Officers arrested three men in a parked vehicle who they believe conspired to commit grand theft of gardening equipment in San Marino, authorities said Sunday.
Officers patrolling at about 1 p.m. Friday spotted the occupied vehicle parked in the 2300 block of Roanoke Road without any license plates, according to Commander Naved Qureshi of the San Marino Police Department.
The driver, Cesar Jimenez, 34, of Altadena, was on probation and under post-release community supervision for burglary as well as having an outstanding warrant from another jurisdiction, police said, adding that he had prior arrests for theft of gardening equipment.
A record check allegedly confirmed that the front-seat passenger, Jesus Rodriguez, 30, of Los Angeles, was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer or firefighter.
The rear-seat passenger, Jose Jimenez-Aguilar, 34, of Pasadena, had no identification.
“An officer on scene recognized this individual as a suspect arrested by San Marino PD in a prior gardening equipment theft,” Qureshi said. “This subject was also recognized by detectives as a suspect wanted in a gardening equipment theft case in another jurisdiction and arrests for possession of burglary tools.”
All three occupants were detained and a consent search of the vehicle was conducted, according to police. Officers allegedly located a box of gloves, face masks, finger covers, bolt cutters, neck gator and a drone inside the vehicle.
“When officers first contacted the occupants of the parked vehicle there were two gardening trucks within close proximity,” Qureshi said. “Based on the information discovered, it is believed the three suspects conspired to commit grand theft of gardening equipment.”
The three were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit grand theft and possession of burglary tools.
A probation hold and parole hold were obtained for two of the suspects, and one of the suspects was later transported to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Inmate Reception Center to be held for court.