Man arrested for allegedly stealing another man's pants
By Nancy Needham nancy@theacorn.com

Mauricio Guzman will never forget when his pants were stolen along with everything in his pockets last June.

The person who took his pants used Guzman's credit cards to go on a spending spree at a dozen or more businesses near Thousand Oaks Boulevard while Guzman was exercising at 24 Hour Fitness in Thousand Oaks. During his workout he thought his pants and other personal items were safely protected inside a locker in the men's dressing room.

Last week Edwardo Torres, 37, residence unknown, was arrested in Northern California on a warrant from Los Angeles County for suspected burglary. According to Ventura County Sheriff's Department Dep. Detective Russ King, Torres is also a suspect in three burglaries in Thousand Oaks, including the Guzman stolen pants case.

"We've arrested two suspects in gym burglaries in the last two months," King said.

Torres is in Los Angles County Jail, where the Ventura County District Attorney's office has filed six felony warrants against him for a variety of crimes including identity theft and burglary. A $250,000 bail has been set for the Ventura County crimes, King said.

Van Nuys, North Hollywood and Santa Monica police are also looking into possible connections to similar crimes in their areas, King said.

Guzman said he's glad an arrest was made and hopes whoever committed the crime gets punished with jail.

"The person was going around with an easy life while others work hard," he said.

Taken from Guzman last June, after the lock holding his valuables was broken off the locker, were his jeans, cellphone, prescription eyeglasses and wallet with six credit cards.

"Anyone who would take someone's prescription glasses is really a bad person," Guzman said.

After the burglary, Guzman contacted his wife and asked her to cancel his credit cards. When he got home, he learned the credit card companies would stop the cards only at his- the cardholder's- request.

By the time he called them himself, more than $2,600 in charges had been rung up in stores within walking distance from the gym, he said.

Hundreds of dollars were spent at a surf store and a golf store. Chili's restaurant was one of the stops as was the Macaroni Grill next door. More than $100 in gift certificates were purchased, Guzman said. Within a couple of hours purchases were also made at Sports Authority, Barnes & Noble, Restoration Hardware, Verizon Wireless, Starbucks, Mann Theatres and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Guzman does not expect to recover what was taken from him, he said.

"I learned people should make a photocopy of all the credit cards they keep in their wallets along with the phone numbers to the credit card companies- then keep that information in a safe place at home," he said. "That will make it a lot easier to cancel cards if the wallet is gone."

King emphasized that people should leave their valuables at home when they go to any gym. Their workout clothes should have pockets where they can secure their gym membership cards, keys and driver's licenses. Don't even leave those items in the car, he said.

"This type of burglary could happen anywhere," King said.