A Long Beach man was arrested last week for his alleged involvement in a series of June burglaries and robberies in the South Bay, according to the Manhattan Beach Police Department.
Anthony Burdett, 45, allegedly stole hundreds of dollars worth of cologne and cosmetic products from department stores and pharmacies to later exchange for crack cocaine, said Manhattan Beach Detective Mike Allard.
He was subsequently charged with three counts of second degree commercial burglary and two counts of second degree robbery, according to his felony complaint, to which he pled not guilty.
On June 17, Burdett allegedly took about $250 worth of cologne and perfume from Macy’s men’s store in Manhattan Beach, Allard said. Witnesses noticed he’d parked a green Toyota Camry in the red zone in front of the store.
Two days later, he allegedly stole between $100 and $300 of cosmetic products from a CVS pharmacy in Lawndale, police said.
The suspect returned to Macy’s on June 20 just before 4 p.m. and began selecting items from the store. After being confronted by a female clerk, who is a senior citizen, he allegedly struck her body with his elbow and fled with the stolen items, police said.
Burdett allegedly stole cosmetic items from Walgreens in Manhattan Beach on June 24, before returning to Macy’s on June 26. After the same clerk confronted Burdett for the second time, he allegedly punched her twice. “Luckily, she wasn’t seriously injured,” Allard said.
Witnesses and store employees reported his license plate number to police. On June 27, Burdett was found driving in Watts, Los Angeles and was arrested by Manhattan Beach and Los Angeles police.
When in this situation, Allard does not recommend that witnesses confront suspects. “You don’t know these days if people have weapons, what their motives are, or what their mindsets are,” he said. “I recommend being a good witness, remember what they look like and call us immediately so we can respond and take the people into custody.”
Police said Burdett has an extensive previous criminal history, which includes grand theft, weapons charges and previous burglary charges dating back to 1988.
He’s being held at Twin Towers Correctional Facility on $270,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County records. He’s set to appear in court on July 16 for a preliminary hearing setting.
