This Week from the Los Altos Police Log: April 13-19

We understand parking can be a bone of contention amongst citizens sometimes. But, our one piece of unsolicitied advice this week is - if you call the police on your neighbors to complain about their parking habits, only to be told that your neighbor's manner of parking is perfectly legal, it may not be a good idea to then suddenly fly off the handle in protest in front of the police officers. A simple parking complaint can quickly turn into a full-blown "disturbing the peace" charge (not to mention, convince all your neighbors you're crazy).

Friday, April 13:

A lesson learned: Don't leave your bike at school overnight. One student learned that the hard way recently. On Friday, the student finally got around to reporting to police that he had locked up his bike at school overnight—on March 9—and returned next day to find it stolen. Police took a cold report for petty theft. The bicycle was reportedly valued at $336.

Things were a little tense for a couple of families in Los Altos Friday. A little after 4 p.m., police were called to a home in the 800 block of University Avenue for a family disturbance. Officers responded and helped mediate the situation. Another family disturbance was reported later that evening, just after 7 p.m., in the 800 block of Santa Rita Avenue. Again, officers responded and helped mediate the situation. No report was taken but the officers offered advice to the involved parties.

Early Friday evening, police were called to  on a report of a juvenile disturbance. A number of kids were reportedly skateboarding near classrooms around 5:30. Police made contact with the juveniles, scolded them for skateboarding on school property, which is prohibited, and released them on their way.

Someone had a little too much fun Friday night, and police were forced to arrest him or her for being drunk in public in the area of San Antonio Road and El Camino Real a little after 11 p.m.

Saturday, April 14

 Our second piece of unsolicited advice this week—even though we really shouldn't have to tell you this—is not to leave your purse in your car overnight, leave your car unlocked, and park it in plain view in your driveway in front of your home. One resident of St. Anthony Court learned that lesson first-hand this past week when she reported to Los Altos Police Saturday morning that her purse had been stolen at some point during the night. Police took a report of grand theft from an automobile. Unfortunately, there are no suspects in the case.

Saturday afternoon, police were called to do their seemingly weekly duty of admonishing solicitors who bother residents. Police received a report from the 900 block of Dolores Avenue around 3:45 p.m. Police located and spoke with the solicitor, and advised them of the city’s code prohibiting door-to-door soliciting. No report was taken.

Someone’s leisurely visit to downtown turned ugly Saturday afternoon a little after 4 p.m. Police were called to the 200 block of First Street on a report of a dog biting a citizen. A report was taken.

One incident Saturday night hopefully ended in good news for one citizen. Police were patrolling the area of Loucks Avenue and San Antonio Road and found a dog. The dog was turned over to Animal Services. Hopefully, the dog was eventually reunited with his or her owner!

Sunday, April 15

One rather odd—yet nonetheless disturbing—case took place Sunday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. when a resident who lives next to in Los Altos called the police to report malicious mischief and vandalism. Apparently, a couple of naughty kids climbed onto the roof of the school, peeled off a number of shingles from the roof, and tossed them into the front and back yards of the neighboring home. A few of the shingles reportedly hit the resident's vehicle and caused damage to it. A report was taken.

Police were called in to deal with a couple of downed trees blocking the roadway this past week. The first was reported Sunday afternoon around 4:45 p.m. in the area of Fremont Avenue and Covington Road. Municipal services responded and cleared the tree. The second was reported on Monday around 1 p.m. in the 1000 block of Ravenswood Drive. Officers helped direct traffic around the tree until municipal services could get there to clear the road.

Monday, April 16

One poor Los Altos resident found out Monday that he or she is the victim of very unfortunate identity theft. The resident of Alicia Way, who used to live in Massachusetts, received a letter informing him or her that someone back in Massachusetts had filed taxes using his or her identity. And, the victim also received a bill from a collection agency on an unpaid bill the suspect racked up in the victim's name as well. Police took a report.

Yet another disturbance was reported from the 500 block of Tyndall Street around 11 p.m. Monday night. Officers responded and admonished the noisy occupants.

One person decided to do the smart thing Monday night, just before midnight, and surrender himself to Los Altos Police on an outstanding warrant for a previous DUI. The person was booked into County Jail and bail was reportedly set at $10,000.

Tuesday, April 17

On Tuesday morning around 8:30, a concerned citizen called the police because he or she was concerned a fellow citizen on Homestead Road was committing cruelty to animals. However, when police responded and spoke to the suspected party, the accusation was deemed unfounded.

Also around 8:30 Tuesday, during a routine traffic stop, police caught a female with an outstanding misdemeanor bench warrant out of the San Mateo Police Department for driving with a suspended license. The woman was booked into jail, and bail was reportedly set at $5,000.

Yet another disturbance was reported in the 900 block of Andover Way Tuesday evening just after 8 p.m. Officers responded and assisted in mediating the situation.

In another interesting case, a male resident of the 300 block of S. Gordon Way called the police around 8:45 p.m. Tuesday to report a suspicious package. The post office had delivered the package to him and left it on his doorstep, and the package was addressed to him, but the resident was concerned because the package had no return address, and he could not recall having ordered anything for delivery and was not expecting any packages. Police came to the resident's home and thought the package looked innocent, and advised him to open it in their presence. The package turned out to contain a woman's blouse. The resident said he believed it belonged to his female roommate, and someone must have mailed it to her to return it.

Around 10 minutes later, police received a report of malicious mischief and/or vandalism from a home in the 500 block of Deodara Drive. Apparently, someone had driven by and paintballed the home, then took off. Police took a report, but there are no suspects, and the paintballs reportedly did no permanent damage to the home, and caused no losses.

Wednesday, April 18

Los Altos Police detectives are reportedly investigating an incident of misdemeanor battery that took place around 1:30 Wednesday afternoon. Apparently a female resident of the 800 block of Arroyo Drive was scared that afternoon when, while she was out walking her dog and talking on her cell phone, a former boyfriend followed her and tried to talk to her. When she wouldn't acknowledge him, he grabbed the cell phone out her hand and demanded she talk to him. The woman reportedly got her phone back from the man and he took off, but she reported the incident to the police. Police officers told Patch that because he touched her forcefully and unwantedly, the incident is considered misdemeanor battery, and officers are trying to get in touch with the man to address the incident.

Later on Wednesday, around 4:40 p.m., officers took a report for felony grand theft. A laptop, GPS unit and sunglasses with a total value of around $3,000 were stolen from two vehicles parked in the 300 block of S. Gordon Way, both of which belong to the residents of a single household. The owners of the vehicles told police that the cars had been locked, but police were unable to find any evidence that they were broken into. Nonetheless, police took a report. Unfortunately, they do not currently have any suspects.

Thursday, April 19

Things got a little tense Thursday morning at 10 a.m. in the area of Noel Drive and St. Joseph Avenue Apparently the resident of one home in the area got very mad at the way a neighbor was parking. The first resident called the police to report a parking complaint. Officers responded and told the reporting party that, actually, there was nothing illegal about the way the neighbor was parking. At that point, the matter turned into a full-on disturbance, and officers were forced to request assistance with mediating the situation.

The rest of the day Thursday, things were fairly quiet around the city, save for a handful of accidental 911 hang-up calls and several residential “false alarms.”

The information in this article was supplied by the Los Altos Police Department. Where arrests are mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

For questions about this police log, contact Los Altos Patch Editor L.A. Chung at lachung@patch.com.