Newport Man Arrested in Connection With Palos Verdes Burglaries

A Newport Beach man was arrested this week in connection with burglaries that took place in Ranchos Palos Verdes, the Lomita Sheriff's Station reported.

Andrew Gatling, of Newport Beach, and Roy Ortega, of Westminster, were arrested Tuesday and booked at Lomita Sheriff's Station for several felonies, including burglary, possession of stolen property, possession of heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine, according to a sheriff's news release.

Sheriff's deputies got a report around 6 a.m. Tuesday about a suspicious man sleeping in a black Honda Civic parked on a street in Rancho Palos Verdes. Responding deputies determined the car was reported stolen from Costa Mesa.

A witness told deputies another car pulled up alongside the Civic, and a man started transferring items from one car to the other. It was later discovered the items were stolen from a Rancho Palos Verdes home.

Deputies arrested one man at the scene, but the second man fled on foot. He was later found in a canyon full of thick brush after being cornered by a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter and sheriff's deputies.

According to sheriff's officials, the two men allegedly drove in the stolen Civic from Costa Mesa to Ranchos Palos Verdes where they are accused of breaking into two homes and stealing another car.

Gatling and Ortega were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in a Torrance courtroom.

Click here for today's top stories on Newport Beach-Corona Del Mar Patch.