Neighbors Help La Mesa Police Apprehend Burglary Suspects

Two men and a woman, all Santee residents, were arrested Wednesday by La Mesa police on suspicion of attempting to burglarize a home in the 8700 block of Van Horn Street.

The  received calls from several neighbors, who witnessed the incident. According to police, the neighbors saw several subjects pull up in a car and park. 

One of the men exited the car, went to a nearby residence and rang the doorbell in an apparent attempt to see if someone was home. After waiting for several seconds and no one coming to the door, the man walked around to the rear of house.

The incident happened about 10:45 a.m.

Shortly after, and as the subjects in the vehicle began to flee the area, La Mesa police officers arrived and detained all three in the car.

During the officers’ investigation, they found that one of the males tried to force entry into the residence by prying a window screen off. 

However, he never gained entry.  All three subjects were arrested and booked:

Gary Bush, 20, of Santee was charged with one count of burglary and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime. His bail was set at $25,000. An arraignment has been scheduled for Friday, June 15, in El Cajon Superior Court.

Chelsea Hill, 20, of Santee was charged with one count of burglary and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime. Her bail was set at $25,000. An arraignment has been scheduled for Friday, June 15, in El Cajon Superior Court.

The third subject is a 16-year-old boy from Santee. He is being detained in San Diego County Juvenile Hall. He also is charged with one count of burglary and one count of conspiracy to commit a crime.

The La Mesa Police Department said it appreciates these witnesses coming forward and calling the police after they noticed the subjects acting suspicious.  This is a great example of neighbors watching out for each other and working in cooperation with the police.