'Door Kick' Suspect Arrested In Multiple Newport Beach Break Ins

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — Was it vandalism or an attempt to burglarize several homes in the Dover Shores neighborhood of Newport Beach? The suspect, Steven Walter Conner Ohlau, a 35-year-old Lakeside, Arizona resident, was arrested in relation to those crimes.

"Overnight between Monday, March 27 and Tuesday, March 28, several residents in the Dover Shores neighborhood reported that an individual had attempted to vandalize and/or burglarize their homes," Newport Beach Police Department officer Jennifer Manzella said. "In each of these cases, an unknown suspect had used brute force, possibly a kick, to force open the front door to the residence."

No property was taken in any of the reported incidents.

The locations and approximate times of these crimes are:

• 2000 block of Commodore Road, occurred at approximately 9:30-9:45 p.m.
• 1700 block of Tradewinds Lane, occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. (In addition, the front window of this residence was damaged by a BB pellet.)
• 300 block of Irvine Avenue, occurred at approximately12:08 a.m.
• 1800 block of Commodore Road, occurred at approximately 12:42 a.m.

"The suspect was described as a white male with a muscular build," Manzella said. "An SUV was also seen near the scene of two of the crimes."

On March 29, between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., a residence in the 800 block of Muirfield was burglarized, according to Manzella.

"The front door was forced open in the same manner as the other homes," she said. "The resident was not home at the time of the crime, and watches and several items of jewelry were stolen."

That same night at just after 11:15 p.m., an officer was proactively patrolling the Dover Shores area when he observed an SUV matching the suspect vehicle commit a stop sign violation at the intersection of Mariners Drive and Dover Drive.

"He initiated a vehicle stop on the SUV and contacted the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, later identified as Ohlau," Manzella said.

The subsequent search of Ohlau's vehicle revealed burglary tools and several items of jewelry.

"Ohlau was determined to be the likely suspect in the Dover Shores incidents and was subsequently arrested and booked at the NBPD Jail facility," she said.

The charges NBPD has requested in the case include Burglary, four counts of Vandalism, Possession of Stolen Property, and Possession of Burglary Tools.

This investigation is still open and ongoing.

Anyone with additional information on this case is encouraged to contact Detective Jon Jarema at 949-644-3790. Messages may also be left anonymously on the Police Department’s recorded hotline at 1-800-550-NBPD.

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