Two Los Angeles men were arrested for burglary Wednesday afternoon after police stopped their vehicle on Frederic St., south of Magnolia Boulevard and saw women’s purses and two rifles in the back seat, according to Sgt. Darin Ryburn of the Burbank Police Department.
Police had been searching the area after two residential burglaries on the 400 block of N. Catalina St. and the 400 block of N. Buena Vista St. were reported earlier in the day. Officers pulled over the suspects’ black Lexus with paper plates, as it matched a witness description of a vehicle from a previous Burbank residential burglary.
The occupants of the black Lexus, Marc Smith, age 21, and Terry Jones, age 24, were arrested for burglary after victims from a nearby residence on the 400 block of N. Catalina St. identified the property in the back seat as items stolen from their home earlier Wednesday, May 28.
“Based on information from previous residential burglaries in the area, we are investigating these suspects’ possible involvement in the recent string of daytime burglaries in the western part of Burbank,” said Ryburn. “Additional charges could be filed.”
At 1:50 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to the 400 block of N. Catalina for a residential burglary. The victim had been away from her home between 12:30 p.m. and 1:50 p.m. Upon her return, she saw the side door open and the house had been ransacked.
A checkbook, multiple pieces of jewelry and other items were reported stolen. The victim may have left the side door unlocked, through which thieves gained entry.
Officers, detectives and investigators descended upon the area, added Ryburn, to investigate the burglary scene and canvass the area. Police were looking for the suspect vehicle, a black Lexus with paper plates.
Police were also looking for a male Black suspect, who was seen during one of several residential burglaries reported on Monday, May 19, continued Ryburn.
On May 19, homes on the 700 block of N. Ontario and the 300 block of N. Cordova were burglarized. An attempted burglary was made at a home on the 800 block of N. Catalina.
Additionally, a burglary suspect entered a home on the 600 bock of N. Lima on May 19 at 3:15 p.m., but he ran away without taking anything. A 71-year-old woman was at home and heard a knock on the front door and did not answer the door. She then heard the rear sliding door being opened. The woman yelled out and heard the suspect run out of the house, said Ryburn.
Another residential burglary was reported on the 800 block of N. Buena Vista on Tuesday, May 27.
While police were looking for the residential burglary suspects on Wednesday, May 28, officers responded to a home burglary alarm on the 400 block of N. Buena Vista St. at 2:08 p.m., which had been triggered at 2:00 p.m.
The police airship responded to the location ahead of officers and reported an open window on the south side of the house and a window screen lying on the ground, said Ryburn. Officers cleared the house.
Jewelry, belts and diamond earrings were reported stolen from the Buena Vista house and entry was made through an open window.
Police continued to work both residential burglary sites at Catalina and Buena Vista. A third residential burglary on Niagara Street in the same Magnolia Park neighborhood Wednesday afternoon was unable to be confirmed by police Thursday morning.
At 3:10 p.m. Wednesday, officers noticed and pulled over the vehicle matching the suspect vehicle description, with Smith and Jones inside, along with the property identified as stolen from the Niagara St. home.
Smith and Jones are being held on $50,000 bail and are due in court tomorrow.
“We are making every attempt to identify and locate property stolen from residents here in Burbank and return items to their rightful owners,” said Ryburn.
