Crime Blotter: Tequila Swap and Drop

Tequila Swap and Drop

On Monday, Nov. 28 at approximately 3:30 p.m., a man allegedly attempted to shoplift three bottles of Jose Cuervo 1800 Silver tequila by concealing them under his jacket and making a run for it. A loss prevention officer at, 635 Foothill Blvd., told deputies that the man was observed in the store’s liquor aisle carrying a basket containing the three bottles. The man then reportedly put the bottles under his jacket and exited the store without attempting to pay.

The officer radioed her partner, who attempted to detain the suspected tequila thief as he exited the store. But the suspect instead made a run for a black car waiting in the parking lot. In the driver’s seat, the thief’s suspected accomplice yelled for him to hurry up and get in the car. The officer managed to get a hold of the suspect’s jacket and pull it from him, a bottle of tequila smashing onto the ground in the process. Despite having gotten out of the officer’s grip, the suspect went back to the officer and traded a bottle of tequila for his jacket before hopping into the car and speeding out of the parking lot and down Foothill Boulevard.

The tequila is valued at approximately $30 per bottle.

Shopper’s Wallet Lifted

A woman shopping at , 475 Foothill Blvd., on Monday afternoon, Nov. 28, reported her wallet missing. She reported placing the wallet in her shopping cart while shopping but noticed it missing when she got to the check out. Despite a search by employees and the victim, the wallet was not found and it was not turned in to store management. The wallet contained the victim’s driver’s license, debit and credit cards, and $160 in currency.

Multiple Thefts from Unlocked Cars

Deputies reported eight victims of theft from vehicles in the same area occurring sometime during the night of Nov. 25. On Saturday morning, Nov. 26, eight resident filed reports and one resident reported a car burglary but declined to submit an official incident report to sheriff’s deputies. All cars except one were reportedly unlocked parked in driveways or in front of residences during the time frame of the burglaries.

Thefts were reported in the 1100 block of Flanders Road, 4600 block of Lasheart Drive, 5200 block of La Cañada Boulevard, 5400 block of Palm Drive, 4500 block of Loma Vista Drive, 5100 block of Hayman Avenue and 1200 block of El Vago Street.

A total of 14 vehicles were reportedly entered and items stolen from inside. Victims noted finding car doors ajar and interiors ransacked. One victim reported all five cars parked in his driveway burglarized. Items stolen include GPS devices, wallets, sunglasses, currency, gift cards, a welding torch, an iPod touch and several change purses containing change. One victim reported a backpack and one shoe taken.

The has recently attempted to raise awareness of theft from unlocked cars with a . Theft from unlocked vehicles continues to be .