Police break up huge business burglary ring

By: JOHN HALL - Staff Writer | Friday, March 9, 2007 11:54 PM PST ∞

TEMECULA ---- Temecula police said Friday that a sophisticated crew of Escondido-based burglars who reportedly hit businesses in at least six cities has been dismantled following three arrests and the recovery of nearly a half-million dollars in property.

"This is huge," said Temecula police Sgt. Chris Waters, supervisor of the department's Street Enforcement Team.

Waters said the group has been connected to at least 10 burglaries in Temecula, Murrieta, Escondido, Oceanside, Carlsbad and San Diego, as well as unincorporated areas in both Riverside and San Diego counties that have occurred over the last year.

"This crew was very sophisticated, using ruses to try and divert the police," the sergeant said. "They scouted their targets and were timing the response times of police before committing their crimes."

Two of those believed to be connected to the criminal operation hit the wrong place earlier this week when a Warner Springs shop owner interrupted the burglary and shot and wounded them, authorities said.

The attempted break-in happened early Tuesday morning at Sunshine Summit General Store. However, an alarm activated inside the store and business owners and sheriff's deputies responded, authorities said.

For about the last month, law enforcement officers from both Riverside and San Diego counties have been conducting joint investigations that culminated in four search warrants being served in Escondido on Thursday, Waters said.

One of the locations was a two-story apartment in Escondido, where authorities found a large amount of property they believe was stolen.

"We literally took the entire apartment with us, there was so much there," Waters said.

Items recovered from the various residences Thursday included rare Chinese coins, electronic equipment and computers, expensive telephone transferring equipment, industrial printers, a GPS tracking device valued at about $20,000, and a one-of-a-kind prototype bicycle taken from a Temecula business worth an estimated $9,000, Waters said.

David William Hall, 21, was arrested and booked on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of methamphetamine for sales and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to records at Southwest Detention Center in French Valley. He was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail Friday, jail records state.

Nicole Ann Carter, 26, was arrested and booked on suspicion of disobeying a court order and was being held without bail at Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, records state.

A third person, identified by Waters as David Hall Sr., was arrested on a no-bail warrant and booked in San Diego County. All three are Escondido residents.

The sergeant said that while the arrests should end the string of commercial burglaries in the two-county by this group, the number of people connected to the crimes is expected to increase.

"There will be more arrests in this," Waters said Friday as he and other officers went through the mass of property, booking and cataloging the seized items.

In an effort to get as much property as possible returned to the rightful owner, police plan to hold viewings in the near future so business owners who may have been victimized can come look through the recovered items. Waters said announcements of when and where the viewings will be held will be released soon.

The sergeant says it was critical that authorities break up this ring of suspected criminals.

"This was not a victimless crime," he said. "These are both large and small businesses where people invested money in their products and their lives.

"We want to make sure crews like this know they can't come to Riverside County and commit these crimes," Waters said. "We will come after them and we will find them."

Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or jhall@californian.com.

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