Five Members of a Serial Burglary Crew Have been Captured NR09280kr

Los Angeles:  Five members of a burglary crew believed linked to a commercial burglary ring that has been active in at least five states, spanning from coast to coast, were taken into custody early Tuesday morning in the City of Montebello.

Los Angeles Police Department’s Southeast Area Property Crimes Detectives have been investigating a serial burglary crew over the past four months.  The crew’s method of operation was to hit shopping malls during off hours and burglarize predetermined jewelry businesses.  

Detective’s had developed information that the crew was going to hit in the Montebello area on Tuesday morning, June 9, 2009, and alerted the Montebello Police Department.

Subsequently, Montebello Police Officers responded to a shopping mall in the 2100 block of Montebello Town Center Drive for a burglary investigation at around 5:00 a.m.  Three burglary suspects were immediately taken into custody at that location.  With the assistance of the Monterey Park Police Department Tactical Team, Montebello Officers conducted a thorough search of the location for additional suspects.
 
As a result of those arrests, LAPD Detectives, with the interagency cooperation and assistance of Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Glendale Police Department, and the Santa Ana Police Department, served six search warrants at various locations.  Two additional suspects were arrested and additional items of evidence were recovered during the service of those warrants.

All five suspects, male, Blacks, ranging in age from the mid 20’s to mid 40’s, are in the custody of LAPD on burglary and conspiracy to commit Burglary, charges.

Anyone with information related to these crimes are asked to contact Southeast Area Detective John Simmons at 213972-7813.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 or by texting CRIMES (274637) and beginning the message with the letters LAPD.  Tipsters may also submit information on the LAPD website, www.lapdonline.org.  All tips may remain anonymous.