Burbank Police, acting on a tip from an observant citizen, arrested two men yesterday, December 5, at 3:05 p.m. near the Empire Center for commercial burglary. The citizen had flagged down the police officers, who were in the area on retail theft prevention detail, pointing out the men who had walked out of the Target store with fully loaded shopping carts and were heading away from the Empire Center.
Officers caught up with the men and detained them at Empire Ave. and Valpreda St. The officers contacted Target and their loss prevention department. Upon reviewing surveillance video, Target security determined the two men had walked out of the store without paying for the merchandise in the carts. Over 70 items of men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, boots and jackets, worth about $1500, were stuffed in a large black bag and a large red bag in the two carts. The men had brought the black and red bags into the store with them and filled the bags with the merchandise.
Burbank Police arrested Luis Izales, a 33-year-old male resident of Los Angeles, and Luis Alberto Cruz, a 37-year-old resident of Los Angeles, for commercial burglary, due to the higher value of the loss. Each man was booked into the Burbank Jail with a $20,000 bail. Both men are currently under an ICE hold while their immigration status is being confirmed.
During the holiday season, Burbank Police increase the number of officers on patrol in shopping areas such as the Empire Center, Downtown Burbank and the Town Center Mall. The additional officers increase police visibility and help prevent retail crime.
“We’ve added extra officers to insure residents and those who shop here are safe,” commented Sergeant Darin Ryburn of the Burbank Police Department. “And, so our businesses in Burbank have these additional resources from our department to help combat retail theft and loss.”
