K9 Tracks Down Elsinore Thief Hiding In Box At Home Depot: Cops

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A convicted felon and another man were arrested Monday for allegedly breaking into a Home Depot in Lake Elsinore that was under surveillance by deputies because of recent criminal activity. What's more, one of the arrests is credited to a local police K9 who found the man hiding in a box in the store's garden center, officials say.

Daniel Robert Turkmany, 34, and Michael Christopher Wood, 46, both of Lake Elsinore, were booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy and vandalism. Bail was set at $25,000 for Turkmany and $10,000 for Wood.

According to Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Glenn Warrington, deputies were assigned to surveillance at the Home Depot in the 18200 block of Collier Avenue due to "multiple commercial burglaries" at the home improvement business over the last month or so.

Warrington said that sure enough, deputies spotted a pair of thieves head to the location on Monday.

"On Monday morning, about 1:00 a.m., two suspects arrived on foot and commenced to cutting the wire fence leading into the garden area of the Home Depot," he said in a news release. "About 2:20 a.m., one suspect made entry into the garden area."

Additional deputies were summoned and surrounded the location, Warrington said. Wood was allegedly caught standing at the fence with burglary tools. He was taken into custody without a struggle.

However, deputies could not immediately find Turkmany and brought in a sheriff's K9 for help.

"The K-9 alerted to the suspect, Daniel Robert Turkmany who was hiding in a box on the top rack of the garden area," Warrington said.

Turkmany was ultimately arrested without incident.

According to court records, Turkmany has several prior convictions for possession of controlled substances, as well as shoplifting, theft and possession of brass knuckles.

Court records show Wood has several misdemeanor drug-related convictions.

— City News Service contributed to this report