3 Suspects Held in $500,000 Computer Theft Ring

Three people who were in jail Friday on suspicion of trying to steal computer equipment are also suspects in a ring responsible for $500,000 in computer and software thefts from South County high-tech companies, police said.

The three were arrested with $35,000 in computer equipment that investigators believe was taken in a break-in at the Irvine Spectrum business complex, Irvine police said.

One suspect escaped and led police on a car chase from the Spectrum to Laguna Canyon, then evaded capture on foot for more than three hours, police Lt. Bob Leonard said.

Johnnie Ray Limbrick, 22, of Gardena was arrested about 2:30 a.m. Friday by a Sheriff’s Department dog handler after the animal found the suspect hiding in bushes on a dark hillside along Laguna Canyon Road.

The two other suspects were arrested at Meridian Software Co., where the burglary took place. Michael Anthony Gipson, 30, and Latonya Ann Mack, 22, both of Los Angeles, and Limbrick are being held in Orange County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bail, Leonard said.

The three face charges of commercial burglary and criminal conspiracy. Limbrick, a volunteer security guard for a Los Angeles Baptist church, faces another charge of evading police, sheriff’s spokesman Richard J. Olson said, while Mack faces an additional charge of carrying false identification.

Police were alerted by an alarm at the software company at Alton Parkway and Laguna Canyon Road.

Police spotted Gipson, a laborer, and Mack, an unemployed hairdresser, in a car. As officers stopped to question the two, they saw another car being driven away, Leonard said.

Officers then found that the rear glass doors of the firm had been smashed. Police suspect that one of the cars was driven through the doors to gain entry.

Officers pursued the car that had been driven away and found it abandoned near the intersection of El Toro and Laguna Canyon roads, with about $35,000 in computer equipment inside, Leonard said.

Irvine, Laguna Beach and Costa Mesa police and sheriff’s dog handlers hunted Limbrick for more than three hours, with help from bloodhounds and helicopters.

“We were about ready to quit, and they decided to do one more quick search,” Sheriff’s Lt. Bob Rivas said. “And the dog found him.”

Limbrick was unarmed and surrendered.

Authorities said they suspect that the three might be tied to a string of burglaries of computer-related companies during the past two years. Since January, 1989, up to 36 companies Laguna Hills, northern El Toro and Irvine have had windows or doors smashed and computer equipment stolen. Most of the $500,000 in thefts have occurred near the El Toro Y convergence of the San Diego and Santa Ana freeways.