A multi-county burglary ring responsible for the theft of more than $70,000 worth of property from at least 12 victims has been busted by Redlands Police.
Several burglaries had been reported in the Live Oak Canyon area in San Bernardino and Riverside counties since January.
"They took a saw, it was brand new. Three-thousand bucks, gone,” vicitim Jim Jizmejian said. “The second time they took the kids motorcycles. The third time they took the bucket from my backhoe and I got mad, that's why this fence is here."
Burglars targeted Jizmejian’s home a total of four times, taking more than $20,000 in goods.
"I was pretty bummed, because I was looking forward to giving (the dirt bike) to my littler brother so he could ride it like I did," Jizmejian’s son Joshua said.
Neighbor David Ollis’ home was also hit multiple times.
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"They got about $15,000 worth of stuff from us,” Ollis said. "Maintenance equipment, chainsaws, blowers, weed eaters."
Wednesday morning, police stopped a white truck at Live Oak Canyon Road and I-10 and located several items, including construction equipment, construction parts and mail that had just been stolen from four different homes in Live Oak Canyon. Police arrested 47-year-old Edward Todd Champ and 38-year-old Ahmad Jamal McAlister.
Police then searched a home on the 12000 block of 14th Street in Yucaipa and located more than $45,000 in stolen property, including a trailer, construction equipment, power tools, hand tools, appliances, compressors and tractor arts. Two additional men, 48-year-old Richard Blair Whitling and 43-year-old Cecil Hunter were also arrested.
More stolen property was found at a storage facility in Yucaipa.
Police said the more than $70,000 worth of property belonged to at least 12 victims in four cities, from thefts dating back to July. The recovered property has been returned to the owners.
Police also have two mountain bikes they believe could be unreported stolen property.
