Police Log: A Mailman With Mace, Bike Thieves, Gas Scam

Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013

1:54am – Police assisted a bicyclist who fell down at the corner of Arnold Dr. and Fig Tree Lane.

9:04am – Several men were blocking the intersection of Brown St. and Pine St. with barricades, and dispatch could find no record of any construction activity for the day. Maybe they were reenacting a scene from Les Mis? Police abated the problem.

2:26pm – Two men were arguing in the parking lot of Hidden Lakes Park, which is not so bad until you know that one of the men had a baseball bat. Police arrived and calmed the situation.

4:03pm – A man and woman were reportedly dumpster diving at the Valley Ridge Apartments on Roanoke Dr. Police responded and advised them of the error of their dumpster diving ways.

5:06pm – A woman reported that a man grabbed her on Scenic Dr., threw her to the ground and punched her, splitting her lip and leaving marks around her neck.

6:26pm – A man was seen at Oil Express on Arnold Dr. going through the parking lot, checking the door handles on cars. When he found one unlocked, the man got in the car for a minute, then left that car and continued trying other door handles. He was gone when police arrived. Apparently he didn’t find a car he wanted.

Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013

9:41am – A resident on Pacheco Blvd. reported that a man and woman, apparently mistaking an orange tree of a private residence for a free Farmers Market, were eating the oranges and loitering in front of the house. The woman was reportedly talking to herself, or at least to someone the neighbor, and probably no one else, could see. The residents of the orange tree home were on vacation at the time. The two orange-eaters were arrested for being under the influence of a controlled substance.

10:04am – Someone stole mail from the mailbox and, for good measure, a bicycle from the back yard of a home on Rosemary Court.

8:16pm – A woman in Village Place reported that someone was knocking on her door, and trying the door handle. She was not expecting anyone. Police found no one outside her door when they got there.

Monday, Jan. 21, 2013

12:03am – Two men were arrested on Robinson St. for public drunkenness after neighbors reported a number of men fighting and throwing bottles.

2:58pm – A green mountain bike was stolen from the front of Walgreen’s on Alhambra Ave. The bike, which was locked, is valued at about $600. The suspect was wearing a dark hoodie, dark pants and dark glasses. Which are pretty much the kind of clothes you would expect a bike thief to be wearing.

4:41pm – A red bike valued between $500 and $1,000 was stolen from a home on Heatherleaf Lane. Bike owners, bike thieves are obviously on the prowl in Martinez. Be extra aware of where you keep your bike.

5:45pm – A neighbor reported that a car near their home on Parkway Dr. and Country Run Dr. had flour and soda poured all over it. The neighbor suspected it was an act of vandalism. An interesting conclusion.

9:17pm – A resident of Lorie Court reported six women standing around a van, dancing and singing and making noise. They were gone when police arrived.

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013

9:05am – A car was broken into on Oakwood Court and keys, sunglasses, medication and an iPad were taken.

9:16am – Someone is using Ross Realtors’ business name to advertise for employment. They are requesting personal information.

Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013

9:37am – A man with a small build, a beanie and a guitar case on his back walked into Child Protective Services on Muir Rd. and asked where the Housing Authority was. Then he told the clerk that he was tired of the government and he wanted to shoot somebody. He was gone when police arrived.

1:50pm – A man in a gray and black striped hoodie was reported looking into windows of houses on Masonic St. and Alhambra Ave.

2:59pm – A postal carrier reported that a man approached him at Castro St. and Warren St. with one hand behind his back, and yelled “don’t look” at him. He kept yelling at the postal worker, who felt threatened and maced the guy, who was gone when police arrived. 

Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013

3:10pm – A woman reported that two men were trying to scam her into paying for their gas at the 7-Eleven on Morello Ave. They were gone by the time police arrived, but somehow they bought a gallon of gas using her $20.

3:37pm – A man was seen walking in someone’s side yard on Milden Rd. He fled when confronted, and was not found in the area.

Friday, Jan. 25, 2013

4:26pm – A resident of Green St. called to complain that construction workers left a set of barricades near their construction site, taking up several parking spaces, even though they were gone for the weekend. Police abated the situation.

Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013

1:31am – Three men in an SUV pulled a gun and robbed someone on Center Ave. and Temple Dr. of a cell phone.

6:29am – A woman was seen getting out of her car on Tacoma Ave. and checking the door handles of six cars parked on the street. Finding them all locked, she drove away. Make sure to lock your car, folks.