Daytime residential burglar snared after pursuit

IRVINE — A series of residential burglaries may have been brought to a halt Wednesday after police were able to track down and capture a fleeing suspect who had reportedly been seen attempting to break into a residence.

Carlos Orozco, 25, of Irvine was taken into custody after a foot chase that ended on Cedarlake, north of the residence he had allegedly been attempting to get into.

According to an Irvine police report, authorities received a call shortly before 12:30 p.m. describing a suspicious subject that had attempted to enter a home on Willowlake near Fairlake.

The witness reported that the suspect had jumped the rear fence of a home and attempted to open a sliding glass door. Apparently stymied by the door, the suspect proceeded to look into the windows of the home, trying to open them as well. His attempts to get in, however, failed, despite his possession of a screwdriver, and the suspect jumped back over the fence, fleeing on foot.

Officers converged on the scene and soon located a man matching the description of the reported suspect running through other residential properties, hopping fences as he went. Police were then able to corner the suspect and arrest him.

During his attempt to escape, the suspect abandoned the screwdriver and a sweatshirt, items that police were able to recover and secure as evidence.

Police believe that the suspect broke into, or attempted to break into, several other residences and are working to identify items that may have been stolen during those incidents.

Since these crimes occurred midday when people were at work, police believe there may be other victims that are not yet aware they have been robbed and ask anyone that thinks they may have been a victim to contact Det. Schilling at (949) 724-7233.