3 Youths Arrested in Car Burglaries

Three Thousand Oaks teen-agers arrested early Friday may have burglarized hundreds of cars owned by Ventura County residents over the past month, sheriff’s deputies said Friday.

Residents in Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo and Agoura have been asked to call the East County Sheriff’s Station if they are missing stereos, credit cards, money, garage-door openers or other items from their cars or garages, Detective Joe Braga said.

The theft ring came to light early Friday when a resident of Myrtle Court in Oak Park called sheriff’s deputies to report seeing three youths using flashlights to look into cars.

Paul Vaijai,19, was arrested about 3 a.m. when deputies stopped his car and questioned him, officials said.

Two juvenile boys, ages 16 and 17, were also taken into custody. Their names were not released because of their ages, officials said.

Braga said the teen-agers admitted they have been stealing from cars and garages for at least a month. They would slip out of their homes after midnight and begin prowling the streets for cars that were unlocked, Braga said.

If they found a garage-door opener in the car, they would use it to open the garage, Braga said. Then they would wait 45 minutes, and if no one emerged from the home to shut the door, the suspects stole whatever caught their eye, Braga said.

The youths hit as many as 20 cars a night, Braga said. During their Friday morning spree alone, they burglarized as many as 18 cars, detectives estimated.

By Friday afternoon, only two victims had called the East County Sheriff’s Station to report thefts or damage, Braga said.

Braga can be reached at 494-8201 or 494-8200.