Male Arrested with a Kilogram of Cocaine

On Oct. 15 at approximately 6 p.m., a Glendale PD patrol officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle with illegal window tint and a tinted windshield in the area of Adams Street and Orange Grove Avenue. 

The officer contacted the driver, 31-year-old Steven Tangtanalit of Los Angeles, regarding the violation. Tangtanalit admitted to the officer that he had a loaded firearm in the glovebox of his vehicle. Tangtanalit was detained outside of his vehicle and was found to be in possession of $1,500 in cash. During a search of the vehicle, officers located the loaded handgun, two boxes of ammunition, one kilogram of cocaine (an approximate value of $30,000) and just over $12,000 in cash. 

Tangtanalit was arrested and booked for transportation and sales of narcotics along with illegal possession of a firearm. Due to Los Angeles County’s “zero-dollar” emergency bail schedule, Tangtanalit was released from custody with a notice to appear in court at a later date.

Two Males Arrested with Loaded Firearm

On Oct. 17 at approximately 12:42 a.m., a Glendale patrol unit observed a vehicle driving with expired registration and an inoperable taillight in the area of Colorado Street and the 2 Freeway. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and contacted the driver, identified as 52-year-old Sabino Valencia of Los Angeles, regarding the violations. During the initial contact, officers discovered Valencia was driving unlicensed. A records check of Valencia later revealed that he had a felony warrant out for his arrest.

During a search of Valencia, officers located methamphetamine and two methamphetamine pipes. Officers had the front passenger, identified as 26-year-old David Verdin of Los Angeles, exit the vehicle as well. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a loaded, non-serialized handgun underneath the front passenger seat of the vehicle, along with a wallet containing multiple debit cards belonging to other people and a shopping bag containing keys to numerous vehicles, including multiple “shaved” car keys.

Valencia was arrested and booked for multiple charges including being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, identity theft, possession of burglary tools and possession of illegal drugs. Verdin was arrested and booked for unlawful possession of a firearm.

Three Males Arrested in Possession of a Loaded Handgun and Nitrous Oxide

On Oct. 9 at approximately 4:30 p.m., officers assigned to Glendale Police Dept.’s Patrol Bureau were travelling near the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Chevy Chase Drive when they noticed a vehicle in a nearby parking lot parked in a handicap parking space without displaying a handicap placard.

The officers contacted 21-year-old Cristhian Velasquez of Glendale who was seen leaning against the vehicle. Velasquez stated that the vehicle was not his, and his was parked in a non-handicap space. Velasquez then got into his vehicle (also occupied by 22-year-old Oscar Zamarripa and 22-year-old Jamil Castillo-Marroquin, both of Glendale) and began to drive away when officers learned that Velasquez’s driver’s license was suspended. Officers asked Velasquez to stop his vehicle, to which he complied.

Due to Velasquez’s driver’s license being suspended, officers requested a tow truck and a subsequent inventory search of the vehicle was conducted. During the search, officers located a bag on the driver’s seat floorboard containing a loaded handgun, a carbon dioxide cartridge and two carbon dioxide diffusers, a latex balloon, a bottle of promethazine with codeine and two bottles of codeine solution – all without a prescription.

Ultimately, Velasquez was arrested and booked for possessing a concealed firearm, possessing controlled substances while armed and for driving on a suspended license. Zamarripa was arrested for possessing nitrous oxide. Castillo-Marroquin was arrested for possessing nitrous oxide and possessing narcotics.

During the contact with the three males, the driver of the car illegally parked in the handicap parking space returned to the vehicle and was issued a citation for the violation.

Two Males Arrested for Burglary

On Oct. 8 at approximately 7:30 a.m., officers assigned to Glendale Police Dept.’s Patrol Bureau responded to the 800 block of Ridge Drive regarding a residential burglary. Upon arrival, officers discovered that the residence had been ransacked and the victim’s vehicle and vehicle keys were missing.

During the investigation, officers returned to the 800 of Ridge Drive the next day, Oct. 9, just after 5 a.m. and noticed a vehicle occupied by two individuals parked outside of the residence that was burglarized the day prior. Officers spoke with the occupants, 28-year-old Cesar Medina-Sanchez of Vallejo, who was in the driver’s seat, and 62-year-old Craig Murphy of Vallejo who was in the passenger seat. While speaking with Medina-Sanchez and Murphy, officers observed a large amount of marijuana near the center console.

A subsequent search of the vehicle produced several items belonging to the victim of the residential burglary, several debit and credit cards issued to other individuals and a glass pipe with a bulbous end.

Medina-Sanchez and Murphy were arrested and booked for burglary, receiving known stolen property, and identity theft. Medina-Sanchez claimed ownership of the glass pipe and was found to have methamphetamine wrapped in plastic on his person, so he was also arrested for possessing controlled substance paraphernalia.

Three Arrested in Possession of Re-Encoded Access Cards and Skimming Devices

On Oct. 6 a detective assigned to the Glendale Police Dept. Financial Crimes Bureau was conducting surveillance near the intersection of San Fernando Road and Cerritos Avenue. The detective observed two males whose actions were consistent with installing ATM skimming devices. The two males were stopped a short distance away by a patrol sergeant and officer for traffic violations.

The two males were identified as 21-year-old Marius Vlaic and 32-year-old Andrei Boariu, both from Romania. They were found to be in possession of re-encoded gift cards, a suspected fraudulent foreign identification card and a large sum of cash. A subsequent search of their vehicle produced additional re-encoded gift cards, an ATM skimming device, a fabricated hidden camera and hotel key cards.

Further investigation found that Vlaic and Boariu had key cards assigned to two rooms at a local hotel. While conducting surveillance at the hotel, a male was seen exiting one of the rooms associated with Vlaic and Boariu. The male, identified as 21-year-old Cosmin Pop from Romania, was contacted as well and found to be in possession suspected fraudulent passports, re-encoded gift cards, several bags and a large suitcase. It was later discovered that the suitcase contained dozens of re-encoded access cards, additional skimming devices and all of the equipment needed to manufacture skimming devices and hidden cameras.

Vlaic, Boariu, and Pop were all arrested for identity theft related charges.