Men Arrested Two Times In 24 Hours For Crimes In Manhattan Beach

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Three men arrested in Manhattan Beach last Friday [July 10] but released due to the Los Angeles County zero bail schedule were arrested again in the city within 6 hours of their release, according to Tim Zins of the Manhattan Beach Police Department.

Police made the first arrests sometime after an 11:53 p.m. traffic stop of a vehicle for vehicle code violations. A check of the vehicle’s VIN number revealed the vehicle was stolen. While taking inventory of the vehicle, officers located additional evidence including burglary tools.

Then, On Saturday, July 11, at approximately 5:50 a.m., MBPD received a 911 call of an interrupted burglary to a garage in the 600 block of Sixth Street. Three suspects were seen leaving the area southbound on Valley Drive. Their description matched that of the three arrestees from the earlier stolen vehicle, said Zins. Officers quickly located two of the suspects in the area of Second Street and Ingleside Drive. Some 30 minutes later, the outstanding suspect was located by police near Valley Drive and Francisco Street.

In the aftermath of the arrests, MBPD has received multiple reports of thefts from motor vehicles and garage burglaries, all believed to be likely related to these same individuals.

All three suspects are still in custody at the MBPD jail.

If you live in the above described areas and you were a victim of a theft from a motor vehicle or garage burglary on Friday night or Saturday morning, please call MBPD's dispatch line at (310) 545-4566 to make a report.

The men arrested are Franklin Daniel Villalta of Compton, 23; Jonathan Eduardo Ramirez of Los Angles, 20, and Josue Chavez of Los Angeles, 18. The emergency zero bail schedule was approved by a judge for most misdemeanors and lower-level felonies to slow the spread of COVID-19 in jails, courthouses and communities. Normally, those non-violent arrests would result in being held in jail pre-trial.