The holiday season means that many Santa Clarita Valley residents are out Christmas shopping and taking advantage of seasonal sales, but a series of purse snatchings over the weekend have SCV Sheriff’s Station deputies on the alert, warning customers to always keep close tabs on their personal belongings.

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Deputies also investigated a double murder and pharmacy thefts in the SCV this week.

Lance Holger Anderson, 60, of Canyon Country, was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly shooting Bertha Anderson, 68, also of Canyon Country, and Linda Nave, 58, of Mission Hills, between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Nave was Lance Anderson’s sister and Bertha Anderson was reportedly his wife.

A string of drug thefts at two local pharmacies dating back to about a year ago are being investigated by deputies with the SCV Sheriff’s Station, officials said Wednesday. There have been five thefts in the last seven months, including drugs like vicodin and muscle relaxants.

Two Santa Clarita Valley suspects were in court this week.

Dino Roy Guglielmelli, 52, of Canyon Country, was granted $10 million bail in a review of the case on Tuesday. Guglielmelli was previously held without bail on a charge of soliciting his wife’s murder.

Jake Heffernan, 19, of Valencia, who was arrested once for a vandalism and again on a burglary charge, in separate incidents, took a plea deal in one case and is due back in court for the other, officials said Wednesday.

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: (1) Robbery, (2) Theft, (1) Commercial Burglary, (3) Residential Burglary

There was a reduction in part one crimes reported in Zone 8 last week. A strong arm robbery was reported near the intersection of Jakes Way and Sandy Drive. In this incident a lone female was walking down the street when the male suspect approached her from behind. The suspect pushed her down to the ground and pulled her purse off her shoulder. The suspect got into a vehicle and drove away. There have been several of these incidents reported throughout the Santa Clarita Valley over the past two weeks which are currently being investigated by Santa Clarita Station detectives.  

A residential burglary was reported near the 14800 block of Daisy Meadow Street. In this incident the suspect entered the victim’s garage through the garage door and stole two firearms. The victim was unsure if he had closed the garage door when he left the location. Another residential burglary was reported near the 29000 block of Dune Lane. The suspect in this incident entered the open sliding glass patio door and entered the location. The suspect stole an Apple laptop computer and a Xbox 360 from inside the location.

A theft was reported near 18000 block of Grace Lane. In this incident the victim left plumbing equipment in the bed of his truck. The suspect stole a plumbing snake worth more than $400, from the bed of the truck.

Canyon Country west

This past week in Zone 7, the following Part-1 crimes occurred: (1) Robbery/Attempt, (1) Commercial Burglary, (2) Shoplift and (2) Petty Thefts.

An attempted robbery occurred near the 18700 block of Mandan Street. A male suspect approached the victim and his friends and produced a firearm, demanding the victim’s cellphone. After a thorough investigation by responding deputies, the suspect was arrested.

A commercial burglary occurred near the 19300 block of Soledad Canyon Road. A male suspect pried open the rear door of the location and upon entering, took an iPad and attempted to pry open a cash register. The case is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Valley Station detectives.

A shoplift/burglary occurred near the 26400 block of Carl Boyer Drive. The suspect walked out of the location, failing to pay for a cart full of electronic items. The suspect was detained by loss prevention personnel and subsequently arrested by responding deputies.

A petty theft/shoplift occurred near the 19300 block of Soledad Canyon Road. A juvenile subject was detained by loss prevention personnel after stealing a cellphone case cover. The subject was subsequently detained by Santa Clarita deputies.

A petty theft occurred at the LA Fitness located at 26455 Golden Valley Road. An unknown suspect took the victim’s gym bag and wallet from the men’s locker room.

A petty theft occurred near the 20400 block of Cedarcreek Street. The victim, who was volunteering at a nearby school, had her purse taken from the multipurpose room. The suspect(s) then used the victim’s credit cards to purchase items at local stores.

Castaic/Val Verde

There were four Part 1 Crimes in Zone 2. There was one commercial burglary reported from a church in Val Verde. Several musical instruments and electronic equipment were stolen. There were three thefts from vehicles reported from Val Verde as well. All three vehicles had a window smashed. The owners reported miscellaneous personal items and tools were taken.

Gorman/Neenach

During the above dates, Zone 1 had no (0) reported part one crime.

Continue to be diligent and report all crimes as well as reporting anything suspicious in the area.

Several area residents have said that a white, 80s full size bronco or blazer has been seen driving around the neighborhood with no apparent reason or purpose, possibly casing the area for theft, etc. There are several homes in the area that are in foreclosure, which makes them popular targets for thieves.   

Newhall

Between Monday, Dec. 2 at 9:30 p.m., and Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 5:30 a.m., lawn equipment was stolen from a vehicle in the 24800 block of Newhall Avenue.

On Wednesday, Dec. 4, during the early morning hours, a burglary occurred at an apartment in the 21200 block of Ficus Drive. The thief entered the apartment through a window, but nothing was stolen.    

On Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., in the 29900 block of Walnut Street, a produce truck operator had his wallet stolen. The male suspect fled from the truck south on Walnut Street. On Sunday, Dec. 8 at 6 p.m., a purse was stolen near the area of Silverado and Via Canon. Approximately four and a half hours later, another purse was stolen near the 25000 block of Peachland Avenue.

On Sunday, Dec. 8 at 8:15 p.m., a business in the 23500 block of Lyons Avenue was burglarized. A window was smashed to get into the business. There were other businesses still open nearby, but no witnesses came forward.

Sometimes people hear or see things they think are suspicious or were so blatant somebody else must have heard or seen and reported. Often things go unreported which could have been helpful. If you see or hear something you think is suspicious, call the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station at 661-255-1121, and we will check it out. It may just be the tip needed to catch a criminal before they can strike again.

On Sunday, Dec. 8 between midnight and 9:30 a.m., an apartment was broken into in the 23700 block of Silverado. A door was broken, but nothing was stolen.

Saugus

We saw a rise in reported Part-1 crimes over the past week with eight. The most concerning crime was a residential burglary in the 22700 block of Derby Place on Nov. 5. The victim is in the process of moving and discovered that miscellaneous clothing and electronics had been taken from the house. Detectives are following up with possible suspect information on this incident.

There was a commercial burglary from the Department of Water and Power between Nov. 30 and Dec. 4. Employees discovered that someone had broken into a warehouse at the location and stole copper wire.

We had two incidents at the Saugus Speedway over the past week. The first incident was a commercial burglary where someone cut holes in the fence and made entry into several storage sheds where miscellaneous items were taken. The second incident was an attempted burglary where someone attempted to enter the main office building at the location. No entry was made, however the screen was pried off the window.

A victim reported a grand theft from Mabel’s Roadhouse at the corner of Bouquet Canyon Road and Valencia Boulevard on Nov. 6. The victim stated her purse was taken from the back of her chair. Detectives will be reviewing security video to see if the incident was captured and possibly identify the suspect.

With a lot of people doing their holiday shopping online be aware of a crime trend that deputies saw last year. It is common practice for criminals to follow USPS and other delivery trucks around when they make their deliveries. When there is no answer at the door some deliveries are left on the porch for you to get when you arrive home. Criminals are using this opportunity to steal these items which normally go unreported for about a week when the victim realizes their package never came. This type of crime occurred on Nov. 1. The victim had electrical equipment stolen after it was left on his porch. Most delivery services offer an option for the need of a signature upon delivery. Please look into this option when ordering holiday items to your residence.

There was a shoplift theft from 7-Eleven near the corner of Bouquet Canyon Road and Urbandale Avenue. A male entered the store and stole numerous Lottery scratcher tickets. Detectives are reviewing surveillance video of the incident in an effort to identify the suspect.

There were multiple arrests in the Saugus area over the past week. The arrests were for narcotics, theft, assault and DUI.

Stevenson Ranch/Westridge

During the above dates Zone 3 had six reported part one crimes. Here are some details regarding some of the crimes:

A burglary (shoplifting) incident was reported from the Walmart on The Old Road. This incident reportedly took place on Thursday, Dec. 5 at approximately 2:35 p.m. A 41-year-old female from Sylmar was arrested by Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies after allegedly stealing more than $700 worth of items from the store (ref -16436).

A petty theft was reported from the Bed, Bath, and Beyond. A women’s jacket was reported stolen (ref -16487).

A vehicle burglary was reported from the 25500 block of The Old Road. This incident reportedly took place on Saturday, Dec. 7 between 5:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. The rear passenger window was damaged. Numerous children’s toys were stolen from inside the vehicle (ref -16511).

A 2009 Toyota Camry was reported stolen from the 25500 block of The Old Road. The vehicle was recovered on the 25600 block of The Old Road (ref -16505).

A residential burglary was reported from the 27000 block of Maple Tree Court. This incident occurred on Sunday, Dec. 8 at approximately 12:35 a.m. The suspect allegedly kicked in the front door to the home and threatened to kill the victim. The victim and the suspect had previously known each other, and were previously involved in an argument. The suspect is still outstanding, however detectives know his identity. The case is still under investigation (ref – 16525).

Valencia

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Crime Prevention Unit Zone 5-Valencia had thirteen Part-1 Crimes reported during the past week. The criminal incidents included robbery, theft from an unlocked vehicle and shoplifting from local businesses.

An assault and robbery occurred on the 25200 Avenue Tibbits at 8:30 p.m. The victim and suspect were in a dating relationship. An argument occurred at the location where the suspect pushed the victim to the ground while taking her purse. The suspect left the location prior to the deputies arrival. The victim was not injured during the incident. The investigation is currently being handled by detectives assigned to the Robbery and Assault Unit at the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred on the 27900 block of Redwood Glen between the months of January and June. The victim’s vehicle was parked in the driveway at his residence. The item stolen was a Garmin GPS which was left in the center console area visible from outside the vehicle. The item was recovered and a suspect was arrested in connection to this incident.

With holiday shopping here, deputies urge everyone to take careful steps to not become a victim. People shopping at night should try and park their 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. 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.

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 petty theft, drunk in public and shoplifting from local businesses.

Related Article: Santa Clarita Deputies Seek Robbery Suspects, Offer Holiday Caution

Related Article: Santa Clarita Murder Victim ID’ed By Coroner’s Officials

Related Article: Santa Clarita Drug Thefts Investigated By Sheriff’s Deputies

Related Article: Santa Clarita Man Granted Bail On Murder For Hire Charge

Related Article: Santa Clarita Teen Sentenced On Valencia Graffiti Charge

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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