6 Youths Being Investigated for Alleged Theft : Crime: Three former and two current Explorer Scouts and another juvenile were arrested on suspicion of stealing police equipment.

SANTA ANA —  Five youths who are current or former Explorer Scouts are under investigation for allegedly stealing more than $20,000 worth of police equipment, officials said Monday.

Lt. Richard J. Olson, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, said that Paul B. Aburto, 19, of Santa Ana, a former Explorer Scout with the Sheriff’s Department, was arrested early Saturday and charged with burglary after deputies recovered a stolen police radio and a squad car’s roof lights, which had been mounted atop a friend’s truck.

Five juveniles--two current and two former Explorer Scouts, and one who was never in the program--were also arrested, Olson said. They are from Santa Ana, Fountain Valley and Westminster, but their names were not released because of their ages.

One of the five juveniles has already been charged in the case, and criminal counts are expected to be filed against the other four, Olson said.

A complete list of the stolen properties was being compiled, and details of the crimes were still under investigation Monday, but sheriff’s investigators say they believe that the youths were linked to several burglary, theft and arson cases around Orange County in the last three months. They would not provide details of the arson allegation.

Aburto was booked and taken to County Jail. One minor was arrested and taken to Juvenile Hall, and the others were released to their parents, Olson said.

Youths who participate in the Explorer Scouts program with law enforcement agencies help with such activities as drug education and outreach programs, directing traffic during parades and raising the flag at school ceremonies, said Sgt. Larry Jones, coordinator of the Explorer Scouts program for the Sheriff’s Department.

The investigation into the missing equipment began about 1:15 a.m. Saturday, when Fountain Valley police were called to the 8700 block of Shannon River Circle to investigate reports that a 17-year-old claiming to be an Explorer Scout with the Sheriff’s Department was driving a pickup truck with a bar of flashing police lights on its roof and operating a blaring police radio, said Fountain Valley Police Sgt. Larry Griswold.

Olson said information obtained from the teen-age driver of the pickup truck led to searches of homes in Santa Ana, Westminster and Fountain Valley, where other stolen items were recovered. The items included police equipment and protective clothing for firefighters.

Al Walin, who lives nearby, said the screaming radio was keeping him awake, so he called the police. He said several teen-agers in the neighborhood supplied police with information about the stolen equipment and the 17-year-old driver of the truck.

“They had heard stuff through the grapevine,” Walin said. “When they told the police officer this kid had stolen police equipment, his eyes got real big.”

Other neighbors said they often saw the pickup truck driven by the 17-year-old screeching along residential streets of Fountain Valley, with the police radio blaring.

Olson confirmed that Explorer Scouts are allowed to check out radios by signing for them but added that investigators had not yet determined if that was how the radios were obtained.

Sgt. Jones of the Explorer program said the youths who sign up are usually “leaders in their schools.” To be an Explorer Scout for the Sheriff’s Department, a teen must have good grades, Jones said. About 40 youths, ages 14 to 21, are currently enrolled in the program, he said.