Police catch burglary suspect

DOWNEY - Downey police had no plans of playing hide-and-go-seek last Friday, but a burglary suspect gave them no choice after taking refuge in a resident's backyard.After receiving calls of a possible vehicle burglary on the 8400 block of Cherokee Drive, police were dispatched to the residence around 6:30 a.m. Officers soon found the burglarized vehicle along with evidence that items had been stolen from the car. Though police found no suspects on Cherokee, Sgt. Brain Baker remembers the calls that came in about a "prowler in the backyard" of a residence on Lexington Road, a block north of Cherokee Drive. "We asked the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department to dispatch a helicopter," said Baker. "About 15 to 20 minutes later, we found him." The 25-year-old suspect was arrested by police and the undisclosed items stolen from the vehicle were recovered. According to the police report, the suspect is a Downey resident with a history of prior vehicle burglaries. He is currently being held in Men's Central Jail in Downtown Los Angeles with bail set at $45,000.

********** Published: August 28, 2009 - Volume 8 - Issue 19