Five teenage boys were arrested this week in connection with gun thefts and a hit-and-run crash, according to Chula Vista police.
A resident in the 1100 block of Osage Avenue called police Monday afternoon to report five guns missing from his home. Around the same time, other callers reported three people jumping fences in the area with guns in their hands.
Chula Vista police believe the homeowner interrupted the burglars when he came home, forcing them to run out the back and jump through neighbors’ yards. The victim told investigators he saw a grey VW Jetta with two people inside driving from his home when he pulled up.
A hit-and-run, also involving a grey Jetta, was soon reported on a street nearby, and callers said the car stopped to pick up the three teens who were spotted dashing through yards.
As officers investigated, they discovered three of the five stolen firearms in various yards, apparently abandoned in the escape. A witness gave investigators the Jetta’s license plate, so officers set up surveillance on the Costa Avenue home where the car was registered.
About an hour later, they saw one of the suspects drive by with his mother in the passenger seat. Officers pulled the car over at a gas station and identified the 16-year-old driver as the boy behind the wheel during the hit-and-run.
Police do not believe his mother, 52-year-old Roberta Castro, was involved in the burglary, but she was found in possession of methamphetamine and marijuana, officers say. She was arrested and released on misdemeanor chargers, while her son was arrested on suspicion of hit-and-run and burglary.
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Soon enough, police had identified four other suspects, all boys ages 15 to 16. One, who officers say broke into the Chula Vista house, was arrested at his home Monday night, and another, believed to be the passenger in the Jetta, was taken into custody Tuesday.
On Wednesday morning, the fourth suspect was arrested for allegedly participating in the burglary. When the fifth suspect was tracked down, officers say they found him in possession of a shotgun barrel, believed to be from a gun stolen Monday. He was arrested without incident.
Chula Vista property crimes detectives believe these five teens are responsible for several other residential burglaries in the area. Two weapons, a revolver and a shotgun that were loaded when stolen, are still missing.
If you know about these cases, call the Chula Vista Police Department at 619-691-5129 or 619-691-5151.
