3 Arrested, 1 Sought in Burglary of Store
Sheriff’s deputies arrested three men and continued their search for a fourth suspect in the “smash and grab” burglary of a Ross Dress for Less store in Thousand Oaks early Sunday, police said.
Marco Bermudez, Pedro Leon and Jorge Custodea, all 18 and from Los Angeles, were arrested shortly after the burglary, police said.
According to authorities, four burglars broke a large window and began removing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from the store at 396 N. Moorpark Road about 4:30 a.m. The thieves left before officers arrived.
However, officers stopped a van minutes after the burglary less than a mile from the store. Bermudez was taken into custody, but the other suspects fled into the surrounding neighborhood.
Sgt. Dave Paige said the van was filled about knee-deep with clothes.
A four-block perimeter was set up and the area searched with no success. About 9:15 a.m., police arrested Leon and Custodea while they were making a phone call outside a restaurant on Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
Authorities said there have been more than 20 similar burglaries in the county during the past few months but are unsure whether the same suspects are responsible.
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