Neighbors at the Peppertree Place Apartments in Riverside say an alleged serial burglar has been targeting vehicles parked at the apartment complex for months. The burglar has broken windows and jimmied doors on at least 16 vehicles, they said.
Jorge Bravo says his wife's SUV has been burglarized twice in three days. The burglar got away with about $500 in merchandise the couple sells at swap meets.
Another victim, identified only as Erika, told NBC4 that her iPad had been stolen.
The break-ins have been especially frustrating for victims because the apartment complex is gated and has a security guard, but the burglar always got away.
But, early Saturday morning, neighbors got a big break.
Rachel Nemeth, her boyfriend and another friend were up at four in the morning to leave for a fishing trip when they spotted a suspicious man coming out of a garage who suddenly started running.
Rachel's boyfriend -- who is also a vehicle burglary victim -- quickly chased the man down.
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"He was able to get a couple of blows in and pick him up and get him to the ground and his buddy came and was able to help him," Nemeth said.
The two men are former high school wrestlers, but they still had trouble keeping the suspect down so other neighbors came to the rescue, including Bravo.
"I dressed quickly, I ran downstairs and just pinned him down until the cops got here."
Police identified the suspect as 24-year-old Alejandro Rodriguez. He is a parolee and is now back behind bars thanks to some quick-acting neighbors who said enough was enough.
“It was a little victory for us,” Nemeth said.
