Major incidents recorded by the men and women of the Moraga police department last week:
Sandringham Recovery
Officers were called out April 26 to check out a Mercedes C300 left parked in the 200 block of Sandringham North and quickly determined the car had been taken in a strong-arm carjacking in Walnut Creek the day before. Records showed the car was taken from its owner at 2525 N. Main St. Walnut Creek police came out to collect evidence and return the Benz.
Computer Scam Almost Works
The latest “hilarious-if-it-wasn’t-working-so-often” phone scam to rip off our elderly citizens is moving through Moraga like a flu virus, with targeted calls from “tech teams” with East Indian accents attempting to convince locals to turn control of our computers over to them. On April 26, one older person did give up far too much info but quickly realized she was being had and cut the transaction short. She was then pitched (probably by the same boiler room of phone scammers) in the “your granddaughter is in jail and needs you to wire her bail money”-scam. She didn’t fall for it and we are proud of her.
“I’ll Take The SkilSaw, The Wrench Set And, Oh Yeah, Your License Plate…”
Also on the 26, a couple of guys picked up a few things at Orchard Supply and made their way out of the store without paying. They also picked up a license plate from a truck parked in front of the store and put it on their truck before driving away. Loss: $800 worth of tools.
Safety First – Then Your Mail
On April 27 around 9:15 a.m. a homeowner on Wandel Drive noticed a blue 1990s minivan stop outside his home and a black male in his 40s wearing an orange safety vest exit the vehicle, stride up to his mailbox, and take a piece of misaddressed “junk mail” the homeowner had placed there for the postal worker to pick up.
Toluene Dreams
We wrote about this one when it happened and theorized that there was a backstory to it and, as it turned out, there was. On April 27 at 4:48 p.m. officers responded to the Moraga Hardware store in response to reports of a man “huffing” or inhaling dusting spray from spray cans littering the ground around him. Officers could see the man was convulsing and having a hard time getting his breath. They also determined that he was on probation for a prior, similar offense. He was transported to Kaiser Walnut Creek for examination. Officers are pursuing a criminal complaint against him.
“I’d Like To Return This… And This… And This…”
On April 29 officers responded to Home Goods at the Rheem Valley Shopping Center after store personnel spotted an individual they said had stolen an estimated $3,000 worth of merchandise from other stores for the purpose of returning them for cash. No one was in custody but Home Goods hopes that they will be, soon.
Love, Love… Hey, Buddy, Watch Your Backhand
Country Club sports are supposed to be civilized affairs but it appears two Moraga County Club members engaged in a heated court battle – not the courtroom kind, the one with stripes and tennis balls – at the facility on April 30 with two men having a passionate courtside discussion about… we don’t know what. Anyway, when one of the participants returned home the wife of the man he had argued with was there and waiting and perhaps had a few of those well-chosen words for him. Police called to document what was said.
BREAKING: College Kids Still Doing Drugs
On May 1 police officers were summoned to St. Mary’s College by public safety officers who found a suspicious package during a dormitory search conducted after someone reported the smell of marijuana. Police tested a small package of drugs and found they tested positive for methamphetamine and Ecstasy. The bindle was returned to Public Safety for destruction and no owner could be identified. Case closed.
You Take Our Drugs, We Take Your Computers
The following day Moraga PD returned to the college after campus Public Safety officers reported finding a screen pried off the “IT Trailer” at the school. Campus security also reportedly heard someone running off so a canine team was summoned to conduct a search. No suspect was located.
This week’s police reports brought to you by: 
Meth. Is that a college drug?
Still can’t believe the thing with the guy breathing the dust cleaner or whatever. That’s crazy. Obviously he’s a sick individual in need of help.
Stand by your man!
My neighbors mom got the computer scam thing and was at her computer when my friend realized what she was doing and grabbed the phone. I absolutely hate what these creeps are doing to the old people. It is obvious they are targeting them. Are they ever caught?
Huffing is pretty much rock bottom. Not a lot of places to go after that. From the sound of it this is already having an impact on his nervous system. It is very tough to see but lpeople who do it are very dedicated to the high. If he hangs around Moraga and it sounds like he does I think you’ll see him again in a couple of weeks or so.
Had some tools taken out of my truck at that OSH about six months ago. I should a kept them locked but didn’t. I think a lot of dudes go there looking for tools and what they can’t get from the store they take from contractor truck s out in the lot.