Glendale police: Woman helps nab burglary suspect

A 30-year-old Pico Rivera man was arrested on suspicion of vehicle break-ins Tuesday after a woman walking her dog spotted him and warned him that she planned to call police, officials said.

The man, Ryan Valles, was arrested at about 5:30 a.m. when officers stopped him in a silver van on the southbound Glendale (2) Freeway just north of the San Fernando Road off-ramp, according to Glendale police.

Valles, who is on probation for vehicle and grand theft, was driving the van when officers saw his passenger exit and run away along the freeway, Glendale Police Sgt. Tom Lorenz said. Officers found a woman’s purse in front of the van, he added.

Earlier that morning, the woman told officers she was in her front yard with her dog on the 3200 block of Mills Avenue when she noticed the silver van traveling with its headlights off at a low speed, according to police.

After dropping someone off, Valles reportedly waved at the woman, who told officers she then heard glass breaking in the area and yelled at him that she was going to call police.

That prompted Valles to accelerate, and then stop several houses away, where she saw the passenger run from the front of a home and get into the van, police said.

Soon after, officers stopped Valles’ van and found a pink tote bag, gray backpack and a wallet containing a driver’s license and several credit cards, according to police.

Officers later searched the neighborhood and found the victim’s Toyota RAV4 with its front passenger window smashed, police said. The gray backpack was later tied to a second victim whose Mazda was burglarized, police said.

Valles was arrested on suspicion of auto burglary and receiving stolen property, Lorenz said.

The passenger was described as male, Latino, 20 years old, 5 foot 7 seven inches tall with short black hair. He was wearing a long-sleeved blue sweat shirt and a black cap.

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