Crime & Safety

Alert South Pasadena Police Officer Arrests 3 Auto Burglary Suspects

The suspects—a man and two women—include a convicted carjacker and a documented gang member.

An alert South Pasadena Police Department officer on Wednesday morning arrested three auto burglary suspects, including a man documented to be a member of a gang with international ties, and two women—one on parole for carjacking and the other on probation.

The arrests occurred shortly after 1:55 a.m., when the officer was on patrol in the 1200 block of Huntington Drive. According to SPPD Sgt. Brian Solinsky, the officer saw a black-colored Honda Civic, with its headlights off, parked in the middle of Maple Avenue, “an area that has had a lot of overnight auto burglaries.”

When the officer pulled up near the parked Honda, he saw the three suspects—a man and two women—peering into a carport, Solinsky told South Pasadena Patch. Suspecting that the trio was looking for vehicles to burglarize, the officer walked toward the Honda, but the suspects drove off, Solinsky said.

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“The Honda eventually stopped a half-mile away on the 5500 block of Berkshire Avenue in Los Angeles,” Solinsky said, explaining that, based on what the officer reported, the suspects appeared to be weighing their options whether to flee or not.

The suspects were arrested without any incident and taken to Pasadena City Jail, Solinsky said. They were identified as Andrew Duarte, 32, Michel Armenta, 37, and Rachel Galarze, 36, all residents of Los Angeles. A search revealed that the suspects had stolen credit cards, identification, handheld radios, and tools used for burglaries.

Find out what's happening in South Pasadenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Anyone who has information about this investigation should contact South Pasadena Police Department detectives at (626) 403-7270. 


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