5 MEN ACCUSED IN MORE THAN 70 AREA BURGLARIES
By Mary Frances Gurton Staff Writer

Pasadena Star-News, CA
San Gabriel Valley Tribune, CA
Dec 12 2006

Juvenile is among the suspects

Pasadena authorities believe they have stemmed a wave of summer
burglaries with the recent arrests of four men and a juvenile.

The suspects are believed to be responsible for more than 70 thefts
at homes and businesses across the city. Most were arrested separately
in September.

"There were several bad people doing a series of burglaries who have
been arrested," said Mayor Bill Bogaard, whose district actually showed
a slight decline in burglaries in the same period. "It happened that
a few burglars operated for a time before they were caught. I would
hope that when the fourth-quarter data is released, it reflects a
decline in the number."

The thefts – ranging from bikes, wallets and keys to laptop computers –
caused a 52.7 percent spike in the number of reported burglaries from
July through September 2005 to the same period in 2006, according
to a Pasadena Police Department report to the City Council released
last month.

"This is an anomaly," said Pasadena police spokeswoman Janet Pope
Givens, of the third-quarter crime surge. "It’s pretty evident that
when we arrested these suspects the burglaries stopped."

Responsible for at least six area burglaries is a 15-year-old boy who
suffers from an alleged compulsion for stealing, according to police.

He was arrested after a short foot pursuit when officers were called
to a break-in at 776 E. California Ave., according to the report.

"Especially during the summer, juveniles can be responsible for a
crime trend in a neighborhood," said Pope Givens. "Most crimes are
crimes of opportunity, and when kids are out of school with time on
their hands, this can be one of the things that happens."

A number of residential burglaries in the North Pasadena Heights area
targeting Armenian victims ceased after a known Armenian gang member
was arrested and found to be carrying a handgun lost in one of the
burglaries, according to the report.

"He was arrested for a DUI in Glendale," said Pope Givens, "and then
found to be connected to the North Pasadena Heights burglaries. We
can’t definitely connect him, but after he was arrested that series
stopped."

Another suspect was arrested after several daytime commercial
burglaries, according to the report.

In yet another instance, a latent fingerprint lifted from one of
five "hot prowl" burglary sites – so named when a resident is home –
in the area of Colorado Boulevard and Allen Avenue, led to another
suspect’s arrest, the report reads. Councilman Chris Holden, whose
district includes Old Pasadena, where some of the crimes occurred,
said the arrests reflect city and policeattempts to concentrate law
enforcement on crime "hot spots."

"Not unlike some of the other commercial shopping districts in the
Southland," he said, "we want to make sure nothing unsafe happens in
Old Pasadena."