SANTA ANA, Calif.—The Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) announced Oct. 21 they have arrested two individuals believed to have committed 32 different vehicle window-smash style burglaries around the county.
The burglaries, which have been investigated since Aug. 26 by the department’s South Directed Enforcement Team—an investigative unit that focuses on crime trends—resulted in over $100,000 of items being stolen, including high-end tools.
Witnesses often reported a gray minivan fleeing the scene.
On Oct. 8, deputies witnessed the same type of van during another window-smash burglary in Anaheim, which led to both the driver and passenger being arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail, according to OCSD.
The burglars drove from San Diego County nearly every night in order to commit the crimes, with affected areas including Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Rancho Santa Margarita, and Anaheim, according to OCSD.