San Juan Bautista officials Tuesday discussed businesses victimized in the recent break-ins, while a neighborhood watch representative expressed concern about the incidents.
The sheriff’s office has confirmed it arrested one suspect in a string of burglaries that occurred in San Juan Bautista and along Fairview Road near Hollister.
A neighborhood watch representative spoke during the San Juan council meeting and told officials he is in the process of putting together a website for the group. He said the members were relieved about the arrest and mentioned the neighborhood watch organization would be meeting the second Thursday of each month at San Juan Bautista City Hall, while providing statements at council meetings.
City Manager Roger Grimsley went on to indicate sheriff’s investigators were continuing to follow leads in the burglary spree.
“They’re still trying to to work on establishing a connection with some other layers in that,” Grimsley said.
Grimsley and other council members then named victimized businesses that included the Basque Restaurant, Mission Cafe, Mission Clocks & Watches, Margot’s Ice Cream, Mom & Pop’s Saloon, an antique store and Zen Art Gallery.
Deputies on Friday arrested Manuel Pacheco, 23, on suspicion of the crimes, according to a sheriff’s statement.
Before a string of five burglaries last week, along with another attempted burglary, there had been two other burglaries in San Juan the prior week, the sheriff’s office reported.
Someone kicked in the front door of the businesses and pried open their cash registers this latest time around.
Investigators had their break in the case when they responded to another burglary report Friday on Fairview Road. After video evidence confirmed it was the same suspect as the night before, deputies received yet another call of an attempted burglary in San Juan and responded. There, they encountered Pacheco walking while wearing the same clothes from the video, the sheriff’s office alleged.
The suspect initially got away, but deputies found him and stolen property from the burglaries while executing a search warrant of his home. Investigators also had found his car with evidence inside, according to the sheriff’s statement.
