Telephone Call Leads to Suspicious Person Picked Up by Police Department
Piedmont House “For Sale” attracts Unlikely Buyer –
On Thursday, April 25, a Piedmont resident noticed a young man lingering in front of his house shortly after 7:30 a.m. A short time later the homeowner went out to his car and the young man surprised him by asking to tour the house. The house had just been listed for sale that week and had a “For Sale” sign in the front yard. The young man told the homeowner he was interested in buying it. Aside from the unconventional hour, the homeowner was not convinced he was a likely buyer and called the police.
A few minutes later, Officer Kristina Foster arrived at the house to find the young man taking photos of several houses. When Foster engaged the young man in conversation, he said he is a student at Laney College and lives in Emeryville. He did not repeat his interest in buying the house as the reason for standing there. Instead, he told the police his reason for being on that residential street in the center of Piedmont was simply to take a walk. Foster checked and found he was not in the police information system, either for BOLOS (Be On the Look Out) or any previous arrests or convictions. When Foster received his permission to look inside his backpack, she found contraband. He then was taken into custody by Foster and 2 other officers who responded to the scene.
Because of recent home invasion robberies in December and January, the Piedmont Police Department has urged all residents to contact the department at 911 when suspicious activity arises in the City. The Department is receiving many helpful calls. According to the Police Chief, these calls are invaluable in protecting the City.
