Hot Prowl Burglars Arrested NR09356rf

Los Angeles:  Two suspects believed responsible for a rash of "hot prowl" burglaries were taken into custody early yesterday morning.  A hot prowl occurs when suspects enter or break into a victim’s home while they’re present, usually for the purpose of committing burglaries and often late at night when victims are asleep.

On July 22, 2009, at around 3:30 a.m., near Bellaire Avenue and Victory Boulevard, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) North Hollywood detectives arrested Edward Monreal, a 23- year-old resident of North Hollywood and Panorama City resident Jesse Ruben Valverde for burglary.

Detectives were working on information they had been gathering over the previous week related to a rash of residential burglaries in the Van Nuys and North Hollywood areas.  Yesterday morning as detectives were seeking to find the persons responsible for the burglaries, they saw Monreal and Valverde walking along the east side of Bellaire Avenue before disappearing down the driveway of a residence.  When the duo reappeared at the entrance of the driveway and began walking along the sidewalk, detectives drove by and noticed that one of the suspects had a pair of gloves in his hands, was wearing a backpack, and was wearing shoes consistent with evidence left at a prior crime scene.

All of the burglaries in this crime spree shared similar characteristics and were all committed during the early morning hours while residents were home and in bed leading investigators to believe the same suspects were involved in all of incidents.

The suspects appeared to be taking advantage of the fact the many home owners were leaving their windows and doors open to receive cool night air following days of suffocating heat.  After gaining entry into the homes, the suspects would gather property that was easily carried away before fleeing.  In several of the burglaries, residents were startled by the suspects as they left the home; one such encounter involved a seven-year-old child.

After spotting Monreal and Valverde, detectives detained them for further investigation. During the subsequent investigation, property taken during this crime series was found to be in the possession of Monreal and Valverde.  They were both booked for residential burglary and Monreal was held on $75,000 bail, while Valverde was held on $50,000 bail.

Anyone with information relevant to this case, or who believes they may have been a victim of one of these crimes is asked to call North Hollywood Detective Gustavo Barrientos at 818-623-4045.  After hours or on weekends, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247) 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.