Documented Gang Member Arrested in Fountain Valley Pharmacy Burglary

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA - Police today announced the arrests of two men in connection with what appear to be unrelated pharmacy burglaries in Orange County, including one in Fountain Valley.

Darnell Clarke, 30, of Long Beach, was arrested Monday while he was at the Westminster courthouse for a hearing on charges of burglarizing the Medicine Shoppe at 2795 W. Lincoln Ave. in Anaheim on Oct. 29, Anaheim police Sgt. Daron Wyatt said.

Clarke, who had been out on bail in that case, was booked on suspicion for burglarizing a Fountain Valley pharmacy in August, Wyatt said.

Clarke, who is a documented gang member in Los Angeles County, was being held on $500,000 bail, Wyatt said.

Joey Baldovinos, 20, of Alhambra, was arrested at his home Friday on suspicion of burglarizing a pharmacy at 1012 N. Euclid St. in Anaheim on Jan. 7, Wyatt said. The same pharmacy was targeted again on April 6, and investigators are working to determine if Baldovinos had anything to do with that break-in, Wyatt said.

When police searched Baldovinos' home, they found multiple empty bottles of prescription cough syrup containing Promethazine and Codeine, Wyatt said. The bottles did not come from the Anaheim burglaries, so investigators are working to determine if the suspect was involved in more break-ins, Wyatt said.

Baldovinos was released Sunday after posting $25,000 bail, Wyatt said.

City News Service; Photo: Shutterstock