Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies have released the crime reports for the week of June 1-8.

Detectives are investigating a dead body found near railroad tracks in Canyon Country on Sunday. Investigators with the Coroner’s Department identified the man found dead in Canyon Country on Sunday morning.

Santa Clarita Valley deputies are asking for the public’s help in finding two men suspected of stealing about $1,200 in merchandise from Target, officials said Monday.

Health and law enforcement officials are teaming up to increase Santa Clarita Valley resources, in response to a rise in concern about mental health issues.

Santa Clarita Valley deputies issued a pool-safety warning Wednesday for the summer season, in the midst of the most common time for pool injuries and worse.

Officials have yet to press charges against a suspect in the murder of Courtney Arvizu, officials said Thursday, as the man initially arrested for the murder awaits a hearing on assault charges.

The last remaining suspect in a robbery murder on Halloween 2011 in Santa Clarita was sentenced Friday.

Crime Reports

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

Here are the crime reports for Canyon Country East, Castaic/ Val Verde, Newhall, Saugus, Stevenson Ranch and Valencia.

Canyon Country East

A vandalism and petty theft occurred near the 16700 block of Tiara Ct., Canyon Country.  The victim believes his son, who previously lived at the location, damaged his (victim’s) property and stole items from his residence.

An armed robbery occurred near the 17000 block of Sierra Hwy., Canyon Country.  The suspects stole a large amount of money from the victim and fled on foot.

An armed robbery occurred near the 18400 block of Oak Canyon Rd., Canyon Country.   The suspects stole the victim’s cellular phone then fled from the scene in a vehicle.

A grand theft occurred at a business located near the 16500 block of Soledad Cyn Rd., Canyon Country.   The suspect, who represented himself as a law enforcement official, called the victim and stated he (victim) had a bench warrant for a failure to appear for jury duty. The victim was instructed to withdrawal the money from his bank account and then purchase “Reload it” money cards. The victim provided the suspect with the account numbers of the money cards before realizing he had been scammed.

A burglary occurred near the 18100 block of Sundowner Way, Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown entered the victim’s unlocked garage, then entered her unlocked vehicle parked inside, and stole numerous items.

A burglary occurred near the 17900 block of Danielson St., Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown pried off the screen to the victim’s living room window.  No entry was made into the location.

A burglary occurred near the 27300 block of Evi Ln., Canyon Country.  Suspect(s) unknown forced entry into the victim’s apartment and stole numerous items.

Be aware. Don’t get too occupied with your smartphones or cell phones.  Every day I see people walking down streets or sidewalks, or driving while playing on their phones.  I know that checking your phone can be addictive, but when you’re focused on your phone, that means you’re not focused on your purse, your surroundings, your children, or your general safety and well-being.

Castaic/ Val Verde

A theft was reported from the 28000 block of Chiquito Canyon Road.  The victim had miscellaneous items taken from his room.  The victim rents a room at the location and numerous other residents have access to the items.  The crime occurred between 6-1-15 and 6-2-15.

Please remember to never leave valuables in plain view in your vehicle, close and lock your doors.  Minimize your risk and avoid being the victim of a crime of opportunity.  If you see any suspicious activity, call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at (661) 255-1121 or 9-1-1 in an emergency.

Newhall

On Friday the 5th at 4:45 p.m., a victim was knocked to the ground and had her purse stolen as she was walking away from a business in the 23400 block of Lyons Avenue.

On Sunday the 7th at 7:05 p.m., three guys were drinking in a garage in the 20900 block of Via Estrella.  A fight started.  One of the males was hit with a bottle and another was cut with the broken glass.  One left before deputies arrived, the other two were non-desirous of any further action.

Between Sunday the 31st at 5:00 p.m., and Monday the 1st at 5:00 a.m., an attached garage was burglarized in the 23700 block of Valle Del Oro.  An outer lock was removed and two bags clothing were taken.

On Thursday the 4th, between 11:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., an apartment was burglarized in the 21200 block of Ficus Drive.  The suspect entered through a window and stole a watch.

Between Thursday the 4th at 8:30 p.m., and Friday the 5th at 3:00 p.m., a storage container in the 24200 block of Meadowridge Drive was burglarized.  An outer lock was cut off and a generator, a wagon, and miscellaneous hand tools were stolen.

On Sunday the 7th at 12:45 a.m., a burglary occurred in the 24700 block of Quigley Canyon.  The resident heard a noise in the downstairs area of the house when the suspect fled without taking anything.

On Friday the 5th, between 3:30 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., batteries were stolen from a semi-truck parked in the 23500 block of Newhall Avenue.

Between Thursday the 4th at 6:00 p.m., and Friday the 5th at 11:00 a.m., a car stereo was stolen from a truck parked in the 23600 block of Newhall Avenue.  There was also a significant amount of damage caused to the truck by breaking into it and removing the stereo.

On Friday the 5th at 3:58 p.m., a 20 year old female shoplifted from a business in the 24200 block of Main Street.  The female suspect was identified and does not live in the area.

There were six arrests in the Newhall area last week.  One for shoplifting, three for DUI, and two for domestic violence.

As we draw closer to the 4th of July, we would like to remind residents regarding the use of fireworks.  A violation can carry stiff fines or even confinement in jail.  Furthermore, property owners will be held responsible for violations, regardless of who shoots off the illegal fireworks.  The City of Santa Clarita is having a fireworks display at the Valencia mall which will be open to residents throughout the valley.

Be a Good Neighbor – Don’t use Illegal Fireworks

Remember to lock your doors and windows, don’t leave packages or valuables in plain view, and be aware of your surroundings.  Be a good neighbor and report suspicious behavior.

Saugus

A residential burglary occurred near the 21200 block of Winterset Drive. The suspects entered the location through an open window.  The homeowner came home and saw the suspects flee the house. The victim gave a good description of the suspects. The deputies later captured the suspects and booked them at Santa Clarita Station.

The 4th of July is quickly approaching, and our city is looking forward to celebrating.  But residence need to know that we are currently in a serious drought, and fire risks are high.  ALL FIREWORKS ARE ILLEGAL IN THE CITY OF SANTA CLARITA.  Deputies from the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station will be enforcing firework laws throughout the city. The fines for these offences could cost you several hundred dollars. Instead of worrying about fines come out to a city event.  Our city puts on some great, professional firework shows.  Bring some chairs, a cooler of cold drinks and have a good time.

Stevenson Ranch

A burglary (locker) and theft by access card occurred on the 24900 block of The Old.  Person(s) unknown broke into the victim’s gym locker and stole his debit and credit cards.  The suspect(s) then made numerous charges at numerous stores using the victim’s debit and credit cards.

A vehicle burglary occurred on the 24300 block of The Old Rd.  Person(s) unknown smashed the window of the victim’s vehicle and stole her purse containing various credit/debit cards and U.S. currency.  The purse was left in the victim’s vehicle which was parked in a parking lot and left unattended.

A petty theft (shoplifting) occurred on the 25400 block of The Old Rd. A male adult attempted to leave the location with several items he did not pay for.  He was arrested for petty theft.

Tip of the week:  Congratulations to all those graduating seniors this year!  Well done!  Now that you are stepping into the life of adulthood, let’s do it SAFELY!  Most of you are new drivers.  Be sure you drive safely and within your limits.  Be sure you understand the limits of your provisional driver’s license.  NEVER drive if you have been consuming alcohol, and NEVER get into a vehicle with a driver who has.  Life is good!  Enjoy your future!

Valencia

An assault with a deadly weapon occurred near the area of Magic Mountain Parkway and interstate 5.   The victim and the suspect got into a road rage incident on the freeway over an unsafe lane change.  The victim exited his car and approached the suspect, which resulted in the victim getting punched in the face.  The suspect returned back to his vehicle and fled the area.

A burglary occurred near the 25400 block of Via Gracioso.  An unknown suspect forced entry into the victim’s residence and stole numerous personal items along with some coins and jewelry.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 27900 block of Seco Canyon Road.  An unknown suspect(s) forced entry in the business through the back door of the location.  Once inside the store the suspect(s) pried open a cash register and were able to make off with over 900 dollars.

Over the past week we had ten incidents of theft from local businesses.  A total of six suspects were arrested out of the ten incidents.  If you are in a store and you see an incident of shoplifting occur please do not hesitate to contact a member of the staff and make them aware of what you have witnessed.

A petty theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the 28200 block of Newhall Ranch Road.  An unknown suspect entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle and stole a few of his personal items.  No forced entry was made into the location due to the fact the victim left his vehicle unlocked.

Please take a minute to review a few safety tips for protecting yourself from becoming a victim of identity theft.

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 Trans Union. 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.