Arrest of Interest/Crime Trends

The crime of identity theft is quite often coupled with other crimes. This week saw a case where a suspect was arrested for ID and mail theft, narcotics possession, and attempted grand theft. Overnight on April 24th, officers came across a man sleeping in a car with no license plates behind a commercial business on Baldwin Avenue. The officers woke the man and while talking with him they discovered he was in possession of several California Identification Cards in the names/photos of other persons. The man presented one of the identification cards to officers saying it was him. During their investigation, the officers found items of mail, tax information, and  bank statements belonging to other people, along with Heroin and Methamphetamine inside the car.

Kingsley Shum, a 34-year-old man from Alhambra was arrested and booked at the Arcadia City Jail on felony charges. Detectives continue their investigation and believe Shum to be the suspect in additional identity theft cases.

Anyone with information on this case or other cases is encouraged to contact the Arcadia Police Department at 626-574-5156. Or, if you wish to remain Anonymous, call “LA Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” mobile app on Google play or the App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org. 

Weekly Tip - Holiday Shopping Season...Help Prevent Package Theft!

The holiday season is upon us...are you ordering  presents over the phone, via the Internet, or by mail? Chances are that those packages will be delivered straight to your front porch. The majority of deliveries do not require a signature and are generally left at your door, even if no one is home to accept them. This time of year brings out those looking for a crime of opportunity as well as those thieves that actually target your delivery. Thieves will follow or watch for the UPS, Fed Ex or other delivery trucks and then target a home after a delivery is made.

Here are some suggestions for helping to prevent a theft of your packages:

• Use your workplace as the shipping address.
• Track your shipments by phone, on-line, or by carrier app so you know what day they should arrive.
• Ask you neighbor to watch for your delivery and then hold the items until you arrive home.
• Keep an eye on your neighborhood and report suspicious persons and vehicles sitting or cruising the area. See Something, Say Something!
• Request a signature delivery option, if available.
• Have the shipment be held at the shipping facility such as a UPS office.
• Utilize a "mailbox" businesses in your town and see if they will accept shipment of your item for a fee.
• If you do not receive your shipment on time, check with the company of origin and confirm the delivery. If the item was delivered and you did not receive it, then report the theft or loss to the original company, the shipping company, and your local police.

These tips are good year round, not just at holiday time!