Auto Burglary + Vandalism in Redlands: Surveillance Cameras Lead to Arrests

Surveillance cameras in downtown Redlands helped lead to the arrests of two auto burglary suspects Monday and a vandalism suspect on Tuesday, a city spokesman said Wednesday.

Shortly before 6 p.m. Monday Aug. 6, a witness reported two men breaking into a pickup in the south parking lot outside the Krikorian theater at 340 N. Eureka St., Redlands spokesman Carl Baker said.

"Based on the witness description, a camera operator in the Redlands Police Department dispatch center located the suspects in another area outside the theater and maintained surveillance on them while directing officers to the location," Baker said.

Officers found the suspects standing in front of the theater, and they located property stolen from the vehicle nearby, Baker said.

Ryan Charles Tracy, 25, and Kyle Aaron Williams, 25, both identifed as local transients, were arrested, Baker said.

Further investigation connected Tracy to another stolen vehicle found Saturday July 28 in a parking lot at 11 E. Colton Ave., Baker said. The vehicle had been stolen that day in Moreno Valley.

The alleged vandalism occurred after 11 p.m. Tuesday Aug. 7, when a surveillance camera operator witnessed a suspect using a marker on a city-owned trash bin behind a business in the 300 block of Orange Street, Baker said.

The camera operator kept watching the suspect as he marked up another city-owned trash bin, Baker said.

"Police contacted 22-year-old Joshua Paul Alonza a few minutes later in an alley near Fifth Street with the marker in his possession," Baker said. "Alonza had a $100,000 warrant for prior vandalism. He was arrested on the warrant and cited for the additional vandalism."

in downtown Redlands were approved by the City Council in November 2006, Baker said. They are part of a system of more than 100 cameras located in in the city, Baker said.

"The pan-tilt-zoom capable cameras can be viewed and controlled in the Police Department dispatch center, putting police 'on scene' for incidents in public areas downtown even before the arrival of patrol units," Baker said.

The project has been funded since 2006 by a combination of state and federal technology grants and private donations, Baker said.

Anyone with more information about the auto burglary and vandalsm incidents was urged to call Redlands Police Dispatch at (909) 798-7681. Anonymous tips can be made by texting 274637 using the keyword "REDTIP."

Some non-emergency crimes can be reported online using the Redlands Police Department's CopLogic reporting system at http://ci.redlands.ca.us/police/coplogic/start-report.html.