At the county level, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is dealing with the recent announcement of Sheriff Lee Baca’s resignation. Locally, Santa Clarita Valley Station, deputies are focusing on reducing crime in the community.

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This week, there were several incidents and court cases.

Assistant Sheriff Terri McDonald was named Baca’s choice as interim sheriff until the election in June.

Deputies are currently investigating the case of missing Castaic girl Shae Rebel. The 2-year-old was reported missing on Nov. 21 and could be in the company of her father in North Dakota.

On Sunday, deputies found a Palmdale woman who had been missing since Christmas day. Giovanni McKinnis, 19, also of Palmdale, was arrested and booked on several charges, including kidnapping and attempted murder.

A motorcycle crash on Tuesday is being investigated as a possible stolen vehicle incident. Eddie Lopez, 33, of Santa Clarita was taken to the hospital after he tried to evade a traffic stop for speeding and then crashed.

Kristal Wendelsmith, 23, of Santa Clarita was arrested in Canyon Country on Wednesday on suspicion of using false documents at a Santa Clarita bank.

Hugo Carrillo, 30, of Canyon Country was sentenced to 32 months in state prison on Wednesday. He was wanted in connection with several charges  and was arrested in July 2013 after an hourslong search.

Three major felony cases with Santa Clarita ties were also in court this week.

Scott Shipley, 56, of Acton, who is charged in the shooting death of Christopher Demyen, had his case continued until Feb. 19.

Dino Guglielmelli, of Santa Clarita, accused of soliciting murder for hire, had a pretrial hearing this week and is due back in court on Feb. 7.

Opening statements for the bank robbery case involving Phillip Ely, 30, Lavelle Mosley, 23, and Terion Lamarr Collins, 26, were expected to take place this week. The three alleged gang members robbed the Bank of America on Soledad Canyon Road in September 2012.

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

Canyon Country east

Last week, the following Part 1 crimes occurred in Canyon Country East: (3) Residential Burglary, (1) Commercial Burglary, (1) Theft from vehicle, (2) Grand theft auto.

A residential burglary was reported at 27520 Sierra Highway at the “Sierra Canyon Apartments.” Two suspects entered an apartment that was not theirs. A maintenance worker saw them enter and immediately called 911. When deputies arrived to the location they located the suspects inside the apartment. The suspects were arrested for burglary and for possession of narcotics.

An additional garage burglary was reported near 27000 Karns Court. In this incident two suspects were seen entering an open garage and stealing a bicycle from the victim. The two suspects were later located and arrested by Santa Clarita Sheriff deputies.

There were two grand theft autos reported last week. The first one was reported at the intersection of Fahren Court and Manzanita Lane. A 1995 Honda Civic was stolen and has not been recovered. A 2011 Hyundai Sonata was stolen from the 28000 block of Sarabande Lane. This vehicle is also outstanding.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the 18000 block of Dolan Drive. In this incident the suspect shattered the right rear window of the vehicle and stole several thousand dollars worth of electronics from inside the vehicle.

During the past week we saw a reduction in part 1 crimes in Zone 8. There were only a few residential burglaries.

Canyon Country west

This past week in Zone 7, the following Part-1 Crimes occurred:

(1) Residential Burglary, (2) Commercial Burglaries, (1) Shoplift, (1) Grand Theft, (4) Petty Thefts.

A residential burglary occurred near the 26400 block of Oak Crossing Road. Unknown suspects entered the residence while the victim was sleeping. Nothing was taken during this incident.

An attempted commercial burglary occurred near the 18500 block of Soledad Canyon Road. The rear door dead bolt was pried off. No entry was made and nothing was taken.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 20000 block of Avenue of the Oaks. Suspects unknown entered the victim’s detached garage and stole several items.

Castaic/Val Verde

There were two Part 1 Crimes in Zone 2.  

One residential burglary was reported on Lincoln Avenue in Val Verde. The suspect entered the residence through the rear sliding door. Two Apple iPads were taken.

An arson was reported on Quail Valley Road in Castaic. The structure sustained $200,000 in fire and smoke damage. The suspect was arrested and the case is being handled by the Department’s Arson Bureau.    

Gorman/Neenach

During the above dates, Zone 1 had (2) reported part one crimes.

First was a theft from an unlocked vehicle, money and medication was taken. This occurred on Orwin Way in Gorman area next to the OHV park.

Second was a domestic violence incident that occurred on the I-5 Freeway at Hwy 138. The suspect is known but not from the area.

During the previous week (report taken on Dec. 20) we had one burglary at a remote ranch by Quail Lake. Taken was a flatbed trailer with two (2) Honda quads and miscellaneous gardening and camping equipment. These items were all locked into a steel storage container at the location.

Newhall

Here is a look back at the crimes reported in the Newhall area last week.

On Monday, Dec. 30, between 5:30 a.m. and 4:10 p.m., a catalytic converter was stolen from a truck while it was parked at the park-n-ride at Newhall Avenue/14 Freeway.

On Thursday, Jan. 2, at 9:45 a.m., a cell phone was stolen from the 24700 block of Valley Street. The phone was sitting on the back of a vehicle and left unattended for a short period of time.

Two vehicles were reported stolen last week. On Jan. 1 a 2000 Honda Accord was reported stolen from the apartments in the 23600 block of Newhall Avenue and on Jan. 4 a 1988 Toyota pick-up was reported stolen from the 23600 block of Lyons Avenue. Both vehicles have been recovered.

Saugus

There were only two reported Part-1 crimes over the past week. The first was a commercial burglary from Airsoft and Hobby World on Jan. 5. The suspect was seen breaking the front window of the location. He entered the business and stole an airsoft rifle before fleeing. Deputies responded, however they were unable to locate the suspect. Santa Clarita detectives are actively working the case.

There was a theft of a motor vehicle in the 28500 block of Rock Canyon Road on Jan. 5. The victim’s boyfriend stole her vehicle from the front of her residence. A search is being conducted for the vehicle and the named suspect.

There were multiple arrests over the past week in Saugus. The arrests were for possession of narcotics, possession of a weapon, domestic violence, theft, under the influence of narcotics and DUI.

Stevenson Ranch/Westridge

Last week, the following Part 1 crimes occurred in Zone 3 Stevenson Ranch:

(1) Robbery, (2) Thefts From Unlocked Vehicles and (1) Petty Theft.

A strong arm robbery occurred near the 25400 block of The Old Road. An altercation between a couple involved in a dating relationship became a robbery when the male suspect took the victim’s purse and left the location. The suspect was arrested by responding deputies.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the 25300 block of Silver Aspen Way. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and took a backpack containing the victim’s cellphone and several additional electronic items.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the 25300 block of Chiquella Lane. An unknown suspect entered the victim’s vehicle and took a purse containing miscellaneous items.

A petty theft occurred near the 27500 block of The Old Road. The victim left her cellphone unattended, on top of a counter at the location. When she returned to the counter to retrieve her phone, it was gone.

Valencia

Zone 5-Valencia had fourteen Part-1 crimes reported during the past week. The criminal incidents included residential burglary, vehicle burglary, petty theft, and shoplifting from local businesses.

A residential burglary occurred on the 27900 block of Alta Vista Avenue during the hours of 9 p.m. and 4 a.m. The victim had a New Year’s Eve party with approximately 80 people attending. Items stolen were a laptop computer, cell phone and numerous pieces of jewelry all which were located in the master bedroom. No witnesses or suspect(s) have been identified in this report and the investigation is ongoing.

One vehicle burglary occurred on the 24100 Del Monte Drive between the hours of 5 p.m. and 5 a.m. The victim parked his vehicle in an assigned parking space at the location. Entry and exit is unknown due to no forced entry to the vehicle. Items stolen were a wallet containing credit cards, cell phone and a Bluetooth speaker from the center console area. All items were visible from the outside of the vehicle.

A petty theft of a bicycle occurred on the 24500 in the Town Center Drive during the early morning hours. The bicycle was locked to a bike rack at the location. The chain lock was cut off the bicycle with an unknown object. This is the fourth bicycle theft report taken in the past two weeks.

Please be cognizant of your surroundings. If you see any suspicious activity, please call the Sheriff’s Station immediately at 661-255-1121. Take careful steps to not become a victim. If you are out and about in the evening, try and park your vehicles in well-lit areas. Be mindful of your surroundings. Take personal belongings with you when you exit your vehicle or secure items in locked trunks. Do not place items underneath vehicle seats or cover them with clothing apparel.

Remember to roll up all windows and lock doors before walking away from your vehicle. Do not leave valuables such as purses, wallets or cell phones unattended in public areas like shopping carts, benches or counters. There were multiple arrests made this past week by proactive Santa Clarita Deputies assigned to the Valencia area. Arrests included grand theft, under the influence of narcotics, drunk in public, and shoplifting from local businesses.

Related Article: Sheriff Lee Baca Announces Retirement After 48 Years With Department

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More Information: Crime

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