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This map shows the incorporated areas in Los Angeles County, California. Cerritos is highlighted in red. I created it in Inkscape using data from the Los Angeles County Website (Los Angeles County Incorporated Area and District Map (PDF). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
By Brian Hews
Two burglary suspects, who targeted a Cerritos neighborhood on January 2, have been caught and arrested thanks to swift response from local members of the Cerritos Sheriff’s department.
During the late morning hours on Thursday, January 02, 2014, Cerritos Station deputies responded to a residential burglary in progress call located in the 17200 block of Morningrain Avenue.
Hews Media Group-Community Newspaper was told by a Cerritos Sheriffs spokesperson that the victim stated that two males were breaking into her residence, and she was home alone with her two children.
Cerritos deputies coordinated their response and contained the area to prevent the suspects from escaping.
As the first Cerritos units arrived in the neighborhood, they observed the two suspects enter a white Ford F150 pickup truck, which was parked directly in front of the victim’s residence. The suspect vehicle drove toward the deputies at a high rate of speed and collided into a curb as they attempted to go around the patrol cars, which caused the vehicle to become disabled.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested 23-year-old Devonte Smith and 25-year-old Quintin Moreland, both residents of the City of Los Angeles.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects knocked on the front door of the victim’s residence. The victim did not respond to their knock on the door, giving the suspects the impression that no one was home. At least one of the suspects gained entry into the attached garage by forcing his way into the garage door, then forcing his way into a second doorway which gave him access to the home. The suspect fled the location before encountering the victims who were hiding inside.
No one was injured during the incident. Suspects Smith and Moreland were booked at Cerritos Sheriff’s Station and are being held in lieu of $50,000 dollars bail each.
