Community: Valencia Public Safety/ Crime Report for August 1-7, 2016

08/01/16 

Vehicle Burglary-26800 block of Las Mananitas Drive; An unknown suspect attempted to gain entry into the victim’s vehicle. The suspect left pry marks on the victim’s door, however entry was not gained into the vehicle.

Petty Theft- 26100 block of Bouquet Canyon Road; An unknown suspect stole the victim’s bicycle which was secured to a beam near his car port.

Grand theft auto- 25700 block of Lupita Drive; The victim had his 1985 Nissan Pathfinder stolen from the location.

08/02/16 

Bicycle theft- 24900 block of Magic Mountain Parkway;  An unknown suspect stole the victim’s bicycle which was inside his detached garage at the location.

Petty theft (Unlocked car)- 25600 block of Alicante Drive; An unknown suspect made entry into the victim’s unlocked car and stole a few personal items.

08/03/16 

Burglary (Locker)-28200 block of Newhall Ranch Road; An unknown suspect forced entry into the victim’s locker and stole several personal items.

Shoplifting- 28000 block of Newhall Ranch Road; A male suspect was arrested from the location for trying to exit the store without paying for items concealed on him.

Burglary (Residence)-28400 block of Lobelia Lane; An unknown suspect forced entry into the location and stole the victim’s iPod and jewelry. The suspect forced entry through the kitchen window and exited the same way.

Grand theft- 25800 block of Valencia Boulevard.; An unknown suspect stole the victim’s bicycle which was secured at the location while he was eating inside the restaurant.

08/04/16 

Shoplifting- 28000 block of Newhall Ranch Road; A male suspect was arrested from the location for trying to exit the store without paying for items he had on his possession.

Assault with a deadly weapon- 26100 block of Bungalow Court; A male suspect was arrested from the location for attacking the victim with a crowbar and a metal scrapper. The suspect and the victim worked together.

08/05/16 

Shoplifting- 24400 block of Magic Mountain Parkway; A male subject was arrested at the location for trying to exit the store without paying for items in his possession.

08/06/16 

Petty Theft- 24200 block of Valencia Boulevard; While at the location the suspect left his cell phone on the air hockey machine. He left the location without his phone. When he returned he noticed his cell phone was gone.

Petty Theft- 24200 block of Magic Mountain Parkway; The victim dropped his wallet while shopping at the store. A female suspect picked up his wallet and stole his money and credit cards. The suspect was described as a female black 5’6″, 140 lbs.

8/07/16 Sunday

Grand Theft- 24400 block of Magic Mountain Parkway; An unknown male white walked into the store and walked over to two iPhones on display. The suspect ripped the cell phones from the display and ran out of the location through the back door.

PUBLIC SAFETY- ROAD RAGE

In recent years, aggressive driving has increased. When provoked, aggressive, angry drivers have been known to commit acts of violence, commonly known as road rage. There is a difference between aggressive driving and road rage. Aggressive driving is a traffic offense; road rage is a criminal offense.

Aggressive driving is defined as a progression of unlawful driving actions such as: exceeding the posted speed limit or driving too fast for conditions; failing to leave a safe distance between vehicles; failing to signal intent and failing to leave sufficient clearance between vehicles when changing lanes; or failing to signal intent, using an emergency lane to pass, or passing on the shoulder.

Road rage is defined as an assault with a motor vehicle or other dangerous weapon by a vehicle’s operator or passenger(s) upon another person, when the assault was precipitated by an incident, which occurred on a roadway. Road rage requires willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others.

What can you do about this? You can choose to drive and react courteously no matter what is happening around you. You’d be surprised at the power positive actions can have, because you’re an important link in any

chain reaction of driving events which can occur around you. When you smile and let someone move into your lane, when you choose to ignore another discourteous driver’s actions instead of “teaching him a lesson,” when you leave enough time to drive somewhere without aggressively speeding, you are making choices that have a positive effect on the driving environment. Ask yourself the following questions to discover what habits you need to improve on to be a more courteous driver:

– Do I allow the recommended three-second following distance when behind a vehicle?

– Do I yield to other drivers, even when I think they’re rude? How do I react when another driver follows me too closely or signals that he wants to move into my lane?

– Do I let other drivers know my intention to change lanes by using my turn signal?

– Do I let myself get distracted with other activities while I drive?

– Do I weave in and out of traffic, or do I realize that lane speeds usually “even out” and that it’s more courteous and less stressful to remain in one lane?

– Do I honor the “every other car” rule when two lanes are merging into one?

– Do I move to the slower lanes if traffic is traveling faster than I am?

– Do I signal an apology if I inadvertently make a mistake while driving, such as cutting someone off accidentally?

No one drives courteously and without mistakes all the time. These questions are good to keep in mind when driving, because they’ll remind you to think how your driving impacts others. If just a few more drivers start thinking about how they affect others, the streets and freeways will be a nicer and safer place to spend your commuting time. Also, in order to avoid situations with a driver you suspect may be violent, there are precautions you as a driver should take every time you get behind the wheel.

Avoid offending other drivers. Actions which commonly provoke drivers to commit acts of violence include:

* Being cut off by other vehicles,

* Being tailgated,

* Drivers who do not signal their turns or lane changes,

* Driving behind a slow-moving vehicle in the fast lane of traffic,

* Drivers who do not pay attention because of cellular phone use, looking for an address, applying makeup or being overcautious,

* Drivers stopping in a traffic lane to pick-up or drop-off passengers,

* Motorcyclists splitting traffic,

* Improper use of hi-beam headlights,

* Inconsiderate municipal bus and taxicab drivers, and

* Being the object of obscene gestures.

Do not engage other drivers. Avoid engaging other drivers, even if they have done something to make you angry or vice versa. Put as much distance between you and the other driver as possible and avoid making eye contact. Never pull off the roadway to confront another driver.

Steer Clear – Give angry drivers lots of room. Do not, under any circumstances, pull off to the side of the road and try to settle things.

Avoid eye contact – If another driver is acting angry with you, don’t make eye contact. Looking or staring at another driver can turn an impersonal encounter between two vehicles into a personal duel.

Get help – If you believe the other driver is following you or is trying to start a fight, get help. If you have a cellular phone, use it to call the police. Otherwise, drive to a place where there are people around, such as a police station, convenience store, shopping center, or even a hospital. Use your horn to get someone’s attention. This will usually discourage an aggressor. Do not get out of your car. Do not go home.

Change your attitude and approaches to driving. Avoid creating a competitive situation with another driver, even if they are at fault. In the end, it is a lose/lose situation that can cost you your life. Try not to take another person’s bad driving personally. Their problems on and off the road have nothing to do with you.

As always, please feel free to call me or email me.

Deputy Brian Heischuber

baheisch@lasd.org 661-255-1121 EXT. 5164

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

Twitter @SCVSheriff http://www.twitter.com/scvsheriff

SCV Station Homepage – http://www.santaclarita.lasd.org

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