Thieves

Less than a week after South Pasadena police arrested a suspected Red Bull bandit, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have arrested two others after they allegedly attempted to make off with 51 cans of the energy drink from a Ralph's in La Crescenta. According to Sgt. Ray Harley of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, Edgar Khasmeyan, 29, and Masis Mirzayan, 35, both of Tujunga, were stopped by loss prevention agents outside the store the 2600 block of Foothill Boulevard.

Three men allegedly connected to a group of organized burglars were arrested Sunday after they ransacked an AT&T kiosk inside the Glendale Galleria, police said. Police stopped Tairez Smith, 22, Willard Hill, 25, and a 16-year-old boy, whose name wasn't released because he is a minor, in a red Buick at Columbus Avenue and Hawthorne Street after they allegedly stole 24 cellphones and five iPhone cases from the mall kiosk, according to Glendale police. The trio entered through one of the mall's major department stores just after 8:30 a.m. and headed to the main shopping area, which wasn't open yet, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

DOWNTOWN — Four masked men smashed their way into a jewelry store at the Glendale Galleria early Friday and stole at least $150,000 in high priced jewelry and watches, police said. The thieves entered the mall parking structure at about 5:20 a.m. Friday and smashed a glass door near Nordstrom to get into the mall, Glendale Police Sgt. Vahak Mardikian said. Surveillance footage released shows a man shattering the front door of Classic Designs jewelry with a tool to enter with three other men. The thieves wore gloves and carried sacks and tools, which they used to break glass displays and steal jewelry.

GLENDALE — Catalytic converter thieves recently hit a Hyundai dealership in the city for the second time since June. Twelve converters were stolen from Hyundai Tucson sport utility vehicles parked at the lot on the 400 block of South Brand Boulevard. The theft left the dealership with a loss of $30,000, which includes maintenance and paying employees. The converters — which are used in exhaust systems to regulate auto emissions — are partially made from precious metals such as titanium, said Hovic Obaryan, services advisor for the dealership.

SOUTHWEST GLENDALE — Upset residents watched early Friday as a forensic technician tried to lift fingerprints from their burglarized vehicles, which had radios, navigation systems and gasoline stolen. Eight cars and SUVs were burglarized sometime after 1 a.m. Friday, when a resident heard something coming from the apartment building’s underground garage in the 1300 block of East Harvard Street, Glendale Police Officer Steve Eggett said. Residents heading out for work and errands about 7 a.m. discovered that several car windows had been smashed.

GLENDALE — Police are asking the public to be on the look out for anyone acting suspiciously near city fire hydrants after two were recently stolen. City employees on July 31 learned that the two hydrants were unbolted and stolen from concrete sidewalks on Glenoaks Boulevard and San Fernando Road, said Mike Romanino, water systems operations supervisor at Glendale Water & Power. “I am hoping it doesn’t get out of control because it could be catastrophic if they are not there when they are needed,” Romanino said.

GLENDALE — Police are searching for two men behind a crime ring that is making off with thousands of dollars worth of cigarettes from markets. The thieves have hit three gas stations and one grocery store between May 16 and Tuesday, with total losses of close to $50,000, Officer John Balian said. Though police are unsure whether the same men are involved in all four operations, the method is identical in every case, he said. One man distracts the clerk while a second goes to the store’s storage area, he said.

Robert Chacon Thieves struck a major blow to Hoover High School over the holiday break when they stole more than $81,000 in computer equipment from a lab. School officials discovered Monday that one of its computer labs, used to train students in digital reproduction and to produce all of the school's Xerox copies for teachers, was broken into. The thieves made away with 27 computers that ran the school's Xerox Digipath copying machine, and other equipment including printers and monitors, Glendale Police spokeswoman Sherri Servillo said.

GLENDALE — A rash of thefts targeting catalytic converters has Glendale police pursuing a partnership with a county task force to prevent the crimes in the city. Catalytic converters are a common auto part used to reduce engine emissions. And while catalytic converter theft in Glendale does not put up numbers as high as other cities in Los Angeles County — Glendale police take approximately six reports of converter thefts each month — patrol officers are on alert for these would-be converter thieves, Glendale Police Det. Mauricio Barba said.

DOWNTOWN — Four masked men smashed their way into a jewelry store at the Glendale Galleria early Friday and stole at least $150,000 in high priced jewelry and watches, police said. The thieves entered the mall parking structure at about 5:20 a.m. Friday and smashed a glass door near Nordstrom in order to get into the mall, Glendale Police Sgt. Vahak Mardikian said. The Glendale Police Department released surveillance video footage of the burglary that showed a man shattering the front glass door of Classic Designs jewelry with a tool.

On Friday you reported that five homes were burglarized, one entered through an unlocked door, one crawled through a doggy door and the others all had their doors kicked in (“ Thieves target more homes ,” April 13.) On Saturday you printed an editorial (“ Residents must do their part ”) lamenting the rash of burglaries and mentioning the unlocked door, implying that this had facilitated or invited the burglars. Since all the locked doors were kicked in, the only difference the unlocked door made was that the owner did not have the added expense of fixing a door.

Three men allegedly connected to a group of organized burglars were arrested Sunday after they ransacked an AT&T kiosk inside the Glendale Galleria, police said. Police stopped Tairez Smith, 22, Willard Hill, 25, and a 16-year-old boy, whose name wasn't released because he is a minor, in a red Buick at Columbus Avenue and Hawthorne Street after they allegedly stole 24 cellphones and five iPhone cases from the mall kiosk, according to Glendale police. The trio entered through one of the mall's major department stores just after 8:30 a.m. and headed to the main shopping area, which wasn't open yet, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Burglars on Wednesday targeted five homes in affluent neighborhoods, pilfering cash, jewelry and computers while most residents were at work, police said. In one burglary, thieves entered a home between 2 to 4 p.m. on the 1200 block of San Luis Rey Drive through an unlocked front door and stole a briefcase while the resident was taking a nap, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. “We need people to be vigilant within their communities and neighborhoods,” he said. Police were still investigating whether Wednesday's rash of break-ins were connected to a recent spate of burglaries in the San Fernando Valley and Glendale committed by an organized group made up of South Los Angeles gang members.

Prosecutors on Monday filed charges against three burglary suspects who police say are connected to a network of thieves targeting affluent neighborhoods. Billie Bell, 24, of Inglewood, Andre Piolet, 26, of Ladera Heights and Lanay Pennel, 19, of Los Angeles were charged with felony first-degree residential burglary and felony evading an officer, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court complaint. The trio were arrested Thursday after witnesses spotted them fleeing from a home on the 800 block of Cumberland Road, police said.

Police are investigating a string of burglaries that occurred this week at restaurants inside the Glendale Galleria. Thieves broke into three restaurants sometime early Tuesday and stole cash and equipment before fleeing the mall on the 100 block of West Broadway unnoticed, according to Glendale police. “There is a strong likelihood it's that same suspect or suspects,” Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. Employees at Stone Oven Grill, La Salsa and the Great Khan discovered the burglaries when they arrived at work that morning.

Police are looking for help in identifying two men wanted in a series of break-ins at Glendale and Redondo Beach schools last year, stealing a total of 23 computers. Surveillance video footage at Keppel Elementary showed the men, wearing hooded sweatshirts, entering the building and using a trash can to hold open a classroom door. One of the men held a flashlight and looked into classroom windows. Keppel and Redondo Union High School were each burglarized twice by these men between Aug. 24 to Dec. 4, police said.

Two newcomers will be taking seats on the Montrose Shopping Park Assn. Board of Directors. Copy Network owner Andre Ordubegian and Joselito's Mexican Restaurant owner Corey Grijalva will be replacing President Alyce Russell, who owns Andersen's Pets, and Treasurer Maureen Palacios, who owns Once Upon a Time, according to votes tallied on Thursday. The election highlights renewed interest in the board by business owners, many of whom have not participated in leadership activities in the past.

BURBANK - A 29-year-old Panorama City man has pleaded not guilty to charges that he and two other men posed as Charter Communications employees to steal copper wire from utility poles, officials said. Jesus Arreguin-Lopez faces a felony count of grand theft of copper wire belonging to the cable company, according to Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint. The other two men - Jose Esparza, 26, of Van Nuys and Juan Lopez, 30, of Los Angeles - were also charged in the alleged copper wire theft, but they were released from jail on $20,000 bond each and won't be in court until next month, officials said.

Less than a week after South Pasadena police arrested a suspected Red Bull bandit, Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies have arrested two others after they allegedly attempted to make off with 51 cans of the energy drink from a Ralph's in La Crescenta. According to Sgt. Ray Harley of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff's Station, Edgar Khasmeyan, 29, and Masis Mirzayan, 35, both of Tujunga, were stopped by loss prevention agents outside the store the 2600 block of Foothill Boulevard.

GLENDALE — Police are investigating a brazen burglary Sunday at a grocery store, which burglars entered by cutting a hole in the roof. The burglary was reported about 7:58 a.m. after Grand Central Market store owner discovered his business on the 1200 block of North Central Avenue had been ransacked and about $5,000 was stolen, according to Glendale Police Department reports. “It’s cowardly,” store owner Arbi Faroukhians said of the theft, which took place late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.