Suspected Shadow Hills prowler captured after days-long manhunt
An intense, days-long manhunt for a suspected serial burglar in the San Fernando Valley ended with an arrest late Wednesday, authorities said.
A police K-9 captured the man, identified as 25-year-old Benjamin Renteria, in dense brush near Hansen Dam around 10:40 p.m., according to Officer Lizeth Lomeli with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Aerial footage of the scene from CBS-TV Channel 2 showed a team of officers and dogs swarming the area around Shadow Hills Avenue and Wentworth Street well into the night. Renteria was later seen in an ambulance, where he reportedly received treatment for a dog bite.
He was booked on suspicion of felony burglary and is being held in lieu of $240,000 bail, Lomeli said.
Authorities had been searching for a man — believed to have been armed and on foot — since earlier in the week. On Tuesday, a SWAT team closed in on a hillside area in Sunland but came up empty.
Police said Renteria may be responsible for nine burglaries of commercial and residential properties in October and November.
Security videos from the area showed a man carrying various types of firearms, including handguns, bolt-actions rifles and an AR-15 type rifle.
Nearby residents in Sunland and Shadow Hills had been warned to lock their doors and remain on alert.
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