Panty Raid Foiled: Instagram Burglar Gets Prison for Stalking OC Coeds

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CA — A Menifee man pleaded guilty and received an eight- year prison sentence for using Instagram to locate addresses of several Orange County sorority girls and then steal their personal effects.

The thief stole such items as undergarments from each residence, according to Orange County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Roxi Fyad.

"Arturo Galvan pleaded guilty to five counts of first-degree residential burglary, one count of attempted first-degree residential burglary and a misdemeanor count of resisting and obstructing a peace officer," Fyad said in a statement from her office.

Galvan, a 44-year-old Menifee resident, was originally charged in January on one count of attempted burglary and 33 counts of first-degree burglary, all of which are felonies. He also received misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and vandalism, according to Fyad.

The remaining counts were dismissed as part of the plea deal negotiated with prosecutors, Fyad said.

Many of the victims lived in sorority-owned housing at Chapman University and Cal State Fullerton, according to prosecutors.

Starting in May of 2014, Galvan began his long-term "panty raid" when he followed the girls on Instagram, using their public information such as location to track down where they lived. He broke in when they were out of the residences, stealing underwear, clothes, personal photos, planners, jewelry, laptops, tablets, devices and other items, Fyad said. The Instagram theft continued until December of 2015.

"A Fullerton Police Officer ultimately interrupted Galvan when he was peeping into a window," according to Fyad. Galvan got away from the officer but was arrested later that day while attempting to break into a car.

Now, he will serve eight years in prison for the Instagram crime.

Fullerton Police Department Booking Photo of Arturo Galvan