Alleged Glendale Galleria burglars plead not guilty

Two men pleaded not guilty Tuesday to allegedly burglarizing an AT&T kiosk inside the Glendale Galleria, officials said.

Tairez Smith, 22, Willard Hill, 25, who are allegedly connected to a group of organized burglars, were each charged with one count of second-degree commercial burglary and one count of grand theft of personal property, said Jane Robison, a Los Angeles County district attorney spokeswoman.

The pair, along with a 16-year-old boy, whose name wasn’t released because he is a minor, allegedly stole 24 cell phones and five iPhone cases Sunday from the mall kiosk.

They are believed to be connected to a larger criminal group made up of South Los Angeles gang members that has been targeting homes in affluent communities in the San Fernando Valley and Glendale, police said.

Hill and Smith are scheduled to appear in the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Burbank on April 25.

-- Veronica Rocha, Times Community News

Twitter: @VeronicaRochaLA