A transient from Santa Maria has been arrested after allegedly admitting to committing three commercial burglaries in Lompoc.
Lompoc Police Department detectives investigated burglaries of local businesses — Kimberly Nails, Washtime Laundry and PJ’s Deli — in recent months.
Shoes autographed by NBA star Kobe Bryant and stolen from P.J.’s Deli were found last month, leading to the arrest of two adults for possession of stolen property plus a third person on a drug-related charge in early June.
Detectives ultimately identified a possible burglary suspect, 33-year-old Angel Govea, who was arrested by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department on July 3 for outstanding warrants.
Police Cpl. Scott Morgan interviewed the suspect, who reportedly admitted to three commercial burglaries.
“Unfortunately, a majority of the stolen items, mostly cash, were not recovered,” police said.
Govea was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail and held in lieu of $60,000 bail.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.