Crime & Safety
Creek Police Beat: Unlocked, Unsuspecting and Unusual
Patch's ace Police Beat writer reads WCPD's bulletin every day—so you don't have to. Here, she summarizes a week's worth of crime trends, as well as the bad, sad, annoying and silly things that keep officers busy.
Here's what people were calling Walnut Creek police about between Feb. 13 and Feb. 20.
Sunday, Feb. 13
They won't keep the door open: A verbal spat broke out in a hotel room at the Holiday Inn on N. Main Street at 1:47 p.m. Two of three guests were asked to leave.
Get off the road: A traffic stop at 7:18 a.m. resulted in the arrest of a man for the following offenses: reckless driving, no license, no insurance and evading police. The car was impounded. Good — sounds like you shouldn’t be driving, buddy.
Smash 'n' grab: A black Toyota Yaris parked overnight at the DMV was broken into and two purses were stolen.
Answered prayers: A 13-year-old girl was reported missing after her mom dropped her off at a church service on Lacassie Avenue. The daughter was found an hour and a half later.
No way to pay: Jerk! Someone stole a purse out of a shopping cart on Bancroft Road at 4:07 p.m. Police could not find the suspect or the purse.
Monday, Feb. 14
Eyes are on you: To the driver of the white Ford Mustang, please stop driving like a jackass around the Larkey Lane neighborhood. Thanks.
Check that lock: An unlocked side door to a garage on Homestead resulted in the theft of a white ’08 GT Avalanche mountain bike.
Swerve alert: A man was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after a caller saw him swerving on Ygnacio Valley Road at 3:42 p.m.
Package pilfered: Heads up, neighbors on Creekside Drive, a package containing an iPod Touch was stolen over the weekend.
Tuesday, Feb. 15
Guilty conscience: A man turned himself in at the Concord Police Station at 1:39 a.m. and confessed to a robbery that occurred a few weeks before.
Early morning scare: Beware, Sharene Lane residents. A man was seen trying to pry open a slider window at 2:06 a.m. The suspect, described as a Hispanic male in his early 20s with a shaved head, fled the scene.
Too scattered to drive? A silver Porsche was parked in front of a business on N. California Boulevard at 12:45 p.m., door open and keys in the ignition. When police arrived, the car was gone.
In-N(ot)-Out: A caller reported that an ATM on Rossmoor Parkway appeared to be glued shut. Police informed the caller that it might be a “new scam by not letting an ATM card be returned.”
Bizarre: Someone was seen trying to set a car on fire near M&M Liquors on the 2800 block of Ygnacio Valley Road this afternoon. When police arrived, no car was on fire. The male suspect, believed to be a transient, was nowhere to be found.
Expensive haul: A home on the 2600 block of Buena Vista Avenue was broken into this evening. Watches, an iPad and cash were stolen.
Wednesday, Feb. 16
A close call: An elderly driver was seen driving the wrong way on Ygnacio Valley Road at 1:28 p.m. Police were unable to locate the driver or the car.
Electronics boosted: A home on the 300 block of Westcliffe Circle was broken into between noon and 4:30 p.m. A rear sliding door was open. A flat-screen TV, laptop and personal items were stolen.
Sparks fly ... again: A transformer blew on Parkside Drive and Buena Vista at 3:33 p.m. And yes, this is the second blown transformer in this neighborhood. The first one blew Feb. 7.
Funny money: Recent hires at a local accounting business were possible theft suspects after three checks were cashed in San Francisco.
Thursday, Feb. 17
Card cred lost: A man lost his Mexican Consulate card at an unknown location in Walnut Creek in the past two weeks. Hope you find it!
Know your neighbors: A caller saw a man who appeared to be homeless, wearing a black knitted San Francisco Giants hat and drinking from a liquor bottle on Gilboa Drive this afternoon. Police contacted the man, who lived in the neighborhood.
That's not the Elks way: There was a report of a ticked-off driver threatening a tow-truck dispatcher after his car was towed from the Elks Lodge on Creekside.
Friday, Feb. 18
Good hearts hurt: A father and daughter wired $2,945 via Western Union after getting a call from a phony posing as a relative.
No credit for this one: A group of nurses took a class to be certified in an area of pediatrics. During the training they learned that the instructor was not certified. The police informed the caller that it was a civil issue. Ripping off nurses, how low can you go?
Moving the bling: A mover was arrested on suspicion of grand theft after a ring went missing from a Tahoe Court home at 11:46 a.m.
Missing something? An Arizona drivers license was found in front of the Police Department this afternoon.
Thief has hutzpah: With gas prices going up, Creek Diva has a hunch this crime will be happening more often. A man was seen syphoning about four gallons of gas from a car on Trinity Avenue. How to prevent this? Get a gas cap and lock it.
Saturday, Feb. 19
Get off the road, Part 2: A man was cited for driving on a suspended license, speeding and not having insurance on Boulevard Way at 12:34 a.m.
Bad parenting: A father and son were arrested on a charge of being drunk in public at Mr. Lucky's on Locust Street shortly after midnight.
Ouch! Rare gold coins worth $300,000 were reported stolen from the 800 block of N. Broadway at 4:05 a.m. An investigation is ongoing.
People, wake up: A silver iPod in a bedazzled case and a black Toshiba laptop were stolen from an unlocked car on Creekside overnight. Once more … take your valuables with you and lock your car.
Double kudos: Two wallets were found downtown in separate incidents and Creek Diva is happy to report that both were returned to the rightful owners.
Sunday, Feb. 20
Watch whom you hit: A woman was arrested downtown at 1:29 a.m. on charges of assaulting two bouncers and a WCPD officer on the 1500 of Giammona Drive.
A belt would be nice: A woman was seen “yelling and running around with red pants down to her ankles” at 12:03 p.m. at the intersection of California and Olympic boulevards.
Hope it was worth it: Someone stole a tip jar containing $4 from a business on the block of 1500 Newell Avenue. Police contacted the suspect and the case will be sent to the district attorney's office.
Bogus bucks: A woman sold a Rolex and diamond ring on Craigslist. When she returned home from delivering the jewelry, she realized that she had been paid $7,500 in counterfeit currency.
