Man Arrested, Suspected of Burglary, Loitering in Murrieta

MURRIETA, CA – A 34-year-old probationer accused of burglarizing one residence and trespassing at another is in custody in lieu of $55,000 bail, Murrieta police reported Tuesday.

Scott Stivers' arrest last Friday in Menifee stemmed from an investigation that began the afternoon of Jan. 3, when officers got a call about a trespasser in the backyard of a residence in the 23900 block of Falconer Drive, according to Murrieta police Lt. Tony Conrad.

The caller told police that her young granddaughter had seen a man near the back door of their home, and described him as "white, between the ages of 20 and 30, wearing a baseball hat, hooded sweatshirt and grey pants," Conrad said.

Officers searched the area but did not find the suspect. About two hours later, police received a report of a residential burglary in the 24300 block of Saradella Court, about a mile away from the trespassing call, Conrad said.

The resident told police that she had reviewed surveillance footage that showed a man approach her front door at 2:21 p.m., Conrad said. The surveillance camera also captured the suspect inside the victim's garage.
After reviewing the footage, police said the man in the video matched the description of the suspect in the trespassing incident.

On Friday, the investigation led police to a residence in Menifee, where they arrested Stivers, Conrad said.
Officers searched the home and found garments matching those worn by the man in the burglary surveillance video, and a records check revealed Stivers was on probation for a previous burglary case, Conrad said.

A subsequent photographic lineup was conducted with the witness from the Falconer Drive incident, who positively identified Stivers, according to Conrad.

The Menifee man was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of burglary, loitering on private property and violating probation.

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--City News Service/Image via Murrieta PD