COVINA — Fingerprints led to the arrest of three men Tuesday in connection with about 20 residential and car burglaries over the past month, police said.
The arrests were the result of two separate investigations, Covina police Lt. John Curley. One of the probes targeted a series of more than a dozen home break-ins in the north end of town, while the other targeted a series of about half-a-dozen car break-ins.
Michael Finchen, 29, of Covina, was booked on suspicion of burglary, and Jose Villegas, 25, of Covina was booked on suspicion of possession of stolen property in connection with the residential burglary investigation, Curley said.
Officers investigating a break-in Monday at a house in the 1300 block of North Eastburry Avenue was able to collect a latent fingerprint from a bathroom window where the burglar had entered, the lieutenant said.
The fingerprint matched Finchen, Curley said, and detectives also identified Villegas as a possible accomplice. Villegas lives about a block from Finchen.
As police were preparing to serve an arrest warrant at Finchen’s home in the 1400 block of North Fenimore Avenue, Villegas came out of his home to see what the commotion was, Curley said.
Officers arrested him on an outstanding DUI warrant before discovering a stolen Honda in the process of being stripped in his garage, police said, as well as apparently stolen items such as birth certificates and passports in his home.
Finchen was then arrested on suspicion of the Monday break-in without incident.
Detectives continued working to connect Finchen and Villegas to other nearby home burglaries reported over the last month, Curley said.
According to county booking records, Finchen was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail pending his initial court appearance, while Villegas was being held in lieu of $80,000 bail.
Also Tuesday, officers arrested Matthew Aguliar, 20, of Covina on suspicion of an attempted car break-in Sunday in the 200 block of East Puente Avenue, in which police were also able to match the suspect to a fingerprint left at the scene of the crime, Curley said.
Police said they were also looking into the possibility Aguliar was connected to another half-dozen or so nearby auto burglaries since December.
Aguliar’s father, Ray Aguliar, said his son was released Thursday without charges.
Los Angeles County District Attorney’s officials said though Aguliar was due in court Thursday, no case had been filed against him Friday.
Police could not confirm whether the case had been dropped or if Aguliar was released from jail, however criminal charges against defendants being held in custody are generally made within 48 hours of arrest.
