Burglary suspects Gilbert Luis Flores, 24, and Juan Garcia, 25, and Joanna DelValle, 17 are shown. They've been accused of burglarzing IDEA Academy in San Benito. (San Benito Police Department photos)
By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
Three people were arrested Tuesday night at approximately 10:30 p.m. after allegedly burglarizing the IDEA Academy located on the 2100 block of Russell Lane.
Gilbert Luis Flores, 24, Joanna DelValle, 17, and Juan Garcia, 25 of Harlingen were arrested by a San Benito police officer after various items were found inside a gold 1998 Pontiac Sunfire they were traveling in.
“What happened was the alarm went off and an officer responded,” said Lieutenant Martin Morales of the San Benito Police Department (SBPD). “One officer saw a vehicle leaving the school grounds, so he pursued. It wasn’t a chase or anything but a regular traffic stop.”
Meanwhile, according to Morales, another officer went to go check the school grounds. There the officer discovered that three buildings, two sheds and one portable building had been broken into.
“The officer who made the traffic stop, in plain view, was able to see a lot of equipment in the backseat of the car. So they put two and two together, and they were able to catch three burglary suspects,” Morales said.
Altogether, the police officers were able to recover about $2,000 worth of merchandise. Among the items recovered were bolt cutters, a small blue electric compressor, an electrical saw with a case, and a compressor worth approximately $1,500.
“It was perfect timing,” said Morales. “The alarm went off, and an officer happened to be close by.”
The three suspects were arraigned on Wednesday morning at the police station by Judge Adolfo Cordova. Each suspect received three counts of burglary of a building and a $15,000 bond.
To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the June 12 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.
3 comments
Bunch of losers
I am an Idea parent and I am not surprised these hoodlums burglarized the school. The school has sent many surveys home with the children and I have expressed my concerns on the safety of the school and children. The school needs a fence and when school starts I hope to see security guards-guarding the school. Thank God the police patrol car was near and was able to catch these no-good crooks:-)
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