On June 23 at approximately 4:30 p.m., a patrol officer located an unoccupied stolen vehicle parked in a parking lot on the 3800 block of Foothill Boulevard. The officer then observed a female, later identified as 51-year-old Anna Gutierrez of Burbank, enter the vehicle and put a bag into it. She then walked away from the vehicle and was contacted by officers. Gutierrez had a key to the vehicle with her and stated she had just borrowed the vehicle from a friend, but could not provide anything more about her friend other than a first name. Gutierrez was arrested and booked for vehicle theft.

Male in Possession of Loaded Handgun Arrested for Illegal Drug Sales, Female Arrested for Fraud and Drug Charges

On July 3 at approximately 7 p.m., a patrol officer was driving through a motel parking lot on the 6700 block of San Fernando Road. While doing so, they conducted a records check on a vehicle that revealed its registration had expired in 2018; however, the vehicle had a 2021 registration tab attached to its rear license plate. The officer also observed an empty holster on the front passenger seat of the vehicle.

While the officer was conducting further investigation, two subjects, identified as 32-year-old Cory Sims (transient) and 26-year-old Brittney King of La Crescenta, exited a motel room and began to enter the above-mentioned vehicle. The officer contacted the two regarding the registration violation and Sims stated the vehicle belonged to him. Additional officers arrived on scene to assist and a consent search of Sims’ vehicle revealed a counterfeit driver’s license. Sims initially told the officers that the holster in his vehicle was for a BB gun. After further questioning, Sims admitted he did in fact have a firearm and illegal drugs in his motel room and then gave officers consent to search his room.

During a search of Sims’ motel room, officers located a stolen loaded handgun, a substantial amount of methamphetamine and heroin, drug paraphernalia and paperwork containing other people’s personal identifying information. Sims was subsequently arrested and booked for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and for possessing illegal drugs for sale. King was arrested and booked for fraud and possession of illegal drugs.

Two Males Arrested for Catalytic Converter Theft

On July 8 at approximately 4:30 a.m., a Glendale PD patrol sergeant was patrolling in the area of Irving Avenue and Glenwood Road when he observed a vehicle illegally parked in the middle of the road along the 1100 block of Irving Avenue with its brake lights on. The vehicle was stopped directly next to a legally parked vehicle and the sergeant could see a subject going back and forth between the two vehicles. The illegally parked vehicle eventually drove in reverse up Irving Avenue to Glenwood Road where it began driving westbound, then parked in front of a driveway without using its turn signal.

The sergeant conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle for the observed violations and, as he was walking up to contact the driver, he observed two cut off catalytic converters along with a vehicle jack and stand in plain view inside the vehicle. The driver, 45-year-old Arturo Guijarro of Los Angeles, and the front passenger, 38-year-old Arturo Leal of Los Angeles, had conflicting stories for what they were doing at the location.

Another officer responded to the 1100 block of Irving Avenue and located a parked vehicle that had its catalytic converter cut off of it. The owner of the vehicle was contacted and it appeared that the catalytic converter had just been stolen. During a search of Guijarro’s vehicle, officers recovered the two freshly cut off catalytic converters, the vehicle jack and stand, numerous new and used reciprocating saw blades and methamphetamine pipes. Guijarro and Leal were both arrested and booked for grand theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Male Arrested for Possessing a Loaded Handgun And Methamphetamine

On July 7 at approximately 5 p.m., officers with the Glendale Police Dept.’s Special Enforcement Detail conducted a traffic stop on a motorcycle that had its rear license plate flipped so it was facing straight up, making it completely unreadable, in the area of Chevy Chase Drive and Broadway.

Officers contacted the rider, identified as 38-year-old Ryan Legaspi of Glendale, regarding the violation. Legaspi stated he didn’t know his license plate had been flipped up. During a search of Legaspi, an officer located a loaded handgun with no serial number on it concealed in his waistband along with methamphetamine and methamphetamine pipes.

Legaspi was subsequently arrested and booked for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and for being in possession of illegal drugs.

Male and Female Arrested for Vehicle Theft and Fraud

On July 5 at approximately 9:30 a.m., a Glendale PD patrol officer was driving through the parking lot of a motel on the 1500 block of East Colorado Street when s/he located a parked, unoccupied, stolen vehicle in the lot. Through further investigation, the officer was able to identify the motel room associated with the vehicle and that the room was registered to 34-year-old William Membreno of Bell. A records check of Membreno revealed he had multiple outstanding felony arrest warrants and was actively on formal probation.

Additional officers arrived on scene and Membreno was contacted in his room along with a female, who gave the false name of “Eden Whirlwind” but was later identified during the booking process as 25-year-old Kari Swalley of Los Angeles. Both subjects admitted to having personal items in the stolen vehicle and they had arrived at the location in it. During a search of the room, officers located methamphetamine, a shaved down screwdriver (potentially used to start the stolen vehicle) along with a large quantity of stolen checks and credit cards belonging to other people. A search of the stolen car revealed even more stolen checks and credit cards belonging to other people along with a stolen laptop whose owner was identified and contacted. The ignition to the stolen vehicle had been punched.

Membreno was arrested and booked for vehicle theft, fraud and his multiple outstanding felony warrants. Swalley was arrested and booked for vehicle theft, fraud and falsely identifying herself to officers during an investigation.

Vehicle Theft Arrests Made

On July 4 at approximately 8:12 a.m., a patrol officer was driving through a parking lot on the 300 block of West Los Feliz Road when he observed two subjects sleeping in a vehicle that was backed into a parking space with no front plate. Officers contacted both subjects who were in the vehicle and discovered the male in the driver seat, identified as 29-year-old Jeffrey Bowers (transient), had an outstanding arrest warrant. The female in the front passenger seat, identified as 23-year-old Shaylene Bain of Oregon, initially lied about her name, but officers were able to positively identify her and discovered she had an outstanding arrest warrant for vehicle theft. Officers located a VIN (vehicle identification number) on the vehicle and a records check of that VIN revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen and the license plate attached to it belonged to another vehicle. Bowers told officers he was “in the process” of buying the vehicle and that he had to use a tool to start it since he didn’t have keys for it. Officers located methamphetamine and a methamphetamine pipe in the vehicle. Both subjects were arrested and booked for vehicle theft.

On July 2 at approximately 12:46 a.m., a patrol officer noticed a vehicle parked in the area of Orange Grove Avenue and Campus Street with its driver side brake light on but the passenger brake light was not working. The officer conducted a records check of the vehicle’s license plate, which revealed the vehicle had been reported stolen on July 1. Additional officers arrived on scene and the male who was sleeping in the driver seat, later identified as 32-year-old Manuel Rodriguez (transient), was detained without incident. Rodriguez told officers the vehicle belonged to a friend but could not provide any information for this friend. Officers also located a methamphetamine pipe inside the vehicle. Rodriguez was arrested and booked for vehicle theft.

On June 30 at approximately 6:45 p.m., a patrol officer located a stolen vehicle driving along the 6700 block of San Fernando Road. The vehicle entered the parking lot of a motel and parked and the driver, later identified as 32-year-old Darwin Salazar of Altadena, exited the vehicle. Salazar was detained and found to be in possession of a key for the vehicle. Salazar told officers he did not know the vehicle was stolen and was just borrowing it from a friend.

During a search of the vehicle, officers located methamphetamine and a methamphetamine pipe. Salazar was arrested and booked for vehicle theft and possession of illegal drugs.

Juvenile Arrested for Arson After Starting Brush Fire with Fireworks

On July 5 at approximately 6:08 p.m., Glendale PD patrol officers and the Glendale Fire Dept. responded to the area of Remah Vista Drive and Melwood Drive regarding a brush fire. A reporting party stated two teenagers had been setting off fireworks and that they had possibly started the fire. The teenagers were last seen leaving the area in a vehicle and a description of the vehicle was given.

The Air Support Unit arrived over the scene very quickly and located a vehicle driving away from the area that matched the description of the suspect vehicle. Responding patrol units located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle.  Members of the Glendale Fire Dept. arrived at the location of the brush fire and were able to extinguish it in a short period of time before it was able to grow into a larger brush fire and/or cause any damage to residences and structures in the immediate area.

During their investigation, officers were able to locate the teenagers involved in lighting the fireworks at a residence in the immediate area. One of the teenagers admitted to officers that he was solely responsible for lighting the fireworks that started the brush fire, but that he immediately called 9-1-1 to report the fire. The teenager was arrested and booked for felony arson, but was later released to his parent with a notice to appear in court at a later date.

Male Arrested for Possessing a Loaded Handgun

On June 26 at approximately 10:52 a.m., patrol officers contacted a male, later identified as 25-year-old Eric Rivera of Panorama City, standing next to a parked vehicle in the parking lot of a motel on the 1400 block of East Colorado Street. The officers noticed the vehicle did not have an expiration year tab attached to the license plate and asked Rivera if the vehicle belonged to him, which he stated it did.

While speaking with Rivera, officers could see a methamphetamine pipe in plain view inside of his vehicle. Officers conducted a records check of Rivera that revealed he had an outstanding arrest warrant for resisting arrest by force. During a search of Rivera’s vehicle, officers recovered the methamphetamine pipe, and also located a loaded handgun without a serial number under some items on the front passenger seat.

Rivera stated he did not know there was a firearm in his vehicle and that it did not belong to him. Rivera was subsequently arrested and booked for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia and for his outstanding arrest warrant.

Male Arrested for Illegal Drug Sales and Fraud –
Three Others Arrested for Fraud and Drug Charges

On June 25, officers with the Glendale Police Dept’.s Special Enforcement Detail responded to a room at a motel on the 1400 block of East Colorado Street to conduct a probation compliance search of a female, identified as 25-year-old Susan Escobar of Tennessee, who also had an outstanding arrest warrant.

Officers knocked on the door to the motel room and a female, later identified as 50-year-old Lida Tajgardoun of Glendale, answered the door. As she did so, officers could see Escobar inside of the room along with two other subjects, later identified as 29-year-old Kenneth Flye and 33-year-old Nicole Carta (both from Glendale). All of the occupants of the room were asked to exit the room so officers could conduct a probation compliance check.

During a search of the room, officers located multiple plastic baggies containing heroin (some inside of a false drink container), a large quantity of empty plastic baggies, a digital scale, methamphetamine and additional drug paraphernalia along with multiple driver’s licenses, IRS paperwork, EDD paperwork and checks all belonging to other people, notebooks containing other people’s personal identifying information and a re-encoded credit card.

Flye was subsequently arrested and booked for possessing illegal drugs for sale and fraud; Carta and Escobar were arrested and booked for drug possession charges and fraud; Tajgardoun was arrested and booked for fraud and identity theft.   

Female Arrested for Possessing a Loaded Handgun

On June 17 at approximately 2:30 p.m., an officer on patrol observed a vehicle driving in the area of San Fernando Road and Cerritos Avenue with illegal window tint and a non-functioning brake light. The officer conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle for the violations and contacted the driver and sole occupant, 19-year-old Autumn Toliver of Texas, regarding the violations.

During the contact with Toliver, she gave officers consent to search her vehicle.  During a search of Toliver’s vehicle, officers located a loaded handgun with no serial number on it in a bag on the front seat of the vehicle. Toliver denied knowing there was a loaded handgun in the bag even though she had personal belongings in the bag. Toliver was subsequently arrested and booked for illegal possession of a loaded firearm.

Male Arrested for Robbery and Felony Assault

On June 14 at approximately 5:20 p.m. officers responded to Verdugo Park regarding a robbery that had just occurred. Upon arrival, officers contacted the victim and multiple witnesses. Officers were told that an unknown male, who was wearing a ski mask, ran towards the victim while s/he were in the park.

The victim began running away from the suspect; however, the suspect caught up to the victim and pushed the victim to the ground as he started grabbing for the victim’s cellphone saying, “Give it to me.”

The victim refused to give up his/her cellphone, which caused the suspect to punch the victim in the back of the head and then kick the victim before the suspect fled the location on foot. Multiple officers established a perimeter and a search for the suspect was initiated with the assistance of the Glendale Police Dept.’s K-9 Unit. The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Vincent Calixto (transient), was located hiding inside of the perimeter. As officers were detaining Calixto, he spontaneously stated, “I’m sorry.” Calixto was positively identified as the suspect and was arrested and booked for robbery and felony assault.

Male Arrested for Possessing a Loaded Handgun

On June 13 at approximately 12:04 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 600 block of North Central Avenue regarding a male who had just brandished a firearm in public then fled in a vehicle with a female. Upon arrival, officers learned the reporting party had observed a male, later identified as 27-year-old Julio Vazquez-Molina of Tracy, arguing with a female near a parked vehicle. The reporting party attempted to intervene in the argument, during which time Vazquez-Molina retrieved a loaded handgun from the rear seat of the vehicle and placed it in his waistband, telling the reporting party to leave them alone.

After this, Vazquez-Molina and the female entered the parked vehicle and drove away from the location. Additional officers had responded and immediately began checking the area for the suspect vehicle and located it driving in the area of Central Avenue and Americana Way. The vehicle was stopped and both occupants were detained. Upon contacting Vazquez-Molina, officers asked him if he had a firearm, to which he stated he did and that it was in the glove box of the vehicle.

Officers recovered the loaded handgun from the glove box and Vazquez-Molina was arrested and booked for illegally carrying a loaded firearm in public.

  Crime, glendale police