Teen arrested in home burglaries in Merced

A 17-year-old boy was arrested Thursday on suspicion of two counts of residential burglary, Merced police said.

Around 6:40 a.m., a homeowner on the 2000 block of Princeville Court heard his garage door opening and his car running. As the owner opened the interior garage door, he saw someone driving away in his vehicle.

Around the same time, homeowners in the 1700 block of Presidio Court, directly behind the residence on Princeville, also discovered their home had been burglarized.

Police later spotted the stolen vehicle, unoccupied, in the 2500 block of Glen Avenue.

Detectives Rey Alvarez and Jeff Horn were checking the area when they noticed two people walking in the 1000 block of East 21st Street. Police found one of the teenagers had one of the burglary victim’s cellphone in his possession.

The detectives also located the keys to a victim’s vehicle.

During questioning, the juvenile admitted to the residential burglary on Princeville and to taking the vehicle. The juvenile would not say who was with him but told investigators the individual he was stopped with had nothing to do with the burglaries, police said.

The second individual was questioned and released pending further investigation, police said.

The 17-year-old also admitted to his role in the burglary on Presidio Court, and his involvement in another burglary and vehicle theft last week in the 1100 block of Tioga Court. That vehicle had already been recovered by police.

Detectives believe the juvenile has been involved in other burglaries and will conduct a follow-up investigation.

This story was originally published August 6, 2015 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Teen arrested in home burglaries in Merced."