Behind the Badge
A little girl was reunited with her favorite pink suitcase.
A man recovered a cart full of electronics and computers.
A Garden Grove man picked up luggage that had been stolen from four buddies — three of them who were visiting him from Houston, the other visiting him from Vietnam.
A property-viewing event hosted by the Garden Grove PD on April 5 resulted in about 25 victims being reunited with valuables that were stolen by a pair of suspected prolific car burglars who, in recent crimes, were aided by an alleged accomplice, according to police.
Vehicle burglary victims line up outside the Garden Grove Courtyard Center during a property- viewing event April 5. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
“About 60 to 70 people showed up,” Garden Grove PD Det. Jim Franks said of the event at the Garden Grove Courtyard Center. “We still have 150 purses that no one has claimed, as well as many other items.”
The pilfered valuables, taken from vehicles in several cities in Orange and Los Angeles counties dating back to at least 2015, are believed to be the handiwork of an Anaheim couple, Julio Cesar Pachas and Michella Ann Fuquay, and in recent crimes a third suspect, Zachery Tanner of Garden Grove.
The three were arrested Feb. 16, 2017 after GGPD detectives, led by Franks, served a search warrant at Pachas’ and Fuquay’s two-bedroom apartment and Tanner’s home in Garden Grove.
Jose Gomez of Garden Grove, right, with the help of Garden Grove PD Officer Daniel Camara, looks through recovered stolen property in the hopes of finding items stolen from his wife’s car.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
GGPD detectives recovered several stolen items, including purses, wallets, backpacks, laptops, cell phones, computer equipment, luggage, clothing, jewelry and sports equipment (to read about the arrests, click here).
Beverly Singer of Garden Grove was one of the people, arrest report in hand, who showed up in the hopes of recovering items stolen from her home when she was attending her husband’s memorial service on Jan. 6, 2017.
Singer’s husband died Jan. 2.
Singer house — not her car — had been burglarized. She showed up anyway, and left empty handed.
Stolen clothes are laid out for public viewing as the Garden Grove PD tries to match items with victims of car burglaries.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
“I lost mostly jewelry my grandmother passed down to my mother,” Singer said. “I was going to pass it down to my daughter. I have to keep hoping and wishing they (GGPD) will catch the guy that burglarized our house.”
Franks still is getting a lot of phone calls from car-burglary victims asking about recovered items.
No other property-viewing event is planned, he said. But Franks hopes justice is served when Pachas’ case goes to court (so far, only Pachas has been charged by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for the auto burglaries).
“I won’t be happy until this case is closed,” Franks said when asked if he was pleased with the property-viewing event.
Steven Georges contributed to this story.
Nancy Pham of Garden Grove, with the help of Garden Grove PD Det. Evan Beresford, looks through the assorted recovered stolen property.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Deidra Hanna, along with her 9-year-old son, Brody, looks through purses in the hope of finding one stolen after a burglar shattered her car window. Nancy Pham is right.
Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
Gary Sparks, left, looks over a pair of glasses as Garden Grove PD Det. Paul Tessier helps him identify stolen items during at a GGPD property viewing event at the Garden Grove Courtyard Center on April 5. Photo by Steven Georges/Behind the Badge OC
