Two suspects were detained at the Ace Hardware on Grand Avenue after an Automatic License Plate Reader identified the 2023 Chevrolet Silverado they had been traveling in as stolen in Oakland.
One of the suspect gave a false name, which was discovered by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office.
The initial hit on the ALPR system came at 11:20 a.m. on Jan. 9. The vehicle was noticed near Grand and Wildwood avenues. Officers found the vehicle parked at Ace Hardware, according to Piedmont Police Capt. Chris Monahan.
The two occupants of the vehicle entered the store and were then detained. The driver gave a false name, which produced no warrants. The passenger was found to be on probation for possession of a stolen vehicle. The keys to the vehicle were found in the possession of the driver, according to Monahan.
A search of the Silverado turned up a package taken from Fairbanks Avenue, according to Monahan. He said the passenger admitted to stealing the package.
The driver was taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and was booked under the false name. Later, the sheriffs determined his true identity. He was found to have four outstanding warrants and was also charged with identity fraud. The passenger was cited for possession of stolen property and released.
On Jan. 8, an ALPR recorded a hit on two stolen license plates on a white Ford transit van at Grand and Rose avenues at 8:38 a.m. According to Monahan, the van had been stolen but not reported.
A Piedmont police officer found the van a few blocks away at Wildwood and Grand avenues and attempted to stop it. The van fled at a high rate of speed, according to Monahan.
Another ALPR hit on the same van was recorded a few minutes later. A witness reported the van had gone down Sims Drive in Oakland. The witness arrived on the scene and found the van unoccupied. Footprints that could have been from a suspect were found but a search turned up nothing, according to Monahan.
On Jan. 7, a resident on Indian Road reported feces had been smeared on a sign in the front yard. The reporting person said it occurred in the last couple of days. There is no further information.