Simi Man Arrested in Home Burglary

A Simi Valley man was in custody Tuesday on suspicion of stealing computer equipment and videocassette recorders from an Oak Park home, according to sheriff’s officials.

And Kevin McLaine, 24, may be linked to at least one other east county burglary, said Det. George Masek of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department.

McLaine was arrested after an Oak Park man called police to report a burglary.

The man, who lives in the 500 block of Monteleone Avenue, was awakened by a noise downstairs at about 2 a.m. Monday, police said. Sneaking downstairs, the man spotted a male burglar, who left through the garage with some of the man’s property, including a computer system and VCRs.

The burglar left in an older-model silver Nissan Maxima, and the victim called police when he discovered his belongings missing.

Sheriff’s deputies on an unrelated call about 15 minutes later stopped McLaine, who was driving a silver Maxima, in the 2600 block of Northshore Lane in Westlake. Inside the car, deputies spotted computer equipment and other property and arrested McLaine on suspicion of burglary.

Later that morning, detectives found a cache of golf clubs, cellular phones, watches, cameras, computer equipment--all believed stolen--at a residence in the 200 block of Norfleet Lane in Simi Valley, believed to be McLaine’s house. A “very low estimate” of the value of the goods is $40,000, Masek said.

The serial numbers on computer equipment and a lawn mower found at the Norfleet residence match those from a Sunday burglary report in the 3100 block of Black Hills Court in Thousand Oaks, Masek said.

McLaine is in custody at the Ventura County Main Jail on $125,000 bail, facing burglary charges and outstanding traffic-related warrants.