Second arrest made in series of local commercial burglaries

Authorities have arrested a second suspect in connection with a series of commercial burglaries that hit the cities of Laguna Beach and Newport Beach in December, police said.

Julian Kanuha Kanaeholo, 42, was taken into custody on Feb. 11 by Newport Beach police officers who were acting on an arrest warrant issued by the Laguna Beach Police Department.

The warrant was tied to a series of commercial burglaries alleged to have occurred from Dec. 5 to Dec. 12, police said. Laguna Beach police detectives investigated four incidents of commercial burglary and one attempted commercial burglary within the city limits.

In the course of that investigation, detectives became aware of an additional commercial burglary alleged to have happened on Dec. 12 in Newport Beach, police said.

Kanaeholo was charged with two counts of burglary and one count of felony vandalism, the news release said. Jail records show that Kanaeholo was booked into the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange on Feb. 13.

Laguna Beach and Newport Beach police collaborated to identify the suspects. Jayson Alden Townsend, 47, of Garden Grove was previously arrested by Laguna Beach police detectives on Dec. 23 in Santa Ana in connection with the commercial burglaries.

Authorities charged Townsend with five counts of burglary, two counts of vandalism, and one count of attempted burglary, police said. Townsend was booked into the Central Men’s Jail in Santa Ana on Dec. 24, according to jail records.

Individuals with information about the alleged burglaries are urged to contact Det. Milone at (949) 715-0984. Information can also be provided anonymously by calling Orange County Crime Stoppers at (855)-487-6227.