POINT MUGU : Ex-Navy Man Held in Theft of Computers

A 22-year-old Hollywood man, suspected of stealing thousands of dollars of Navy computer equipment, was arrested over the weekend at the Point Mugu Naval Air Weapons Station, authorities said.

Leonel Claude Jr. was taken into custody Saturday by investigators with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and FBI agents following a brief foot pursuit and search of the sprawling base.

About 5:30 a.m., Navy security officers apprehended a man lifting an estimated $20,000 worth of computer equipment out of offices at the base headquarters building, said Alan Alpers, a Navy spokesman.

Prior to finding the former Navy enlisted man, the two security agents discovered a small moving van parked outside of the rear entrance to the building and some broken windows.

Alpers said the suspect was caught in a hallway with seven computers sitting on rolling office chairs.

“They stopped him, asked for his identity and began walking him to the front desk,” Alpers said. “They nearly got him to the desk when he bolted--ran right out the front doors.”

Claude eluded base security officials for six hours, apparently by hiding in a bathroom stall in an adjacent building. He was discovered and arrested about 11:30 a.m., Alpers said.

Alpers said the arrest ended an eight-month investigation of Claude, who was discharged from the Navy in October, 1993. While in the service he was assigned to the Naval Support Force Antarctica, which is based at the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Port Hueneme.

Federal agents are investigating possible links between Claude and other Navy computer thefts, Alpers said.

Alpers said that Claude was on the base with permission Saturday as someone’s guest. Federal officials are looking for the person who invited him onto the base.