February 21, 2022 – Ventura County, Ca.
While the majority of burglars have historically turned the purloined products of their perfidy into cash via “fencing” or selling goods to hapless folks looking for bargains so good they’re often hard to believe, it takes a bold soul to steal non-retail commercial property and then stroll into a local pawnshop and exchange it for U.S. currency.
That seems, however, to have been exactly the thinking of 47-year-old Thousand Oaks resident James Darpino that led to his February 17 th arrest on charges of commercial burglary.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department Camarillo Investigations Bureau’s spokesman Detective Michael Dixon, “approximately $10,000 in property” was reported stolen from a Mobil Avenue business on the night of February 14 th . Once detectives got their hands on the business’ video surveillance records, it didn’t take them long to identify Darpino as the
culprit.
Working in concert with VCSD’s Directed Enforcement Unit, within 48 hours detectives determined the whereabouts of Darpino and then “responded to the location and contacted Darpino.” While Darpino was not found in possession of any of the property reported as stolen, he did have in his possession a number of claim tickets from a local area pawn shop.
A visit to the pawnshop ensued, and the connection to Darpino was established. He was then arrested for commercial burglary and transported to Ventura County Jail, where he remains in custody with his bail set at $35,000.
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