TEEN BURGLARY SPREE SOLVED

BY LEE BROWN
United Reporting

REDLANDS – Two teenage girls were arrested by Redlands police in connection with a string of burglaries that had taken place over the past few weeks. The result was a surveillance of a home that was followed by the arrests.
“This was old-fashioned police work,” said Redlands Commander Tom Fitzmaurice. “Review the cases, identify possible suspects, find the evidence and stop the crime spree. “(It’s) an excellent example of pro-active police work.”
On Monday, police laid out the details of the crime spree, which included one cat burglary in which residents were home at the time and another daytime burglary which was interrupted when residents returned.
Some 12 residential burglaries had taken place over a two-week period in a specific area north of San Bernardino Ave., east of Orange St. and west of Church St. in Redlands. Redlands PD’s Multiple Enforcement Team examined each of the occurrences, police set up a surveillance at a home on the 400 block of Mulvihill Ave. Suspects matching the description of suspects, along with known gang members of a San Bernardino city street gang, were spotted going in and out of the house.
Officers contacted the residents, obtained fingerprints and palm prints which were submitted to the county sheriff’s crime lab. Two of the prints returned as matches to those found at crime scenes.
A search warrant was served at a suspect’s home late last week, police recovering stolen property, keys from a stolen van, which was later located nearby, along with a .38-caliber handgun.
Among the arrested were girls, ages 16 and 17, charged with residential burglary and vehicle theft. During the investigation, police identified additional suspects, including a 13-year-old boy.
Police are attempting to locate additional suspects.