Crime Stoppers

Alecia Foster RIVERSIDE RANCHO -- Glendale Police detectives investigating a recent shooting have hit a snag. "The victim will not work with us," said Sgt. Rick Young, a spokesman for the department. Officers responding to a single-car accident on the 500 block of Winchester Avenue early Sunday morning found a man sitting inside had been shot in the head, Young said. The man was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center for treatment.

Amber Willard Glendale Police are searching for a woman charged with fraudulently withdrawing more than $30,000 from a bank account in the city. Susan Vardanyan, 22, allegedly made a fraudulent deposit into a Bank of America account last year and using that money, withdrew $37,000. Grand theft and burglary charges have been filed against Vardanyan, although she remains at large. The alleged incident occurred Nov. 9, 2000. Vardanyan's last address was in Winnetka, investigators said.

Gretchen Hoffman GLENDALE -- Glendale Police are looking for a man who came out of an alley, bumped into a girl and robbed her. The 16-year-old girl was walking on Harvard Street between Maryland Avenue and Louise Street at about 8:50 p.m. on Monday when a man bumped into her and demanded all of her money, according to the police report. She gave him a $20 bill and he walked back into the alley, according to the report. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Glendale Crime Stoppers, an anonymous hotline, at 507-7867.

Gretchen Hoffman NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- Glendale Police are searching for two men who stole a woman's wallet as she walked down the street. The woman was walking southbound on Winchester Avenue at about 11:20 a.m. Sunday when two men approached her from behind and grabbed her wallet out of her hand. A witness caught one of the men but let him go when the suspect said he had already returned the wallet. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Glendale Crime Stoppers, an anonymous hotline, at 507-7867.

Gretchen Hoffman SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale Police are looking for two men who posed as Glendale Water and Power employees and stole a ring from an 85-year-old woman's bedroom. The men, who were carrying a map and flashed silver ID badges at the woman, told her they needed to check for a broken pipe and that the water could be contaminated, according to police. One of the men distracted the woman while the other searched her home for valuables, according to the report.

Gretchen Hoffman NORTHWEST GLENDALE -- Glendale Police are looking for a man who held up a dry cleaner at gunpoint. A man walked in to Nu--Way Dry Cleaning, 1115 N. Pacific Ave., at about 4:40 p.m. Friday, pointed a gun at the owner of the business and demanded money, according to police. He left with $150 in cash and fled on foot south on Pacific Avenue, police said. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Glendale Crime Stoppers, an anonymous hotline, at 507-7867.

Tires slashed in neighborhood Four cars had their tires punctured in a Northwest Glendale neighborhood Tuesday near Pioneer Drive and Columbus Avenue. Victims reported damage at between $100 and $300, according to police reports. The slashings appeared to be random acts by delinquents and do not reflect any larger trend, Glendale Police Officer John Balian said. Residents in the area said that tire slashings in the area have occurred more than once in recent years.

Amber Willard SOUTHWEST GLENDALE -- Glendale Police are searching for a bicyclist who stole a woman's purse as she walked on a sidewalk. The woman was in the 300 block of West Elk Avenue about noon Wednesday when a man on a bicycle rode behind her and pulled her purse from under her arm, police said. The man continued riding west on Elk Avenue and out of sight, the woman told police. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to call Glendale Crime Stoppers, an anonymous hotline, at 507-7867.

Amber Willard SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale Police are searching for two men who snatched a woman's purse as she walked on the sidewalk. The woman and her husband were in the 200 block of South Verdugo Road about 10:45 p.m. Monday when the robbery occurred, police said. Two men walking behind the couple pulled the woman's purse from her shoulder and ran south on Verdugo Road, according to police reports. Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Glendale Crime Stoppers, an anonymous hotline, at 507-7867.

Amber Willard SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- Glendale Police were searching Thursday for someone who fired a gunshot at a man on a sidewalk, slightly injuring him. The victim was walking with a woman near the 800 block of South Verdugo Road when a bullet was fired from a passing car about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. The victim was grazed by the bullet on his left shoulder, police said. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Glendale Crime Stoppers at 507-7867.

Police are searching for a man who stole an 84-year-old woman's purse Thursday as she walked to her Northwest Glendale apartment. The woman had just exited a Good Day Adult Day Care bus about 2 p.m. on the 400 block of West Stocker Street when the man allegedly walked up to her, pushed her and grabbed her purse. He fled northbound on Dorothy Drive. She described the thief as a 6-foot white, adult man. He was wearing a black T-shirt, gray shorts and red socks, according to police.

GLENDALE — Reporting crimes anonymously can be as easy as sending an e-mail, text message or dialing a call center. Nearly 15 years after Glendale became the only city in the county to establish a local anonymous tip line, 30 cities have joined to form the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers, allowing tipsters all the modern methods of communicating information to authorities. Launched earlier this month, the regional crime stoppers line was “a long time in the making,” said Glendale resident Jim Pietsch, chairman of the group’s board of directors.

GLENDALE — Police on Wednesday released a photo of John Levin, the 45-year-old resident arrested at the Canadian border on suspicion of killing his wife and family dog, in an effort to attract public tips on his possible whereabouts in the days leading up to his arrest. Levin was arrested Saturday by U.S. customs officials as he attempted to enter Canada a day after police discovered the badly decomposed body of his wife, Michelle Levin, 35, and their dog in their apartment on West Fairview Avenue in Glendale.

The community will get tips on how to stop crime in their communities at the ?National Night Out? on Aug. 4. Information will be offered on the Neighborhood Watch program and Crime Stoppers and guests can shake hands with McGruff, the crime-fighting dog. Crescenta Valley High School?s Prom Plus Committee will be doing the barbecue, and Cold Stone Creamery will be in charge of dessert, with some of the proceeds benefiting Glendale?s National Night Out campaign. The event for the North Glendale/Crescenta Valley area will be in the east parking lot of Verdugo Hills Hospital, 1812 Verdugo Blvd.

Glendale Police are asking for the public?s help with any information concerning a hit and run accident that occurred early in the evening on Feb. 13. Vana Mirzakhanian, 26, from La Crescenta was struck while in the crosswalk in his electric wheelchair. According to Lt. Carl Povilaitis, Mirzakhanian was crossing New York Avenue just south of Foothill Boulevard about 6:30 p.m. on Friday when a vehicle that was turning south off Foothill Boulevard struck him. ?The man was ejected from the wheelchair,?

Ominous piles of paper, folders, phone books and memorabilia drown Bill Bennett’s desk inside his Suncrest Trading office. With no computer in sight, it’s a wonder he manages to keep up with the demands of his company. But Bennett is a seasoned multitasker; he’s successfully juggled the fruit trade business, automobile and boating hobbies, and extensive community service for 40 years. “I just keep on doing it,” Bennett said. “I guess I can’t say no. But I enjoy it.” Living in Glendale since the early ’60s, Bennett — a Bay Area native — is a longtime West Glendale Gateway Kiwanis Club member, a founding member of Glendale Police Crime Stoppers, and, in addition to being a financial supporter of local organizations, has been on the board of the Verdugo Hills Council Boy Scouts of America for more than 30 years.

Arrests have been made involving suspects in a recent rash of graffiti that has swept through Crescenta Valley and Glendale. According to Glendale Police Officer John Balian, two people were arrested over the weekend. The pair were allegedly involved in several vehicle thefts in the Crescenta Valley, and north Glendale areas. The suspects are also thought to be members of the graffiti/tagging team that is responsible for local ?211c? graffiti vandalism. Law enforcement officials have said the CV graffiti is not as severe as in more urban areas, however they work on the ?