Police Log: Family Escapes Car Fire; Suspect Steals the Wrong Guy’s Identity at Best Buy

The following is a summary of significant crime and incidents reported in Union City between Sept. 5 and 9 as released by the Union City Police Department. Reports have been lightly edited for Patch style.  

Thursday, Sept. 5

• Fraud suspect steals cop’s identity. Officers were sent to Best Buy to investigate a suspect using false identification to gain store credit. What the fraud suspect didn’t know was that his victim was a Santa Rosa Police Officer. Union City officers responded to the store, upon which the suspect attempted to flee but was tackled by officers. He was arrested on suspicion of fraud-related charges.

Friday, Sept. 6

• Squatters busted. Officers were sent to a Dyer Street home after receiving a tip about people inside a vacant home. Officers set up a perimeter and knocked on the door, causing a male and female to run out of the rear sliding door. Unfortunately for them, officers were outside waiting for them in the back. The two were found with controlled substances and drug paraphernalia, and subsequently arrested.

Saturday, Sept. 7

• Two cars burglarized at Union Landing. Two cars were broken into between 10:10 and 10:15 p.m. Saturday night. The loss was backpacks and valuables left in plain sight. Needless to say, officers advise community members not to leave valuable items inside of parked cars.

Monday, Sept. 9

• Penny in cigarette lighter may have sparked car fire. Officers assisted the Alameda County Fire Department with a vehicle fire near the Mancini’s Sleep Center at Union Landing. A mother and two children fled the vehicle as soon as it caught fire. The mother told authorities that she believes one of her children put a penny in the cigarette lighter, ignited a spark that caused the fire. Heat from the fire caused windows at the nearby mattress store to crack. Read the initial report here.