Full Notification

UCPD “Police Blotter” Highlights – Week Ending April 5, 2015

ASSAULT WITH DEADLY WEAPON
On Friday, April 3rd, around 4 p.m., Ofc. Fong was dispatched to the area of Alvarado-Niles Rd. and Dowe Ave. on a report of an assault with a deadly weapon. An unknown suspect shot a paintball at the victim while he was driving his vehicle on Alvarado-Niles Rd. The paintball struck the victim on the left side of his head. No suspects were seen.

GRAND THEFTS
On Wednesday, April 1st, around 1 a.m., Ofc. Vasicek was dispatched to the 110 block of Valley Oaks Loop on the report of an auto burglary and a stolen firearm. Due to the fact that the vehicle was accidentally left unlocked overnight, the crime was determined to be grand theft of a firearm.

Other grand thefts during the week included a MacBook computer taken from an unlocked locker, a laptop taken from the front seat of an unlocked vehicle, and a catalytic converter that was stolen from a vehicle. Most of these grand thefts (75%) involved valuables that were unsecured. PLEASE REMEMBER TO LOCK UP YOUR VALUABLES!

BURGLARIES AND CAR THEFTS

RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES
From Monday, March 30th through Sunday, April 5th, there were three reported residential burglaries:
• 2500 block of Mifflin Ave.: Occurred between Monday, March 30th at 9:30 p.m. and Tuesday, March 31st at 12:45 a.m. Entry was made via an unsecured rear door, and the loss was cash.
• 34300 block of Marjoram Loop: Occurred on Wednesday, April 1st, between 8 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The rear sliding door was taken off its track. The loss included jewelry and cash.
• 4300 block of Bolina Dr.: Occurred on Thursday, April 2nd, between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Entry was made with a garage door opener, which was stolen earlier in the day during a vehicle burglary. The residence was ransacked, and the loss included a purse, jewelry and electronics.

COMMERCIAL BURGLARIES
From Monday, March 30th through Sunday, April 5th, there were three reported commercial burglaries and one attempt:
• 2900 block of Whipple Rd: Two businesses were burglarized on Monday, March 30th, between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. One business was entered via a shattered glass front door, and the other business’ door was pried open. The loss is undetermined at this time.
• 100 block of Appian Way: Occurred on Sunday, April 5th, between 6:26 a.m. and 6:37 a.m. The front glass door was smashed, and the loss included cash and electronics.
• 100 block of Appian Way (attempt only): Occurred on Sunday, April 5th, between 6:26 a.m. and 6:37 a.m. The suspect unsuccessfully attempted to break the front glass door of this business, before making entry into the business next door.

AUTO BURGLARIES AND VEHICLE THEFTS
From Monday, March 30th through Sunday, April 5th, there were six reported auto burglaries. All of them were committed via smashed windows. Three of the burglaries were in the same location and likely occurred at the same time. Safety Tip: As a reminder, never leave items of value inside your vehicle!

From Monday, March 30th through Sunday, April 5th, there were three reported vehicle thefts. As of the time of this report, two of the vehicles have been recovered.

ATM SAFETY
Banks around the Bay Area are seeing an increase in “shoulder surfing” at ATMs. At least two suspects have been identified by local law enforcement agencies, but incidents continue. If you have been a victim of this crime, please report it to the police.

Always be mindful of your surroundings when you are using an ATM, especially if it is outside. If your bank has a drive-through ATM or an ATM in a secure lobby, use that instead. After you complete a transaction, most ATMs will ask you if you want to conduct another transaction. Make sure you push “no” before you walk away from the machine. Many ATMs have mirrors on them, so you can see if someone else approaches the machine. If anyone does, or if someone in line is standing close enough to see what you are doing, immediately cancel your transaction, remove your card and walk away.

SCAM ALERT
On Tuesday, March 31st, an unknown male suspect called two Union City residents, claiming to be a Sergeant with UCPD. The male told one resident that she had an outstanding bench warrant resulting from a traffic citation. The suspect told her to go to 7-11 and purchase two PayPal “My Cash” cards, and he would take care of the warrant for her. The resident instead called UCPD and talked to a dispatcher, who told her she did not have a warrant, and the call was a scam.

This scam is similar to Green Dot scams, which are becoming more widespread. NEVER give a PayPal “My Cash” or Green Dot MoneyPak® number to someone you do not know. PayPal’s website lists the following warnings about fraud:

The PayPal My Cash chit is for self-use only - only use it to load funds to your own PayPal Account. If anyone asks for your My Cash Card PIN number or information from your receipt, it's probably a scam. Don't give your My Cash Card PIN number to pay for something you buy through the classifieds or to collect a prize or sweepstakes. Do not give away your PIN or receipt information to any other party. If you give away your My Cash Card PIN number or information about the purchase transaction, the provider is not responsible for paying you back for any loss. The funds are not insured against loss.


Anyone with information on local crime or any of the listed incidents should contact the Investigations Division at 510-675-5247. Those wishing to remain anonymous can contact the tips line by calling 510-675-5207 or email [email protected].

LET US KNOW HOW WE ARE DOING
We strive to provide excellent service to the community and are interested in hearing from members of the public about the quality of our service. Please share your experience and let us know how we’re doing. Visit http://www.ci.union-city.ca.us/departments/police-department to complete a Police Customer Satisfaction Survey.