2 Suspects Arrested After High End Tool Burglary Ring Thwarted In South Orange County

LAKE FOREST, CA — From late August through October, a pair of burglars have broken into south Orange County vehicles to steal high-end construction tools, Orange County Sheriff's Department says. On Friday, deputies believe they have found the culprits in the city of Anaheim as the pair ventured further north.

The driver and passenger, Clarisa Quezada, 26, San Diego and Juan Carlos Enriquez, 21, San Diego were both arrested under suspicion of burglary ring.

Vehicles in the south county cities of Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita, Anaheim and Fountain Valley were all involved in the thefts, officials say.

The suspects targeted vehicles "that had the potential to have expensive equipment inside," Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Sgt. Todd Hylton tells Patch.

One was taken into custody at the scene by the South Directed Enforcement Team, an investigative unit that focuses on crime trends, Hylton says. The first arrest took place on Oct. 8, the other suspect was arrested by team members a few days later, Hylton says.

The trends of tool thefts followed a similar modus operandi:a vetted work vehicle, smashed window and stolen tools with the same gray minivan, believed to be driven by Quezada, seen leaving many of the crime scenes.

In all, there have been 32 smash-and-grab vehicle burglaries in south Orange County cities since August, the team reported Friday.

The South Directed Enforcement Team announced that they believe the suspects are the same culprits in all 32 thefts. Many of the tools reported stolen are now recovered, according to reports. Among the booty discovered during the arrest were:

• A bulletproof vest.
• A duffle bag bearing the Mira Mesa High School Marauders logo.
• Multiple high-end stolen tools.
• Tools to commit burglary.

Authorities are still investigating the recovered items found inside the gray passenger van that the suspects were driving.

"Both suspects drove from San Diego to commit the crimes," Hylton says.

If you were a victim of one of these 32 tool thefts, or believe that your tools may have been stolen in relation to this crime, contact the Orange County Sheriff's Department and reference your police report: 714-647-7000.