Valencia: Zone 5

Public Safety and Crime Prevention Information for the Week of 07/27/2015 to 08/02/2015

Last week, the following Part 1 crimes occurred in Zone 5 (Valencia):

An assault with a deadly weapon occurred near the intersection of Bridgeport Lane and West Island Road. A local transient became very aggressive towards a local woman as she was out for a walk in the neighborhood. The suspect threw a beer bottle at the victim, hitting her in the leg. The victim has never seen the suspect before. The suspect fled the area prior to the deputies arrival.

A burglary occurred near the 28100 block of Newhall Ranch Road. Suspect(s) unknown entered the business by shattering the front glass window and trying to gain access to a back office. The suspect(s) tried to pry open the office door, but was unsuccessful. The suspects fled the location prior to the deputies arrival.

A burglary occurred near the 25500 block of Lochmoor Road. An unknown suspect broken into the victim’s home through a window. The victim came home and saw a few bedroom windows missing screens and noticed the window frames were bent. The only thing stolen from inside the location was a toilet paper holder.

A burglary occurred near the 23500 block of Via Farol. An unknown suspect broke into the victim’s home through his back sliding glass door. The victim came home and saw the door shattered and noticed his home had been ransacked. The victim stated only his baseball card collection was stolen.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the 28500 block of Westinghouse Place. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and stole the 3rd row seat to his 2007 Chevrolet Suburban. It appears the suspect gained entry into the victim’s vehicle through the rear hatch.

An attempted burglary occurred near the 26400 block of Bouquet Canyon Road. An unknown suspect tried to force entry into the location. The suspect was unsuccessful and did not enter the location. Nothing was stolen from inside the store.

A grand theft occurred near the 24500 block of Town Center Drive. An unknown suspect stole the victim’s bicycle while it was chained up at locked in his apartment complex. The chain keeping the bike secure had been cut and was lying near the spot where the bicycle used to be.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the 23900 block of Via Aranda. An unknown suspect entered the victims locked vehicle and stole his gym bag containing miscellaneous items.

A petty theft occurred near the 25600 block of Velan Drive. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle at stole a few personal items.

A shoplifting theft occurred near the 24100 block of Magic Mountain Parkway. A female suspect was arrested from the location for failing to pay for items she had on her possession as she exited the store.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the intersection of Quilla Road and Singing Hills Road. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole several items from inside the car. Stolen were sunglasses worth approximately 600 dollars.

A second theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the 25800 block of Quilla Road. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole numerous personal items from inside the car.

A vehicle theft occurred near the 25500 block of Via Paladar. The victim had his 2004 GMC Yukon stolen from the location while it was parked overnight.

It appears thefts from unlocked vehicles have increased and I want to remind everyone about these simple steps we can all take to help ensure our safety. Please read the following crime prevention tips and take these steps to help keep your vehicle safe and avoid becoming a victim.

You can prevent vehicle theft!

Most cars are taken by amateurs who can be stopped fairly easily. You can increase your protection against this type of crime by taking the following sensible precautions:

Lock up

• An unlocked car is an open invitation to a car thief. Lock up when you leave your car and take the keys with you.

• Lock the trunk or tailgate.

• Close all windows — professional thieves have tools that unlock cars through the smallest openings.

• Be sure vent or wind-wing windows are shut tight.

• When you park the car, remove cellular phones, cassette players and other valuable possessions. Do not leave gift-wrapped packages or cameras lying on the seat. Lock all valuables in your trunk or take them with you.

• Lock your car even if you are making a quick stop at the gas station, convenience store or mini-mall.

Park carefully

• Don’t leave an auto in unattended public parking lots for an extended period. A car is five times more likely to be stolen from an unattended lot than from the street or attended lot.

• If possible, park your car in a lot where you don’t have to leave your keys.

• Never attach a tag with your name and address to your key ring. If the keys are lost or stolen, the tag will lead the thief directly to your car and your home. If you have to leaveyour keys with a parking attendant, leave only the ignition key.

• At night, park in well-lit areas with lots of people around.

• Turn wheels sharply toward the curb when parking, this makes it extra difficult for thieves to tow your car.

Operation I.D.

• With an electric engraver, etch your driver’s license number (preceded by the letters “CA”) on cassette players and other valuable items.

• Record your vehicle identification number (located on a small metal plate on the dashboard of newer cars) and store it in a safe place. Keep the vehicle registration in your wallet or purse, not in your car.

Use anti-theft devices

• When buying a car, check the manufacturer’s list of anti-theft options, such as interior hood and trunk releases, locking steering columns and others.

• Consider the purchase and installation of security devices, such as:

– Interior hood lock release.

– Second ignition switch or “kill switch” to prevent electrical current from reaching the coil distributor.

– Fuel switch to prevent fuel from reaching the carburetor.

– Locking gas cap.

Vehicle Security

Crime and Violence Prevention Center • California Attorney General’s Office

– Locking devices for batteries, wheels, decks, etc.

– Alarm device to activate a siren, horn or lights – or all three – to frighten the thief away.

– Device that attaches to the steering wheel or brake pedal.

Carjacking

This violent, random form of auto theft is on the rise. A driver of any vehicle can be a target of someone with a weapon. It can happen anywhere, day or night. Here are some precautions:

• Keep your doors locked.

• Park in well-lit, busy areas.

• Be alert of your surroundings, of people approaching your vehicle.

• Stick with the traffic, avoid lightly traveled streets, especially after dark.

• Keep car and house keys on separate key chains.

• Keep the garage door opener in your purse or briefcase.

• When stopped in traffic, always leave enough room to make an emergency getaway.

• If someone is threatening you with a weapon, give up the vehicle — it’s not worth your life.

How to prevent theft of other motor vehicles

Thefts of snowmobiles, motorcycles, boats and trail-bikes are also increasing. Many of the same precautions that apply to cars also apply to recreational vehicles.

Lock It

• Make sure all easy-to-carry items like motors, water skis and camping gear are locked up before leaving your vehicle.

Chain It

• Vehicles carried on trailers should be secured with a strong chain and padlock.

• When the trailer is not attached to your car, secure it with a heavy chain and lock to a stationary object.

• Chain your motorcycle or snowmobile to a stationary object such as a lamppost or sewer grating. Even when your vehicle is in the garage, use a heavy chain and padlock that resists conventional steel hacksaw blades.

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

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SantaClaritaValleySheriffsStation