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Sunnyvale public safety tackles rash of crimes
By Jesse Ducker
With marble madness, muggings and phony phone men, things have been busy of late for the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.
Chad Green, 21, a Sunnyvale resident, and one juvenile were arrested for allegedly creating mayhem with marbles. Capt. Chuck Eaneff says the arrests brought to a close a five-week crime spree. Over five weeks, officers were getting reports of plate glass windows of businesses being shot out with marbles and/or ball bearings.
They were also receiving numerous reports of car windows being smashed, or people getting hit with marbles along El Camino Real in Sunnyvale and Santa Clara. Eaneff says, at times, the perpetrators would shoot out the window of a parked car, and then steal items inside.
Eaneff says that public safety had two leads; a partial license plate number and a description of a green car.
On March 30, 9:45 p.m. 1100 block of Blazingwood Drive, Officer Rob Scott reported to the scene of an auto burglary. After finding a marble at the scene, he contacted the Santa Clara Police Department and had them "flood" the El Camino with police cars. He gave officers both a vehicle description and partial license plate. Public safety had the partial plate number after reporting an auto burglary at the 900 block of E. Caribbean on March 29, at 9:30 p.m.
Around 10 p.m., Eaneff said public safety received two separate reports of female pedestrians along El Camino being hit in the forehead with marbles. One of the women was treated at El Camino Hospital for minor injuries.
According to Eaneff, at 10:45 p.m. Santa Clara police pulled over a green Jetta containing Green and the juvenile at El Camino and Nobili. After searching the car, officers allegedly found a large bag of marbles, slingshots, and stolen property. Both Green and his alleged accomplice were arrested and have been charged with, among other things, eight counts of assault with a deadly weapon, four counts of vandalism, five counts of auto burglary and one count of conspiracy.
On March 31, a 54-year-old woman was the victim of a robbery. According to Eaneff, at 7:45 p.m. in the area of Mary and Olive Avenue, the woman, whose name is not being released, was allegedly knocked to the ground from behind by an assailant. He then struck her in the face with his fist, and took her purse, fleeing on foot northbound.
Several days later, a man and a woman allegedly tried to buy $700 worth of merchandise from a Sunnyvale sporting-goods store on the 100 block of El Camino Real, with the checks taken from the victim. The store called the woman, who informed them that the checks were stolen. The store then called public safety. According to Eaneff, when Officer Bill Honsal arrived at the store, the suspect, Misako Rivers, attempted to flee on foot. After a short foot pursuit outside the store, Honsal tackled Rivers, who was then taken into custody without further incident. Rivers, 18, a resident of Cupertino, has been charged with robbery, forgery and burglary. According to Eaneff, the woman with Rivers fled prior to Honsal's arrival.
Finally, five men were arrested also on March 31, on charges stemming from ripping up phone wire with the intent of selling it as scrap.
Eaneff said Public Safety received a call from Pacific Bell a few weeks before telling them that customers were getting stoppages in service, and that it was because phone lines being ripped out from the ground. Eaneff said Public Safety officers were on the lookout for the people pretending to be repairmen.
Eaneff said on March 31, at 5 a.m., Lt. Tim Johnson, following information provided by the investigation, decided to pull over and inspect a crew of phony wire-installers on the 1600 block of Hollenback Avenue.
The group of five men were operating from a pickup, and had set up safety cones. Three of the men were arrested, while two fled on foot. Eaneff says the other two were arrested when they came in to pick up the impounded truck. "They didn't know we were looking for them," Eaneff said.
The men have been identified as: Edward Johnson, 42, of Modesto; David Lewis, 48, of Sacramento; Casey Turner, 26, of Lathrop; Richard Stidham, 49, of Fresno; and Michael Western, 39, of Sanger.
Eaneff said the five men all have experience as ex-subcontractors who, ironically, used to install phone cable. He credited "outstanding" police work as leading to the arrests.
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Sunnyvale, California Since 1994
