> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Suspect in burglaries arrested - URL: https://www.smdp.com/suspect-in-burglaries-arrested/ - Published: 2008-08-26T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-25T00:48:21.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Crime, Sunset Park, #archive-import *Suspect could be tied to Santa Monica break-ins* A suspect in a handful of Westside home invasions that victimized elderly residents was taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department last week, officials announced Monday. LAPD officials arrested the man — whose identification is being withheld until a news conference today at Parker Center — early Friday morning following a report of a suspicious person in Sunset Park near where one of the robberies occurred two weeks ago. Authorities believe the suspect was involved in a series of break-ins in West L.A. and possibly Santa Monica where a number of related burglaries have left residents — particularly senior citizens — in fear. The Santa Monica Police Department collaborated with Los Angeles in the investigation. The SMPD responded to a report of suspicious activity in the southwestern part of Sunset Park on Friday when several residents, already on heightened awareness from an invasion earlier this month, told police they saw a strange individual in their neighborhood. Officers went door to door to determine whether an actual crime had occurred, concluding that one had not taken place. “We had an obligation to follow up to make sure they were OK,” Lowe said. Investigators in Santa Monica communicated with their colleagues at the LAPD who later detained the suspect. While Lowe said the arrest in L.A. was made based on the burglaries in that city, he believes the man in custody could be the same person seen earlier in Sunset Park. “The LAPD believed they had information on their case to make an arrest,” Lowe said. The lead investigator plans to meet with the District Attorney today to possibly file charges. The suspect could be involved in more than a dozen burglaries on the Westside, including at least two recent ones in Santa Monica. An 86-year-old woman living on the 2300 block of 22nd Street was hit up by a robber whose face was masked by a hood. The burglar left with the victim’s jewelry and money. Another elderly woman, was struck in mid-August on the 1200 block of Ashland Avenue. The two cases had similarities in that both victims were senior citizens, lived alone and were robbed in the early morning hours in their Sunset Park homes. Police said the suspect in custody matched the description given by victims: a black man between the age of 25 and 40, 6 feet tall and weighing about 200 pounds. During the robberies, he wore dark clothing, dark gloves and a ski mask, police said. Jump hedline: Suspect could be tied to Santa Monica break-ins Suggested pullquote: “We had an obligation to follow up to make sure they were OK.” Lt. Darrell Lowe Santa Monica Police Department *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 26, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/082608.pdf?ref=smdp.com)