2 Valley Men Held in Van Burglary

Felony charges were filed Tuesday against two San Fernando Valley men accused of stealing technical equipment from a radio station van that was overturned and vandalized on national television in the wild Westwood celebration after UCLA’s basketball championship victory, authorities said.

Nestor Franco, 21, of Sylmar, and Miguel Rodriguez, 21, of Sun Valley, were each charged with burglary to an automobile for allegedly stealing a $500 stereo mixing unit, said Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles district attorney’s office.

The two men, neither of whom are UCLA students, were arrested late Monday night in Westwood after they were spotted with equipment from a KIIS-FM van that was battered and then rolled over by a group of rowdy revelers, Gibbons said.

Several members of the crowd flagged down police officers after the van was overturned. About 200 officers in riot gear cleared the intersection at Brockton and Weyburn avenues after the incident. The equipment was recovered, Gibbons said.

The men were being held Tuesday at the West Los Angeles Police Station in lieu of $15,000 bail each, police said.