San Diego

3 in Custody After Break-Ins at Rancho Bernardo Businesses

Deputies were able to recover items stolen from these businesses

Three suspects were in custody Sunday after a string of commercial burglaries in the Rancho Bernardo/4S Ranch areas, authorities said.

Sarah Dean, the manager of Tony Pepperoni Pizzeria, which was broken into Sunday morning, was relieved to hear that the suspects had been caught.

"We got a call this morning that we were broken into," she said. "Broken in, took our safe and we're just trying to figure it out from there."

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSO) received a call around 5 a.m. from someone who heard banging near the Boys and Girls Club in the 16,100 block of 4S Ranch Parkway, Lt. Amber Baggs said.

When deputies arrived, they detained three men and upon searching them, deputies found items stolen from nearby businesses in Rancho Bernardo, she said.

One of the items recovered was a safe from her business with an undisclosed amount of cash, Dean said.

"(It's) a big relief," she said.

The safe was found thrown down an embankment close to where the three men were detained.

Deputies then contacted the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) since the businesses were located in SDPD's jurisdiction, Baggs said.

Police then arrived at the location on 12000 Alta Carmel Court and found, in addition to Tony Pepperoni, Pattaya Thai Restaurant was also broken into, San Diego police Officer Sarah Foster said.

The break-in happened around 3 a.m. and San Diego police were notified around 6 p.m. 

The suspects shattered the glass side door to Tony Pepperoni and accessed the business that way. The alarm for the building didn't go off because the suspects didn't try to force open the door, another manager for the business told NBC 7.

Dean was so grateful that authorities were able to apprehend the suspects and recovered the safe that she handed out free pizzas to the officers who were on the scene. 

"I've heard there's been tons of break-ins for the area so I mean I'm super relieved someone's in custody," she said."(I) hope that they get him for all the other restaurants and stores and mom and pops they’ve broken into."

"I've heard there's been tons of break-ins for the area so I mean I'm super relieved someone's in custody," she said."(I) hope that they get him for all the other restaurants and stores and mom and pops they’ve broken into."

Da'Shon Morales, 20, of Moreno Valley, 19-year-old Jesus Ruiz Arias Jr. of Escondido and Fernando Vazquez Cruz, 20, of Escondido were booked on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and several related felonies.

The suspects are linked to the other recent break-ins around San Diego County, sheriff's Lt. Chris Collier said. 

Tony Pepperoni replaced the shattered glass Sunday afternoon. Pattaya Thai, which usually closes on Monday, was closed Sunday and the sign on the door says it won't open again until Tuesday. Its door has not been fixed Sunday afternoon.

As for Tony Pepperoni, the pizzeria was still open for business Sunday, because "we won't let it rain on our parade," Dean said.

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