Deputies Arrest 4 in Car Burglaries

Sheriff’s deputies arrested three Camarillo men and a 17-year-old as they were burglarizing cars in the Media Creek area of Oak Park, authorities said Monday.

Edgar Candia, Julio Rodriguez and Steven O’Reilly, all 18, and a 17-year-old boy were arrested early Sunday morning after a short chase, police said.

The four were pursued after a homeowner told deputies he had seen several young men using flashlights to peer into parked cars. The four fled when confronted, and two were caught immediately. Two others were arrested at their homes later in the morning, police said.

Detective George Masek said the neighborhood was experiencing a recent increase in burglaries by thieves who preyed on unlocked cars.

“The frequencies of burglaries would drop dramatically if people would only lock their cars and close their garages at night,” Masek said.

The four were booked on suspicion of burglary, grand theft and resisting arrest. The three adults were released from Ventura County Jail on their own recognizance pending arraignment, and the juvenile was released to the custody of his parents, police said.