Four arrested at DUI checkpoint
Four drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol during a Sept. 22 DUI/driver’s license checkpoint. Five vehicles were also impounded for either DUI or for driver’s license violations.
Held between 7:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. on northbound Hopyard Road, south of Inglewood Drive, Pleasanton, Livermore and California Highway Patrol officers screened 885 vehicles. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) provided educational materials to those passing through the checkpoint.
Thirteen drivers were given field sobriety tests, 20 drivers were further investigated for driver’s license violations and 11 drivers were given citations for license violations.
Car theft email scares debunked
Fears stemming from key-copying car thieves can be put to rest, according to Officer Penolope Tamm.
Apparently emails are floating around saying an average thief could steal a car by writing down a vehicle identification number and then requesting a copied key from an auto dealership. Snopes.com, a Web site seeking to dispel urban myths and rumors, claims California crooks forged paperwork in addition to the aforementioned method. They were allegedly caught and arrested.
Tamm said she contacted several Tri-Valley dealerships only to be told that a photo ID and paperwork (like a pink slip, registration, etc.) showing a direct match, not just a family name, must be shown in order to secure a duplicate key. Some must send the request to headquarters, “adding one more step,” Tamm said.
“While there are no absolutes in life, this manner of stealing cars is not as easy as the legend makes it sound,” she said.
