Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies have released the crime reports for Feb. 17-23.

The arrival of two back-to-back storms this week, prompted Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies to warn residents about the dangers of driving in the rain, especially after a long dry spell.

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They advised motorists to make sure their vehicles were in good working order and exercise caution.

The two-pronged DUI checkpoint on Friday, Feb. 21 netted 14 arrests, three for DUI or drug possession, and the rest for driver’s license charges and other violations.

Deputies were able to reunite a San Diego college professor with his heirloom jewelry on Friday, Feb. 21, after the valuables were found inside a pill box in the Sheriff’s Station’s drug drop-off last week.

Several individuals with Santa Clarita ties appeared in court this week.

Juan Mejia, 31, of Canyon Country, has a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 20. Mejia is charged with three counts in the shooting death of his father in May.

Jeffrey Edmonds, 37, of Simi Valley, pleaded no contest on Monday to the charges that he impersonated an officer and stole firearms from a Castaic weapons manufacturer.

Last week’s crime reports are listed in alphabetical order by community.

Canyon Country Crime – east

Last week, the following Part 1 crimes occurred in Canyon Country east: (1) Grand Theft Auto, (3) Mail Theft, (3) Shoplifting.

There were very few Part 1 crimes reported in Zone 8 last week. A Grand Theft Auto occurred near the intersection of Silver Saddle Circle. The victim’s 1995 Ford Explorer was stolen and has not been recovered.

There were three shoplifting incidents reported. Two of the incidents occurred at the AMPM on Sand Canyon Road. In the first incident the suspect went inside the store, selected a 12-pack of Heineken and ran out of the store. In the second incident the suspect entered the store and selected motor oil and beer. The suspect ran out of the store with the stolen items.

A package was stolen from the porch of a residence near the 17000 block of Maple Hurst Drive.    

Canyon Country Crime – west

This past week in Zone 7, the following Part-1 Crimes occurred: (4) Commercial Burglaries, (1) Petty Theft, (1) Burglary to a Vehicle, (1) Petty Theft to a Vehicle, (2) Shopliftings, (1) Grand Theft Auto

A commercial burglary occurred near the 18500 block of Soledad Canyon Road. The suspect attempted to pry off the rear doors lock. No entry was made into the location. This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Station detectives.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 26500 block of Ruether Avenue. The suspect cut a chain link fence to gain entry into the location. While inside, the suspect cut a lock off a metal container and stole numerous items from within. This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Station detectives.

A burglary to a vehicle occurred near the 19400 block of Stillmore Street. The suspect forced open the driver side door and made entry into the vehicle. While inside the vehicle, the suspect attempted to “hotwire” the vehicle but was unsuccessful. The suspect stole the vehicle’s stereo. This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Station detectives.

There were two incidents of shoplifting both at Walmart in Canyon Country. Both suspects were caught concealing store items and arrested by Santa Clarita deputies. Both incidents are currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Station detectives.

A taking of a vehicle without the owner’s consent occurred near the intersection of Vasquez Canyon Road and Sierra Highway. The suspect stole a GMC Truck that was parked near the above location. A short time later, Santa Clarita deputies observed the vehicle driving near the area of Pico Canyon Road and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle. Deputies detained a female adult who was later arrested for taking the vehicle without the owner’s consent. This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Station detectives.

Castaic/Val Verde Crime

There were two Part 1 Crimes in Zone 2 this past week.

A Castaic resident reported her purse stolen off of the front seat of her open unattended vehicle while parked in the KinderCare parking lot off of Hasley Canyon Road.

The Pilot Truck Stop reported that a black male in his 20s entered their store and grabbed a Red Bull and Hot Cheetos then ran out the back door without paying.  

Newhall Crime

A look back at the crimes reported in the Newhall area last week.

There were 2 vehicles reported stolen last week. A black 1989 Ford F250 truck was stolen sometime between Monday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, Feb. 22, from the 23800 block of Pine Street.  The other was a white 1990 two-door Nissan 300ZX, which was stolen from the 24900 block of Walnut Street, between 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21 and 8 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. Both vehicles are still outstanding.

A vehicle was burglarized at the park-n-ride, 23600 Newhall Avenue, sometime between Friday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22. A movie prop that looks like a space gun was taken.

A 12-pack of beer and three packs of cigarettes were stolen from the AMPM, 24020 Newhall Avenue, Saturday, Feb. 22 at 11:35 p.m. The suspect was described as a white male, 23 years old, 5’09” and 170 pounds, with blonde hair. He fled the location in a silver Toyota Corolla.

Saugus Crime

This week we had 3 Part-1 crimes reported in the Saugus area.

The first was a commercial burglary from the 22800 block of Oakridge Drive. It was discovered that the rear door at the leasing office had been kicked open. It is unknown if anything was taken.

There was a petty theft in the 28100 block of Shelter Cove Drive, which occurred between December of last year and Feb. 17. The victim discovered that jewelry that she had left in a common area of the residence was missing. Detectives are checking if other residents at the location were involved in the theft.

An arson was reported on Feb. 23 in the wash area behind the 28000 block of Dickason Drive. A small area of brush was burnt. The fire was determined to be started on purpose. Witnesses stated that they saw juveniles running from the area when the fire was started.

Stevenson Ranch/Westridge Crime

Last week, the following Part 1 crimes occurred in Zone 3 Stevenson Ranch: (1) Commercial Burglary, (1) Shoplift and (1) GTA.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 25400 block of The Old Road. A male suspect entered the location and attempted to cash a stolen tax refund check with a false identification card. The suspect was detained by responding deputies and subsequently arrested.

A shoplift burglary occurred near the 25400 block of The Old Road. A female suspect was detained by loss prevention personnel when she exited the location, failing to pay for several items. The suspect was arrested by responding deputies.

An auto theft occurred near the 25300 block of The Old Road. An unknown suspect took the victim’s locked vehicle from the parking area of a nearby apartment complex. The victim was missing a key to the vehicle.

Valencia Crime

Zone 5-Valencia had eighteen Part-1 Crimes reported during the past week. The criminal incidents included robbery, residential/vehicle burglaries, theft from an unlocked vehicle and petty thefts from various areas.

A robbery occurred at the 24200 block of Town Center Driver between the hours of 10 and 10:15 a.m. The victim, owner of a jewelry store, reported he was robbed by an unknown male black adult who demanded that he open the jewelry cabinets to obtain $350,000 worth of jewelry. Deputies responded and set up a containment of the location. The suspect was not located and the investigation is ongoing.

A residential burglary occurred on the 27500 block of Courtview Drive between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. The victim left her purse inside on the passenger seat inside her vehicle. The vehicle was parked inside the garage unlocked. Entry/exit was made via the side garage door which was left unlocked. Items stolen were the purse, a wallet containing credit cards and $180 and DJ equipment from the garage area.

Two vehicle burglaries occurred during the early morning hours of the weekend between Deerfield Lane and Promontory Lane. Both victims stated their vehicles were locked and parked in front of their residence. Entry/exit into the vehicle was unknown due to no forced entry to either vehicle. Items stolen were a purse containing a wallet, credit cards, checkbook and a backpack containing ammo. All items were located on passenger seats inside the vehicles.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred on the 27600 block of Weston Drive between the hours of 5 and 5:30 p.m. Items stolen were a wallet containing credit cards and sunglasses, which were left inside a diaper bag located in the back seat of the vehicle.

Do not leave items visible in your vehicle. Take all personal belongings with you when you exit your vehicle or secure items in locked trunks. Do not leave items underneath vehicle seats or cover them with clothing apparel or blankets. Thieves know this technique. Remember to roll up all windows and lock doors before walking away from your vehicle. Keep theft down.

Take careful steps to not become a victim. Be mindful of your surroundings. Do not leave personal items unattended in public areas, such as restaurants, shopping carts or counter tops of businesses.

If you see any suspicious activity, please call the Sheriff’s Station immediately at 661-255-1121.

There were multiple arrests made this past week by proactive Santa Clarita deputies assigned to the Valencia area. Arrests included, under the influence of narcotics, drunk in public, warrants and shoplifting from local businesses.

Related Article: Safety Hazards In The Rain: Deputies, SoCal Edison Warn Residents

Related Article: Santa Clarita DUI Stops Result In 14 Arrests On Friday Night

Related Article: Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Deputies Return Jewels Found In Drug Drop-off

Related Article: Canyon Country Suspect In Santa Clarita Murder Due Back In March

Related Article: Man Charged In Castaic Machine Gun Theft Takes Plea Deal

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

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