6 North County Youngsters Held in Paperboy Burglaries

Six “regular, middle-class kids” ages 10 to 15 were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of stealing more than $5,000 in jewelry, video games and loaded pistols in a string of 17 residential burglaries in Buena Park and La Palma, Buena Park Police Officer David Martinez said.

“They were all just bored, middle-class kids on summer vacation,” Martinez said. “They’d say, ‘Let’s go get something to eat’ and then break into a house.”

The names of the youths, all from Buena Park, were not released because they are juveniles.

On Saturday, Martinez stopped two youths as they rode a bicycle down Houston Street, one sitting illegally on the handlebars.

“I saw that one of them had on two gold necklaces and a woman’s class ring,” he said. “Then I asked him to take out his wallet, and he had over $300, so I knew something was up.”

Martinez said he also noticed that the youths were wearing Vans and Converse sneakers that leave tracks similar to those that had been left near many of the burglarized homes.

After the boys were questioned for several minutes, Martinez said they gave statements and identified four other boys--all friends from Raymond Temple Elementary School.

Martinez said when one youth was questioned, he described each of the 17 houses, how the group had entered and what had been stolen.

Martinez said one youth allegedly used his Orange County Register delivery route to target victims. When his customers left town, the youth received a notice from the newspaper office. Then he would tip his friends, and the group would go to the address, Martinez said.

After knocking on the front door to make sure no one was home, two of the youths would stand guard in front, while the others pushed in a rear window, Martinez continued.

Buena Park Lt. Tony Kelly said the youths stashed the stolen goods at their parents’ homes.

Officers found bags of coins, jewelry and other items hidden under carpets, in tool sheds, under beds and in closets, officers said. A pistol and other items had been given to friends and relatives as far away as Riverside.

Among other things, police confiscated a loaded .45-caliber handgun that had been stolen from a retired police officer and a .25-caliber pistol, several rounds of ammunition, rings, watches, a bicycle and a collection of mint-condition Olympics coins.

“Most of the parents had no idea what their kids had been doing,” Kelly said. “They were all very cooperative . . . but it was just that the stuff was very well hidden.”

By Monday, police had recovered almost everything reported stolen in the burglaries except an unknown amount of cash that the youths had allegedly spent at Knott’s Berry Farm and several area video stores, Kelly said.

All were booked on suspicion of felony burglary and returned to their parents’ custody. No hearing date has been scheduled, but police said if convicted, the youths could face up to three years in a juvenile home.