Burglary Ring In Irvine At End? Suspect Held On Multiple Charges

After being unable to file charges last month due to lack of evidence, an 18-year-old Rialto man was finally charged Wednesday, named in a string of burglaries throughout Irvine.

Aspen G. Jones was charged with eight counts of first-degree burglary, one count of robbery and one count of car theft, all felonies, according to court records. The car was alleged to have been stolen Friday and one of the burglaries occurred the same day, according to court records.

The remaining crimes are alleged to have taken place Sunday.

Jones was arrested early Sunday following a report of a break-in on Reggio Aisle, Irvine Police Department Public Information Officer Kim Mohr said.

As officers responded to the break-in, they saw three girls in possession of stolen property, Mohr said. As the officers questioned the suspects, Jones, "sweaty and out of breath," showed up, Mohr said.

A resident who had chased Jones from his home on Santorini identified Jones as the culprit he was pursuing, Mohr said.

Jones allegedly broke into the home on Santorini, woke up a woman there and demanded her car keys, Mohr said. As the woman fetched the keys she alerted other family members of the break-in, and another resident chased Jones out, Mohr said.

Police allege Jones admitted breaking into at least 10 homes over the last month, Mohr said. Jones was being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Jones was arrested by Irvine police Aug. 18, but prosecutors at that time declined to press charges and he was released from jail Aug. 22.

Prosecutors declined to file charges last month because of "a lack of evidence sufficient to prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt," said Michelle Van Der Linden of the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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