Napa Police Make Arrests In String Of Downtown Car Break-Ins

NAPA, CA — The Napa Police Department has made two arrests in connection with a rash of car break-ins reported in Downtown Napa parking garages, a police lieutenant said this week. Numerous auto burglaries were reported during the month of January by residents and visitors alike, prompting Napa PD to launch an investigation, Lt. Gary Pitkin said.

The investigation involved retrieval and review of surveillance video footage captured by city-owned cameras in downtown parking garages, including the Pearl Street Garage at 1100 Pearl St.

One of the officers tasked with reviewing the footage identified a car — a four-door Infiniti registered out of San Pablo — possibly connected to the string of burglaries.

By following that lead, Pitkin said detectives and officers identified two Castro Valley residents as potential suspects in the break-ins: 24-year-old Deandre Bess and 23-year-old Joyce Armstrong.

"On the afternoon of Feb. 6, Armstrong came to the Napa Police Department at which time she was arrested for auto burglary and conspiracy to commit auto burglary and booked into NCDC (Napa County Department of Corrections]," Pitkin said. "She was released the same day after posting $10,000 in bail."

Then, Wednesday of this week, Napa police served a search-and-arrest warrant in Castro Valley related to multiple auto burglaries reported in late January in Downtown Napa parking garages.

With assistance from the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department, Napa police served the warrant on Bess at an apartment he shares with Armstrong in the 20000 block of Wisteria Avenue in Castro Valley.

"Bess was arrested without incident," Pitkin said. "Napa police transported Bess back to Napa where he was booked at NCDC and held in lieu of $51,000 bail."

Arrest charges included felony auto burglary, felony conspiracy and misdemeanor providing a false name to police, the lieutenant said.

Jail records show Bess spent about 12 hours in custody before he posted bail and was released Wednesday night.

Napa PD is continuing its investigation, and is asking anyone information about the break-ins and/or the suspects to contact Detective Garrett Wade by email at gwade@cityofnapa.org or by phone at 707-257-9509.