By Mary O’KEEFE

A burglary suppression unit out of the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station, along with patrol units, has been working hard to combat the residential and business burglaries in the La Cañada and La Crescenta areas.
On Sept. 8 three men were arrested for taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and the driver was arrested for felony evading. The suspects did not have any burglary tools or stolen items, other than the vehicle, in their possession; however, one of the suspects allegedly told officers they were looking for houses to burglarize.
Deputies were patrolling in the area of Angeles Crest Highway and the Foothill (210) freeway overpass when they noticed a black BMW making an illegal U-turn. They pulled behind the vehicle in an attempt to make a traffic stop and activated their red and blue lights.
According to the deputy’s report, the driver allegedly noticed the patrol unit’s lights and moved from the number two-lane to the number one lane. As the driver approached the Foothill Boulevard and Angeles Crest Highway intersection, he accelerated through a red light.
In many of the recent burglaries in the area, the suspects were described as driving a newer luxury high-end vehicle. The deputies continued to follow the vehicle as the BMW driver drove through the neighborhoods at an increasingly high rate of speed.
According to the report, the speed on Beulah Drive reached 60 miles per hour and the BMW driver was pulling away from the patrol unit at a higher rate of speed. While continuing on Beulah Drive, the BMW driver attempted to make a turn onto Berkshire Drive but was unable to make the turn at the high rate of speed and crashed the vehicle into the south side hedge and wrought iron fence at the intersection of Berkshire Avenue and Beulah Drive.
At that point the driver, described as a male black, 6’ tall and 140 pounds, got out of the vehicle and fled the area. The passengers, an Altadena man and a Pasadena man, both 19 years old, were arrested. It was found the vehicle was reported stolen out of Pasadena. After an investigation deputies were able to discover the name of the driver.
“I got a warrant for his arrest,” said Det. Frank Diana, CV Sheriffs Station.
The driver, an 18-year-old Pasadena man, was found and arrested.
All three were arrested but only the driver was charged with being in possession of a stolen vehicle.
Other arrests have been made in regards to recent burglaries. Ten members of a South Central gang have been arrested.
“We are still working the case but they appear to be the main crew that was up here [burglarizing],” Diana said. “They were targeting [the area] more north of Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada.”
The detectives were able to make the arrests based on patrol units stopping suspicious vehicles, getting search warrants and gathering intelligence, Diana said.
He is also preparing to make another arrest regarding burglaries south of Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada. This time the suspect is a Pasadena gang member.
As far as the recent burglaries in the Pinecrest area, Diana said they are still working on it.
“Report anything suspicious,” he advises residents. “Be vigilant, be aware.”
The public is advised to report vehicles in their neighborhood that look suspicious.
“If someone looks suspicious or is driving slowly through neighborhoods looking around … [residents] need to call us right away,” Diana said.
The telephone number for the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station is (818) 248-3464.