Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies have released the crime reports for the week of June 29-July 5.

A man and a woman were sentenced recently for their part in a series of muggings in Newhall in 2013, according to the LA County District Attorney’s office.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials are asking residents for help in identifying an individual wanted for questioning for entering a local business in the 24400 block of Magic Mountain Parkway in the Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies are trying to coax a man out of a house in Valencia who allegedly pulled a knife on his parents around 5:15 p.m., officials said Monday.

A man who was involved in a standoff with Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies Monday evening was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a knife, officials said Tuesday.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials are investigating a series of break-ins in the Newhall area.

Santa Clarita Crime Reports

KHTS publishes crime reports in alphabetical order by community as they are made available.

Here are the crime reports for Canyon Country West and Castaic/Val Verde.

Canyon Country West Crime

A commercial burglary occurred near the 19100 block of Golden Valley Road.  Person(s) unknown smashed the front window of the location and stole the cash register from within. This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A vehicle burglary occurred near the intersection of Rainbow Glen Drive and Flo Lane.  Person(s) unknown smashed the driver side window and stole a pair of sunglasses and a “GoPro” from within.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A petty theft occurred near the 28000 block of Glasser Avenue.  Person(s) unknown entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole his wallet from within.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A petty theft occurred near the 18000 block of Beneda Lane.  Person(s) unknown entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole his wallet from within.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A petty theft occurred near the 19400 block of Stillmore Street.  Person(s) unknown siphoned approximately $35 worth of gasoline from the victim’s vehicle.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A shoplifting occurred near the 20600 block of Golden Triangle Road.  Two suspects were arrested for taking a swamp cooler from the location and leaving the location with no attempt to pay for the item. This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A shoplifting occurred near the 26400 block of Carl Boyer Drive.  One suspect was arrested for taking store items with no attempt to pay for the items.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

For all the Zone 7 residents that live in a County area, the Los Angeles County has an enhanced app called “The Works” for iOS and Android.  The app lets you connect with the County to request services to help improve your community.

You can download it here.

Castaic / Val Verde Crime

An aggravated assault occurred near the 31000 block of Charlie Canyon Road.  Two suspects were arrested after they struck the victim with their vehicle during an altercation regarding trespassing on the victim’s property.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

An aggravated assault occurred near the 31600 block of Castaic Road.  The suspect grabbed the victim and began punching and strangling him after the victim asked him to move his truck out of a red zone.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

An arson occurred near the 33000 block of Ridge Route Road.  Person(s) unknown set fire to an abandoned house and nearby hillside causing approximately $350,000 in damage.  This incident is currently under investigation by Los Angeles County Arson/Explosives detectives.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 31500 block of Castaic Road.  Person(s) unknown pried open the side door to the location and stole approximately $200 worth of merchandise from within.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A grand theft auto occurred near the 29300 block of Verdale Avenue.  Person(s) unknown stole the victim’s vehicle which was parked near the above location.  On 07/05/15, the vehicle was located near the intersection of Via Joyce and Arthur Court in Saugus.  This incident is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

For all the Zone 2 residents that live in a County area, the Los Angeles County has an enhanced app called “The Works” for iOS and Android.  The app lets you connect with the County to request services to help improve your community.

You can download it here.

IDENTITY THEFT PREVENTION TIPS

The LASD suggests the following crime prevention techniques to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft:

1. To minimize the amount of information an identity thief can steal, do not carry extra credit cards, a social security card, birth certificate or passport in your wallet or purse, except when needed.
2. To reduce the amount of personal information that is in circulation consider the following: Remove your name from the marketing lists of the three major credit reporting bureaus, i.e., Equifax, Experian (formerly TRW) and TransUnion. This will limit the number of pre-approved offers of credit that you receive. These offers, if thrown away in the trash, are potential targets of identity thieves who will use them to order credit cards using your identity. Sign up for the Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service and the Telephone Preference Service. By doing this, your name is added to computerized name deletion lists used by nationwide marketers. Have your name and address removed from telephone books and reverse directories.
3. Install a locked mailbox at your residence or business to reduce mail theft or use a post office box
4. When you order new checks, do not have them sent to your home address. Have them sent to a post office box or arrange to pick them up at your bank.
5. When you pay bills, do not place the envelopes containing your checks in your home mailbox for the letter carrier to pick up. If stolen, your checks can be altered and cashed by identity thieves. It is best to mail your checks and other sensitive mail at the post office rather than your home or neighborhood mailbox. Write checks with a fine-point permanent marker.
6. Pay bills with an electronic bill payment service.
7. Reduce the number of credit cards you actively use to a bare minimum. Carry only one or two credit cards in your wallet. Cancel all unused credit card accounts. Even though you do not use these accounts, account numbers are recorded in your credit report along with other data that can be used by identity thieves.
8. Keep a list and/or photocopy of all your credit cards, account numbers, expiration dates and telephone numbers of the customer service and fraud departments in a secure place (not your wallet or purse) so you can quickly contact your creditors in case your credit cards are stolen. Do the same with your bank accounts.
9. Never give out your credit card number or other personal information over the telephone, unless you have a trusted business relationship with the person or company and you have initiated the telephone call. Identity thieves have been known to call their victims with a fake story that goes something like this, “Today is your lucky day! You have been chosen by the “Jane and John Doe Sweepstakes Committee” to receive a free trip to Europe. All we need is your credit card number and expiration date to verify you as the lucky winner.”
10. Order your credit report once a year from each of the three major credit bureaus to check for inaccuracies and fraudulent use of your accounts. Make sure that you recognize every line of information established in your file.
11. Always take credit card receipts with you. Never throw them in a public trash container.
12. Watch the mail when you expect a new or reissued credit card to arrive. Contact the issuer if the card does not arrive.
13. When creating a password or Personal Identification Number (PIN), do not use the last four digits of your social security number, date of birth, middle name, the name of your family pet, consecutive numbers of anything else that could easily be discovered by identity thieves.
14. Ask your financial institution to add extra security protection to your account. Most will allow you to use an additional code (a number or word) when assessing your account. Do not use your mother’s maiden name, as that is all too easily obtained by identity thieves.
15. Memorize all your passwords. Do not record them on anything in your wallet or purse.
16. Protect your social security number. Release it only when absolutely necessary (tax forms, employment records, most banking, stock and property transactions). The social security number is the key to your credit and bank accounts and is a prime target of identity thieves.
17. Do not have your social security number printed on your checks. Do not let merchants write your social security number on your checks because of the risk of fraud.
18. Order your Social Security Earnings and Benefits Statement once a year to check for fraud.
19. Carefully review your credit card statements for unauthorized use.
20. Do not throw pre-approved credit offers in the trash or in a recycling container without first shredding them. The discarded credit offers can be used by identity thieves to order credit cards in your name and to have the credit cards mailed to their address.
21. Do the same with other sensitive information like credit card receipts. Home shredders can be purchased at many office supply stores.
22. Demand financial institutions to adequately safeguard your data. Request a special password that only you would know. Memorize all passwords. Discourage your bank from using the last four digits of the social security number as the PIN they assign to customers.
23. When you fill out loan applications, find out how the company disposes of them. If you are not convinced that they store them in locked files and/or shred them, take your business elsewhere. Some car dealerships, department stores, car rental agencies, and video stores have been known to be careless with customer applications. When you pay by credit card, ask the business how it stores and disposes of the transaction slip. Avoid paying by credit card if you think the business does not use adequate safeguards.
24. Store your cancelled checks in a safe place. In the wrong hands, they can reveal a lot of information about you. Never permit your credit card number to be written on your checks. It is a violation of California law (California Civil Code 1725) and places you at risk of fraud.
25. Any entity involved in handling personal information should train all its employees, from the top to the bottom, on responsible information-handling practices. Persuade the companies, government agencies and nonprofit agencies with which you are associated to adopt privacy policies and conduct privacy training. Employees should be trained to check picture identification cards when accepting credit cards.