Moraga Police Blotter: "You Caught Me..."; Teen Falls For Old Wire Fraud Con; Others Party With Caribbean Theme

"I'm Sorry, What Did You Say?"

At 12:19 p.m. on March 17 a Moraga police officer spotted a Buick Le Sabre fail to signal while making a turn from Camino Pablo to Rimer Drive. The officer pulled the vehicle over and approached its 45-year-old male driver.

In one of those "dead to rights" moments the officer spotted a still-cold Bohemia beer between the driver's legs and then allegedly heard him say: "You caught me drinking one."

Turned out the beer was a fresh purchase from a local liquor store and that, oh-oh, the driver was operating his vehicle even though his license had been suspended due to a prior DUI. A roster of charges followed, of course, but the worst news came when the motorist's father was summoned to pick him up from the police offices and a towing service was called for the Buick.

"Wire Me $500 Mate, I'll Send You the Computer, Trust Me..."

We've written here about the so-called "Granny Scam" we've seen operate with vicious efficiency in Lamorinda, the one where a caller contacts an older person in our community, tells them that a family member has been arrested and that they need to wire $2,000 or $3,000 to Canada to bail them out.

Lest you think that our beloved seniors are the only ones to fall victim to this kind of thing, take the case of a local 17-year-old who dragged himself in to police headquarters on March 10 to report that the "too good to be true" computer deal he'd shelled out $500 for really was too good to be true.

The lad found the Apple computer advertised on a UK website (probably wasn't actually based there, but it doesn't matter) and after contacting them learned that he could have the laptop for a mere $500 - wired to them via Western Union, of course.

The website was bogus, the computer non-existent and the money was long gone.

Arrgh, Matey. Captain Morgan, Is It? And What's Up With the Malibu Rum?

The cat-and-mouse game police play with local youths will probably never abate. At 6:22 a.m. on March 19 police observed four juveniles scattering at sight of the black and white behind the Rheem Shopping Center. Officers found a bottle of Captain Morgan in the area, and later found the youths in the Rheem Burger King.

The teens consented to a search and that turned up a bottle of Malibu Rum (definitely a seagoing trend involved here)  and what looked to the officers like a homemade bong. Parents were called, and stern looks given.