Police Log: Fires; Fights; Plus, Whopping Vandalism Spree

Residents in Contra Costa County and the Fremont area were targets last week of new telephone scams, according to regional law enforcement. 

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a suspect posing as a sheriff's deputy who scams people into sending him money, a sheriff's spokesman said.

During the calls, the suspect identifies himself as "Lt. Stevens," claims there is a warrant for the person's arrest and requests money over the phone via prepaid credit cards to clear the warrant, sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said.

"A number of people have fallen for the scam and sent money to this individual," Lee said, adding no one named Lt. Stevens works at the sheriff's office, which does not request payments to clear arrest warrants over the phone.

Anyone who receives this type of call is advised not to give out personal information and to contact police.

In the Fremont area, meanwhile, several residents contacted police last week regarding another telephone scam possibly targeting the South Asian Indian community, according to theFremont Police Department.  

In all cases, the victims were called from a 202 area-code number by suspects identifying themselves as the IRS and telling the residents they owe approximately $9,000. Subjects are threatened with arrest or having their Visas or passports revoked if they do not pay through a money exchange or wire service.

 In all cases, the callers instruct victims to get a GreenDot MoneyPak — a card that allows customer to reload prepaid cards, add money to PayPal accounts and make payments to companies without using a bank account. 

In other area crime news:

• Use/influence of controlled substances reported 3:49 a.m. on the 800 block of Rincon Avenue.
• Drunk-and-disorderlies: 1:02 a.m. First Street and South Livermore Avenue; 2:08 a.m. on 4000 East Avenue; 11:31 a.m. on 100 South Livermore.
  
• Six cars catch fire at Livermore outlets. 
• DUIs: 3:14 a.m. I-580 and Airway Boulevard; 1:45 a.m. on 1400 First Street. 
  
• Commercial burglary reported 12:36 p.m. on 4200 First Street.
• Car break-in noon on Paragon Outlets Drive.
• Vandalism logged 5:54 a.m. along 3600 Leahy Way. 
• Contempt-of-court violation reported 6 p.m. on 2100 First Street.   
• Flood on Stoneridge Mall Road.

• Big rig fire on I-580 offramp.
• Fictitious checks passed 4 p.m. along 200 South K Street.
  
• Residential burglary reported on the 4900 block of Shirley Way. Details here.
  
• Commercial burglary 4 p.m. on 200 South K Street.
  
• Stolen vehicle recovered 6:12 p.m. Altamont Pass and Dyer roads.
  
• DUI: First Street and Portola Avenue 9:27 p.m.
  
• Car break-ins: 6:30 a.m. along 500 South Vasco Road; 4 p.m. on 1800 First Street; 8 p.m. on 200 White Fang Way.
  
• Domestic assault reported 11:58 p.m. on the 1900 block of Meadow Glen Drive.
  
• Court-order violation logged 6:31 p.m. along 800 North Vasco Road. 
  
• Warrant arrest 10:20 p.m. Rincon Avenue at Sunset Drive.
  
• Possession of controlled substances reported 5 p.m. on the 1200 block of Diamond Court.
  
• Livermore pediatrician killed in car accident.

• Hunter's illegal fire blamed for rim fire in Sierras.
• Car break-ins: 7:08 p.m. on 1000 Wetmore Road; 6:30 p.m. along 2800 Kitty Hawk Road.
• Battery reported 2:16 a.m. on the 5700 block of East Avenue.
  
• Stolen vehicle recovered 3:18 p.m. Isabel Avenue and Airway Boulevard.
  
• Theft from building on 2400 Las Positas Road logged 10:30 a.m.
  
• Motorist with suspended license cited 5:30 p.m. Pine Street at Algonquin Avenue.
  

• Residential burglaries reported: 2:45 p.m. on 2200 Walnut Street; 6 p.m. on the 3500 block of Edinburgh Drive.
• Car break-in: 2:51 p.m. on 6200 Southfront Road.
  
• Criminal threats reported 11:32 a.m. on 1100 Portola Avenue.
  
• Battery logged 12:35 am. along 2300 Railroad Avenue.
  
• Motorist with marijuana cited 9:30 p.m. Wall Street at East Stanley Boulevard.
  
• Court-order violation: 4:25 p.m. on the 4900 block of Shirley Way. 
• Use/influence of controlled substances reported 7:12 p.m. on 900 Springtown Boulevard. 

• Battery reported 4:30 a.m. 5500 West Las Positas Boulevard.
• Commercial burglary 7:25 p.m. along 4400 First Street.
  
• Police obstruction reported 7:55 a.m. along the 5900 block of Skylinks Way.
  
• Car break-in 10 p.m. on 1100 Marigold Road.
• Domestic assaults reported: 10:30 p.m. Portola Avenue at North P Street; 5:05 p.m. Ontario and El Padro drives.
• DUI 8:20 p.m. on 900 Roma Street.
• Theft from building on 1500 First Street reported 12:35 p.m.
• Warrant arrest 1:43 p.m. on 1500 First Street.  
  

• DUIs: 12:33 a.m. along 900 Forest Road; 5:42 p.m. South Livermore Avenue and Eighth Street.
  
• Domestic assault reported 5:58 p.m. on the 600 block of Los Alamos Avenue. 
  
• Battery reported 5:39 p.m. on 2000 block of Portola Avenue.
  
• Warrant arrests: 10:45 p.m. on 900 block of Bluebell Drive; 6:56 p.m. Patterson Pass Road at Arlene Way.
  
• Motorist with marijuana cited :46 p.m. West Jack London Boulevard and Paragon Outlets Drive.
  
• Unlicensed motorist cited South Vasco and Patterson Pass roads 5:25 p.m.
  
• Stolen vehicle recovered 1:30 a.m. on 1100 East Stanley Boulevard.
  
• Narcotics possession reported 3:58 p.m. Las Positas Court and Las Positas Road.
  
• Vandalism cases logged: 12:01 a.m. on 400 Cedar Drive; 12:01 a.m. on 400 Olivina Avenue; two reports logged 12:01 a.m. on 100 Daisyfield Drive; 12:01 a.m. on 600 Alameda Drive; four cases logged 12:01 a.m. along 1600 Placer Circle.

• Suspended/unlicensed motorist cited 1:23 a.m. on 1800 North Livermore Avenue.
• Commercial burglary reported 5:23 pm. on 300 Lindbergh Avenue.
  
• Grand theft: 3:52 a.m. on 3000 Campus Hill Drive.
  
• Theft: 5 p.m. on 3500 Paragon Outlets Drive.
  
• Car break-in: 7 p.m. on 1700 Vancouver Way.
  
• Vehicle reported stolen 11:48 a.m. on 1000 Spring Valley Common.
  
• Domestic assaults reported: noon on 1200 block of Elm Street; 1 p.m. on 1600 block of Park Street.
• Criminal threats: 1:45 p.m. on the 300 block of North Murrieta Boulevard.
  
• DUI: 12:45 a.m. Vallecitos and Wetmore roads.
• Public intoxication: 10:29 p.m. on 5900 Skylinks Road; 8:44 a.m. on 3700 First Street.
• Narcotics possession: 1:28 a.m. Third Street at South Livermore Avenue. 
  
• Use/influence of controlled substances: 9:15 a.m. Pardee Place and Tahoe Drive; 10:24 p.m. on 1600 Chestnut Street.
  
• Vandalism reports included: 1:30 a.m. on 2300 First Street; 2:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. on 700 Daisyfield Drive; 6 p.m. on 600 Ruth Way; 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on 100 Obsidian Way; 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on 1500 Murdell Lane; 9 p.m. on 1300 Murdell; 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on 1500 Murdell; 8 p.m. on 1500 El Padro Drive; 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on 700 Wagoner Drive; two cases at 9 p.m. on 300 Fontonnet Avenue; 9 p.m. on 400 Fontonnet; 11:30 p.m. on 1100 Wagoner; 9 p.m. on 1000 Florence Road; 9 p.m. on 1300 Roselli Drive; 9 p.m. on 400 Anna Maria Street; 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on 800 and 900 blocks of Laguna Street; 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on 200 Thrasher Drive; 10 p.m. on 500 Alameda Drive; 10 p.m. on 700 Alameda; 11 p.m. on 700 Wall Street.