Thousand Oaks Police Department Warns Residents of Increased Residential Burglaries
Update from TOPD 2/18/13 regarding residential burglary arrests in Thousand Oaks
On 02-18-13 at approximately 4:50 AM, the Thousand Oaks Police Department responded to a call of a burglary in progress in the 700 block of Capitan Street. The call was initiated after a resident discovered a male suspect wearing all black clothing inside his house. Deputies quickly arrived on scene and began searching the area for the suspect.
Deputies saw a person matching the suspect’s description riding a bicycle in the neighborhood and stopped him. They identified this person as Arturo Fuentes, age 20, from Oxnard. After conducting an investigation, there was cause to believe Fuentes was responsible for entering the victim’s house, stealing property, and then fleeing after being discovered. It was also later determined that the bicycle Fuentes was riding was stolen from a resident on Cypress Street.
Later in the morning, two additional residential burglaries and two stolen vehicles were reported to the Thousand Oaks Police Department. These incidents all occurred within a short distance of Capitan Street. An alert officer with the Oxnard Police Department spotted one of these stolen vehicles in his jurisdiction. He detained a male subject, who was identified as Guillermo Garcia (age 22), exiting the driver side of the vehicle. Garcia was in possession of stolen property from one of the other residential burglaries on Birch Hill Street in Newbury Park. He was arrested for theft of a vehicle and residential burglary.
Fuentes and Garcia are both in custody in the Ventura County Jail pending their arraignments in Superior Court.
The Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to remind residents that there have been increases in residential burglaries throughout the city and to stay alert of suspicious activity. We encourage all citizens to report suspicious activity immediately by calling (805) 654-9511 or “911” in an emergency.
Ventura County Crime Stoppers will pay up to $1,000 reward for information, which leads to the arrest and criminal complaint against the person(s) responsible for these crimes. The caller may remain anonymous. The call is not recorded. Call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (8477).
Original post from 2/12/13 below:
The Thousand Oaks Police Department would like to warn the residents of an increase in residential burglaries. In recent weeks, we have seen an increase in burglaries in the area of Erbes Road, between Sunset Hills Road and Avenida De Los Arboles.
The burglaries are being committed during day and evening hours. The thieves are using unlocked doors to enter the residences. The items being targeted are jewelry and electronics.
The Thousand Oaks Police Department is recommending residents keep valuables in a safe place and document serial numbers. We would also like to remind residents to keep their doors locked especially when they are not home.
We urge residents to report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. If a person or vehicle appears out of place, contact the police at (805) 654-9511. In an emergency, always call 911. The information you provide may produce a lead that could potentially solve a crime.