Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Three of five suspects caught on camera burglarizing a home were arrested March 14 after running from police at the end of a short pursuit. Police responded to a home in the 2800 block of East Hillside Drive just before 8:30 p.m. The resident was watching the five suspects live as they burglarized the home, according to Sgt. Michelle Figueroa of the West Covina Police Department. The suspects fled the scene just as officers arrived. The driver refused to stop for police and led them on a chase until the five suspects ran in the 1400 block of Hollencrest Drive, Figueroa said.
Police already had three arrested and decided to stop the search around 1 a.m. Arrested were Manuel Lagos, 23, Marcelo Bustamante, 25, and Claudio Donoso, 19. All three men claim to be from Chile. They were booked on suspicion of burglary, resisting arrest, receiving stolen property and possession of burglary tools.
Written by AARON CASTREJON
CityWatch Editor
WEST COVINA - A family is searching feverishly for any sign of their possessions taken by three daytime burglars January 9.
One possession in particular taken during the home burglary holds more value than any other: the wedding ring from Julie Dungca’s late father-in-law. “We live on a small cul-de-sac and all of our neighbors know each other. Nobody has had anything like this happen. It's been awful,” Dungca said. The ring was kept safe for about seven years. It’s now in the hands of strangers. The men burglarized the home in the 1000 block of South Magnolia Avenue just before 12:40 pm. The three men clad in hooded sweatshirts and gloved hands approached quickly and found their way to a rear sliding glass door.
"It's a case without any leads," said West Covina Police Sergeant Tim Rodgers.
The men had their faces well covered. Their hands were gloved. A West Covina Police community service officer could not obtain fingerprints from the crime scene, Rodgers said. At least one of the suspects turned security cameras around to point away from the crime in progress, but one camera was able to catch a bit of the glass door being shattered after one of the suspects used a center punch to breach the door. An alarm wasn’t triggered initially because the door was never opened after the glass was shattered and there was no motion sensor fixed to the room to detect the entering suspects, Dungca said. The Dungca family’s ADT security system notified them of the break-in when the suspects triggered a sensor after venturing outside the bedroom, Dungca said.
The suspects fled into a white Mercedes-Benz with paper plates. Taken in addition to the father-in-law’s ring: Dungca’s first wedding ring and a silver chain with a cross.
Dungca and her husband have been scouring pawn shops and are searching online marketplaces for any sign of the stolen belongings. “Pawn shops ‘can't’ put it out for sale for 30 days so we wait. Also checking other unique items stolen so we can maybe get a trail back to this ring, but no luck yet. We've been checking Facebook marketplace, offer up, 5 miles, etc.,” Dungca said. Nearly a week after the burglary, the Dungca’s wait for a break in the case. “We know it's a long shot, but we want our community safe,” Dungca said. Written by AARON CASTREJON CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A failed grand theft auto attempt and yard-to-yard search yielded two teen suspects, police said Monday.
Family members of the intended victim broke up the attempted grand theft auto around 9:20 a.m. in the 1500 block of West Rowland Street December 10. The two males and one female fled the location, according to Sgt. Michelle Figueroa of the West Covina Police Department. Numerous residents notified police that the suspects were fleeing through their yards. One suspect fled to the roof of another, Figueroa said. Nearby Monte Vista Elementary School was on lockdown during the suspect search. Ernesto Alonso Ramirez, 18, from South El Monte, was booked on suspicion of grand theft auto, burglary and receiving stolen property. Also arrested was a teen girl from Los Angeles. Police also located a vehicle the suspects were driving in -- an unreported stolen vehicle from East Los Angeles, Figueroa said. The remaining suspect was seen jumping into the rear yard of a home in the 1700 block of West Eldred Avenue. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Two 16-year-olds, a 15-year-old and 13-year-old were taken into custody after being caught breaking into a home near West Covina Plaza Tuesday night.
The suspects were likely caught by a resident who witnessed their efforts in the 200 block of North Walnuthaven Drive 7:50 p.m., according to Lt. Ron Allen of the West Covina Police Department. The homeowner was present during the burglary, West Covina Police said. Allen did not know how the suspects tried to enter the home. Some or all of the suspects scattered, forcing officers and a helicopter to form a containment search. Two of the suspects fled into an apartment complex, 1333 W. Garvey Ave. “It appears two of them were acting as lookouts,” Allen said. Nothing was taken from the home. All four suspects were booked on suspicion of burglary. The two older boys were taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, while the remaining boys were released to their parents. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - A 16-year-old boy was identified and arrested Tuesday after forensic evidence he left behind at the scene of a school burglary led right to him.
West Covina officers were called to Merlinda Elementary School, 1120 S. Valinda Ave., around 6:30 a.m. Monday to investigate a burglary. A computer lab was burglarized and numerous laptops were taken, West Covina Police. Police declined to state what evidence the teen left behind and how they were able to match the evidence to the teen. A search warrant was served at the teen’s West Covina home in the 900 block of Francisquito Avenue where all the laptops were discovered and recovered, West Covina Police said. The teen, whose name will not be released because he is a juvenile, was booked at the West Covina Police Department and was later released to his parents. A case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Two men who were confronted by a homeowner after they gained access to his backyard escaped arrested during an hour-long search Wednesday.
The suspects jumped into a yard in the 3100 block of Sunset Hill Drive just after Noon when no one answered their knocks at the front door. Once in the rear yard, the homeowner confronted them and they fled, according to Cpl. Rudy Lopez of the West Covina Police Department. Nearby Mesa Elementary School and South Hills High School inquired about the hefty police search, aided by a helicopter, and chose to put themselves on lockdown. “They elected to lock down and held students in their classrooms,” Lopez said. The West Covina Police Department notified the schools that their search ended after the suspects could not be found, Lopez said. One suspect is either a white or light-skinned Hispanic man, 18-25 years old with black, curly shoulder-length hair. He is 5-foot 8 to 5 feet 9 inches tall and wore a blue long-sleeve shirt and light blue jeans. The second suspect is a Hispanic man with short black hair and he wore a black shirt and black sweat pants with a star patter on them. Written by AARON CASTREJON | CityWatch Editor WEST COVINA - Officers responding to a reported home burglary uncovered hundreds of marijuana plants Tuesday afternoon.
The illegal marijuana grow was operating inside a home in the 200 block of North Hartley Avenue. Officers arrived to the home around 1:30 p.m. after a resident reported possible burglary suspects leaving the residence, said West Covina Police Lt. Travis Tibbetts. A resident witnessed two Hispanic men fleeing the home while carrying trash bags full of property. The men fled in a grey Ford Focus, Tibbetts said. The men were not found by officers who did confirm a ransack burglary did take place in the home. |
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