A key connects vehicle burglary and theft incidents in Costa Mesa, police say; man arrested

An 18-year-old man suspected of burglarizing one vehicle and stealing another was arrested in Costa Mesa late Monday, police said.

Costa Mesa police responded to the 600 block of Beach Street just after 11:30 p.m. Monday after receiving a report of a possible vehicle burglary.

When officers arrived, the victim said someone was rummaging through his unlocked car. The victim told police he saw two men run east on Beach Street toward Meyer Place, said Sgt. Bang Le.

Officers found a man matching one suspect’s description nearby and took him into custody. The other suspect was not found, Le said.

Just after 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, officers were called to the 1900 block of Anaheim Avenue about a vehicle theft.

That victim told officers a sedan had been stolen from the driveway, Le said.

Officers connected the man arrested earlier in the evening to the incident after they found that he had the sedan’s key, Le said.

Joshua Salinas, 18, of Costa Mesa was arrested on suspicion of vehicle burglary and vehicle theft, police said.

He’s being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail, according to jail records.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN