Crime & Safety

Santee Car Burglary Suspects Arrested; Victims Can Recover Stolen Property

Two car burglary suspects were apprehended in Santee Monday and recent burglary victims have a chance to recover stolen property.

Two Santee car burglary suspects were apprehended Monday and the Sheriff's Department is asking recent burglary victims to call the station (619-956-4000) to identify recovered property and reclaim it.

Santee has seen a total of 177 reported thefts from vehicles since September 2012.

Suspects Hoss Gassaway and Richard Thomas were arrested on multiple charges Monday morning, including vehicle burglary, according to the Sheriff's Dept.

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Deputies responded to a report of vehicular burglary at 7 a.m. Monday and found a car with a broken window. Witnesses to the crime came forward and told deputies they saw two men removing items from the car and identified the vehicle they left in. Deputies checked the surrounding area and located the suspects' vehicle nearby, which was occupied by two male subjects matching the description provided by witnesses. The witnesses positively identified the suspects, which were found to be in possession of stolen property from a number of car burglaries.

"The Sheriff's Department would like to thank those in the community who assisted in the apprehension of these vehicle burglary suspects," the Sheriff's Department wrote in a press release. "This is a great example of how law enforcement and the community can work together to keep our community safe."

Find out what's happening in Santeewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Sheriff's Dept. asks that you call (619) 956-4000 if you have been the victim of a recent car burglary in Santee. They asked the community to lock their vehicles and to remove valuable items prior to leaving vehicles unattended. More crime prevention tips can be found at www.sdsheriff.net/co_crimeprevention.html.

Also read: 177 Car Burglaries Reported in Santee Since September


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