Countywide : Toll Rising in Theft of Police Equipment

The tally for an Explorer burglary ring has risen to as high as $30,000 in stolen goods and could go higher, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials who supervise the Explorer program.

“These are supposed to be good kids,” said Assistant Sheriff Dennis LaDucer. “I’ve been here 25 years and this is the first time we’ve ever had anything as serious as this,” LaDucer said, referring to the weekend investigation that led to the arrests of five juveniles and an adult.

LaDucer downplayed reports that Explorers were issued department keys allowing them access to county garages and maintenance yards. In fact, the only key ever issued was to the main Sheriff’s Department office in downtown Santa Ana that allows them to enter an exterior door after business hours, he said. Once inside a foyer, however, they have to telephone an on-duty deputy or clerk to enter the locked building.

LaDucer said the five juveniles--they include two current and two former Explorer Scouts and one who was never in the program--came from Santa Ana, Westminster and Fountain Valley.

Paul B. Aburto, 19, of Santa Ana, a former Explorer, was charged with felony burglary and released on his own recognizance Tuesday.

The arraignment of Aburto is scheduled for Oct. 30.

At least 95% of the stolen items have been recovered by investigators, LaDucer said, although an inventory is still pending.

While the suspects have cooperated with investigators about where the items were taken, including thefts from privately owned vehicles, LaDucer said investigators have gotten no explanation for the youths’ criminal behavior.

LaDucer said that most of the recovered items have been the bar lights mounted atop patrol cars, emergency radios and car speakers, county firefighting coats and equipment taken from cars belonging to the city of Mission Viejo.

“Thus far, it appears to be limited to Orange County, at least at this stage in the investigation,” LaDucer said.

Also, spotlights were taken from privately owned tow trucks and a television, videocassette recorder and stereo stolen from a limousine in Huntington Beach, sheriff’s officials said.

In addition, investigators said that two revolvers, a .38-caliber and a .357-caliber, were seized.

In Mission Viejo, which is patrolled by sheriff’s deputies, Sgt. George Johnson said the only losses of city property he is aware of are the thefts of four or five yellow light bars and several two-way radios.

The items were taken from cars used by maintenance workers parked in an unfenced lot behind City Hall.

“It was a pretty professional job, in that whoever did it came prepared,” Johnson said. “They broke the windows to get into the cars, and they unbolted the light bars from inside.”

One of the five juveniles has already been charged in the case, and criminal felony burglary counts are expected to be filed against the other four, a sheriff’s spokesman said. One youth who was arrested was released from Juvenile Hall on Tuesday.