Note: All suspects are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.
Updated: 7/1/13
A Very Costly Trip To The Theatre
An elderly Encino woman drove to Burbank Saturday evening to see a play at the Colony Theatre, located at 555 N. Third St. After parking her car in the parking structure next to the theater at 6:40 p.m., she began walking toward the entrance.
A man ran up from behind the 81 year-old woman and snatched her purse. The thief, described as Black or Hispanic around 25 years old, 5’4” to 5’6” in height, ans wearing a yellow t-shirt, ran to a nearby older red pick up truck and fled the area. The purse contained cash, credit cards, and the woman’s cell phone. Fortunately, she was not injured.
The Burbank Police Department is asking for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact them at 8180-238-3000. They also caution the public to always be vigilant in parking structures, and to look around before they park or exit their vehicles.
Car Owner Catches Thief In The Act – Police Catch Suspect
The owner of a 2000 Buick sedan parked in the 700 block of N. Pass Ave., noticed a man in his car shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday, and asked the man what he was doing in his car. The man, who was apparently stealing cash and the vehicle’s registration card, didn’t stop to answer the owner’s question. He fled on foot.
Shortly after that, a Burbank Police Officer on patrol happened to drive by. The victim flagged down the officer and explained what had just happened. Officers began searching the area and located the suspect a few blocks away at Pass Ave. and Toluca Park Dr. The stolen cash and vehicle registration were found on the suspect.
The suspect, Jesse Lee Showalter, 18, of Burbank, was placed under arrest for petty theft and booked into the Burbank Jail. His bail was set at $1,000.
Police Finally Catch Elusive Suspect
Two weeks after Burbank Police surrounded the area around the 1800 block of Frederic St. looking for an assault with a deadly weapon suspect who wasn’t there, the man has finally been found and arrested.
The incident began on June 13, around 10:20 p.m. when the father of suspect Ian MacNeil called the Burbank Police Department to report that his son was holding a gun to the head of the son’s girlfriend. Officers responded “code 3” to the residence at 1826 N. Frederic St. In past incidents with police, MacNeil had fled the scene, so officers set up a perimeter on the streets around the home.
Because MacNeil was armed with an automatic handgun, police waited until a team could be formed to cautiously search the interior, garage, and backyard of the home. One police car was used to block the driveway in case the suspect attempted to leave in a car that was parked there. The police helicopter circled overhead, using heat-sensing radar to attempt to locate the suspect.
Suspect MacNeil’s girlfriend, Elyssa Diaz, 22, of Van Nuys, was found in her car that was parked in the driveway of the home. According to police the couple had an argument. She had run from the house after MacNeil had placed the gun to her head, and locked herself in her car. MacNeil reportedly threw something through the back window. Diaz was found hiding in the car.
Nearly every available police unit in the city was tied up for search operation that lasted nearly one and a half hours. Police were considering requesting help from the Glendale Police Department, when the search for the suspect was halted after it was determined that MacNeil was not there. The Burbank Fire Department was standing by a block away in case they were needed.
On the afternoon of June 26, police again converged on the 1800 block of Frederic St., after a report of a disturbance at the home. Based on previous contact with the Ian MacNeil, officers responded in force and conducted a search of the house and yard in an effort to locate him. He was not there.
Finally on June 27, investigators from the Burbank Police Department located the suspect in the backyard of his father’s home. Ian MacNeil was placed under arrest for assault with a deadly weapon from the original incident on June 13. During the arrest officers found evidence that resulted in MacNeil also being arrested for identity theft. He also had violated the terms of his parole.
In yet another twist to the case the victim in the assault with a deadly weapon, MacNeil’s girlfriend Elyssa Diaz, was also arrested for identity theft and probation violation. Both MacNeil and Diaz are being held without bail due to their parole and probation violations. The boyfriend and girlfriend are obviously not sharing the same cell in jail, however.
Man Demanding A Kiss Assaults Clerk At Mall
A young woman working at the Mica Makeup Kiosk at the Burbank Town Center was attacked by a young man who attempted to kiss the woman, Tuesday evening.
According to Burbank Police, the suspect approached the clerk shortly after 8 p.m., telling her he wanted to purchase makeup for his mother. As the woman showed the man makeup, he stated to her that he wanted to “…bite those lips.” The suspect then placed his hands on her cheeks and tried to kiss her. The woman pulled away.
A friend of the woman, who was nearby, saw what was happening and came to the kiosk in an attempt to help her friend. The suspect reportedly told this woman that her friend was “hot” and that he wanted to kiss her. She told the man that she was going to call mall security, and went back to her kiosk to make the call.
The suspect then turned his attention back to the victim, and again attempted to kiss her. The woman turned away, and the suspect ended up biting her on the back of her left shoulder. The man then fled the area in an unknown direction. The 20 year-old victim received bruises and a red mark approximately 2-4 inches long, to her back as a result of the assault.
The suspect is described as 19 years old, possibly Asian, 5 ft. 7 in. tall, weighing between 140 and 150 lbs. He was wearing a long sleeved shirt with a white and red plaid pattern, and light colored Levis. He was also wearing diamond earrings. Anyone who may have witnesses the attack, or has information about the suspect, should call the Burbank Police Department at 818-238-3210.
Police Respond To Assault Call On California Street
Nearly every available police unit was dispatched to a report of a woman being assaulted Sunday evening. Several police units responded “Code 3” (red lights and siren) to California St. between Chandler and Burbank Blvds. Around 9:30 p.m.
Arriving officer found that a female juvenile had been assaulted by a male juvenile. The victim was in the 1200 block of California. The Burbank Fire Department responded with an engine company and paramedic rescue ambulance. The unidentified girl was transported to Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, with what appeared to be non-major injuries.
Paramedics also responded just up the street to the 1300 block of California to treat the male juvenile suspect. Police had a supervisor respond with a protective headgear helmet for the suspect. According to police, the helmet is used when a suspect in custody might injure themselves by banging their head against the inside of the police car.
According to police, the unidentified boy was placed under arrest. They described the situation as a case of domestic violence.
Citizens Alert Police To Man Kicking Woman
A citizen flagged down police officers Thursday around 2:19 p.m., on Victory Blvd. near Olive Ave., to report that they saw a man kick a female in the stomach in front of a business around the corner on Olive Ave.
The officers then walked around the 7-Eleven to the parking lot in front of 255 W. Olive Ave., where they observed a group of people. The man the citizen had just described to them was yelling at a woman and two other people. The man appeared to be intoxicated.
One witness told officers that they saw the man attempt to kick the female but miss, before lifting his leg again and kicking her in the stomach. Three more witnesses also told officers that the saw the man kick the woman in the stomach.
The victim, an unidentified 31 year-old woman from Van Nuys, had no visible injuries. She did complain of abdominal pain, but said she would seek her own medical treatment. Her relationship to the suspect is also unknown.
The suspect, Leonel Nunez Gomez, 35, of Compton, was handcuffed and placed in the backseat of a police car. While the officers were conducting their investigation, the suspect kicked the left rear window of the police car several times. He eventually dislodged the window from its track.
Gomez was placed under arrest for making criminal threats, spousal battery, threatening a police officer, and vandalism (for damaging the police car). He was booked into the Burbank Jail. His bail was set at $50,000.
