Last Monday multiple residences were reported to have been robbed throughout Castaic, the town north of Valencia in the Santa Clarita Valley.
According to a press release, on Monday, August 25, detectives from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department received a call from a victim reporting that upon returning home, they discovered their house on Sierra Oak Trail had been ransacked. The victim stated that the back sliding window was smashed, and jewelry and cash were stolen.
When detectives were investigating the scene, there was another residential burglary in a nearby residence. The victim caught the suspect in action, but he fled right away, running right passed the shocked victim. However, the victim was able to provide some information about the suspect, such as a physical description, vehicle description, and a partial license plate. He left with another man driving in a Porsche sport utility vehicle.
Later in the day, there were two other burglaries reported in two nearby neighborhoods in Castaic. The burglaries were similar to the previous two.
Santa Clarita Detectives contacted LASD Major Crime detectives, and based on the descriptions, they were able to quickly identify the suspects and vehicle.
On Thursday, August 28, detectives located the suspect’s vehicle and followed it into Lake Forest, in South Orange County. During the surveillance, they observed the suspects burglarize and ransack additional residences, coming out with several items of jewelry.
Detectives then conducted a felony traffic stop and arrested the two suspects. During the arrest, they were able to recover some of the stolen items inside the vehicle.
The suspects were identified as Domanique Thomas, 25 and Desean Ward, 22. Both suspects have extensive criminal records and are members of a Los Angeles gang. While being interviewed, Thomas implicated himself in the four burglaries committed in Castaic adn four in Orange County.
Thomas and Ward are currently being held on a $250,000 bail. Ward faces his “3rd strike” count, if found guilty.
