Suspects Arrested for Stealing Commercial Gardening Equipment, May Be Linked to 30-Theft Spree

Pasadena police say a sharp-eyed Pasadena gardener helped them arrest two men suspected of being involved in a string of as many as 30 gardening equipment robberies which have plagued the West San Gabriel Valley over recent months.

The gardener, a Pasadena resident in his early 40’s, witnessed two men stealing his commercial-grade lawn mower from his parked truck in the 100 block of Orange Grove Boulevard about 2 p.m. Thursday, Lt. Mercado said.

Mercado said the gardener was able to call 911 with a very accurate description of the suspects and the Ford F-150 truck they were driving.

A Pasadena police officer patrolling nearby quickly located the truck and executed a traffic stop. The gardener victim was brought to the scene made a postive field identification of the suspects. The victim’s lawn mower was found in the bed of the truck with other motorized gardening equipment, Mercado said.

Arrested without incident were Manuel Navarro, 33, of Altadena and Jose Alazaga, 28, of Azusa.

The two men generally match the descriptions of the suspects in the numerous cases of stolen motorized gardening equipment reported recently throughout Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale and Pasadena, said Lt. Diego Torres.

Torres said the robbers focused on high-grade gardening equipment. Commercial lawn movers can range from $300 to $1,500 in value, Torres said.