Suspect arrested in string of Orange County storage-unit burglaries and mail thefts

Irvine Police arrest suspect in storage-unit burglaries, seek possible victims of identity theft

Irvine, Calif. (Nov. 21, 2016) – The Irvine Police Department (IPD) has arrested Lorena Guadalupe Arreguin in connection with a string of storage-unit burglaries and mail thefts that have occurred from May through November of this year.

Arreguin and at least two other suspects are believed to have stolen mail from North Tustin, Newport Beach, Laguna Woods and Costa Mesa. The suspects are further accused of using other people’s identities to obtain storage units, then committing burglaries at those locations. The suspects have taken paperwork including bills, credit cards and more, and have attempted to open credit accounts using the stolen information. There have been more than 20 such storage-unit burglaries in Irvine, Santa Ana and possibly other cities.

The Irvine Police Department reminds the public never to store sensitive personal information in public storage facilities. It is best to shred old documents once no longer needed, or keep them in a safe place at home. While old documents of this nature are of little or no use to those of us hanging on to the information, they represent a gold mine for criminals looking to commit fraud.

If you have a storage unit, you are encouraged to check to confirm that all of its contents are in order. Anyone who has had a mail or storage-unit theft in the last six weeks or who has had a fraudulent credit inquiry during that time period is asked to contact Irvine Police Detective K. Valentine at 949-724-7188 or kvalentine@cityofirvine.org.