Fremont Police Department — Monday, Oct. 29, 2012

#014 Stolen Vehicle Recovery 
At 9:50 a.m., Officer located a stolen car that looked suspicious on Bardolph Circle. All the other cars in the area had dew on them and this one did not. The vehicle was a tan 1997 Honda Accord 4 dr, and had been reported stolen out of Newark on September 9, 2012. 

#015 Stolen Vehicle 
Officers responded to 42650 Osgood Road to take a stolen vehicle report. The reporting party stated that sometime over the weekend, an unknown person took his vehicle, which was in the process of being restored. The stolen vehicle is described as a green, 1978 Dodge Sportsman van. The reporting party also stated that a license plate was taken off the rear of another company van that was parked near the stolen vehicle and the suspect(s) took a motorized go-cart and several motorized bicycles that were stored in a cargo container. 

#023 Strong Armed Robbery (Gold Chain Snatch) 
At 2:30 p.m. officers responded to Camden Quick Stop in the Centerville area to take a report of a strong armed robbery. The victim, a 61 year old female, stated that she was exiting the Camden Quick Stop when a male approached her to ask for money. The male then grabbed the necklace she was wearing and started pulling on it in an attempt to take it. The victim grabbed hold of the necklace and the suspect’s hands and tried to stop him from taking her necklace. The necklace eventually broke and the suspect ran away with a portion of it. The Suspect fled on foot. The male suspect is described as being in his early 20′s, 5′ 8″ – 5′ 9,” tall, medium build, wearing a white t-shirt with blue jeans. Suspect may have been seen at the Gold Shop on Mowry/ Fremont later in the shift, but officers were not able to locate him. 

IH P12085950 Outside Assist 
At 4:28 p.m., officers were dispatched to the area of Auto Mall and Fremont Blvd (City Beach) regarding a male teenager who claimed he had been kidnapped and escaped by fleeing from the trunk of the suspect vehicle he had been locked in. ACSO responded to take the case and determined the teen was not telling the full truth. 

#030 Stolen Vehicle 
Officers were dispatched to a stolen vehicle report on the 400 block of Kato Rd. The reporting party stated that the vehicle was last seen in front of 412 Kato Road on 10/27/12 at 7:30 p.m. He returned to the location at 7:30 a.m. today and the vehicle was missing. The vehicle is described as a green 1996 Chevy Suburban with a license place of 5CBL271. 

#001 DUI Arrest 
At 12:21 a.m., Officer was on patrol in the area of Fremont Blvd south of Margery Dr. During a traffic enforcement stop, a 31 year old adult male was arrested for DUI, driving on a suspended license and for being in violation of probation for prior DUI’s. 

IH #6030 Outside Assist 
At 1:00 a.m., Officers were contacted by a 14 yr old juvenile who stated she had been kidnapped at the San Jose Airport. She was supposedly forced to get into taxi and was then dropped off on Walnut Ave, in Fremont. Her story didn’t quite add up and the juvenile was handed back to SJPD, when Officer discovered her true name and that her grandmother had reported her missing a few hours earlier.

Giselle Esteban, 26, of Union City, was found guilty Monday of first-degree murder for killing nursing student Michelle Le. A jury of six women and six men deliberated for four days before finding Esteban guilty of killing Le in a Hayward parking garage.

Authorities described Esteban as being “obsessed” with the idea that her ex-boyfriend and Le were having a relationship. I know two people who lived in the same apartment complex as Esteban. Scary to think a convicted killer was living next to them the whole time.

Esteban now faces at least 25 years to life in prison when she is sentenced on Dec. 10. For more of Paul Rosynsky’s story on the conviction, click here.

The event is sponsored by the East Bay Economic Development Alliance, an Oakland-based agency that helps businesses grow and create jobs in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The community is invited to attend the symposium from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza Oakland South-Union City at 32083 Alvarado Niles Road.

Admission is free for startups and small businesses, though a reservation is required to attend. To make a reservation or for more information, go online at www.ebsmallbusiness.com.

For the full story, click here.

Following up on Bill Harrison’s candidate videos posted last week, here are some from and of Anu Natarajan.

This link here features a Comcast interview between Barbara Rodgers and Natarajan, as well as several other campaign-related videos featuring Natarajan.

Here’s a video of state Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski (who served on the City Council with her for six years) speaking at a recent fundraiser for the mayoral candidate.

Mayor Gus Morrison endorsed Anu Natarajan last week. She also has been endorsed by Councilman Dominic Dutra. 

More to come.

A memorial for a James Logan High School teacher who died earlier this month has been scheduled Thursday afternoon, a New Haven Unified School District spokesman said.

The memorial planned in tribute of Chris Ryan, a 54-year-old Redwood City man, is scheduled to begin at 3:45 p.m. at the Logan High Performing Arts Center at 1800 H St., said district spokesman Rick LaPlante.

The school library will be open during lunch periods Thursday, when students and staff are encouraged to write memories or tributes to Ryan on special stationery. The stationery then will be presented to his family.

“Chris loved books,” Logan High Principal Amy McNamara said. “Many, many people the past few weeks have spoken about his intellect and love of learning.”

Ryan, a Logan instructor since 1994, had been reported missing for two days before he was found dead Oct. 11, in a ravine near Interstate 280 in San Mateo County.

His cause of his death still is being investigated, San Mateo County Coroner’s officials said Wednesday.

A free book club that will focus on critically acclaimed literature banned by the Fremont school board is scheduled to begin Wednesday night at an Irvington district church.

Since 2008, the five-member board has banned “Bastard Out of Carolina,” a National Book Award nominee about a teenage girl sexually abused by her stepfather, and last year it rejected “Angels in America,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning play about AIDS in the 1980s.

In response to the censorship, Mission Peak Unitarian Universalist Congregation hired Teri Hu — a Washington High teacher who tried unsuccessfully to add those books to the school’s AP English supplemental reading list — to lead the new monthly club.

The eight-part course is open to the public, including Fremont students, said the Rev. Jeremy Nickel, the church’s minister. Copies of the censored books will be on sale at the sessions, and some free copies will be provided to those who cannot afford to purchase them, Nickel said.

The course will ask participants to complete assigned reading that they will discuss at a monthly meeting. The first session is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Cole Hall, next to the Fremont church at 2950 Washington Blvd., Nickel said.

Read whole story by clicking here.

Fremont Councilman Bill Harrison is one of five candidates running for mayor. You will find no endorsements in this space and I’m not sure where Harrison will finish on Election Day. But he might be leading the race in campaign videos.

Here’s one that’s a parody of “Just a Bill,” the old Schooltown Rock song/animation.

And then there’s an old-fashioned campaign TV commercial, offering “a dose of Harrison as the clear choice for a healthy Fremont.” It’s pretty clever and a well-made ad.  

I’ll include videos from some of the other candidates in the coming days.

Fremont PD Burglary Report

Weekend Edition, October 19-21, 2012
Attempted Home Burglaries:
Incident #P12083137 – On October 19, 2012, at 4:00 p.m., officers responded to a residence in ‘The Trees’ area (Niles) for a report of an attempted residential burglary. Sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 11:15 a.m., unknown suspect(s) bent and removed a rear patio window screen and used some sort of pry tool to attempt entry into the victim’s residence. They were unsuccessful and entry was not made.

#009 – On October 21, 2012, at 10:04 a.m., officers responded to the 38000 block of Logan Dr (Glenmoor) for a report of an attempted residential burglary. Resident arrived home and found her front window screen on the ground beneath the window. A neighbor reported finding the screen atop the bushes outside the window at about 5:30 p.m. on 10/19/12.

There were no obvious signs of attempted forced entry and no loss was suffered by the RP, so this incident was reclassified as a Suspicious Circumstance.

Commercial Burglaries Reported

#015 – On October 19, 2012 at 11:01 a.m., officers responded to Gordon Ball Inc. at Kato Rd/Kato Tr (East Industrial) to take a commercial burglary report. Between 6 p.m. on 10/18/12 and 7 a.m. on 10/19/12, unknown suspect(s) gained entry into the construction office trailer by cutting/breaking a hinge to the security bars and sliding open an unlocked window. Loss includes an inclinometer (water testing device), a projector and computer parts.

#055 – On October 19, 2012 at 11:02 p.m., officers responded to Motel 6 (North), 34047 Fremont Bl (Northgate) where person stated he was gone for two hours, and when he returned, his laptop was missing. Incident occurred between 3:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. There were no signs of forced entry.

Fremont Police Patrol Blotter

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

#004 Warrant Arrest
Officer arrested a 24 year old adult male for outstanding warrants at Motel 6 north.

#006 Warrant Arrest
Officer arrested a 25 year old adult male for outstanding warrants.

#011 Loitering/Resisting Arrest
Officer attempted to detain a group loitering at 4250 Central Ave. When two suspects ran away, officer arrested a 19 year old adult male for resisting arrest.

#044 5150/Overdose
Officers responded to the 40000 block of Blacow Rd for a 44 year old adult female who had overdosed. Friend calls PD, subject transported to hospital in stable condition.

#052 Warrant Arrest
Officer arrested a 41 year old adult male for a warrant.

#039 Warrant Arrest
Officer arrested a 44 year old adult male for a drug related warrant.

#043 Warrant Arrest
Officer arrested a 31 year old adult male on a robbery warrant.

#054 Warrant Arrest
Officer arrested a 31 year old adult male on a drug related warrant.

William Hopkins Junior High is one of two Fremont schools to capture the prestigious National Blue Ribbon Schools Award, said James Morris, Fremont’s superintendent of schools.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded the honor to Hopkins and J. Haley Durham Elementary School. The awards — given to schools whose students perform at very high levels or where significant improvements are made in academic achievement – are expected to be formally announced on Monday. 

Only 24 schools were given the award statewide, and Fremont Unified  has two of them, school board member Lily Mei said. “We are so proud,” she said.