Arrest made in connection with local gym burglaries
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

Thousand Oaks gym members should always be careful about what they leave in gym lockers if they don't want to lose their pants, but their valuables may now be a little bit safer.

Police arrested a man suspected of at least 13 burglaries at Thousand Oaks gyms over the past three months. Christopher Lucas, 40, of Inglewood was arrested in South Los Angeles and charged with possession of stolen property. After further investigation by the Los Angeles and Ventura police departments, Lucas was linked to the Thousand Oaks burglaries, Detective Eric Buschow said.

The suspect was in good physical shape and wore athletic attire to blend in at gyms. He allegedly engaged in small talk with potential victims in locker rooms before using a bolt cutter concealed in a backpack to remove locks from lockers and take wallets, car keys and other valuables, according to a police report.

Lucas reportedly told investigators he decided to commit the crimes after he himself was the victim of a gym robbery.

Many fitness centers, realizing they are prime targets for crime, have installed video cameras and now log their members in and out, Buschow said.

As gyms become more secure, criminals are going to figure that out and go somewhere else to commit crimes, he said.

But precautions should always be taken, he said. "People should leave stuff at home, even if they lock their lockers," Buschow warned.

Police have not yet caught the man who stole Mauricio Guzman's pants, cellphone, prescription eyeglasses and wallet with six credit cards last June. Guzman's items went missing during his 40-minute workout at 24 Hour Fitness in Thousand Oaks on a Sunday afternoon.

By the time he notified his credit card companies, $2,600 in charges had been rung up in stores within walking distance from the gym.

Police described the suspect in that theft as a Hispanic male with black hair, about 35 years old, 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 165 pounds.