Deputies seek information to identify theft suspects
SAN DIEGO
After a funeral at a San Diego military cemetery last fall, a mourner found that someone had broken into their vehicle and swiped a purse and credit cards.
Not long after the theft, someone used those cards to spend more than $8,000 on a shopping spree.
A suspect in that case is linked to at least 10 car break-ins and subsequent shopping sprees across the region, sheriff ’s Deputy Nicholas Hvizdzak said Tuesday.
The theft series started in October 2021, he said. Authorities have two suspects — a man and a woman. Crime Stoppers released several photos (shown above) of the suspects Tuesday in hopes that someone would come forward with their names.
Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
Hvizdzak said the break-ins happened during large gatherings at places like parks, children’s baseball games and a high school football game.
At least four thefts happened in Santee, including at West Hills Park. Two vehicle burglaries linked to the series happened at a park in Encinitas.
“They are pretty brazen in the sense that they are just smashing the window and getting out of there,” the sheriff’s investigator said. “They move quickly.”
Hvizdzak said the thieves took wallets and purses, then headed to stores, usually major chains. They’ve bought electronics, home goods, gift cards, baseball bats and helmets. “They definitely have a pattern of stores they like to go to,” he said.
In at least one instance, store video surveillance footage shows one of the suspects accompanied by a young child.
The most recent theft was in February in Santee.
One suspect is described as a Latino man who appears to be in his 40s, about 5-feet, 10-inches tall with a heavy build and a goatee. He has multiple tattoos on his arms and hands.
On some occasions, he wore a black-and-white striped hooded sweatshirt, dark pants and blackand-white Adidas shoes.
The other suspect is a Latina woman who appears to be in her 30s. She is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with long black hair.
Their vehicle appears to be a white 2011-2014 Chevrolet Silverado pickup with an extended cab and a black bed cover.
Anyone with information about the case call the Santee Sheriff ’s Station at (619) 956-4000. Anonymous tips can be left with Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8744, or online at sdcrimestoppers.org.