Crime & Safety

Suspect Arrested for String of Spring Valley Burglaries, La Mesa Car Theft

Andre Ford, 19, allegedly stole a car from La Mesa as well.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department made the following announcement on Monday, July 18:

On June 18, about 1:34 pm, Lemon Grove Station deputies received a call of a residential burglary in progress. The reporting party stated he saw four black male adults, about 18 years old, running out of his neighbor's residence carrying a large screen projection television.

The reporting party did not know if the neighbor was home, but reported he saw the suspects load the television into a green Toyota SUV type vehicle, and drive away. Deputies arrived at the location and checked the residence, however no one was inside. Deputies were able to contact the 64-year-old resident's adult son by telephone. He responded to the address, and later so did the resident herself. Deputies started their on-scene investigation.

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Meanwhile, other deputies searched the surrounding area for the described vehicle. At about 2:05 p.m., a Lemon Grove Station deputy observed a green Toyota 4Runner parked in an apartment complex's parking lot about a half mile away from the victim's residence. The vehicle was occupied by only one black male adult, 19-year-old Andre Lavere Ford. The deputy contacted Ford as he was exiting the driver's seat. The deputy saw a large screen television sitting in the back portion of the vehicle. The deputy immediately detained Ford as part of the residential burglary investigation.

While checking the status of the vehicle's license plate, the deputy learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen from the City of La Mesa the day before. The stolen vehicle's owners also reported their residence burglarized at the same time.

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During a curbside line-up, the original reporting party positively identified Ford as one of the residential burglary suspects he saw earlier. He also positively identified the vehicle as being the same one he had seen. A large screen television and a camera found inside the stolen vehicle, were identified as belonging to the Spring Valley burglary victim.

It was learned Ford is a resident at the apartment complex. His apartment was searched by deputies, and additional suspected stolen property was found. Ford was booked into San Diego Central Jail on multiple charges related to residential burglary, possession of stolen property, and auto theft. The investigation concerning the additional suspects is continuing.


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