Two Arrested in String of ‘Open House’ Thefts
Police arrested two 31-year-old men suspected of stealing about $25,000 worth of merchandise from five homes that had been listed for sale, authorities said Wednesday.
Matthew Crepin Agle of Sierra Madre and John Guglielmi of Arcadia attended open houses on Sept. 29 in the Harbor View Hills and Eastbluff areas, Police Lt. Doug Fletcher said.
As one of the men distracted real estate brokers, the other would “go off to the bedroom or other areas where people typically leave valuables and remove items such as jewelry, money, credit cards and wallets,” Fletcher said.
Police distributed fliers with composite drawings of the suspected robbers. On Oct. 13, a Realtor reported seeing the suspects at an open house in Eastbluff and police with helicopters searched the area and arrested Agle and Guglielmi on suspicion of burglary, Fletcher said.
Further investigation revealed that the men might have been involved with other home burglaries in Sierra Madre and Irvine, but authorities said they did not have details on those cases.
Detectives are asking anyone who might have been victims of similar crimes to call (714) 644-3764.
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