Detectives investigate whether suspects found with possible stolen goods are connected to local crimes
Sheriff’s officials are investigating whether three men arrested after a March 7 traffic stop on the 1500 block of Jessen Drive found them in possession of burglary tools and possible stolen goods might be tied to previous local crimes.
The official report of the incident states the deputy initiated the stop shortly after 8 p.m., after seeing a 2017 black Nissan Altima fail to stop at the intersection of Jessen and Fairmount Avenue.
The occupants of the vehicle were 26-year-old Roy Ramson Beasley III and Christopher Lockhart, 25, both residents of Los Angeles, and 25-year-old Yucca Valley resident Demetrius Mario Sherrod, officials reported. None of the men had driver’s licenses on them at the time of the stop.
“During an investigative search prior to towing the vehicle, there were items found that led deputies to believe they had committed a burglary,” Sgt. Barrin Walker, a watch commander with the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station said in a March 8 interview.
The men were found in possession of currency and marijuana, as well as hooded sweatshirts, extra pants and a hunting mask, according to the report. An emptied-out underwear box in the trunk was filled with Asian and South American currency and coins, and a backpack full of clothing and household items also contained five Green Dot gift cards and two cellphones.
A window punch tool was found hidden in Beasley’s left sock, and two rings and five necklaces were found in the pocket of a pair of pants he was wearing underneath an outer pair of sweatpants, the report stated. Deputies also recovered numerous cellphones, three sets of vehicle keys, three expired rental car agreements signed by Beasley and an invoice for window-tint installation on the rented Nissan, which deputies noted was five days past its return date.
A DMV search showed Beasley had open warrants for his arrest, for parole violation and driving on a suspended license, and was on active probation for robbery, according to the sheriff’s report. A search of the men’s criminal history returned a list of past offenses.
“Each suspect had numerous arrests in the past for burglary, robbery, possession of loaded firearms, possession of burglary tools and vehicle thefts,” Dep. David Leon noted in the report.
All three suspects were arrested on suspicion of burglary, and Beasley was additionally charged with reasonable cause vehicle theft for the overdue rental and possession of burglary tools, according to the sheriff’s report.
Detectives are investigating whether the items found in the vehicle may be connected to past local burglaries. Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station Capt. Chris Blasnek said the modus operandi of the men seems similar to what deputies have seen in recent La Cañada burglaries, but more work needs to be done before a link can be verified.
Twitter: @SaraCardine
