Police Log: Man Arrested for 2 Nights of Purse Snatchings; Motel Housekeeper Finds Dealer's Pot

The following is a summary of significant crime and incidents reported in Fremont between Oct. 10 and 16 as released by the Fremont Police Department.

Wednesday, Oct. 16

• Preschool teacher fired for touching child inappropriately. Story here.

• Abandoned vehicles. Traffic officers responded to numerous abandoned vehicle calls. Several vehicles received 72-hour warning notices, and the following streets were serviced: Langhorn Drive; Sauvignon Court (two vehicles); Barton Way; Central Avenue; Merrill Avenue; Kahlua Court (three vehicles); Blackstone Way; Azul Court; Loma Drive; Argyle Road; Darwin Drive; Philadelphia Place; Monmouth Place; Loma at Mission Boulevard.

• Attempted auto theft at BART. A woman at the Fremont BART station reported at 3:33 p.m. that she returned to her car that she had parked and locked in Lot E at 6:30 a.m. only to discover the driver’s door lock was removed and the steering column damaged in an apparent attempt to start the vehicle.  Nothing else inside the vehicle appeared to be disturbed or missing. 

• Car hit with bullet. A resident from the northern Fremont Lakes area called police at 11 a.m. after hearing a gunshot. Dispatched police found no one shot or harmed, but did discover a vehicle that was hit by a bullet. 

• Stabbing in Niles. Officers are investigating a stabbing at 3rd Street Park in Niles. Witnesses said the victim appeared to be stabbed in the arm and left in a green Honda Accord. Minutes later, the victim checked into a local emergency room with a stab wound to the arm.  

• Transient on the tracks. A male transient was arrested on trespassing charges after Union Pacific Railroad personnel called police from Mission Boulevard and Sullivan Underpass after the man would not move from the tracks delaying trains.     

• Good Samaritan pulls man from burning car. The incident is being investigated as a possible suicide. Details.

• "Items" removed from motel room of suspected pot dealer. Management at Motel 6 (North) called police after a housekeeper discovered a quarter-pound of marijuana inside a room she was cleaning. As officers arrived, the room's occupant was at the front desk complaining that "items" were missing from his room. The motel guest was arrested for suspicion of marijuana sales and, since he gave officers consent to search his room, items consistent with drug sales were also found. 

• Masked robbers at badminton club lot. A man said he was seated in his vehicle after playing badminton at United Badminton Club at Pacific Commons when two masked subjects robbed him of his wallet, credit cards and backpack. One of the suspects had his hands in his pockets leading the victim to believe he had a gun.   

• Two injured in Fremont hash oil explosion. Story here.

• Identity of man arrested for violent robbery at Walmart released. Details here.

• Five bowling balls were reported stolen from a home's garage on the 39900 block of Stevenson Common. 

• Purse snatcher arrested. A 41-year-old man believed to be responsible for two purse thefts two nights in a row was arrested after police spotted him walking on Mission Boulevard after he fled the scene of his latest crime. In the Friday incident at the Aberdeen Cafe on Warm Springs Boulevard, an Asian woman visiting from out of the country and carrying a large amount of cash in her purse was having dinner with friends when the suspect entered and sat at a table behind the victim. When the opportunity arose, he grabbed the woman's handbag, ran to his gray 2001 Toyota Camry and tried to drive off. The victim's friends, however, blocked his exit from the parking lot, so he fled on foot. Officers found him walking on Mission, and one officer noted the case's similarity to the previous night's bump-and rob. (See Thursday crime entry.)

• Meth, child endangerment, and convoluted false shooting report. What began at 4 p.m. with an officer finding a stolen car's license plate turned into a false shooting report and five arrests for meth, weapon warrant and child endangerment. After the officer determined the recovered plate belonged to a stolen car parked in front of home on the 4300 block of Gina Street and was attempting to make contact, an anonymous caller dialed 911 reporting a shooting in progress at San Pedro Drive and Thornton Avenue.  Dispatch determined, however, that the call was coming from the Gina Street area. After speaking with a female at the house, police learned "the shooting" was a ruse to pull officers away from the Gina home so occupants inside could flee. Ultimately, the house was surrounded and occupants arrested included: Fremont woman, 44, for possession of meth; Newark man, 21, for dangerous- weapon warrant; Livermore man, 22, for the stolen vehicle; San Jose female, 32, for possession of meth, meth pipe and being under the influence; Fremont woman, 30, for child endangerment. 

• Woman knocked to ground during bump-and rob. A woman exiting I-680 at Washington Boulevard at 2 a.m. was struck from behind while stopped at the off-ramp., said the California Highway Patrol. When she   pulled over on Washington, east of Luzon Drive, and got out of her car to exchange information  with the other driver and checked the rear end for damage, the other motorist ran to her vehicle, stole her purse and got in his car and drove off, bumping the victim with his car and knocking her to the ground. The woman believes the suspect may have followed her from a restaurant on Warm Springs near Warren Avenue. He is described as an Asian male in his late 30s, 5-feet 5-inches, slim, black hair, black eyes and wearing a dark jacket. He was driving a small silver or light colored, four-door Honda or Toyota with the last three digits, possibly 382 or 283, on a yellow plate. UPDATE: The victim in this incident identified the suspect as the same arrested Friday night after a purse snatching at a cafe. Police are interested if anyone else may victims of the man, and encourage them to call authorities.