Quick Action Leads to Arrest of Three Burglary Suspects

A tight-knit group of residents at a Tustin condominium complex foiled a burglary Sunday night, telephoning information to police that led to the arrest of three suspects only minutes later in Santa Ana, police said.

Tustin Police Sgt. Mike Shanahan said residents of the Treehaven Condominium Complex in the 17800 block of 17th Street called at 9:11 p.m. Sunday to report having seen three suspicious-looking men take a television set from one of the units in the complex.

Chain of Observers

The residents, who formed a chain of observers linked to one person on a telephone with police, provided a description of the men, their getaway car and a license number, Shanahan said.

Four minutes later, two Tustin patrol officers spotted the car westbound on 17th Street and pursued it into Santa Ana. Shanahan said the chase ended on Fruit Street near Cabrillo Park, where all three suspects were taken into custody at 9:19. Names and ages of the three were not immediately available.

“They have an active Neighborhood Watch program there, and it’s a tightly knit community,” Shanahan said. “This time, everything worked like it’s supposed to.”