Thanks to alert residents who were watching out for their neighbors, and a fast police response, two suspected home burglars are in custody. Additional investigation led to the arrest of a third man.
At about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, February 16, a resident of the 1300 block of Greenborough Drive had a young man knock on his door and ask for a person who had never lived at the house. The resident then saw a silver compact sedan pull up, and the man get a backpack from the driver and start walking around the neighborhood. Suspicious, the resident called police. Roseville Police officers responded within minutes and detained the suspect, identified as Andrew Lee Padilla, 22, of Roseville. Padilla was holding items stolen from a porch on Shetland Court, and several hypodermic needles.
About 20 minutes later, a resident a half mile away on Miners Way reported her house had just been burglarized. When the first officer arrived, a neighbor flagged him down and pointed out a man walking away from the area. As the officer approached the man went into a back yard and disappeared from view. Dozens of officers swarmed the area and searched, while Citrus Heights police officers watched for him at the entrances to their city.
Officers eventually identified and found the second suspect, Cory James Gentry, 22, of Roseville, at a relative’s house. Officers recovered jewelry and other small items taken from the home on Miners Way.
Additional investigation led Roseville officers to a hotel on Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento, where they arrested another suspected associate, Fito Diaz Deholland, 29, of Sacramento, on a Placer County bench warrant for failing to appear on a stolen property charge.
Padilla was arrested on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property and possession of hypodermic needles and illegally obtained prescription medication. He is being held in the Placer County Jail on $20,000 bail.
Gentry was arrested on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy, and possession of stolen property. He is being held in the Placer County Jail.
Deholland is being held without bail on a Placer County bench warrant for possession of stolen property.
Residents are encouraged to continue to be watchful, and to report any suspicious activity to police.
