Three car thefts occurred between Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16, on Pomona College’s campus. According to Campus Safety, they and the Claremont Police Department have identified a subject and are currently investigating. The vehicles in question remain missing.
On Monday evening, two unidentified individuals stole a 2005 gold Honda Odyssey on Columbia Avenue. Surveillance footage captured them accessing the vehicle and driving it down First Street — it was reported stolen the next morning.
At 5:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Campus Safety sent an email to community members providing details on a 2009 white Ford F-350 and a white 1997 Ford F-350, both labeled “Pomona College,” that were stolen at less than an hour earlier, at 4:45 p.m.
According to the email, one of the vehicles stolen Tuesday was last seen driving toward College Avenue from First Street.
In the same email, Campus Safety described the suspects.
“One of the suspects was wearing blue jeans and a black sweatshirt and the other was wearing a dark colored long sleeve with grey sleeves and dark pants,” the email said.
Laura Muna-Landa, Pomona College’s assistant vice president for communications and community relations, gave insight into the investigation, claiming that Pomona’s administration believes that the same individuals were responsible for all three thefts.
“We believe these incidents are connected and involve the same group of individuals,” Muna-Landa said in an email to TSL. “Campus Safety, in collaboration with the Claremont Police Department, has identified a suspect, and the investigation is actively ongoing. We are unable to provide further details at this time.”
The Claremont Colleges have experienced an increased number of auto thefts this semester, with similar incidents occurring in February and March of this year.
On-campus safety has been addressed in Pomona’s most recent Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. A section on security considerations for the maintenance of campus facilities highlight the increased safety of parking structures due to the presence of video surveillance systems.
“Several parking structures, computer rooms and other areas on campus are equipped with surveillance cameras; signs announcing the use of video surveillance systems are posted in the parking structures,” the report states.
Video surveillance captured, but did not prevent, the most recent auto thefts. Rachel Ma PO ’26 expressed her worry about leaving her car in student parking, but acknowledged the lack of other options.
“I’ve definitely heard about the [Grand Theft Autos],” Ma said. “I care a lot about my car and obviously there is nowhere else to park it, so I guess that can be kind of concerning when I know that there is nothing I can do if my car were to get stolen.”
While the colleges provide services such as Campus Safety’s 24-hour dispatch center, 24-hour safety escort service and LiveSafe app, Muna-Landa sought to ease rising anxieties over the crimes.
“Regarding campus safety, it is our assessment that these incidents are isolated,” Muna-Landa said. “We have no indication of an ongoing threat to The Claremont Colleges community.”
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