The holidays are a busy time for everyone, including Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies. In addition to a DUI checkpoint this week, they have been working to keep shoppers and partygoers safe during this season.

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On Dec. 10, an employee at Palace Cleaners in Newhall had her purse stolen while at work. Deputies have released several tips about keeping valuables and personal property safe during this time of year.

Two motorists believed to be driving under the influence were arrested on Saturday at a DUI checkpoint near Railroad Avenue and Oak Ridge Drive between 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. Two unlicensed drivers were also arrested.

The Valencia High School dance team lost at least $300 on Saturday, when the money was taken out of their donation basket while they were wrapping presents for customers at the Valencia mall. A report was filed, but no arrests have been made.

Deputies and firefighters responded to a one-acre brush fire near Whites Canyon Road and Via Princessa on Tuesday. Deputies went door-to-door to evacuate a few homes on Bruces Place off of Madigan Drive but were called off when it appeared the Fire Department had a handle on the blaze.

There was also a quarter-acre brush fire near Seco Canyon Road and Evergreen Lane on Monday that was contained within an hour. No structures were threatened.

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

Canyon Country west

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

(2) Residential Burglaries, (1) Theft From An Unlocked Vehicle, (2) Shoplift, (1) Grand Theft, (2) Petty Thefts and (1) Grand Theft.

A residential burglary occurred near the 27500 block of Vilna Avenue. An unknown suspect kicked in a side door to the location and, upon entering, took several electronic items. The case is currently under investigation by Santa Clarita Station detectives.

A residential burglary occurred near the 19000 block of Pleasantdale Street. An unknown suspect entered the location and took several tools. A generator was also taken from the backyard. There were no signs of forced entry.

A petty theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred near the 19000 block of Azure Field Drive. The suspect entered the vehicle and took a set of keys from the center console.

A shoplift/burglary occurred near the 26500 block of Carl Boyer Drive. Four female suspects exited the location, failing to pay for numerous items.

A shoplift/burglary occurred near the 26400 block of Carl Boyer Drive. A male suspect was detained by loss prevention personnel after failing to pay for a cart full of items. The suspect was arrested by responding Santa Clarita deputies.

Castaic/Val Verde

There were four Part 1 Crimes in Zone 2.  

One residential burglary was reported on Cromwell Avenue in Val Verde. The suspect entered the residence through an unlocked rear sliding door. A laptop and PlayStation 3 were stolen.

One commercial burglary was reported off of Castaic Road. Five suspects from Los Angeles tried to make small purchases at several stores on Castaic Road using counterfeit $100 bills. An alert store employee recognized the fake bill and notified the Sheriff’s Station. Responding deputies found several other stores in the area had been victimized by the same five suspects. Numerous counterfeit bills were recovered from inside the suspect vehicle. All five were arrested and booked for multiple charges.     

There was one reported stolen vehicle in Castaic. A Ford F-350 truck was stolen and recovered off of Hipshot Drive.  

A theft from a vehicle was reported in Castaic. Personal items were taken from an unlocked and open vehicle.

Stevenson Ranch/Westridge

During the past week, Zone 3 had seven reported part one crimes. Here are some details regarding some of those incidents:

A shoplifting/burglary incident was reported from the Walmart on The Old Road. This incident occurred on Monday, Dec. 16, at approximately 2:30 p.m. One suspect entered the store while the other stayed in the car outside. The suspect was seen leaving the store with about twenty DVDs . He got in the car and the two suspects drove away. Deputies later arrested two 25-year-old males in connection with this incident (ref – 16958). Both suspects stated that they lived in the San Fernando Valley.

A shoplifting/burglary incident was reported from the Walmart on The Old Road. This incident occurred on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at approximately 1:30 p.m. A 17-year-old female from Newhall was detained  for taking two iPhone covers and failing to pay for them (ref – 16993).

A residential burglary was reported from the 24900 block of Constitution Avenue. U.S. Currency, 20 pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes and a diamond ring were reported stolen. The victim reported his apartment was ransacked. No signs of forced entry into the location were found. (ref -17077).

A petty theft/shoplifting incident was reported from Stein Mart on Pico Canyon Road. This incident occurred on Friday, Dec. 20, at approximately 2:40 p.m. A 54-year-old female from Castaic was arrested after she allegedly stole $7 worth of merchandise (ref – 17132).

A shoplifting/burglary incident was reported from the Walmart on The Old Road. This incident occurred on Friday, Dec. 20, at approximately 9 p.m. A 33-year-old female from Los Angeles was arrested for allegedly returning a stolen item and receiving store credit, with which she “purchased” tank tops and pens totally just over $10 (ref – 17148).

A shoplifting/burglary incident was reported from the Walmart on The Old Road. This incident occurred on Sunday, Dec. 22, at approximately 7 p.m. A 23-year-old male from Tuscan, Arizona, was arrested after he selected $572 worth of camping equipment, including a tent and a Coleman stove, and left the store without attempting to pay for the items (ref – 17224). He said he planned to go camping after Christmas, but didn’t have any equipment.

Last week a 1988 pickup truck that was reported stolen from Zone 3. The vehicle was recovered by officers with the Los Angeles Police Department, Foothill Division.

Valencia

Zone 5-Valencia had thirteen Part-1 Crimes reported during the past week. The criminal incidents included a residential burglary, a theft from an unlocked vehicle, vehicle burglaries and shoplifting from local businesses.

A residential burglary occurred on the 23800 block of Del Monte Drive between the hours of 4 p.m. and 8 a.m. The victim reported prescription medication was stolen from inside her medicine cabinet. There was no forced entry into the home and no other items were stolen. A second burglary occurred on 23600 block of Magic Mountain Parkway between the hours of 8:15 p.m. and 7 a.m. Entry and exit were made through the patio door which does not lock properly. Items stolen were two laptop computers, a leather jacket and jewelry which were located in dining room area. No other items were stolen. No suspect(s) have been identified in these reports and the investigation is ongoing.

A theft from an unlocked vehicle occurred on the 23500 block of Lampara Drive between the hours of 11:30 p.m. and 7 a.m. The victim left the vehicle unlocked and parked across the street from her residence. Items stolen were a phone charger and game board which was left visible in the backseat of the vehicle.

Two vehicle burglaries occurred on the 26900 block of Theater Drive between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Both vehicles were parked in an underground parking structure at the mall. The victim’s reported their passenger windows had been smashed with an unknown object. Items stolen were purses, wallets and a cell phone all which were left visible on the floorboard in the backseat of the vehicles. A third vehicle burglary occurred on the 25400 block of Avenida Frasca between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. The vehicle was parked in the driveway at the residence. There was no forced entry made to the vehicle and the items stolen were a set of golf clubs and jewelry located in the passenger area of the vehicle.

There were multiple arrests made this past week by proactive Santa Clarita Deputies assigned to the Valencia area. Arrests included grand theft, drunk in public, and shoplifting from local businesses.

Related Article: Theft At Palace Cleaners In Newhall Prompts Holiday Safety Reminder

Related Article: Two Arrested After DUI/Driver’s License Checkpoint

Related Article: Valencia High School Dance Team Loses Several Hundred Dollars In Theft

Related Article: Brush Fire In Santa Clarita Near Whites And Via Princessa

Related Article: Update: Brush Fire At Seco Canyon And Evergreen Lane Knocked Down

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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