Lottery ticket bandit arrested

A woman has been arrested for allegedly committing numerous commercial burglaries including the Valero service station on Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta.

According to CV Sheriff Detective Rodger Burt, at around 5 a.m. on May 30 Jackie Arias allegedly smashed a window of the Valero service station and stole several items, including 800 lottery tickets.

The state lottery has an agency that investigates stolen tickets. Burt contacted the agency and discovered that several of the tickets were redeemed at a store in Pasadena.

He then followed up with that store and found the description of the woman seen on the Valero surveillance tape matched that of the woman, later identified as Arias, at the Pasadena store.

Then evidence was found at a Burbank store that tied Arias to more burglaries, Burt said.

Through the cooperation of Burbank police and the lottery agency, Burt was able to identify Arias and arrested her on June 12.

“She was on parole at the time of her arrest,” Burt said.

Burt added that she is thought to have been responsible several burglaries in La Cañada, Altadena, Burbank and La Crescenta.

Arias is currently being held with no bail. Her next court date is scheduled for June 27.