Press Release dated October 14, 2010
Officers were called to investigate two (2) suspicious subjects loitering in the area of the 12000 block of Reagan Street in the early morning hours of Thursday, October 14. At approximately 3:30 am, two separate anonymous witnesses observed the subjects acting suspiciously near an unattended Black Mercedes Benz parked on the street in the southern part of the Highlands neighborhood. As officers arrived to the area and were being directed to the location of the suspicious persons, they found one male subject seated in the Mercedes rummaging through it, while another subject was crouched behind a resident’s wall. Both subjects were immediately detained without incident and the officer’s subsequent investigation determined at least five (5) additional vehicles in the same neighborhood had been victimized. An assortment of personal property such as, electronics, clothing, and other miscellaneous items were taken and subsequently recovered. The suspects, Enrique Francisco Lopez, 25, and his brother, Christopher Edward Lopez, 30, both of Santa Ana, targeted cars that were locked and unlocked. They were arrested and booked on multiple counts of burglary, grand theft, possession of burglary tools, and possession of stolen property. Both were transported to the Seal Beach Detention Facility where they will be transferred to the Orange County Jail. Property seized from the suspect’s car is thought to be connected to other similar crimes and police detectives are seeking to locate potential victims from as far away as the Inland Empire. Los Alamitos has seen a significant increase in vehicle burglaries and thefts from unlocked cars within the last two (2) months, and the public is reminded to take appropriate precautions to minimize their chances of becoming a victim. They can also stay abreast of crime trends throughout the City by visiting the police department’s website at www.LosAlamitosPolice.org and clicking on the Crime Summary link.
If the public has any additional information regarding these crimes, please telephone the Los Alamitos Police Detective Bureau supervisor at (562) 431-2255 ext. 405.
Submitted by:
Captain Bruce McAlpine
Los Alamitos Police Department
(562) 431-2255, extension 420
See original press release here.