Resident Loses Nearly $10K in Alleged Shipping Scam

According to Sierra Madre police, a resident in the 400 block of Mariposa Avenue reported that she was a victim of grand theft by means of a fraudulent transaction. According to the report, the victim was using Western Union to wire money for the purpose of covering shipping costs associated with sending merchandise to a customer in Malaysia.

Both the shipping company and the recipient turned out to be fraudulent, according to the report filed by the Sierra Madre resident.

The loss to the victim was reported as $9,825 in shipping fees and merchandise. The report was made to the SMPD at approximately 11:34 a.m. on Wednesday, June 8.

In the seven-day period between Sunday, June 5 and Saturday, June 11, the Sierra Madre Police Department responded to approximately 279 calls for service. Of those, these were considered most notable and released by the department as part of their weekly crime blotter.

Burglary Suspects Arrested on Mountain Trail Avenue

Sierra Madre Police made two arrests on suspicion of residential burglary in the 300 block of East Montecito Avenue at around 10:10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 7. Patch’s original report this incident can be viewed here:

However, new information related to this crime and released by the SMPD in this latest report include the following:

• After entering the victim’s home, the two suspects “ransacked” the house.
• Later, the suspects fled the seen after hearing running water, which was turned on in the upstairs bathroom by the victim, who was on the phone with police dispatch.
• The suspects allegedly ran three stop signs before yielding to police on Mountain Trail, just south of Sierra Madre Boulevard. 

Sierra Madre Man Discovers Fraudulent Cellular Account in His Name

At 4:10 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, a Sierra Madre resident reported to police that he had tried to open a new account with Verizon Wireless, a cellular phone service provider, only to discover an alleged theft of his identity. According to the SMPD, the resident said the he was informed at that time that an allegedly fraudulent account had been opened under his name in 2006 in Lancaster, CA.

Obscenity Scratched on Car Door in Bailey Canyon

According to the SMPD, A Pasadena resident who had parked his vehicle in the parking lot before heading out for a hike returned at around 1:00 p.m. on Monday, June 6 to find that his car had been vandalized while he was away. According to the report, an obscene phrase had been scratched into the car’s door. Police did not report any suspects in the case.

Arcadia Resident Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

SMPD reports indicate that a police officer stopped a 33-year old Arcadia motorist for an unspecified vehicle code violation at 1:33 p.m. on Friday, June 10. Following the stop, the officer is reported to have determined the driver was under the influence of alcohol. The driver was then arrested and transported to Pasadena Police Department for booking on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. The arrest was made at the intersection of Mountain Trail Avenue and Orange Grove Boulevard, according to information from the SMPD.

Monrovia Man Cited for Underage Drinking While Driving

At 2:43 p.m. on Friday, June 10, a Sierra Madre police officer stopped a 20-year-old male driver in the 600 block of East Sierra Madre Boulevard for an unspecified vehicle code violation. Following the stop, the officer is reported to have determined that the driver of the car had a blood alcohol content of .051%, according to information from the SMPD. Though the officer determined the man was not impaired to the point that he was not able to safely drive, the driver was cited for underage drinking.

Minors Cited for Underage Drinking in Public Parking Lot

Just after midnight on Sunday, June 5, Sierra Madre police report to have found four minors drinking alcohol in the public parking lot off Auburn Avenue. According to police, the four minors were residents of Los Angeles, Agua Dulce, Sierra Madre and Northridge. The minors were detained, cited for underage drinking, and then released.

For questions about this blotter, email john.stephens@patch.com.