Two Arrested for Alleged Construction Burglaries

Detectives have arrested two men suspected of stealing supplies from the Newport Beach City Hall construction site, as well as from sites in Tustin and Irvine, a police spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Fernando Luis Arias, 36, of Compton, and Antonio Conoe Carranza, 38, of Santa Ana, were arrested Sept. 15 in Santa Ana and charged with commercial burglary, according to police spokeswoman Kathy Lowe. Court records show both men remain in jail on $20,000 bail.

The arrests stem from an incident that occurred Aug. 31 at about 4:16 a.m., when an employee saw two men walk into the Newport Beach City Hall construction site at 1100 Avocado Ave.

"The suspects entered three separate locked storage containers and removed construction supplies. While committing the crime, both suspects were wearing orange safety vests that made them appear to be legitimate workers on-site," Lowe said in a released statement.

The employee reported the license plate number of the suspect's vehicle to police. During the investigation, detectives said they determined the suspects were responsible for multiple construction site burglaries, including some in Tustin and Irvine and the city’s pump station located on West Coast Highway.

"They entered open and/or closed construction sites and cut the padlocks off onsite containers storing supplies, tools and equipment," Lowe said. "It should be noted that during the listed crime sprees, Carranza was wearing a custodial ankle bracelet as the result of a previous arrest."

Additional charges are pending, including grand theft and possession of methamphetamine, officials said.