Crime blotter 2/7/13

Information below is provided to The Recorder by the Porterville Police Department. It should be noted that only arrests are reported, and the suspects have not been found guilty of any crime.

Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013

Burglary
Officers were dispatched to a residence in the 1100 block of West Mulberry Avenue regarding a burglary. The victim stated she was inside her residence when she decided to walk outside to her garage. The victim said she entered her garage and saw a Hispanic male adult with a gray sweatshirt and a white baseball hat. The victim said the subject saw her and then ran to a waiting vehicle and fled the scene. The victim stated her garage door was left open while she was inside the house and the subject did not have to force entry. No items were stolen from the garage.

Auto Theft
Officers were dispatched to Food 4 Less regarding a stolen vehicle. The victim stated his red 2001 Chevy Silverado pickup truck was stolen from the parking lot while he was inside the store. The vehicle was later located in Earlimart by the California Highway Patrol. The vehicle was damaged but not stripped of parts.
Parolee Warrant arrest
Officers were dispatched to the Government Plaza regarding arrest warrant service. Officers contacted Alexander Ballestero, 35, who had three misdemeanor warrants and was wanted for a parole violation. He was arrested without incident and booked at the substation.

Traffic Unit:
The traffic unit focused school zone efforts in the area of Burton Elementary due to recent complaints in person and on the Police Department’s Facebook page regarding juveniles darting across Morton Avenue. Afternoon enforcement was in the area of Plano and College. No traffic collisions were reported. A total of 24 citations were issued.

Residential Burglary
Officers responded to the 100 block of East Mill Avenue regarding a residential burglary. The reporting party stated that her vacant residence was burglarized. Suspect(s) entered through a dog door and removed about 420 square feet of brown carpet. The suspect(s) also removed all the interior doors and set them aside, apparently planning on returning to take them. Physical evidence was located and collected.

You can follow police activity on the public safety scanner on The Porterville Recorder’s website: www.recorderonline.com.