Two tall cans too many
Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies arrested a 29-year-old man on suspicion of a public intoxication charge after a store worker called the officials about a man who appeared to be under the influence in front of the store and harassing customers.
“Upon contacting (the suspect), I immediately noticed the smell of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath, and (the suspect) was slurring his words. I also saw two 24-ounce cans of Budweiser beer on either side.”
As deputies began their investigation into a public-intoxication charge, they asked the man to stand, and he was unable to do so without assistance. He proceeded toward the patrol vehicle as instructed, though his gait was unsteady, and he “was mumbling incoherently about corruption in the Mexican police forces.”
When asked if he consumed alcohol, he responded, “‘I drink every day!’” according to the preliminary report. He was arrested on suspicion of 647(F), drunk in public.
Porch pirate makes evening Etsy grab
SCV deputies responded to a call at a residence on Beecher Lane in Stevenson Ranch regarding a report of a petty theft around 9:38 p.m. Sept. 23.
The victim reported to deputies that he received a notification around 9:40 p.m. from his Ring camera on his doorbell that someone was at his home. When the victim checked his front door, no one was there.
He then reviewed the footage: A woman in blue pants and a gray shirt in an unknown vehicle (out of frame) exited the passenger side of the car, ran up to the victim’s porch, grabbed the package and ran back to the car.
The victim said the package had a ring ordered on Etsy.
Park with caution
SCV Sheriff’s Station deputies also have taken at least a half-dozen reports in the last month regarding catalytic converter thefts, including three in the last two weeks — which has been a growing trend for years.
A catalytic converter is a vehicle emissions control device, in front of the vehicle’s muffler, that converts toxic pollutants in exhaust gas to less toxic pollutants. There are three types of metals that help the catalytic converter remove toxins from the vehicles’ emissions: platinum, palladium and rhodium. It’s the tiny amounts of these valuable metals inside the catalytic converter that makes them so valuable.
The SCV Sheriff’s Station listed a number of recommendations in response to the latest rash of catalytic converters, including: Always park in well-lit areas; when you are at shopping centers, try to park close to the entrances of buildings — if possible, where there are a lot of people walking by; when at home, store your vehicle in the garage if you’re able to do so.
The most-favored vehicles targeted for such thefts have been the Toyota Prius, and particularly models made between 2005-09. Two such models were mentioned in the recent reports.
