An L.A. County Superior Court judge sentenced a 24-year-old serial burglar from Canyon Country to three years in an L.A. County jail after he pleaded no contest to charges stemming from a series of July 27 break-ins, according to court records online.
Alex Macias pleaded guilty Oct. 9 to two counts of second-degree commercial burglary in exchange for five of the charges being dropped, according to L.A. County Superior Court records online.
Each of the seven charges came with a special allegation the crimes were committed while Macias was free on his own recognizance after being suspected in several incidents that happened months earlier.
Court records detailed efforts by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station’s Detective Bureau, who tracked down Macias using several observations from the security footage they obtained, including his unique “intoeing” walk and the clothing he wore in all the incidents.
When a detective spoke with other deputies at the station, one remembered Macias from his investigation into a series of thefts in March, in which Macias was identified as a suspect, found to be in possession of the mask and walked in the same unique manner.
Based on the evidence, deputies obtained a warrant for his arrest in August and he was arrested two days later.
Court records indicated Macias made two stops that night on Sierra Highway: Crazy Hot Chicken and Sierra Meat and BBQ.
Security cameras captured “a male adult wearing a full head costume mask resembling a male white adult with gray hair and receding hairline, wearing a short-sleeve shirt and pants,” shattering a glass door and then entering the business through the shattered door.
Detectives then obtained footage showing the same old-man costume mask on a suspect breaking into the Girl Scouts of America in the 18300 block of Soledad Canyon Road, about 30 minutes later.
Across the street, next to the Canyon Country Community Center, Casa Vieja was targeted next.
The suspect then headed west, matching up with the next reported burglary that deputies investigated — Oh Bella Cafe in the 18500 block of Soledad Canyon Road.
A sushi restaurant on Shangri-La Drive, Ichiban Sushi, also was hit, and then finally Route 66, a popular bar and grill on Soledad Canyon Road.
A restitution hearing is being scheduled to determine Macias’ financial liability to the victims once he’s released from custody.
Macias received three years for the first burglary charge and eight months for the second, which are to be served concurrently, for a total of three years in custody.
