PASADENA >> Police jailed a burglary suspect earlier this week with the help of an alert neighbor armed with a cell phone camera, officials said.
Francisco Ricardo Tafolla, 18, of Pasadena who was already being sought for violating his probation stemming from a previous theft-related conviction, was booked on suspicion of burglary, according to Pasadena police officials and Los Angeles County booking records.
The break-in occurred about 4 a.m. Friday at a house in the 1900 block of East Villa Street, Pasadena police Lt. Jason Clawson said.
A neighborhood resident spotted a man leaving his neighbor’s house with an oversized bag and became suspicious, the lieutenant said. The witnesses snapped a photograph of the man, which was was passed along to police about 7 a.m. once the homeowner confirmed the house had been burglarized.
An officer recognized Tafolla from a previous arrest, Clawson said. Officers soon tracked down the suspect at his Pasadena home.
Electronics and other items allegedly taken from the Villa Street home were recovered, along with, “other evidence,” Clawson said.
The arrest highlights the successful outcomes that occur, “when people are working together to keep their neighborhoods safe,” Clawson said. “If you see something, say something.”
According to county booking records, Tafolla was being held without bail pending his initial court appearance.