By Mary O’KEEFE

Los Angeles County Sheriff detectives from the Crescenta Valley station are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects involved in two separate theft incidents.

On Jan. 30, a man, described as a white male about 19 to 20 years old, with black hair and 5’8” to 5’9” tall, wearing a black T-shirt and green cargo pants, entered Walgreens in the 3000 block of Foothill Boulevard and took a backpack that was at the front of the store.

The item belonged to a student who had left the backpack at the front of the store in accordance to Walgreen’s policy. When she returned she found that her property was missing and contacted the store manager who told her he had witnessed a man taking the backpack moments earlier.

According to the report from CV Sheriff deputies, when the manager witnessed the man take the item he ran outside and began taking photos with his cellphone. The suspect was in a van driving westbound on Foothill Boulevard. There were reportedly four other people in the van. A woman that was seen in the front passenger seat had also been seen in the store with the male suspect.

The second theft occurred on Jan. 14 when a woman had her cellphone stolen while she running the track at Crescenta Valley High School.

While a 27-year-old woman was jogging on the track, she was approached by a man who was described as Hispanic about 18 years old, 5’11” tall and weighing about 170 pounds. At the time he was wearing a red and black plaid sweatshirt, blue jeans and a baseball cap with an unidentified sports logo on it.

The man asked the woman if he could borrow her phone to make a call. She hesitated at first but then agreed. She dialed a telephone number for him and handed the iPhone over. He spoke to someone on the phone. At the time the woman had a feeling something was not right, so she positioned herself between the man and the closest exit gate from the field.

The man said something on the phone then ran past the woman toward the exit gate onto Altura Avenue. He got into a waiting black Toyota Four-Runner.

Detectives are asking for help from anyone who may recognize the suspects from the photos of either incident and video surveillance found through using the QR code or going to www.cvweekly.com and clicking on videos.

  Mary Okeefe