Two Home Burglaries in MB Monday Night

Burglars discovered inside two Manhattan Beach homes Monday night kept police busy and in search mode until about 11:30 p.m.

The first incident began around 5:30 p.m. when a resident found an intruder inside the home in the 200 block of 26th Street holding items. The suspect fled and MB police set up a containment area, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department, which sent a helicopter, and El Segundo, Hermosa Beach and Hawthorne police departments, said Stephanie Martin, public information officer for MBPD.

Two off-duty Manhattan Beach police detectives out for a jog heading north on the sand saw the police activity, called in to find out what was happening, and then saw the suspect at 31st Street and The Strand, where they took him into custody, said Martin.

Rodolfo Castaneda, 22, of Los Angeles was booked by MBPD on suspicion of burglary.

A second incident began around 7:30 p.m., when a juvenile male returned home in the 3600 block of Palm Avenue and saw someone in the kitchen, Martin said. The suspect fled out the home's back door, resulting in a four-hour police deployment and search that shut down access to homes on Palm, Maple and Pacific avenues from Rosecrans Avenue to 35th Street.

The LAPD helicopter returned to assist in the search, shining a focused light beam onto homes and backyards on Palm, Maple and Pacific. K9 units from MB, Redondo Beach, El Segundo and Hawthorne helped search backyards in the area. MBPD believes the juvenile waited at least 10 minutes before notifying his parents, who then called MBPD.

The suspect was not found and is described as a male black, 20-28 years old, 5'9" to 5'10",  150-170 pounds with a thin build, brown hair with a light beard described as a 5 o'clock shadow, wearing a white T-shirt and black gloves. A black sedan unknown to the neighborhood was seen on Palm prior to the incident and was later gone. Police do not know if the car is connected to the incident.

In both burglaries, the homes were accessed through unlocked and/or open windows or doors, said Martin.

Anyone with information on either incident should call MBPD at 310-802-5140.

• Related: Police Search for Home Burglary Suspect
• Previously: Police Arrest 3 Juveniles on Rosecrans Avenue