South Pasadena Police Nab Alleged Porch Pirate

SOUTH PASADENA, CA — A 26-year-old Los Angeles man with an outstanding warrant for a prior theft has been arrested for allegedly stealing a package from the front porch of a home in South Pasadena, police said Thursday.

An officer was conducting an unrelated investigation about 6:05 p.m. Tuesday in the 1200 block of Huntington Alley when he saw a man -- later identified as John Vallejo -- smoking and carrying a large unopened shipping package, according to the South Pasadena Police Department.

"The officer contacted Vallejo to advise him of a local ordinance prohibiting smoking near multi-family housing," according to a police statement. "During the contact, Vallejo gave conflicting information regarding the package and how he came to be in South Pasadena. Further investigation revealed the package had been stolen from the front porch of a nearby residence."

Vallejo was arrested and during booking officers found drug paraphernalia and other items found to have been taken from a residence in Alhambra, police said.

Vallejo remains jailed in lieu of $30,000 bail, according to sheriff's inmate records.

City News Service