Two men arrested in a La Jolla home invasion may be responsible for burglaries in Hermosa Beach, Newport Beach, and other affluent communities in or near Los Angeles County, San Diego Police said Tuesday.
Barbara Bobbie Philips, 82, came face to face with a strange man in her La Jolla home on July 13.
"He grabbed me by the neck and of course I screamed and he said, 'Be quiet,'" she told NBC 7.
Philips was alone watching television just after 11:30 p.m. when two man entered her Rodeo Drive home through a kitchen window.
She said one of the intruders sat her in a little chair and had a giant flashlight that he shined in her face, telling her to put her head down and not move.
Another man was ransacking the home as the first man continued to watch her, she said.
"This one, I will say, sounds crazy, but he was polite, (saying), 'Now ma'am, careful ma'am. Don't get upset. Just take it calm,'" she said. "The other one was going through all my stuff he was screaming, 'Where is everything? Don't you lie to me. Don't you lie.'"
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On Tuesday, San Diego Police announced two arrests in the case.
Justin Jeffrey Naranjo, 27, and Jose Luis Delgado, 19, were taken into custody on Thursday, Nov. 5 in San Bernardino County with the help of U.S. Marshals, police said..
Investigators say one man identified himself as a Logan Heights police officer during the crime.
Naranjo and Delgado took jewelry, televisions and more than $800 in cash, police said.
Philips was not injured. She said the entire ordeal lasted about 15 minutes, though it felt like forever. Before they left, one of the intruders yanked her necklace off, telling her to sit still.
"Of course it hurts and my husband had given me the necklace and I treasured it," she said.
SDPD investigators said evidence left at the scene led them to Naranjo and Delgado. The evidence also allegeldy connects the two men to other crimes in Southern California.
Anyone with information can call the San Diego Police Department’s robbery unit at 619-531-2299 or the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 888-580-8477.
