First published in the Feb. 4 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
A 38-year-old Pasadena man is accused of carving a hole into a wall at a South Pasadena store last week in a burglary attempt foiled by the business’ alarm system.
The suspect is scheduled for a court appearance in May after being arrested on suspicion of burglarizing the T-Mobile store on Huntington Drive in the early morning hours of Wednesday, Jan. 26. He was cited for commercial burglary and released that morning after being processed at the Alhambra jail, but is now being held without bail after being arrested on a separate felony charge by the Los Angeles Police Department North Hollywood Division on Saturday, Jan. 29. He is in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
According to the South Pasadena Police Department, the man had accessed a utility room adjacent to the T-Mobile store and cut a hole through the wall. After entering the store, police said the alarm was triggered and alerted the department.
Officers arrived within a minute, according to the department, and found the man hiding inside the store, from which he was trying to steal speakers, phones and smartwatches. The man fled outside but was quickly apprehended, police said.
In addition to SPPD officers, the response was assisted by officers from the Alhambra Police Department and a K9 unit from the San Marino Police Department.