A surge in property crimes concerns El Segundo police, residents
Five theft arrests were made in El Segundo last week in four separate events.
Esteban Becerra was arrested in the early morning on February 5 in the 600 block of Virginia St. At approximately 6:13 a.m. El Segundo Police Department officers were dispatched to Concord Street near Pine Avenue regarding a traffic collision. Becerra, who police suspected was on methamphetamines, entered an open garage in the 800 block of Bungalow Drive. Police believe he stole items from the garage and loaded them into the unlocked van parked in the garage. Becerra then allegedly went on a crime spree, stealing, among other items, a 380 caliber handgun from a nearby home. He collided with a parked car at Concord Street near Pine Avenue and fled the scene, discarding the handgun, according to police reports. Three of his alleged victims have since been reunited with their stolen property, police said.
Becerra is a resident of Los Angeles, while two others arrested this week are residents from Hawthorne, one was an Inglewood resident, and one was a transient.
Vincent Torrijos and Ezekiel Funes were arrested early in the morning on February 8th. At approximately 4:36 a.m. an officer stopped a white Toyota Previa van driving near the intersection of Center Street and Mariposa Avenue. Inside the van there was a pink bicycle and a vacuum cleaner, among other items. According to police, one of men admitted that the items were stolen in the area. Torrijos and Funes were arrested on the suspicion of possessing stolen property.
Terrent Zilton was arrested on the suspicion of possessing stolen property early in the morning of February 11. At approximately 5:40 a.m., officers responded to Oak Ave near Hillcrest Street regarding two reportedly “suspicious men” looking into parked cars. Police said Zilton was in possession of several credit cards in other people’s names and an iPod, among other items. The other man, who police described as a documented gang member, was released. He later admitted to stealing the items, according to ESPD.
Jonathan Portillo, a resident of Inglewood, was arrested on the suspicion of burglary and possession of stolen property the morning of February 13. Officers responded to a citizen alert at approximately 8:38 a.m. in the area of Mariposa Avenue and Whiting Street. They found Portillo in the alley west of the 600 block of Virginia Street. He was wearing what appeared to be a girl’s grey backpack.
The wave of property thefts are part of a larger uptick in crime locally, police say.
“There are a couple of factors that attribute to the rise of crimes,” ESPD Lt. Dan Kim said.
Kim attributes the trend largely to AB 109, a state assembly bill that released non-violent, non-serious, and non-sex offender criminals from state prisons to the county beginning in April, 2011.
Kim also attributes the rise in crimes to Prop. 47, a ballot measure that passed last November, reclassifying some “non-serious and non-violent property and drug crimes” from a felony to a misdemeanor.
He also said many of the criminals had a history of drug use.
“There is a correlation between property crimes and drug users,” Kim said, “They steal to support their habit.”
At the El Segundo City Council meeting Tuesday evening, ESPD Capt. Brian Evanski addressed community concerns of rising theft crimes.
“I am concerned,” Julia Cohen, an El Segundo resident said during the meeting’s public comment period, holding a small child in her arms as she spoke. “I moved here from Venice because it had gotten crazy. Is there anything we can be doing as community?”
ESPD is promoting two new mottos: “If you see something, say something” and “Move it or lose it,” urging residents to form Neighborhood Watch partnerships and to reduce the temptation of burglary by removing valuable items from your vehicle and hiding what is available.
“A thief will break in your window to steal the change from your center console,” Evanski said.
“Assembly Bill 109, passed in 2011, [and] released a lot of low crime prisoners back into the county system,” Evanski said. “Because the counties are so full, they release them to parole.”
“[Nonviolent criminals] don’t get put away for an extended period of time. These types of crimes are happening across the South Bay,” Evanski said. “We are putting out as many resources out as we can. [Numbers] are up in residential and auto burglaries…We can do house inspections and Neighborhood Watch programs.”
Evanski urged residents to contact crime prevention officer Laurie Risk at 310-524-2274 to set up an appointment to help make home more burglar-proof. He also urged to residents to call 911 whenever they see activity that seems suspicious.
“These are people are trying to feed a habit,” Councilwoman Marie Fellhauer, who is also a sergeant of the Los Angeles Police Department said. “You guys are the eyes and ears of the police department. Please call. It is absolutely imperative that you guys help the police.”