Acquaintance, Accomplice Threaten Man’s Girlfriend, Ransack Home

IRVINE, CA – A man escaped his residence and called police after two male suspects – one of whom was an acquaintance – forced their way into his home when his girlfriend answered the front door.

While the two suspects were preoccupied with the girlfriend, the man was able to sneak out, said police.

Douglas Dowden, a 42-year-old parolee of Costa Mesa and reportedly the acquaintance of the victim, and Anthony Rodzewich, a 22-year-old probationer, also a resident of Costa Mesa, were both ultimately arrested for burglary following the incident.

Police responded to the call in the 3000 block of Watermarke on Thursday just after 8:30 pm, meeting the reporting victim outside and away from his residence.

The victim told officers that the two suspects shoved their way in when his girlfriend answered the front door. The victim further explained that the suspects were still in his home and holding his girlfriend captive, threatening to hit her with a crowbar.

Officers were quickly able to make contact with the suspects and persuaded them to let the female victim go. She was reportedly released unharmed. The two suspects were then located inside the residence and arrested without incident.

According to police, the residence had been ransacked though it was unclear what the suspects may have been looking for. Two cell phones were taken from the female victim to prevent her from calling for assistance.

The male victim reportedly runs his own marketing company and believed that the suspect he knew, Dowden, may have been interested in working for his company. However, he did not know why the man came to his home and acted the way he did.

The girlfriend also reported that she had been threatened with a hammer, not a crowbar. A hammer, which didn’t belong to the victims, was recovered at the scene and kept as evidence.

According to Orange County Superior Court Records, Dowden pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary in 1992 and went to prison, and Rodzewich pleaded guilty to second-burgalry in 2006 followed by another guilty plea to grand theft charges in 2007.