Crime Watch: Increase in Catalytic Converter Thefts

Catalytic Converter Thefts on the Rise

Roseville Police reported an increase in catalytic converter thefts recently.

Between June 8 and June 17, someone stole the catalytic converter from a Toyota Sequoia SUV parked in the 1900 block of Casterbridge Drive.

Overnight June 11/12, someone stole catalytic converters from a Toyota Tacoma pickup and a Toyota 4-Runner parked in an apartment complex in the 3100 block of Village Plaza Drive.

Overnight June 14/15, someone stole the catalytic converter from a Toyota Sequoia SUV parked in the 2200 block of Americana Drive.

Between June 15 and 17, someone stole the catalytic converter from a Toyota Tundra pickup parked in a driveway on Snow Breeze Court.  Another catalytic converter was stolen from a Toyota 4-Runner in the same court overnight June 17/18.

Overnight June 17/18, someone stole the catalytic converters from a Toyota 4-Runner and a Toyota Sequoia, both parked in driveways in the 7200 block of Liverpool Lane.

Man Punches, Kicks Car in Road Rage Incident 

At about 8:30 a.m. June 14, two drivers got into a dispute while getting off I-80 onto Riverside Avenue. One of the drivers, a male driving a new white Nissan Xterra SUV, got out of his car at the Riverside/Cirby stoplight and punched and kicked the other car, causing damages. The other driver stayed in his car and called police.  An officer investigated and identified a suspect.  The report is being forwarded to the District Attorney's Office for possible prosecution of the suspect for vandalism.

Dumpster Fire Spotted by CHP Helicopter 

At 11:45 p.m. June 18, CHP's helicopter crew was flying over Roseville, and reported a dumpster fire at Sierra Gardens Elementary School.  Roseville Fire Department responded and extinguished the fire. They determined that the dumpster full of tree clippings had been deliberately set on fire by an unknown suspect.

Commercial Burglaries: 

Overnight June 15/16, someone broke into a snack shack at a golf course, and took alcohol beverages and snack items.

Overnight on June 16/17, someone broke into a church under construction in the 1000 block of Melody Lane, and took numerous power tools and construction supplies.

Resident Falls for Classified Ad Scam

Fraud via classified ad:  Recently a Roseville resident responded to an Internet classified ad for a cat, and agreed to buy it and have it shipped from Alabama to Roseville.  She wired money (sent a money-gram) for the cat.  On the day it was to be shipped, she received a call purportedly from the shipping company, telling her the cat was en route, but wouldn't be sent to her until she paid $2,800 for insurance. At that point, the resident realized she had been conned.  She refused to pay the additional money, and contacted police.

A tip from Roseville Police: Be very cautious when buying from people you don't know. Look up and read their seller references and reviews, and do an Internet search on their user name and phone number.  You may find a history of complaints from other buyers.  Better yet, unless you're buying from a known, reputable company, shop locally, so that you can meet the seller at a safe public location, and inspect the merchandise before paying for it.  Never wire money--once your money has been transferred and picked up, you can't get it back.  Using a service like Paypal provides some protection for both buyers and sellers, as bank account information is shielded, and you can get a refund if the item you purchased never arrives or is unsatisfactory.

Residential Burglaries:

Sunday, June 10

Attempted burglary:  At about 1:30 a.m. June 10, a resident of the 900 block of Keith Drive was awakened by a noise and found that someone had kicked the front door open. Fortunately no one got in and nothing was taken.

Monday, June 11

Between 4 p.m. June 11 and 10 a.m. June 13, someone broke into a vacant house in the 1500 block of Alyssum Way and damaged the interior.

Wednesday, June 13

At 9:40 a.m. June 13, a woman broke into an occupied house in the 1200 block of Hickory Street, stole some items and tried to leave. A family member struggled with and detained her until officers arrived.  A second suspect, a male waiting in a vehicle nearby, was also arrested.  A 47-year-old female and a 46-year-old male, both from Sacramento, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and conspiracy.  The victim didn't know either of the suspects.

Saturday, June 16

Sometime over the weekend someone burglarized an apartment in the 700 block of Gibson Drive.  A flat screen TV, other electronics and jewelry were taken.

Between 12:50 and 1:05 p.m. June 16, someone went into a home in the 1700 block of Braithwaite Street by unknown means and stole two laptop computers, a flat-screen TV, a karaoke system, jewelry and other personal items.

Sunday, June 17

Garage burglary:  Between 3 and 4:40 a.m. June 17, a burglar went into an open garage in the 2400 block of Luciana Way and rummaged through the vehicles parked in the garage, taking a wallet with cash and credit cards.  By 5 a.m., one of the victim's credit cards had already been used.  A large-sized, dark colored SUV or pickup truck was seen in front of the victim's driveway at the time of the burglary.

Attempted burglary:  At 12:20 a.m. June 17, someone kicked and damaged the front door of a house in the 1700 block of Vista Creek Drive, while the residents were home.  Officers arrived in the area within minutes and checked the area, but were unable to locate the unknown suspect(s). No entry was made and nothing was taken.

Vehicle-Related Crime:

Monday, June 11

Between June 11 and 14, someone egged a parked vehicle in the 1200 block of Ridgecrest Way, damaging the paint.

Overnight June 11/12, someone smashed the window of a car parked in the 1200 block of Champion Oaks Drive, took the stereo system and tampered with the ignition.

Tuesday, June 12

Between midnight and 9 a.m. June 12, someone forced entry into a car parked in a driveway in the 2300 block of Thistle Down Drive and stole cash, tools, baseball equipment and other valuables.

Overnight June 12/13, someone reached into the window of a car in the 2000 block of Rhodes Lane (the window had been left partially open for ventilation), unlocked the door and then took a GPS navigation device, music CDs, jewelry and prescription medication.

Wednesday, June 13

Between 1 and 6 a.m. June 13, someone rifled through a possibly unlocked car in the 200 block of Birch Street, taking coins and tools.

Between 3:30 and 4 p.m. June 13, a woman parked her vehicle in front of a pet store in the 300 block of North Sunrise Avenue. She had pets inside the vehicle, so she left her vehicle unlocked, engine running and her purse on the front seat, while she ran into the store for a couple of minutes.  When she returned, her purse with her credit cards, money and ID cards had been taken.

Overnight June 13/14, a resident inadvertently left his car unlocked in the driveway overnight in the 100 block of Valleywood Way.  A thief broke into and damaged the center console and took a navigation system charger.

Thursday, June 14

Overnight June 14/15, someone siphoned gasoline from rental trucks in the 1700 block of PFE Road.

Between 2 and 7 a.m. June 14, someone got into a locked vehicle in the 400 block of Crestfield Circle by unknown means, and rummaged through the car.  The unknown suspect took a portable GPS navigation unit and other small items.

Friday, June 15

Between 7 and 9 p.m. June 15, someone smashed the windows of two vehicles parked at the Sun City Clubhouse.  They took an empty suitcase and cooler from one, and a wallet containing the victim's ID, debit and credit cards from the other.  The thieves also found an unlocked vehicle, and took a GPS navigation device.

Saturday, June 16

Overnight June 16/17, someone stole a white 1991 Honda Accord four-door sedan from the 2700 block of Milstead Way.

Sunday, June 17

Overnight June 17/18, someone broke into a vehicle parked in a driveway in the 6600 block of Alder Park Circle and took a radar detector, an amplifier, and hand tools, and siphoned gasoline from the vehicle.

Monday, June 18

At about 2 a.m. June 18, an officer stopped a vehicle on Galleria Blvd. near Roseville Parkway.  Seeing burglar tools in the vehicle and finding that both the driver and passenger were on probation, the officer searched the vehicle and found three portable GPS navigation units.  An officer tracked one of them back to a freshly burglarized vehicle in the 6600 block of Rose Bridge Lane.  A 26-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, both from Sacramento, were arrested on suspicion of burglary and other related charges.

At 10:20 p.m. June 18, officers responded to a hotel parking lot in the 100 block of North Sunrise Avenue, to a witness's report that suspects were using shaved keys and trying to open various car doors in the parking lot.   The witness kept an eye on the suspects and told officers that they had fled into one of the hotel rooms.  Officers contacted the suspects in their hotel room.  A 43-year-old man from Wheatland and an 18-year-old woman from Lincoln were arrested on suspicion of attempted burglary, possession of burglar tools, and possession of methamphetamine.

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