South Pasadena Police Catch Pair Burglarizing Apartments Being Fumigated

On Thursday, July 19th, at about 7:15 am, the South Pasadena Police Department received a call of two suspects (male and female African-American adults) possibly burglarizing apartments of a multi-unit apartment complex located in the 600 block of Prospect Ave. The entire complex was tented and recently fumigated.

The female suspect was seen exiting from underneath the tarps of the tented complex by an employee of the fumigation company. The female suspect then met up with the male suspect at the sidewalk corner just north of the location. When confronted by the employee, both suspects fled on foot and several additional employees gave chase. A further investigation revealed that eight apartments had been broken into.

Arriving officers quickly established a containment and additional resources from regional law enforcement agencies including a K-9 from Vernon PD and helicopter support from the Pasadena PD were called in to assist with the search. After an approximately two hour search, SPPD officers on the perimeter were notified by an alert resident that the male suspect was possibly hiding on top of a roof in the 600 block of Orange Grove Av. Pasadena PD’s helicopter flight crew located the suspect and directed ground units to his location where he was taken into custody without incident. Jewelry believed to have been stolen from the apartments was recovered both from the suspect and the immediate area where he was found hiding.

About two hours after the male suspect was arrested, the female suspect was located loitering in the 700 block of Orange Grove Av. by an alert patrol officer and taken into custody without incident. A stolen iPod taken from one of the apartments was found in her possession.

The suspects have been preliminarily identified by the South Pasadena Police as 22 year-old Roderick Marshall and 18 year-old Bonique Dotson, both of  Compton, Calif.

Marshall and Dotson are projected to be booked into Pasadena City Jail on charges of residential burglary and receiving stolen property. The amount of bail for each is undetermined at this time.

South Pasadena PD Detectives are currently investigating this incident. If you believe you may be a victim of this crime or have any additional information regarding this case, please contact SPPD Detectives at 626-403-7280.