Fund Raiser Scam

A report came in from a neighbor:

 

We had a lady come in to ask if our school (DPM) was doing a fund raiser at this time.  She was told we are not.  It turns out she does not even live in DPM's  attendance area (she lives up by Pope Ave).  She had a little Hispanic girl about 3^rd grade with her mother who seems to speak good English, has long hair and is thin.  Mom was pushing a stroller with a little one in tow and the young girl was trying to sell items that I believe came from the dollar store and she said she was representing Del Paso Manor.  Please help put the warning out there to all our neighbors  

Home Burglaries

DPM Burglary:

A resident on Kino reported their house was burglarized while they were out of town between Saturday, 11/17, and Weds, 11/21.  They believe the thieves gained access to the house through a side gate and a little used unlocked door.  The burglars took a laptop computer, a backpack, and a number of movies.

Burglary in adjacent neighborhood: 

A resident on the 3800 block of JoAnn Drive, (Near Robertson and Marconi) reported a burglary of opportunity similar to the one in our neighborhood.  It appears the burglars payed attention to the family's absence on Thanksgiving Day.

They took an Xbox 360, a controller, a PS2 controller, a PS2 game, all the jewelry (despite it only being either costume or sentimental), a jar of $150 in coins.  Oddly, they did not touch any other electronics or DVDs/games.

[Note:  there are enough differences in the burglaries that these probably aren't the same criminals, but the similarities can be instructive:  the burglars clearly took time to note when the houses were vacant.  Be sure to watch for unusual activity in your neighborhood and don't be afraid to call the police.]


Additional Vehicle Burglary

We have another vehicle burglary to add to the ones previously reported on unlocked vehicles.  $3 in change was taken from an unlocked vehicle on LaPaz.

Chuck's note to Victims and Neighors:

To victims, please file a police report.  Remember that even if the police do not have the resources to do much about your burglary or you only lost $3 in change from your unlocked car, reports lead to increased police presence and therefore decreased crime in our neighborhood.

Be proactive!
If you notice a strange vehicle parked on the street, check with your neighbors to see if they know who it belongs to.  If it is unknown, it doesn't hurt to call the CHP, and report it.  They can check to see if the registration is current, ignition switch is damaged, or if there's any other suspicious irregularity.  Car thieves may dump cars here, but more important is that this vehicle may belong to someone breaking into your neighbor's home.

We often feel relief when we aren't the victims of the crimes posted here, but vigilance and a call to the Sheriff's Department or CHP might keep you or your friends from being the next to come home to find your home and privacy violated.

Vehicle Burglaries

Chuck sends:  Well the quiet spell is over, these were reported in the last two days.

3700 Block of Font on Tuesday, November 20, 2012

My car parked in my driveway was opened and gone through.  There was some cash taken as well as a few cards for free car washes and the most valuable thing was an iPod.  I normally always lock my car but came in last evening with an arm load of items and may have forgotten.  There were no signs of a break-in.  The irony of it all is I'm in a court and generally the only one who has a lot of lights on as well as motion lights that shine brightly on my car.  My dog was barking to the front of the house last night and I should have paid more attention.  I just assumed it was a cat cruising through to get him all riled up.  Whoever went through my stuff searched through everything and I mean everything as it was a mess when I opened it up this afternoon.  It's not horrible as it can all be replaced but the iPod was given to me by Jim and he put all my personal favorites on there and I think of him when I'm driving around.....just sentimental.  I guess plus it's always creepy when someone goes through your personal things. Sure makes me wish I had a garage!

[Please note that if you had insurance information in your car, you may want to sign up with an identity protection service, as it can be used in identity theft if it was taken.]

2500 Block of Maryal, Tuesday, November 20, 2012

My truck was ransacked last night, I may have forgotten to lock it, but just thought I would share...near Avalon & Maryal.  Nothing was actually taken.
I will call the Sheriff & let them know.

Someone is walking through the Hood & checking doors...don't forget to lock up!

3700 Block of Duran Circle, Tuesday, November 20, 2012

An unlocked vehicle parked in the driveway was ransacked.  Only loose change was taken.

2600 Block of Ione and 2600-2700 Block of Maryal, Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Over the weekend, someone slashed numerous cars' tires on Ione Street and I believe on Maryal, as well.

Reminders from Chuck 

Remember, it gets darker earlier and lasts longer.  In addition, people tend to stay indoors with the colder/wetter weather and this gives thieves more time and less chance of being seen.  Lock your vehicles, and remove any valuables.

If you have security lighting, make sure it works properly. "Dual-brite" lights are nice, because they always give some light until they detects motion, whereupon they brighten up.

Enjoy your holidays, be safe, and protect your property.

A note from me:

Be sure to say hi to your neighbors.  Be sure to look for the normal cars and patterns in your neighborhood.  If you see something out of the ordinary, call the police and call your neighbors.  If I had to guess, I'd suspect all Tuesday's incidents were perpetrated by the same person or group.  If we'd been paying attention, we might have had them apprehended by the police.  Let's make sure nobody gets to engage in that kind of spree again.

Several burglaries, Marijuana Bust, and an Awareness alert

From the Cowan NW group  October 10, 2012

I wanted to let you know that at approximately 5:30 AM this morning I received a telephone call from a neighbor letting me know that a maroon vehicle (possibly a newer Hyundai) was parked near the corner of Regent and Brookwood. A Caucasian man in his mid to late 20's had gotten out of the car and was walking throughout the neighborhood. He appeared to be casing the cars and houses as the neighbor observed him going up and down the streets. He walked with a swagger (get out of my way attitude) and was wearing long shorts and a ball cap.

The neighbor had already called the Sheriff’s Department who dispatched an officer to investigate. Unfortunately, by the time the officer arrived the individual had already left. When he drove away his vehicle made a significant amount of noise even though it appeared to be a newer model. The noise was probably from an exhaust system that had been modified.

Upon leaving he kept his headlights off and on seeing us he give the middle finger salute. We do not know why he was in the neighborhood but his mannerisms were very suspicious.

Our neighborhood:
Marijuana Bust

Last Thursday at approximately 11:00 AM, a muti-jurisdictional task force executed a search warrant on a house in the North part of our neighborhood.  One person was arrested and 750 marijuana plants were seized.

This grow house has apparently been in operation for a couple years.

There were a couple of oddities about this house that you can look for in your area.
The blinds were always closed.  The artificial lighting both draws a lot of power and generates a lot of heat.  If the house has turbine-style vents, they will spin faster than those on surrounding houses due to the heat venting.

For the privacy of the neighbors, the address of the grow house is not being disclosed.

Burglary in the 2800 block of Becerra

This burglary wasn't reported to the network.  Since Becerra has many neighors on the network, we'd guess the house affected probably isn't.   This crime and the one below were found on the crimereports.com site the Sacramento Sheriff's department is now using.

Message:
Crime Report:
Crime Type(s):  PC 459 Burglary Residential
Date:  2012-09-16
Address:  2800 Block BECERRA WAY
City, State:  SACRAMENTO, CA
Police Narrative:  PC 459 Burglary Residential

Chuck talked to the resident and they said that they had a dog that could be coerced.  On an earlier date, an intruder entered the open man door at the rear of the garage and ransacked but didn't take anything.  The resident secured the door after that incident but believes the burglar returned on the date above and broke a rear window, then stole jewelry and other items.

Burglary in the 2600 block of Catalina

(still have no details on this)
Message:
Crime Report:
Crime Type(s):  PC 459 Burglary Residential
Date:  2012-09-28
Address:  2600 Block CATALINA DR
City, State:  SACRAMENTO, CA
Police Narrative:  PC 459 Burglary Residential

Car Burglary

Monday night/ Tuesday morning September 16 on Villavista Way

A vehicle burglary occurred, unknown if vehicle was unlocked, or slimjimmed, but windows were not smashed.  The vehicle was ransacked.

In nearby neighborhoods:

September 13, 2012

Nearby Crime Alert

This crime occurred on Von Bauer and Whitney, about 1 1/2 miles from our neighborhood-

There was a theft of 3 catalytic converters from 2 Toyotas on Thursday early AM ( best guess around 12:30AM). The vehicles were in a driveway with a motion sensor floodlight and alarms on the car. The alarm did not activate since the activity was under the car and not breaking into the vehicle. The damage to repair is estimated at over $5000. We need to make sure people are kept aware of the danger of vehicles not in a garage. They are now going to add a bracket over the converter and a motion alarm for the car.

September 13, 2012

Nearby Crime Alert

This Crime was located on the 4300 block of Engle Road-

On Tuesday, Sept 11th, at approximately a few minutes before 1:00 PM, I was watching TV when a pickup drove up and backed into my neighbor's drive way. It looked to me like someone was there for a repair job. The driver stayed in the truck; the passenger got out, rang the doorbell, when no one answered (neighbor was at work and her 11 year old daughter was at school), he nonchalantly walked around to the side of the house and went into the back yard, closing the gate behind him (they have a dog) as though he was familiar with the place. Meanwhile, I went to the bathroom and when I came back into the kitchen, the pickup was gone. This all happened in 10 minutes or less. I didn't find out until 7:30 that night when my neighbor got home that her house had been broken into, trashed, and jewelry, games and a camera had been stolen. The sheriffs finally showed up about 10:30 saying they had been busy earlier with a couple of murders.

I sat right there and watched this happen but I didn't realize what was going on. The 2 guys were white, the passenger looked like a normal guy, clean clothes, neatly combed black hair, there was nothing that alerted me that something might be amiss. They looked to be in their late 20s, early 30s. The only thing that caught my attention was the color of the pickup. It was a full size Ford (maybe Chevy), about 1980, in good shape, two tone ORANGE WITH CREAM TRIM, I don't recall seeing a tool box, it had no metal frame or roll bars, and there was a long ladder in the back. I feel absolutely awful about it. It amazes me that this stuff is happening in our neighborhood in the middle of the day and these guys are so brazen.

 

 

sept 12th  (edison and pasadena)

I want to inform you about a crime that happened in my neighborhood this afternoon. I am located near Edison Avenue and Pasadena Avenue.

Around 12:30pm today, a neighbor was returning home from shopping. She carried her purse into the house, dropped it on the floor and went into another room. She was going back outside and saw a hand on the door and her purse was gone. She yelled and went outside, but the thief was nowhere in sight. She immediately notified the Sheriff and us so that we can notify everyone in the neighborhood.

This was a bold attack in broad daylight on a neighbor in her own home. Even though this occurred during the day, our neighborhood is relatively empty with people at school and work. This means that there are no witnesses to these crimes or to help victims. What happened to my neighbor could easily happen to anyone. We have to be very careful and aware of our surroundings, especially after this incident. Thank goodness no one was not hurt.

 

ARDEN PARK,

10-11 sep 12

Late Monday night or early Tuesday morning the catalytic converter was stolen from my Toyota Sequoia. My car was parked in my driveway on Los Coches.

I've read about other people that had the same thing happen in our neighborhood but never acted on getting a lock or protective case put around my converter. Now I wish I had. If you have a Toyota Sequoia, Tacoma, Tundra etc, particularly if it's parked outside at night, I highly recommend you get one. It's a lot less expensive than an insurance deductible and the inconvenience of not having your car for a few days.

The following occurred in our neighborhood today-Vehicle speeding recklessly through our neighborhood has been reported to the CHP on 9/15/12 at approximately 2:00 pm. The most recent violation was witnessed at approximately 12:30 pm on 9/15/12. A few neighbors had an impromptu meeting with the parents of the diver. Unfortunately, they have been unable to control their son's behavior. It was also discovered that the driver is an adult, unlicensed and using the vehicle without permission. The CHP officer who took the report (log# 1178) said to call dispatch at 916-861-1300 when the vehicle is in the neighborhood and they will send a patrol to investigate.
Please call and report any sightings of this vehicle to 916-861-1300 and reference log# 1178.
Vehicle description
Make: Toyota
Model: Camry
Color: Tannish/Gold
License: 4CMD481
And this vehicle has been seen quite often at Gibbons Park.

further info

I previously wrote you about a troubled young man driving recklessly and at high rates of speeds in our neighborhood. He was driving a Tannish/Gold Camry 4CMD481. Please let your neighbors be aware that he is now
driving a black Chevrolet Blazer, no license plate yet and a white great white shark decal on the back windshield. He still wears a red baseball hat. We are not sure if he still has access to the Tannish/Gold Camry, so please keep an eye out as well. Please contact the CHP for any vehicle related concerns at 861-1300.
I am so glad we are able to alert each other. This man's behavior can now spill outside our neighborhood and we wanted everyone to be aware. A big thank you to Sherrie for organizing us!

It's been quiet in the neihborhood

Not much has been happening in our neighborhood, at least that we've heard of.  Below are some Arden Park incidents with descriptions that all should be aware of.  Sac Sheriff "cyberwatch" has been replaced.  If you haven't received a notice or were unaware of it, below is a link to access the new system.

Also from the Sheriff's Department:  FREE CERT (community emergency response team) training. (see below)

Attempted Burglary, September 5th

My brother lives on Stewart, between Arden and Berrendo, and at 10:45 this morning stopped someone from breaking into his house. Fortunately my brother is fine, and was quick enough to call 911 & give a description of the guy.

white male, about 20 years old

Russian accent

smoker

purple t-shirt, jean shorts

white shoes, no laces

sep7th

The guy sped off in a silver Toyota Camry, plate 6UNA812 with tinted windows. The car was parked down the street from my brother's house.

The guy knocked on my brother's front door a couple of times before going into the backyard and being caught at the back sliding door. The Sheriff Dept. came out right away, but were unable to find the guy.

Equipment Theft 

Last week my gardener's new blower was stolen out of his truck (parked on La Sierra near cresta) He had observed a newer model silver silverado parked behind his truck with two male occupants. When he approached his truck, the other truck abruptly pulled away and then he found his blower missing. Another regular AP Gardner reported a similar experience - same silverado observed- nearer to San Ramon. Security patrol driver was alerted but didn't appear to take interest. Keep your eyes open for a newer Silver Silvarado truck parking on your street when gardners are at work. Tell your yard workers to be on the look out. Call security to check it out or 911 if you suspect equipment theft in progress. 

CyberWatch User,

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department has discontinued its use of CyberWatch as our tool to notify citizens of crimes occurring in their neighborhood. We have moved our crime mapping and crime alert notifications to a new service called crimereports.com. If you would like to continue to receive crime alert notifications, you will need to go to http://www.crimereports.com/agency/sacsheriff and sign up for your alerts again.

Some of the features of the our new crime mapping website are:

    Email Elerts

        You can sign up for multiple alerts and multiple addresses (E.g. Home, Work, School).

        Each alert is customizable by crime area, crime types and frequency of emails.

        You can also be alerted if a sex offender moves into your neighborhood.

        Email provides you with a summary by crime category with a link to view the crimes on the online map.

    Fast Google™ Mapping Technology

        The new crime mapping system uses fast Google™ maps and features.

        You can turn on/off mapping layers and satellite photos.

    Registered Sex Offenders

        Registered Sex Offenders information is included along with crime data on the online maps.

        The sex offenders’ information and photos are accessible directly within the online map.

    iPhone App

        There is a free iPhone™ App in the iTunes Store™ for doing crime mapping on the go.

Helpful links:

CrimeReports.com Information Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cSlTbV6g8Y

Download iPhone App - http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/crimereports/id343636598?mt=8

iPhone App Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNX1YTOeU8U

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department will also be launching additional features in the coming months to help us share valuable crime information with our citizens.

Thank you,

Webmaster

Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department

 CERT

Introduction

Following a major disaster, first responders who provide fire and medical services will not be able to meet the demand for these services. Factors as number of victims, communication failures, and road blockages will prevent people from accessing emergency services they have come to expect at a moment's notice through 911. People will have to rely on each other for help in order to meet their immediate life saving and life sustaining needs.

When participants have completed this training, it is important to keep them involved and practiced in their skills. Trainers should offer periodic refresher sessions to reinforce the basic training. CERT members should receive recognition for completing their training. Communities may issue ID cards, vests, and helmets to graduates.

FEMA supports CERT by conducting or sponsoring trainings for members of the fire, medical, and emergency management community. The objectives are to prepare attendees to promote this training in their community, conduct trainingss at their location, conduct training sessions for neighborhood, business and industry, and government groups, and organize teams with which first responders can interface following a major disaster.

Conclusion

CERT is about readiness, people helping people, rescuer safety, and doing the greatest good for the greatest number. CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens will be initially on their own and their actions can make a difference. Through training, citizens can manage utilities and put out small fires; treat the three killers by opening airways, controlling bleeding, and treating for shock; provide basic medical aid; search for and rescue victims safely; and organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective.

CERT TRAINING IS FREE

Metro Fire CERT Basic Training Class (There is NO CHARGE for this training. Notebook, helmet and work gloves will be provided to all attendees)

Thursday, October 4th – 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Saturday, October 6th – 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Wednesday, October 10th – 6:00 PM – 10:00 PM

Saturday, October 13th: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Graduation Day!!)

To register or to request additional information: cert@metrofire.ca.gov or 916-859-3776

Metro Fire CERT Rummage & Bake Sale

Saturday, October 6th

9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Parking Lot of Sams Club in Citrus Heights ( 7147 Greenback Lane )

All proceeds will be used to purchase equipment for Metro Fire CERT Program & its volunteers. (Hoping to raise enough through our fundraising efforts for a gator to be used to support large events to transport medical equipment and personnel to an injured victim rapidly.)

All unsold items will be re-donated to a domestic violence shelter.

Items range from clothing, dishes, DVDs to a gun cabinet. Loads of spooky desserts and shockingly yummy treats will be available for purchase and your taste buds delight!

Great California ShakeOut Awareness Event

Metro Fire CERT is Teaming Up with the City of Rancho Cordova and the Cordova Community Council to host this event.

Wednesday, October 17th

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Parking lot of Rancho Cordova City building ( 2729 Prospect Drive )

“Starter” Preparedness kits will be handed out to the first 100 attendees (1 kit per car/family please)

Safety Demonstrations on “Earthquake Survival” will be offered and CERT Volunteers along with Rancho Cordova City Officials will be on hand to answer questions.

Kits include:

Metro Fire CERT 72 hour Checklist, Hill’s Pet Goody Bags, First Aid booklet, Packets of Hand Sanitizer, Pair of First Aid Disposable Gloves, Flashlight, Dust Mask, Whistle, Tooth Brush, Metro Fire CERT Pencil, Comfort Food (Halloween Candy!), Emergency Medical Information Packet, Prepare For Emergencies (FEMA publications): Pet Owners/Older Americans/People w/Disabilities/Businesses and Ready Kids Activity Booklet

Recycling Scavengers Again

This morning on Watson Street there was a recycling scavenger.  He was an African American man probably in his 50's, thin with some grey to his hair and beard wearing a grey jacket, green t-shirt, sun glasses and black pants.  He was pushing a stolen shopping cart with black garbage bags tied to the side stuffed with recycling.  I called it in to the Sheriff's Department, but I don't think they responded before he left the area.

Please be sure to call these in.  See previous posts on why it's important.