Two people were arrested over three days over separate arson incidents in Piedmont.
On Jan. 24, a woman was reported to be lighting fires on the side of the road in the brush area at Grand and Arroyo avenues. The report came in at 7:14 p.m.
Police responded and identified the woman, according to Piedmont Police Capt. Chris Monahan. Police officers put out the fire.
The woman refused to identify herself and was taken into custody. She was taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin and later identified and charged with arson and delaying and officer.
At 12:15 a.m. on Jan. 26, a man was seen by Piedmont police officers lighting a trash can on fire on Grand Avenue in Oakland. The man was taken into custody and taken to Santa Rita Jail and charged with arson. According to Monahan, the investigation showed that the suspect was possibly involved in setting another trash can on fire. The fires were put out and there was no damage to city property, Monahan said. The Oakland police and fire departments will follow up on the investigation.
On Jan. 23, a burglary was reported on Moraga Avenue at 3:46 p.m. The homeowner’s daughter arrived and found the front door open and an unknown suspect sleeping on a sofa in the living room, according to Monahan. Officers arrived and the male was taken to Santa Rita Jail and charged with burglary and providing a fake ID.
Another burglary was reported the same day, this time on Oakland Avenue. The reporting person said tools were taken from the residence that was being worked on and that they weren’t sure when the burglary happened. The reporting person has not provided any more information.
On Jan. 25, a female suspect took personal belongings and a car from a home on Ramona Avenue. The suspect entered the residence between 5:13 a.m. and 5:32 a.m. and was described as white or Hispanic and 5 feet, 6 inches tall. She was wearing a black head cover, a black jacket with a blue under jacket, black pants, and white or gray shoes. The suspect removed laptop bags and car keys and then fled in the victim’s blue 2018 Audi A5. The estimated loss from within the residence was $10,000, according to Monahan.
On Jan. 26, two suspects rifled through an unlocked vehicle on Lexford Road, removed a garage door opener, opened a garage, and took a black and red Trek bicycle valued at $3,000. The crime was reported at 8:46 a.m. The suspects fled in a black truck that was later located using the Flock system. The bicycle has not been found and the crime is being investigated as a residential burglary, according to Monahan.
Also on Jan. 26, an unknown suspect stole a purse out of a vehicle while the victim was pumping gas at a gas station on Highland Avenue. At 9:53 a.m., the suspect stole the purse out of the front seat of the car. They fled in a silver Honda Accord. The purse was later recovered but it contained a wallet with a California driver’s license, credit cards, and approximately $300 in cash, according to Monahan.
On Jan. 23, the city’s Automated License Place Reader system recorded a hit on a 2013 Acura ILX near Grand and Wildwood avenues at 6:43 a.m. Officers found the vehicle and conducted a stop, according to Monahan. A female driver and a male passenger were detained. The driver was taken to Santa Rita Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle. The passenger was on probation for robbery and had parole violations, according to Monahan. He was also taken to Santa Rita Jail.
Around 7:10 a.m. on Jan. 22, three ALPR hits came in for a Lexus RC3 stolen in Oakland. Officers found the vehicle driving south on Grand Avenue and turning onto Walker Avenue in Oakland.
Officers attempted a traffic stop but the driver did not stop, according to Monahan. He said the vehicle fled down Walker Avenue and struck a parked vehicle. The driver then got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. The stolen vehicle continued to move and hit a second parked vehicle. Property reported stolen out of San Leandro was found in the Lexus. The suspect was not found.
Shouldn’t that headline be “Three burglaries in Piedmont over three days”? Certainly more serious than prank fires.