Posted 8/13/13 – Sierra Madre Police Department Police Blotter Report, August 5-11, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
At 10:30pm, residents in the 600 block of Manzanita Avenue woke to the sound of their doorbell. Moments later they heard noises on the side of the house and went outside to investigate. They discovered a window screen had been removed from a side window and noticed a nearby motion detector light had been activated. As they were examining the window, they heard the sound of a vehicle being driven away. Police were summoned to the scene.
As officers were investigating the Manzanita Avenue incident, three citizens reported seeing two suspicious individuals in the area of Sunnyside Avenue and Ramona Avenue. Both individuals were wearing dark colored Hoodies. When they discovered they were being watched, both individuals entered an older model Acura and drove away from the area. Police units began searching the area and at 11:05pm located a similarly described Acura parked at the curb in the 400 block of Ramona Avenue. The engine was still warm to the touch and a laptop computer was observed in plain sight on the rear seat.
Officers initiated a surveillance of the vehicle from a distance away. At 12:30am, they observe the lights of the Acura activate and the vehicle drove away. A traffic stop was initiated and officers detained the lone occupant for investigation. He was sweating profusely and had dirt and plant debris on his clothing. He was identified as Adan Bernal, 24-years of age and it was determined that he was currently on parole for burglary. Bernal was very evasive in his responses to the officers and he denied being with another individual that evening.
As the officers were dealing with Bernal, a resident called to report noises outside her residence in the 400 block of Ramona Avenue. Units responded and with the assistance of Arcadia Police Department and the Pasadena Police Department Helicopter, an in-depth search of the area was conducted. No one was located but during this search, the laptop computer, previously seen in the Acura driven by Bernal was found at the curb where the vehicle was parked earlier. Bernal was arrested for burglary and his vehicle seized as evidence.
At 3:30am, another resident in the 400 block of Ramona Avenue was awakened by the sounds of all the police activity on her street. When she came downstairs to investigate, she discovered a curtain in the living room window partially open. Upon closer examination, she observed the window screen had been removed and the window lock damaged. Pry marks were evident on the window sill. The evidence suggested that no entry into the residence had been accomplished.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Overnight, an unknown suspect entered an unlocked garage located in the 00 block of Bonita Avenue. New items, recently purchased for a construction project were taken. The crime was reported to the resident by a construction worker who arrived in the morning to install the items that were taken.
At 11:45am, residents in the 600 block of Edgeview Drive observed an unknown male walking in their backyard. As this individual walked by a kitchen window he made obvious attempts to conceal his identity by pulling up his shirt collar. As the resident exited the house, the individual climbed a fence and ran east. He was described as a male Hispanic 25-30 years old wearing a black baseball cap white shirt and grey shorts. A thorough search utilizing a K-9 and the police helicopter failed to locate this individual.
Two nights later, at 12:45am, units responded to the 600 block of Edgeview Drive to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle parked on the street. The caller had observed two individuals exit this vehicle and walk to another residence a few doors away. As units arrived on scene, the vehicle was being driven away from the curb. The officers detained the vehicle and lone occupant (Jorge Linares 20 years of age). Linares denied being with anyone else and stated he was in the area looking for a girl he had met on Facebook.
While investigating the matter, the Department received a call from another resident on Edgeview Drive reporting that someone had just rung his doorbell and he saw a shadowy figure run past the front of the house. With the assistance of the Arcadia Police Department and the Pasadena Police Department Helicopter, another exhaustive search of the area was conducted. The second individual was not located.
It was discovered that Linares is currently on probation for robbery. He was arrested and booked for burglary.