From the Press Tribune Sept 17, 2008
A citizen's tip and a quick response by Roseville Police officers led to the arrest of two suspects Tuesday morning for the recovery of two stolen vehicles and two stolen car stereos.
At 4:27 a.m. Sept. 16, a resident of the 1400 block of Lockhart Way reported that he had just interrupted two males breaking into a neighbor's car. The thieves fled the area in a white sedan, similar to a Honda. A responding Roseville police officer spotted a white Honda sedan driving out of the neighborhood. The officer stopped the sedan and its two male occupants, and saw that the car's ignition had been punched. Inside the vehicle were two car stereos, wiring, and burglar's tools. The car stereos were matched to burglarized vehicles on Lockhart Way and Oakborough Avenue in Roseville.
The Honda sedan used by the suspects was registered to a Sacramento woman. At RPD's request, a Sacramento County Sheriff's deputy contacted the registered owner, and confirmed that her Honda sedan had been stolen sometime in the night. The deputy spotted another sedan, a Toyota Camry, parked in a haphazard way near the woman's residence. The Camry had just been reported stolen from Atwell Street in Roseville.
It appeared that the thieves stole the Toyota Camry from Atwell Street in Roseville, drove it to Sacramento and dumped it, and then stole the Honda sedan. They are suspected of returning to Roseville in the stolen Honda, and committing at least two vehicle burglaries.
Officers arrested Souyee Lao, 20, of Sacramento and Jesse Tang Xiong, 19, of Elverta on suspicion of auto theft, burglary, possession of stolen property, vandalism and possession of burglar's tools. Both are currently in custody in the Placer County Jail on $20,000 bail.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Public safety watch: Roseville police arrest three suspected of stealing catalytic converters
Art Campos - acampos@sacbee.com
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 18, 2008
Story appeared in SOUTH PLACER ROSEVILLE section, Page F3
Police in Roseville were pleased Sunday with the arrest of three people suspected of stealing catalytic converters off vehicles.
The suspects were caught at 3:45 p.m. in a Roseville store parking lot on Douglas Boulevard, police reported.
Thefts of catalytic converters have been rampant in Roseville and in the Sacramento region for nearly a year as thieves try to sell the stolen items to metal recyclers.
"Over the past few weeks, we have noticed that the thieves are getting bolder," said Roseville police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. "We are seeing them hitting retail parking lots in the daytime."
Until recently, nearly all of the thefts had been occurring at night or in the early hours of the morning, she said.
Arrested Sunday were two men, Carlomagno Doctor Yasay, 37, and Oget Dimaano Mojica, 30, and a woman, Pang Shoua Xiang, 26, all of Sacramento.
They were booked into the Placer County jail in Auburn on suspicion of grand theft, conspiracy and possession of both stolen property and methamphetamine.
Gunther said two Roseville city employees noticed the three suspects looking at Toyota vehicles in a parking lot and followed them to a second parking lot, where the suspects again began eyeing a Toyota.
When police arrived, they found three apparently stolen catalytic converters in the suspects' vehicle, Gunther said. Police believe the items had been stolen in Sacramento, she said.
In Roseville, police began noticing a trend in the thefts of catalytic converters last November, when they recorded 10 such crimes, up from five the previous month.
In December, the thefts soared to 21 incidents. Since then, Roseville has recorded 13 thefts in March, 12 in May, nine in June and 13 in July.
In August, thieves stole a record 23 catalytic converters in 21 incidents in Roseville.
Since January 2007, there have been 148 catalytic converters stolen in Roseville, costing owners nearly $116,000, Gunther said.
"It costs a victim from $500 to $1,000 to replace a stolen catalytic converter," she said.
With Sunday's arrests, Roseville has apprehended seven suspects in 18 months, she said.
Toyotas, particularly sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks, have been the favorite targets. The catalytic converters on a Toyota are underneath the chassis and are fairly easy to remove, Gunther noted.
With the thieves underneath the vehicle and at night, the culprits have been hard to detect or to catch, she said.
The catalytic converter is part of a vehicle's emission control system, Gunther said.
Thieves sell the stolen parts to metal recyclers, who take them to mine the small amount of precious metal in them, she said.
Late in August, both the state Senate and the Assembly approved Senate Bill 691, which will require recyclers and junk dealers to keep written records of all sales and purchases made in the course of business.
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 18, 2008
Story appeared in SOUTH PLACER ROSEVILLE section, Page F3
Police in Roseville were pleased Sunday with the arrest of three people suspected of stealing catalytic converters off vehicles.
The suspects were caught at 3:45 p.m. in a Roseville store parking lot on Douglas Boulevard, police reported.
Thefts of catalytic converters have been rampant in Roseville and in the Sacramento region for nearly a year as thieves try to sell the stolen items to metal recyclers.
"Over the past few weeks, we have noticed that the thieves are getting bolder," said Roseville police spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. "We are seeing them hitting retail parking lots in the daytime."
Until recently, nearly all of the thefts had been occurring at night or in the early hours of the morning, she said.
Arrested Sunday were two men, Carlomagno Doctor Yasay, 37, and Oget Dimaano Mojica, 30, and a woman, Pang Shoua Xiang, 26, all of Sacramento.
They were booked into the Placer County jail in Auburn on suspicion of grand theft, conspiracy and possession of both stolen property and methamphetamine.
Gunther said two Roseville city employees noticed the three suspects looking at Toyota vehicles in a parking lot and followed them to a second parking lot, where the suspects again began eyeing a Toyota.
When police arrived, they found three apparently stolen catalytic converters in the suspects' vehicle, Gunther said. Police believe the items had been stolen in Sacramento, she said.
In Roseville, police began noticing a trend in the thefts of catalytic converters last November, when they recorded 10 such crimes, up from five the previous month.
In December, the thefts soared to 21 incidents. Since then, Roseville has recorded 13 thefts in March, 12 in May, nine in June and 13 in July.
In August, thieves stole a record 23 catalytic converters in 21 incidents in Roseville.
Since January 2007, there have been 148 catalytic converters stolen in Roseville, costing owners nearly $116,000, Gunther said.
"It costs a victim from $500 to $1,000 to replace a stolen catalytic converter," she said.
With Sunday's arrests, Roseville has apprehended seven suspects in 18 months, she said.
Toyotas, particularly sport-utility vehicles and pickup trucks, have been the favorite targets. The catalytic converters on a Toyota are underneath the chassis and are fairly easy to remove, Gunther noted.
With the thieves underneath the vehicle and at night, the culprits have been hard to detect or to catch, she said.
The catalytic converter is part of a vehicle's emission control system, Gunther said.
Thieves sell the stolen parts to metal recyclers, who take them to mine the small amount of precious metal in them, she said.
Late in August, both the state Senate and the Assembly approved Senate Bill 691, which will require recyclers and junk dealers to keep written records of all sales and purchases made in the course of business.
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