Crime in Walnut Creek: Stolen Cars, Stolen Jewels, Canal Trail Assault

by Jim Caroompas

Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2013

It was around 4 a.m. when police advised a woman dumping things in the dumpster of a nursery on Newell Ave. that is was, in fact, illegal to dump recyclables into dumpsters that did not belong to her. Take note, you would-be early-morning dumpster dumpers.

A man on Civic Dr. left his keys, including his car keys, in his mailbox lock. When he came to get his car the next morning, the keys and his car were gone.

A driver on Geary Rd. reported that, after a woman ran a red light, she screamed and threw a carton of coconut water at the reporting party’s car. There was no damage to the car, but that had to have left at least a small psychic dent.

A car was stolen on Northcreek Place.

Police were writing a citation for a Bentley that was parked in a handicapped spot on N. Main St. without a placard, when the owner of the rather costly automobile ran up to the officer and explained that he did not have a placard, and he always parked in that spot. Some citations just have to feel a little better to write than others.

A woman parked in the Broadway Plaza parking lot was getting into her black Honda Civic when her car door dinged the door of a black Volvo parked next to her. As luck would have it, the driver of the Volvo was in the car and started screaming at the Honda driver before driving away.

A woman with long blond hair described as being in her 20s was seen riding a tricycle on Mitchell Dr. around 10 p.m. The tricycle had no lights. That was probably the least weird thing about this scenario.

Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013

A coyote was seen limping into the park on Oak Rd. around 3 a.m. No roadrunner was seen in the area.

A man set up camp behind a business on N. Broadway to the dismay of the store manager, who had police come and explain the boundaries of urban camping to the man, who moved along.

On the 1400 block of Creekside Dr., a man came home to find two men in their 30s stealing his television and driving off in a grey late model car.

A man in his 20s was arrested at a store on S. Main St. after the manager alerted police that he was trying to buy things with an account that had been flagged. He was charged with ID theft, burglary and forgery.

The front door of an apartment on the 1400 block of Creekside Dr. was pried open and two laptops stolen.

Friday, Aug. 9, 2013

An apparently intoxicated security guard was leaving his job around 3:30 a.m. on the 1600 block of Ygnacio Valley Rd. when his car ran over a curb and got stuck, rendering the notion of security a little less vigorous.

Two women in their 40s were seen on Buena Vista Ave. screaming at pedestrians and showing off their middle fingers. They were gone when police arrived. Maybe they were just showing off their manicures?

A smash and grab on the 1300 block of N. Main St. resulted in the loss of a briefcase, an iPad and a printer.

Saturday, Aug. 10, 2013

On the 2100 block of Tice Valley Rd., two young men were seen going from car to car. Police arrived and arrested them both for shoplifting and receiving stolen property. They were booked into county jail.

A van with “Just Doors Refinishing” was stolen from a driveway on Second Ave. Note to car thieves: if you steal a van, it’s a pretty good idea to make sure it’s not decorated with easily recognizable advertising. Of course, with all due respect, if you’re stealing vans for a living, you probably can’t read this.

Someone found the hide-a-key to a home on Terra Granada Dr. and used it to get in and steal $15,000 worth of jewelry.

A man was assaulted on the Canal Trail near Bancroft Ave. by two men on bicycles who ran into him, knocked him down and hit him several times in the face.