-old lives less than a mile from the Morningside Drive home.

Police believe the juvenile entered the home on more than one occasion and are still trying to determine his motive. Nothing was ever reported stolen from the home.

He is currently being held at Los Padrinos juvenile detention center. Criminal charges should be filed by the DA's office soon.

Be sure to read Saturday's issue of the COURIER to learn more details of this unusual case.

Prowler enters home while residents sleep inside

An alarming piece of news about a "hot prowl" sent via the Claremont Police Department's E-Watch system today. The incident took place early this morning at a residence on Morningside Drive near Towne Avenue and Scripps Drive.

On Wednesday, May 5th, 2010 at approximately 2:15 am, an unknown suspect entered a residence in the 1100 block of Morningside Dr. by forcing open a window. A resident awoke to noises heard in the house and found an unknown suspect in his 7-year-old daughter's room. The resident chased the suspect out of the house and the suspect was last seen running eastbound on Morningside Dr. The suspect was described as a male with light skin, 5'4 to 5'7, approximately 145 pounds, and wearing black clothing and a mask.

If you believe you have information that may assist in the investigation, please call Claremont Police Department Detective Bureau at (909) 399-5411. As a reminder, if you observe any suspicious activity, contact the Claremont Police Department by calling 911 or (909) 626-1296.

DUI checkpoint tonight

The Claremont Police Department will conduct a DUI/driver's license checkpoint today at an undisclosed location.

The checkpoint will begin at 6 p.m. and end at 2 a.m. Saturday. Motorists will be stopped long enough to check their license and to ensure they are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Funding for the operation was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Police bust Claremont heroin dealers

According to a CPD news release from yesterday evening, 2 residents were arrested for drug possession and sales. On Monday evening, an anonymous citizen called police to report what they thought were subjects in a parked car smoking narcotics on the 400 block of Norwestern Drive. Police responded and found 3 subjects related to the vehicle.

Cameron Thompson, a 19-year-old Claremont resident, was found to be in possession of heroin and was arrested. Shayne Gillispie, 20-year-old Claremont resident, was arrested and taken to
Pomona Valley Hospital based on the officer’s belief that Gillispie had swallowed packaged heroin at the time of the initial contact. While at the hospital, Gillispie regurgitated approximately 15 balloons of heroin. A third subject was released at the scene.

A search warrant was served at Gillispie’s residence where additional heroin and other evidence were located. A search was also conducted at Thompson’s residence where additional evidence including bindles of cocaine were located. Thompson is currently being held at Claremont PD jail for possession of cocaine and possession of heroin; bail is $10,000. Gillispie is being held at Claremont PD jail for possession of heroin for sale; bail is $30,000. They are scheduled for arraignment at Pomona Court on December 30, 2009.

The Bulletin's botched article

The Claremont COURIER has set up its own Youtube account. As we venture further into the multimedia world, we'll upload videos that we shoot onto Youtube and you'll be able to view them from a link on our website.

We didn't shoot this video, but its content relates to the COURIER, newspapers and accuracy in reporting.

At the November 24 city council meeting, the council received a final report about the August 27 health care debate and recommendations for reform after Claremont police mishandled the situation.

Among the recommendations are a new rental agreement for similar forums taking place on city property which includes information about public meetings and security procedures.

During public comment, the council also heard from Zephyr Tate-Mann, President of the Democratic Club of Claremont. See video below.

Aside from her nice comments about the COURIER, she had some strong words for Daily Bulletin reporter Wes Woods II. The original Bulletin article she refers to is no longer on their website but I do remember reading it and noticing several mistakes.

I certainly don't think Woods was trying to slander Rudy Mann, as Tate-Mann questioned. I assume he just made an error and confused the 2 parties. Reporters are sometimes writing so much information so quickly that mistakes get made. We're human too.

Still, if an error appears in an article, it's the responsibility of the newspaper to correct it. Reporting on the health care reform debate, the COURIER printed some incorrect information about what happened. We followed up with a detailed, corrected article.

It seems the Bulletin already printed a correction on the "confusing" article. See below. Apparently it did not address all the errors in the original story, causing Tate-Mann to lash out at Woods and the Bulletin at the meeting.

I wonder if the Bulletin plans to run a second correction following Tate-Mann's comments. I certainly haven't seen anything in their paper about it.

*** Correction, November 13 ***

A Nov. 8 story about an incident at an Aug. 27 town hall meeting in Claremont was confusing. After Riverside resident Charles Cox shouted, he was escorted from the meeting room. When Claremont resident Rudolph David Mann tried to prevent Cox from re-entering the room, Cox fell and placed Mann under citizen's arrest. Police cited Mann but the District Attorney's Office did not file charges. Mann asked a police officer to arrest Cox at the scene, but the officer declined to do so.

Death investigation

The Claremont Police Department is investigating a death case involving a new born baby. According to a CPD press release, a 17-year-old mother gave birth on Saturday morning around 2:30 a.m. at her home on the 400 block of S. Indian Hill Blvd. Police say the teenager "did not render immediate medical care that would be associated with a delivery of a child."

The mother was later taken to Pomona Valley Medical Center where she is recovering. The baby was also taken to the hospital where it died. According to the press release, the Los Angeles County Coroner determined that the cause of death was asphyxiation.

The CPD is currently conducting an investigation to determine if the mother is criminally culpable in the infant's death.