A Burbank police K-9 was being credited Monday for collaring two men suspected of breaking into an affluent hillside home and running when confronted by witnesses and arriving officers.
Officers responded to the 2700 block of Scott Road around 7:20 p.m. Sunday after a neighbor reported an active burglary in progress, having seen two individuals dressed in black enter the home through a backyard window, according to the Burbank Police Department.
Police said the neighbor also described a vehicle that was parked across the street, believed to be connected to the burglary.
As officers arrived, two suspects were seen fleeing the residence, and a perimeter was set up to search the area.
“With assistance from a Burbank police helicopter and a K-9 unit, officers conducted a systematic search of the area and located two suspects hiding in the backyard of a nearby home on Jolley Drive,” the police department said in a statement.
Police said one of the suspects refused to comply with the officers’ commands and was subsequently bitten by a police dog during apprehension, while the second suspect was taken into custody without incident.
A third suspect believed to be the getaway driver was later detained after investigators matched the vehicle description provided by the neighbor.
According to police, the forced their way into the home through a rear window and ransacked the residence, but no property was reported stolen.
Burbank police Lt. Derek Green said there has been a rise in residential burglaries throughout the region by organized theft groups, but it was unclear if Sunday night’s heist attempt was connected to any other crimes.
The suspects were identified as Alan Rodriguez-Pulido, 34, Wilmar Castelblanco-Robles, 20, and Cristian Rios-Cuadros Azusa, all residents of Azusa. The three were booked on suspicion of residential burglary.
Anyone with information regarding the residential burglary was urged to contact the Burbank Police Department Investigations Division at 818-238-3210.