3 Arrested in Burglary of Robbins’ Residence

A teen-ager and two young men have been arrested in connection with the recent burglary of former state Sen. Alan Robbins’ Encino home and linked to several other residential robberies and purse snatchings in Encino, Los Angeles police said Wednesday.

Robbins’ home in the 16000 block of Oak View Drive was burglarized Feb. 1 while he was out. About $2,000 in stereo equipment was taken.

Detective James Dieli credited Robbins, who resigned last year after pleading guilty to corruption in office, with finding a discarded identification card belonging to one of the suspects in the back yard and then immediately notifying police.

The card belonged to a 16-year-old boy from North Hollywood, who admitted participating in the Robbins burglary and implicated three others, Dieli said. Two were arrested and one is being sought, he said.

The teen-ager has been released to the custody of his parents. Alleged accomplice Mahlan Driver, 18, of Sylmar was being held in Los Angeles County Jail on suspicion of burglary in lieu of $10,000 bail. A second alleged accomplice, Mark Porter, 21, of North Hills was being held in the West Valley Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail on suspicion of armed robbery, Dieli said.

Dieli said Driver and Porter also admitted the Robbins burglary, and told police that they often found their victims leaving neighborhood grocery stores, and either grabbed their purses or followed the shoppers home to rob them.