A Santa Ana man has been positively identified as the cat burglar who allegedly broke into a victim’s house while she was asleep.
Abelardo Corea Garfias, a 21-year-old man from Santa Ana, was identified after the victim was shown a photo lineup of possible suspects. Garfias was already in custody at Orange County Jail for a different incident at the time of identification.
The burglary occurred after 10 AM on March 16th, at a Garden Grove residence located in the 12400 block of Salinaz Drive. The female victim “was asleep in her bedroom when an unknown male opened the door to her room,” according to the release from Garden Grove police. Garfias fled the residence, but not without several boxes of the victim’s belongings, including a phone. A blue minivan was there to pick him up before police arrived.
Police identified and found the getaway vehicle in Santa Ana on March 22nd. “Property Crimes detectives surveilled the vehicle and eventually arrested two individuals,” according to the release. “The suspects also happened to have one of the stolen phones (from the cat burglary), a large amount of cash, and identity theft materials in their possession.”
Two days later, police identified Garfias as a possible suspect in the incident and showed the photo lineup to the victim, leading to his positive identification.
Detectives interviewed Garfias at Orange County Jail. The case will be submitted to the District Attorney for review once the investigation is completed.
