Burglaries in gated community near Millerton Lake lead to arrest of Merced County man
A suspect has been arrested for allegedly breaking into two homes and attempting to break into another at a gated community near Millerton Lake this month.
The suspect, Teodore Torres, 28, of Le Grand in Merced County, was arrested on Thursday in Fresno by a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deputy assigned to the U.S. Marshals Service Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Torres was booked into the Fresno County Jail on two felony counts of residential burglary, one count of attempted burglary and one charge of auto theft, said Fresno County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Tony Botti. Torres’ bail was set at $135,000.
The burglaries and attempted burglary occurred overnight Feb. 17 at homes on the 21000 block of Eastmere Lane, in the Brighton Crest community near Millerton Lake and Table Mountain Casino.
“During the first incident, the homeowner discovered that while they were sleeping, someone entered their home and garage,” Botti said. “The burglar stole some camera equipment and a wallet. At the other house, a burglary also took place while the homeowner slept. They woke up to find their car was missing. The burglar was able to find the keys and drove away.”
The vehicle was found crashed later that day in a neighborhood near Butler and Orange avenues in southeast Fresno. Detectives recovered surveillance footage of a possible suspect, who was later identified as Torres.
Torres was spotted the following week near McKinley Avenue and First Street in central Fresno and taken into custody. Detectives recovered the stolen camera and returned it to the owner.
Anyone with information about Torres is asked to contact Detective Austin Herion at 559-753-0819 and austin.herion@fresnosheriff.org, or Crime Stoppers at 559-498-7867 and valleycrimestoppers.org. Information can be shared anonymously and may lead to a cash reward.
