MARIPOSA & MERCED COUNTIES — Monday, Jan. 31, 2022, two search warrants were served by the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Department in Merced County in relation to a smash-and-grab burglary that had taken place the day before. One of the search warrants was served in Planada and the other in Le Grand, both in Merced County. As a result, Jesus Moreno (43) and Anna Orozco (36) were taken into custody and booked into the Mariposa County Adult Detention Facility.
Burglarized Again
According to the Press Release from the Mariposa Sheriff’s Department, this is the second time Coast Hardware in Mariposa has been burglarized in the same manner. This time, early Saturday morning on Jan. 30, several suspects were reported to be breaking the large display windows in the front of the store and removing items.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived quickly, but not before the suspects had left the scene. Next, the deputies sifted through the evidence left at the scene and reviewed security camera footage. Through the camera footage they were able to obtain a license plate number from a vehicle that was reportedly involved in the burglary.
Two for One
The day after the burglary, Sheriff’s had enough evidence to serve two arrest warrants. Their first stop was to a home in Planada where they found several items connected to the Coast Hardware burglary. Jesus Moreno (43) was taken into custody. It was also discovered that Moreno had two outstanding warrants in Mariposa County.
Their next stop led them to Le Grand where they once again found more items connected with the burglary. There, they took Anna Orozco (36) into custody.
Sheriff Jeremy Briese Responds
“Being able to identify these suspects quickly and restore a level of peace for our community and business owners is a big win for us. Dirt bag criminals like these are NOT welcome in Mariposa County. Your Sheriff’s Office continues to take a hard stance on all crimes that hurt our community and incite fear among our residents. We will continue to use all of our resources on all future crimes that threaten our community.”
Mariposa County detectives are continuing to work both cases and identify additional suspects.