Police Log: 'Recruiter' Scams Job Applicant; Homeowner Hides in Closet During Break-In

The following is a summary of significant crime and incidents reported in Fremont between Sept. 30 and Oct. 2 as released by the Fremont Police Department. 

Wednesday, Oct. 2

• Suspected gold-chain robber caught.  Story here.

• Three charged in string of armed robberies. The trio struck Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and Jack in the Box restaurants, along with 7-Eleven stores. More here.

• A resident hid in a closet and called 911 during a burglary at his home on Ibero Way. The burglar knocked at the front door and then forcibly entered the rear of the residence. While on the phone with the 911, the victim could hear the suspect ransacking his home.  Officers quickly arrived and discovered a broken rear door and the homeowner inside the closet.  The suspect, who fled before police arrived, was described as a white male adult, short, thin build, no facial hair, white hat and a white jacket.

• More home burglaries. A residential burglary occurred on Richmond Avenue with intruders entering via a bedroom window and stealing prescription medication, jewelry and personal documents. In a break-in on Pardee Avenue, suspects entered the home between 8:35 a.m. and 10:18 a.m. through an open window. Neighborhood video surveillance shows someone in the front yard five minutes before the victim returned home. Loss was laptops, cameras and jewelry.

• $10,000 reward offered in Fremont hit-and-run case. A 56-year-old bicyclist remains hospitalized after suffering critical injuries in an Aug. 8 hit-and-run in Fremont. Story here.

• Fraudster rips off job applicant. A man posing as a job recruiter asked a woman to accept and deposit a check from his company into her bank account, then forward 90 percent of the funds to a different account and keep 10 percent of the check as a bonus. The victim followed instructions, quickly learned the suspect’s check bounced, and was unable to stop the transfer of funds from her account.  

• Another scam attempt -- this time on Craigslist. A woman listed her car for sale on Craigslist, and was contacted by a buyer, who sent her a check which was double the purchase price.  The "buyer" asked the victim to deposit the check and wire back to him the overpayment.  The victim became suspicious, called police and investigation revealed that the suspect’s check was fraudulent. 

• Big-rig crash shuts down Fremont Boulevard. More here.