SIMI VALLEY : L.A. Man Arrested on 2 Counts of Burglary

A commuter burglar who broke into two Simi Valley businesses before dawn Thursday was arrested as he headed home to Los Angeles, Simi Valley Police Sgt. Gordon Weeks said.

The crime matches a pattern Simi Valley detectives say is becoming familiar--Los Angeles County thieves come to Simi Valley, rip off property or cars, and zip home along the Simi Valley Freeway.

Armando Villanueva, 24, was booked at the Ventura County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bond on two counts of burglary, jail officials said.

Weeks said a shop owner at an industrial complex in the 200 block of Easy Street called police just after 4 a.m. to say he saw someone smash a window at a neighboring business and steal property from inside.

Dispatchers broadcast a description of the suspect and his car, and Officer Don Douglass arrested Villanueva several minutes later as he drove east on the freeway, Weeks said.

A clock and a watch reported stolen from Richard Evans Construction were found in Villanueva’s car, but there was no sign of sewing machines that were reported stolen from a neighboring business, Weeks said.