Minors Stole Mercedes, Burglarized Hermosa Beach Homes, Police Say

Redondo Beach police arrested four minors Wednesday in connection with a string of burglaries in Hermosa Beach, authorities said Thursday.

The minors—described only as teens—were found hiding in an unlocked garage in the 1700 block of Reid Street in Redondo Beach, according to Redondo Beach police Sgt. Shawn Freeman.

"They were in a stolen Mercedes Benz, and a resident called because on of the minors … basically went into their unlocked house," Freeman told Patch, noting that the home was in the 1600 block of Ford Avenue. "We believe the intent was that they were going to commit another burglary."

When confronted by the homeowner, the minor apologized and said he or she was in the wrong house, Freeman said. The homeowner called police at about 8:15 a.m., and officers were dispatched to the scene.

"As soon as they saw a police car in the area, the four minors hid" in the garage, Freeman said. The homeowner from Ford Avenue told police where the minors had headed, and police set up a perimeter and found the car. "Officers discovered the Mercedes Benz got stolen out of Hermosa."

In the vehicle was property stolen the day before in three different burglaries in Hermosa Beach, including an expensive Rolex and some computers, Freeman said. The car was also stolen in one of the burglaries.

Most of the property was returned to the owners; however, the teens had already spent $500 that was stolen, Freeman said.

The four minors were taken to juvenile hall, and the case was sent to the Inglewood Juvenile Courthouse for filing consideration, he said.