Alert Belmont Shore Resident Foils Burglary Suspects

Long Beach police said they captured an alleged auto burglary ring after an alert Belmont Shore resident reported suspicious males casing vehicles near Glendora and Second Street.

The call came in about 4 a.m. Wednesday, Long Beach police information officer Lisa Massacani said about 3 p.m. Friday.

Officers were sent to Second Street and Glendora Avenue, where a caller reported three young men acting suspiciously like burglars around some vehicles parked in the area, Massacani said.

The men were reportedly trying door handles and peering into the vehicles, she said.

Arriving officers spotted a vehicle leaving the area and made a traffic stop. They interviewed two young men, while other officers located three other young men matching the descriptions provided by the caller, Massacani said.

The three men were found on Bayshore Avenue and Appian Way, she said.

Following questioning by police, the three men were arrested on suspicion of loitering on the beach, Massacani said, and were taken away to be jailed.

Investigators determined that all the young men were working together in "a pre-planed crime spree of that area, targeting vehicles that may contain valuables," Massacani said.

There was no word on whether there were any crimes for which the two young men found in the vehicle could be arrested.

The three men arrested were: Tyler Leonard Rexeisen, 18, of Bellflower; Matthew Ryan Boudreaux, 21, of Cypress and 20-year-old Michael Schoepf of Long Beach.

Rexeisen, Boudreaux and Schoepf all were released on bond for $20,000 bail each; Information on court dates was not immediately available.

Further investigation led detectives to two vehicles that the suspects attempted to burglarize and attempted burglary booking charges were added, Massacani said.

Investigators are probing the case further and ask that Belmont Shore residents and those in neighboring communities come forward if their vehicles have been burglarized and reports have not been filed.

Residents are also reminded to remove valuables from their vehicles, so as not to become targets of crime.

"Auto Burg is an ongoing problem citywide," Massacani said, "and worsens around the holiday season due to there being more opportunities for thieves."

According to Massacani, one vehicle that was targeted by the suspects may have been selected for burglary because of a charger left in the vehicle, which could lead criminals to think electronics are also inside.

"Electronics such as GPS systems, MP3 players, and phones are commonly stolen items and a big temptation to burglars," Massacani wrote in a press release.

To learn more about crime prevention, please visit the Long Beach Police Department website, www.longbeach.gov/police, and click on “News Room.”

Anyone with information on the attempted burglaries or anyone who feels victimized by burglars is asked to call police burglary Detective Jose Yarruhs at 562-570-5559. Anonymous tips can be sent by text or e-mail to www.tipsoft.com.