Claremont Police Make Arrests in Cell Phone Theft Case

Claremont Police have arrested two people in connection with a string of cell phone thefts that involved someone asking to borrow a phone then taking off with it.

Ashley Peters, 20, known to police as a transient, and Brian Beauchamp, 22, with known addresses in Corona and Pomona, were arrested Sunday.

Police got the first report that may have involved one or both suspects on Sept. 27. The victim reported that a woman approached her in the area of Ninth Street and Mills Avenue and asked to borrow her cell phone, police said. When the victim loaned her the phone to the woman, the suspect took off with the phone into an awaiting black four-door sedan.

The driver of the vehicle was reported to be a Hispanic male, officials said.

On Sept. 28, a woman in the same area approached another victim and asked to borrow his cell phone. In that incident, the suspect also dashed into an awaiting black four-door vehicle.

In that case, the victim ran after the woman. Police said he reached into the vehicle as it drove away. The victim was knocked to the ground, causing a fracture to his arm.

On Sept. 30, there was another report but an arrest was made following the alleged theft. Police said a female suspect approached a woman in the area of Indian Hill Boulevard and Bonita Avenue and asked to borrow a cell phone, officials said. The suspect then ran off in a black four-door vehicle and left the location with the victim’s phone.

Shortly after that theft, police stopped a black 2007 Honda Civic in the area of Towne Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. The stolen cell phone was found in the car and the victim identified the two who took the phone, officials said.

The male driver and female passenger were both arrested for robbery, conspiracy, and theft, police said. They were booked at the Claremont Police Department jail and each held in lieu of $100,000 bail.