Suspect Arrested in Connection to 2 Burglaries, 2 Stolen Cars

By LILA SEIDMAN | Reporter

Michael Duarte, a 19-year-old Hispanic male, was arrested Saturday, Dec. 17 in connection with two home burglaries and two stolen vehicles that occurred Dec. 16 in Pacific Palisades, the Los Angles Police Department said.

He was tackled to the ground near the Venice Beach Boardwalk after a car pursuit that began in West Los Angeles and resulted in at least one traffic collision, LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore said. Duarte’s address is listed in Inglewood.

At around 12 p.m., Dec. 16, Duarte allegedly picked a lock to enter a residence in the 15200 block of Mc Kendree Avenue. He took foreign currency worth $230, a gold necklace worth $200, a wallet and the homeowner’s 2005 Acura.

Then, at 9 p.m., Duarte entered a victim’s home in the 15800 block of Asilomar Boulevard through an unlocked door.

According to police, a woman staying at the house in the homeowner’s absence awoke to the sounds of the dog scratching the door and pacing. She opened the door and the dog ran down the stairs and began barking. She then heard a male voice trying to shush the dog. When she asked who was there, Duarte replied, “Oh, I just moved in here.” She saw Duarte, challenged his claim and told him to “get out now!” Moore said.

He grabbed the keys to the victim’s 2010 Mercedes Benz and sped away.

Officers spotted Duarte in the stolen vehicle Dec. 17 on Westwood Boulevard and La Grange Avenue, and began their pursuit near Pico Boulevard and Sawtelle Boulevard once sufficient backup arrived, Moore said.

Duarte did not pull over and instead ran several red lights and stop signs as he traveled west, Moore said. He nearly struck a pedestrian and collided with another car at Venice Boulevard and Walgrove Avenue, but continued on. An LAPD helicopter tracked the entire pursuit.

Duarte pulled over near Dudley Avenue and Speedway and began running towards a crowd of people at the boardwalk before an officer overtook him.

Duarte was not carrying a weapon, but had a key ring with several different car keys on it, including one to the stolen Acura, pinning him to the burglary on Mc Kendree, which he admitted to.

Duarte is currently being held on $50,000 bail.

Investigators have not released information tying Duarte to other recent burglaries in the Palisades, but Moore said it is likely he was responsible for or connected to some. At least 19 home burglaries have occurred over the last three weeks. This week alone, there were nine.

“I think there’s multiple people out there,” Moore told the Palisadian-Post, adding that he “wouldn’t be surprised if [Duarte] was responsible for a good portion of the break-ins that have happened.”

One day after Duarte was arrested, at 7:15 p.m., Dec. 18, an intruder smashed a door window on Via De Las Olas and took several watches.

The spike in local break-ins in previous weeks prompted LAPD to list the Palisades as a “mission area,” meaning that a helicopter and undercover police could be deployed. Unless the break-ins drop significantly as a result of Duarte’s arrests, Moore believes the mission status will persist.