On Wednesday, Yucaipa Police Department and Riverside Probation officers captured two car burglary suspects in Yucaipa, California. The suspects, Lenny Lara, 37, and Regina Valdez, 34, are presumed to be behind a series of car burglaries according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department.
The first reported burglary took place at the Zanja Peak Trailhead parking lot earlier this week. The thieves shattered the windows of two cars and stole purses from within them. They immediately attempted to use stolen credit cards in local shops. Last Wednesday, another car window was smashed in Yucaipa Community Park, where a purse was stolen, too, and they tried to quickly use the stolen card.
Yucaipa Police Department delegates concluded, through a thorough investigation, that both incidents were related. Based on their leads, they identified Lara and Valdez as the culprits. An arrest warrant was obtained for both, which revealed that Lara was already on probation in Riverside County.
Yucaipa police apprehended Lara in San Jacinto, and also arrested Valdez. A search to her car found stolen property owned by one of the victims alongside suspected stolen items. As investigations are ongoing, public caution has been advised. The police department has also urged people to keep their valuables stashed safely within their cars to avoid such incidents.
Even though vehicle theft incidences in the U.S. have decreased by approximately half between 1991 and 2019, says the Insurance Information Institute, the rate grew by 9.2% in 2020 compared to the previous year, suggesting the necessity of continued vigilance.
