Pair sought in burglaries

CRESCENTA VALLEY — Warrants were issued Thursday for two Rosemead residents wanted for breaking into a La Crescenta home and for burglaries in three other cities, police said.

Prosecutors have filed felony receiving-stolen-property charges against Joseph Guevara, 23, and a felony count of attempted residential burglary against 33-year-old Cynthia Martinez, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

Martinez was inside the La Crescenta home while the homeowner was there, police said.

The pair was also likely responsible for three other Glendale burglaries, which are being investigated along with similar incidents in Irwindale, San Gabriel and Whittier, Lorenz said.

Police said the pair likely know they are being sought.

“There is no evidence that they are violent, but they have obviously been on a crime spree, and since the search warrant they have not offered to turn themselves in,” Lorenz said.

Glendale detectives began investigating the pair after a homeowner reported that she had seen a woman about 3:10 p.m. on Aug. 3 walking in the backyard of her Markridge home, according to police reports.

The homeowner had been sitting at her dining room table when she spotted the woman and confronted her.

The woman was reportedly carrying a screwdriver in her rear pants pocket and told the homeowner that she was there to help a family move. But the homeowner told her that the family didn’t live there, so the woman exited through the backyard gate, according to the report.

Police searched the Markridge home, which was for sale, and found pry marks on a garage door, and discovered that some window screens had been removed.

A plastic box inside the garage had been tampered with, but nothing was stolen.

Forensic investigators found finger and palm prints throughout the home, which allegedly came back to Martinez.

Police later searched her Rosemead home, but she wasn’t there, Lorenz said.

At the home, they found a vehicle stolen from San Gabriel, jewelry and credit cards reported stolen from Irwindale and a laptop taken from Whittier, Lorenz said.

Guevara, whose fingerprints were allegedly on the vehicle, was likely the getaway driver in the Markridge Road burglary attempt, Lorenz said.

“They are on a crime spree,” he said. “They are going to target-rich environments.”

Calls to Irwindale, San Gabriel and Whittier police departments were not returned Friday.

Lorenz advised residents to call police if they see the pair.

“Don’t confront them if you see them in your neighborhoods,” he said. “If you see someone suspicious, we can’t tell the public enough — call us and let us determine whether they should be there or not. If you suspect them to be these crooks, just be the best witness and collect as much vehicle and license plate information as possible.”

Anyone with information on the pair is urged to call the Glendale Police Department at (818) 548-4840, or Glendale Crime Stoppers at (818) 507-7867. To remain anonymous, call the Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers tip line at (800) 222-TIPS.