Two arrest suspects may be responsible for more than 100 burglaries

FRESNO – After an undercover operation with a climactic ending, police arrested two men who may be responsible for more than 100 residential burglaries.

Fresno police arrested David Foust, 29, and Aaron Hamm, 34, on Tuesday afternoon after officers caught the two men breaking into a home on East Newhall Drive. Officers had been following Foust as part of an undercover operation, according to Fresno Chief Jerry Dyer.

After allegedly breaking into the home, the two men were confronted by police officers. Foust and Hamm jumped into their BMW and attempted to run over the officers as they fled the scene. The two officers fired nine rounds at the vehicle, but no one was hit, Dyer said.

Police chased the suspects for two blocks before being able to put the pursuit to an end in the front yard of a home near Yorktown and Brandywire Lane.

Foust and Hamm were questioned by police on Wednesday and they confessed to having burglarized dozens of homes over the last 10 months, Dyer said.

“Foust has admitted to knowing about or being involved in 18 burglaries in Northeast Fresno,” Dyer said.

Hamm claimed to have committed one or two burglaries every day since last November, Dyer said.

Dyer said that the men usually tried to steal items that could be sold easily, such as gold, jewelry and coins. The suspects targeted homes during the daytime and would look for flyers or newspapers on the front porch that indicated no one was at home.

Chief Dyer said that when asked why so many people committed these kinds of crimes, Foust had a very simple answer.

“He said, ‘Because there’s a lot of money to be made and there is no punishment,’” Dyer said. “And that is the mentality we are facing today.”

Both Foust and Hamm have previously been charged with crimes, including burglaries, but have been released from jail because of overcrowding.

Dyer said that this time, “the hope for us is to keep these individuals in jail.”

Police are now looking over past burglary cases to determine which ones Foust and Hamm might be connected to.

See more:

KSEE 24, Two Men Arrested in Northeast Fresno Burglaries; Admit 100s more

CBS 47, Police: Burglary Suspects Tied to Dozens of Cases

ABC 30, Suspects possibly tied to over 100 NE Fresno burglaries

Fresno Bee, Police arrest 2 suspected of 100 burglaries