Thanks to an alert Roseville resident and a quick response by law enforcement, four suspected catalytic converter thieves are in custody.

At 3:42 Thursday morning, January 12, a resident of the Crocker Ranch/Diamond Creek area called police to report seeing two males working under a vehicle near her home, possibly stealing the catalytic converter.  Numerous Roseville officers converged on the area and soon had three suspects in custody.  A fourth suspect got away, but was arrested later in Sacramento.  Inside the suspect's van, officers found several catalytic converters believed to have been stolen during the night from the Roseville and Rocklin areas.

The following suspects, all Sacramento residents, are in custody on suspicion of grand theft, possession of stolen property and other related charges:  Jovi Toua Vang, 20; Cai Vang, 19; Chee Jeff Vang, 20;and Tou Vang, 25. 

Area law enforcement agencies are working cooperatively to stop an unprecedented epidemic of metal thefts in the region. The following agencies assisted in this morning's investigation:  CHP, CHP's Investigative Services Unit, Sacramento Police Department, Sacramento Sheriff's Office, Sacramento County Probation, SacCATS (Sacramento's auto theft task force), Placer County's Regional Auto Theft Task Force, Rocklin Police Department and Folsom Police Department.  Our agencies will continue to work together to not only address metal theft, but  also scrap metal recyclers who are operating outside the law and feeding the demand for stolen metal.

Today's arrests wouldn't have happened if a Roseville resident hadn't picked up the phone to report suspicious activity in her neighborhood.  We know there are still many more metal thieves stealing in our region, and we need the community's continued help to stop them.  We urge residents to protect their vehicles by parking them inside their locked garages whenever possible and to immediately report any suspicious activity to police. 

Roseville Crime Stoppers is offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of metal thieves and illegally operating metal recyclers.  You can call us, email us or text us, and we don't need to know who you are.  Call Roseville Crime Stoppers at (916)783-STOP (783-7867).  Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's website, www.roseville.ca.us/police, and clicking on "Submit a Tip", or by texting 274637 (start your text with the word "ROSEVILLE"). 

ROSEVILLE (CBS13) — Several homes were hit by burglars in Roseville the past two days, according to police.

Tuesday between 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., suspects burglarized four homes, three in the 55-and-over Sun City Roseville senior community and one in the Longmeadow Village area north of Blue Oaks Boulevard. Placer County Sheriff’s deputies responded to two burglaries in the Morgan Creek area west of Roseville during the same time frame.

Several residents reported suspicious persons and vehicles in west Roseville on Monday and Tuesday near the burglarized homes. On Monday afternoon, a group of teenagers in a gold Toyota Camry were reported knocking on doors in the Fiddyment Farm area “looking for a lost dog,” police said.

The burglars are knocking on doors to see if residents are home, and if they’re not, they’re going around the back to break in.

The suspicious vehicles reported in the area of the burglaries were:

·        A gray Toyota or Honda (usually described as a Toyota Camry) four-door sedan occupied by three men believed to be in their 20s

·        A gold or tan Toyota Camry occupied by three or four males believed to be in their teens

·        Other suspicious vehicles were reported that might or might not have been connected to the group: a dark blue or purple full-size pickup, and a blue mid-sized sedan.

·        The suspects were reported as black and white men in their teens or 20s.

The same group could be connected to other recent burglaries in west and northwest Roseville.

Officers patrolled the neighborhoods Tuesday for several hours and followed up on leads, but didn’t locate any of the suspects. The investigation is active and ongoing.

Police are asking residents to be diligent about locking doors and closing garage doors. Residents are also asked to call 911 immediately to report suspicious activity.

Please keep an eye out!  Yesterday the Thomas Jefferson School office alerted parents that a suspicious person in a van told some boys that he would "buy them a magazine" if they would get in his van.  The boys ran to a neighbors house and reported what happened.  A police report has been filed.  If you have any information, please contact the school office or the police department immediately. 

Please be sure to talk to your children about staying away from strangers no matter what and seeking help from friends or neighbors if something like this happens to them.  Even just screaming and running away could potentially save their lives!