Police Log: Hanging Out With Hand Grenade

Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013

12:12am – A woman on N. Main St. became the first person to be arrested in Walnut Creek for public intoxication in 2013. Congratulations.

12:20am – Police harshed the mellow of a major rager at a home on the 2800 block of Encino Camino, where a large group of teens were enjoying a Bacchanalian nod to the new year while the parents of the home were away. Parents of the underage party-goers were notified, no doubt interrupting the grown-ups’ own party-going. During the hubbub, a girl reported that another girl stormed into the bathroom and beat up her friends and took her phone. I remember those parties. Kind of.

1:54am – A woman reported that her “friend” broke her nose and busted her lip on N. Main and Locust St. This person needs to look up the definition of “friend.”

1:55am – A woman on the 1500 block of Riviera Ave. reported smelling the distinct odor of cannabis from the neighboring apartment. She visited said apartment and spoke with the neighbors, who she described as “rude.” Maybe they were just “stoned.” Perhaps if she had offered ice cream or candy...

12:00pm – A smash-and-grab on the 1100 block of S. Main St. resulted in the loss of a briefcase and a laptop. Happy New Year. Note to thieves and thugs: hey, it’s ok to take a national holiday off.

Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013

9:30am – Thieves broke into a Kaiser Permanente storage area on Lennon Lane and stole $3,500 worth of light fixtures. Because apparently the need for black market light fixtures is so high that it’s worth risking a felony for.

10:03am – A young man stole an access card from lobby security in a building on the 1100 block of Civic Dr. and entered the Mechanics Bank suite, stealing five laptops and other items.

10:09am – Someone broke into a doctor’s office on the 2000 block of Ygnacio Valley Rd. and stole prescription pads and drugs—no doubt to trade for stolen light fixtures.

11:00am – A man was arrested by police for trespassing after he was placed under citizen’s arrest by the tenant of a building on the 1400 block of Maria Lane. The man in question, according to the arresting citizen, kept defecating on his property.

12:54pm - A housecleaner called police to report that another housecleaner showed up to a house she was supposed to be cleaning on the 3200 block of Rossmoor Park. Police say the stories at first didn’t match up, but eventually they both (sorry) came clean.

Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013

8:47am – Someone used black shoe polish to write “NGHS Rules” on car windshields all along Santa Fe Dr. Las Lomas could not be reached for comment.

11:43am – A young man reportedly grabbed three iPads from a store on the 1800 block of N. Main St. and ran down the street, getting picked up in a black SUV. The man was captured on store video. Hopefully he will be captured all together.

1:06pm – A bicycle was stolen from the yard of a home on Arbolado Dr. The bike was a one-speed model valued at $2,000. This kind of thing makes those of us who remember Schwinn single speed bikes feel very, very old. Those were, like, $25.

4:28pm – A transient outside of Black Bear Diner on Bancroft Rd. was arrested for public drunkenness after the manager complained that he was harassing customers and refusing to leave when asked. Perhaps if the diner kept an actual black bear for a mascot…

5:08pm – A woman in her thirties was transported via ambulance to the hospital for alcohol poisoning.

9:36pm – A home on the 200 block of Park Lake Court was broken into and several televisions, DVD players, a Lexus and other items were stolen. The Lexus was later recovered.

Friday, Jan. 4, 2013

9:30am – Two Lexus’s (Lexi?) were broken into via smashed windows and a jacket and tennis racquet stolen from a parking lot on the 3600 block of Arbolado Dr.

9:52am – A smash-and-grab resulted in a stolen purse from a car on the 300 block of N. San Carlos Dr.

1:28pm – On the 1900 block of Tice Valley Blvd., a man reported that someone punched the lock from his car door and made off with aviation headphones and Vicodin.

11:48pm – A report of a loud party on Mallard Dr. resulted in the arrest of a juvenile for being drunk in public and being a minor in possession of alcohol.

Saturday, Jan. 5, 2013

7:31am – Two men were reported to have stolen $2,500 worth of alcohol from a store on the 600 block of S. Broadway. That must have been some pricey wine.

9:57am – On the 2100 block of Youngs Valley Rd., a man was reportedly jogging in his underwear and tennis shoes. One wants to have as little weight as possible while jogging, but the social ramifications must also be taken into account.

2:58pm – On the 1200 block of Broadway Plaza, a woman stole a Gucci purse belonging to another woman; inside was a wallet and $1,200 cash.

3:30pm – Two men got far too carried away over a parking spot dispute on the 1100 block of Locust St., to the point where one man threatened to shoot the other. By the time police arrived, both men were gone and no one was shot. No weapons were ever seen during the incident.

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013

3:32pm – A caller reported that two men were videotaping people as they walked by the corner of Treat Blvd. and N. Main St. Police investigated and determined no crime was being committed, with the possible exception of filming people having a bad hair day.

4:06pm – A motorcycle was stolen from a garage on the 1300 block of Creekside Dr.

4:55pm – On the 100 block of Sharene Dr., a resident reported finding what appeared to be a bullet hole in the driver’s side door. Police investigated and determined that, yes indeed, it was a bullet hole.

6:53pm – A teacher in a school on the 2700 block of Larkey Lane told police that she encountered a group of five men on the playground. She asked them to leave and they did, but as she walked away, they came back. They stayed gone when police arrived.

10:14pm – On the 3000 block of N. Main St., a group of men was standing around talking loudly and listening to loud music. That in itself is annoying, but what bumped this call up to alarming was the fact that one of the men had what appeared to be a hand grenade. Police showed up and issued a citation for weapons violation, and forwarded the complaint to the district attorney.

Monday, Jan. 7, 2013

5:42am – At the corner of Jones Rd. and Parkside Dr., three Christmas trees were in the road. Police came and moved them over to the side for later disposal. But really, people—you have to dump your trees in the roadway?

12:00pm – Three men in a white Mercedes at Eris Court and Sutton Dr. were reported smoking in the car and “coughing more than a cigarette would make you cough” by a very alert neighbor. Police arrived and cited the driver for smoking marijuana while operating a vehicle.

1:35pm – Why you need to be extra careful about the information you give out online: a resident of the 1100 block of Lincoln Ave. reported getting a “phishing” email, in which they gave out their social security number, name and address. A few days later, a bank account was opened in their name. Fortunately, the attempt was thwarted and no money was lost. That isn’t always the case. Be careful.

3:19pm – Two men were going through an office complex on Quail Ct. carrying a cardboard box and trying to sell office employees items from the box. Motivated, yet creepy.

5:32pm – A woman on Buena Vista Ave. reported that her brand-new Accura was the subject of a smash-and-grab; her window was broken and her purse stolen. These crimes are always bad, but it’s especially painful when it’s a brand new car. Another smash-and-grab was reported a few minutes later on the same street. Be aware of what you leave in your car, folks. These thugs have been busy of late.

10:19pm – A man described as “belligerent” approached a valet on the 1100 block of Locust Dr. and asked where the money was kept. The valet refused to relinquish that information and invited the man to move on, which he did. Police determined that no crime had been committed.