Burglary Suspects Arrested in Diamond Bar Face Judge

Story by City News Service

Guilty pleas were entered today by three young men who smashed their way into LensCrafters stores in Irvine and Brea and were arrested at the end of a police chase in Diamond Bar.

Justin Valdepena, 23, of Whittier, Kyle Ochoa, 19, of Claremont, and Thomas Mackinlay, 23, of Hacienda Heights admitted breaking into the optometry stores to steal thousands of dollars worth of high-end eyewear.

Orange County Superior Court Judge Joe Perez gave the defendants various sentences.

Valdepena, who pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of receiving stolen property, plus misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance, and was sentenced to a year in jail and three years of formal probation.

Ochoa pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of receiving stolen property, all felonies, and was sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years of formal probation.

Mackinley pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree burglary, evading police and receiving stolen property, all felonies, and a misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license. He was sentenced to 16 months in state prison.

The thieves broke into the LensCrafters at 13662 Jamboree Road in The Market Place shopping area just after 1:30 a.m. last Oct. 3 and made off with about $20,000 worth of high-end eyewear, according to Irvine police.

A Brea police officer heard about the Irvine heist and set up surveillance at the LensCrafters in his jurisdiction.

Just before 2 a.m., the officer saw a dark compact car that matched the description of the vehicle the suspects used in the Irvine burglary pull into the Brea store's parking lot at 1040 E. Imperial Highway, said Brea police Sgt. Jim Griffin.

Two men got out of the car, smashed the store window and grabbed sunglasses, Griffin said.

The officer chased the suspects, following them onto the Orange (57) Freeway. The chase ended on a street in Diamond Bar, when the suspects stopped and one man jumped out while the other two waited to be arrested, Griffin said. The third suspect was rounded up minutes later.