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April 29, 2015 (La Mesa) -- The La Mesa Police Department has provided a roundup of case highlights, traffic information and crime prevention/emergency preparedness news.
Case Highlights: On Monday April 20, 2015 at 10:56 PM, La Mesa Police received a call of a burglary in the 8000 block of La Mesa Boulevard. The reporting party heard someone tampering with his locked shed. He watched the suspect unplug the battery charger of his golf cart and open the door of his parked vehicle. Upon arrival, officers located and detained a male that matched the description provided by the reporting party. The male was positively identified by the victim during a curbstone line-up. Thirty year old, Jesus Martinez was arrested and booked into County Jail for 664/459 PC – Attempted Burglary, 10852 VC – Vehicle Tampering, and 647(h) PC – Prowling. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the La Mesa Police Department. You may also call Crime Stoppers’ anonymous toll-free tip line (888) 580-TIPS (or www.sdcrimestoppers.com). You can remain anonymous, and be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 for information in this case.
Traffic Information: Statistically, speeding remains the number 1 injury traffic accident causing contributor in La Mesa. Officers determine and gauge whether someone is “speeding” or not by evaluating if they are driving too fast for the present conditions or not. On city streets, unlike on the freeway, your safe speed is ruled by California Vehicle Code section 22350, which states: No person shall drive a vehicle upon a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable or prudent having due regard for weather, visibility, the traffic on, and the surface and width of, the highway, and in no event at a speed which endangers the safety of persons or property. Notice that this section never mentions a particular speed. Your “safe speed for the present conditions” is dictated by the regulatory speed limit signs in the area and the traffic, weather and road conditions. Please adhere to the above Vehicle Code section in order to drive safely, prevent accidents and expensive citations!
Crime Prevention/Emergency Preparedness: As the citizens of Napal continue to recover from the devastating 7.8 earthquake, many La Mesans may feel compelled to make a donation. However, following a disaster, criminals may pose as charitable organizations in order to scam people into giving them money. Follow these tips to insure your contribution makes it to those in need: 1) Donate to well-established non-profit organizations. – Be wary of groups that pop up overnight to assist in a disaster; many are scams. Though some may be legitimate, the organization may not have the necessary infrastructure to be able to provide the majority of your donation to direct aid. 2) When in doubt, ask! – Every non-profit is required to file an IRS Form 990, outlining their income, and must provide the form to anyone who asks. 3) Specify where your donation should go. – Some charities put donations into a general fund to pay for relief efforts as well as overhead costs. You can specify to the organization that you want 100% of your donation to go to supplies. 4) Refrain from making donations during unsolicited contacts. – Whether on the phone, through email or at your door, scammers want you donate impulsively so you do not have time to find out they are crooks. Do not supply personal or financial information during these types of contacts. Reputable organizations will not mind if you prefer to make a donation after doing some research.
Suspected fraudulent activity pertaining to relief efforts associated with the recent Nepal earthquake should be reported to the toll-free NCDF hotline at (866) 720-5721. The hotline is staffed by a live operator 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for the purpose of reporting suspected scams being perpetrated by criminals in the aftermath of disasters.
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