Man Posing as Realty Agent Held in Burglaries
An Arcadia man who posed as a real estate agent has been arrested for allegedly breaking into at least 20 houses that were for sale in the San Gabriel Valley and Orange County, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Friday.
David Mendibles, 24, was arrested Thursday in Monrovia by police who saw him break into a house and pulled him over as he drove away in his BMW, Sheriff’s Deputy John Ashley said. Mendibles was booked for burglary and held without bail because of a parole violation related to a previous theft arrest.
His arrest culminated a three-month investigation that involved the Los Angeles and Orange counties sheriff’s departments and various police departments, Ashley said. Authorities said Mendibles is suspected of breaking into at least 20 homes, taking cash and as much as $15,000 in property at one time. He allegedly obtained the keys to the houses by using a bolt-cutter to break into lock boxes, which are used to store keys for legitimate agents to show houses.
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