A series of car break-ins hit Piedmont early on the morning of Oct. 12. Eight cars were reported to be broken into on one block of Wildwood Avenue. The incidents took place between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. According to Piedmont Police Department Captain Chris Monahan, the loss was “minimal,” mainly the shattered windows. A red four-door vehicle may be involved.
Captain Monahan said there was no license plate reported and the vehicle may be a Toyota Camry.
Several more vehicles were broken into near Harvard and Prospect Roads around the same time, according to Captain Monahan. Some miscellaneous property was taken.
In addition, two more vehicles with broken windows were reported on Oct. 18 on Linda Avenue. When asked if there was reason to believe those break-ins were related to the previous ones, Captain Monahan said, “Yes.”
On Oct. 15, a black Dodge Challenger was stolen at 6:27 a.m. from Craig Avenue. The vehicle was spotted at Oakland and Olive Avenues after it was taken. A second Dodge Challenger was seen with the stolen vehicle there.
An altercation between a driver and a passenger in a moving vehicle was reported on Oct 15. The reporting person said they followed the vehicle for over a half-mile and the passenger door was open. Piedmont police arrived and found the Honda parked on Ramona Avenue with multiple open containers of alcohol visible, according to Captain Monahan. The male driver and female passenger were described as intoxicated. The driver admitted to driving the vehicle and admitted to drinking “heavily,” according to Captain Monahan. The driver had a large cut on his nose and a bruised and swollen forehead and was taken to Highland Hospital. A search revealed a baggie with 1.36 grams of suspected cocaine in the driver’s front shirt pocket. He admitted to using the cocaine and was arrested for DUI and possession of narcotics.
On Oct. 18, a woman in a 2017 Honda Civic was pulled over at 12:25 a.m. for excessive speed for conditions, according to Captain Monahan. He said she showed signs of being under the influence of alcohol. She failed standardized field sobriety tests, according to Captain Monahan, and gave two preliminary alcohol samples over 0.08 percent. She was arrested for DUI and taken to Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
At 2:21 a.m. on Oct. 14, police received a 911 call from a female passenger in a vehicle who said her boyfriend was drinking and that she felt unsafe in the vehicle. Police found the vehicle on Ronada Avenue and pulled it over. The driver was arrested and taken to Santa Rita Jail.
On Oct. 13, a Piedmont police officer observed a 2017 Honda Civic speeding on Grand Avenue near Wildwood Avenue around 11:14 p.m. The officer followed the vehicle and turned on their lights. According to Captain Monahan, the officer observed the driver swerving in and out of his lane. The vehicle stopped and the officer smelled alcohol on the driver’s breath and person and observed that the driver was slurring his speech, according to Captain Monahan. The driver failed field sobriety tests and a preliminary alcohol screening and was taken to Santa Rita Jail for DUI.