Burglary

A Newport Beach man was arrested after Newport Beach police and the Huntington Beach police helicopter searched the Back Bay for a burglary suspect. Thomas Jeffrey Bird, 41, was arrested on suspicion of residential burglary in the 1700 block of Galaxy Drive on Monday, Newport police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe said. Police responded to a burglar alarm in the 1900 block at 3 p.m. A neighbor reported seeing a man running from the area, Lowe said. Bird was later arrested when police found him in another nearby home's backyard.

Two Santa Ana teenagers were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of burglary in Costa Mesa after a woman came home and found them leaving her house, police said. Alfredo Pacheco, 19, and Kevin Mejia, 18, were arrested in connection with the burglary that occurred at 10:39 a.m. Wednesday in the 1200 block of Londonderry Street, said Police Department Sgt. Matt Grimmond. The men allegedly took about $3,600 in electronics, cash and jewelry before the victim came home. She said she saw the two throw their backpacks and bicycles over the wall of her backyard into nearby Gisler Park, Grimmond said.

A man with a possible penchant for stargazing was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly broke into a telescope store in Costa Mesa. Police went to Scope City on Bristol Street after its alarm went off Sunday morning. They saw a vehicle leaving the area, said Costa Mesa police Sgt. Ed Everett. They tailed the car to a nearby store, where the suspect, Joshua Bush, 30, of Costa Mesa, got out. Officers detained him and got consent to search the vehicle. Bush admitted to having a handgun in the car, police said.

A Newport Beach woman and a Huntington Beach man were arrested on suspicion of burglary after one of them was caught trying to break into a Rossmoor home using a chisel, authorities said. Orange County sheriff's deputies arrested Brittany Early, 25, and David Sutera, 34, in connection to the incident that happened about 12:45 p.m. Monday in the 3100 block of Blume Drive. A resident at the home heard a knock on his front door, but ignored it, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino.

Three men suspected in multiple burglaries countywide were arrested by Irvine police while breaking into a home in Anaheim, authorities said Friday. John Uy, 22, of Garden Grove, Vienai Lin, 29, of La Puente, and Tony Kingkeo, 27, of Long Beach were arrested Wednesday. The suspects were seen by police driving around residential Irvine, Lt. Julia Engen of the Irvine Police Department said in a statement. Officers followed the men to Anaheim, where they saw them break into the rear of the home, police said.

COSTA MESA — Police are looking for a Costa Mesa resident suspected of stealing $40,000 worth of property from a Lake Arrowhead home. Shilyn Fellbaum, 33, tried to return a stolen $9,000 fur coat to the Neiman Marcus store at Fashion Island, said Det. Craig Harris of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Her attempt failed when a sales associate recognized that the coat was sold to one of her customers and placed a call to the victim to verify, Harris said.

A Costa Mesa man in custody without bail faces six charges of residential burglary following an alleged burglary attempt Thursday, police said. Police responded at 2:45 p.m. to the 500 block of Sturgeon Avenue in Costa Mesa after the Huntington Beach police helicopter, which Costa Mesa uses, observed Jesse Maxwell Dawson, 21, and a 17-year-old boy exit the residence and flee, said Sgt. Phil Myers. The helicopter was able to direct police to the two. Once caught, Dawson was found in possession of cocaine, heroin, illegal prescription medication and a hypodermic needle, Myers said.

Costa Mesa police have arrested a Santa Ana man they suspect of being responsible for a baker’s dozen home burglaries in the city last week, authorities said Wednesday. Police arrested Michael Rodarte, 31, on suspicion of prowling and residential burglary Tuesday evening after they received a call about a suspicious man near Carson Street and Coolidge Avenue. Police found Rodarte nearby, matching the suspect’s description, police said. While Rodarte was arrested initially on suspicion of prowling, officers in the jail realized he resembled a police sketch passed around within the department of a man who is believed to have burglarized 13 homes in the Irish and Flower residential tracts the week before, police said.

Police believe a 25-year-old Costa Mesa man arrested on suspicion of burglarizing a local apartment may be responsible for several similar crimes throughout the city, police said Thursday. Costa Mesa police arrested Arturo Vasquez, who was convicted of first-degree burglary in 2004, Wednesday evening at his home at the Camden Martinique apartments, 2855 Pinecreek Drive. Authorities said forensic evidence found at the scene of a May 5 burglary in Vasquez’s complex links him to the crime.

Greg Risling COSTA MESA -- Two Russian nationals suspected of targeting auto sound stores along Newport Boulevard were arrested early Monday morning. Police discovered a map inside the suspects' van that had two locations -- believed to be auto stereo shops -- circled in red ink. Samuel Mordukhovich, 20, and Eugene Trifonov, 24, both of Los Angeles, were arrested and booked on suspicion of prowling and possession of burglary tools. Mordukhovich was held on $500 bail while Trifonov reportedly was being sought by immigration officials.

AREA 1 MacArthur Boulevard : A residential burglary was reported in the 1500 block at 8:04 a.m. Tuesday. Charle Street : A person was reported trespassing in the 2000 block at 9:16 a.m. Tuesday. West 16th Street : A residential burglary was reported in the 700 block at 10:20 a.m. Tuesday. Fairview Road : Vandalism was reported in the 2700 block at 10:28 a.m. Tuesday. Fairview Road : An auto theft was reported in the 2300 block at 11:46 a.m. Tuesday.

Two Santa Ana teenagers were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of burglary in Costa Mesa after a woman came home and found them leaving her house, police said. Alfredo Pacheco, 19, and Kevin Mejia, 18, were arrested in connection with the burglary that occurred at 10:39 a.m. Wednesday in the 1200 block of Londonderry Street, said Police Department Sgt. Matt Grimmond. The men allegedly took about $3,600 in electronics, cash and jewelry before the victim came home. She said she saw the two throw their backpacks and bicycles over the wall of her backyard into nearby Gisler Park, Grimmond said.