OJAI : Gardener Suspected in House Burglaries
An Ojai gardener was arrested after authorities said his fingerprints matched those found in seven houses recently burglarized.
When detectives investigating the burglaries learned that all of the rural Ojai residences had the same gardener, they asked the man for his fingerprints and he complied.
Ventura County sheriff’s deputies arrested 24-year-old Nelson Lopez at his residence in Ojai on Thursday.
Sgt. Rod Thompson said about half of the missing items, including VCRs, telephones, answering machines and jewelry, were recovered at the suspect’s residence.
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