Wanted Parolee Arrested After Hiding in Wall of Pasadena Home for Nearly 3 Hours

Police and state custody agents took a wanted parolee into custody Thursday after they say he hid inside a wall of a Pasadena home for nearly three hours before a police K-9 sniffed him out.

Hector Treto, 39, of Altadena was ultimately taken into custody about 6:15 p.m. following the lengthy search in the 200 block of East Howard Street, according to Pasadena police officials and Los Angeles County booking records.

California Department of Corrections officials had been looking for Treto, who was already on parole and wanted for new alleged crimes including identity theft and leading police on a pursuit, when they tracked him to the house in Pasadena, Pasadena police Lt. William Grisafe said.

Upon searching the home, officials quickly spotted an illegal firearm, he said. But Treto was not seen.

A Pasadena police K-9 sniffed out the suspect, who was found hiding within a wall of the home, the lieutenant said. He was taken into custody without a struggle.

Treto has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2000, when he was convicted of attempted murder and sentenced to five years in state prison, according to L.A. County Superior Court records.

In the 20 years since, Treto has been convicted of crimes including recklessly evading police in a motor vehicle, false impersonation, drug violations, false impersonation, resisting or obstructing police and possession of burglary tools in five separate cases, records show. He was charged with carjacking and kidnapping in 2017, but the case was ultimately dismissed.

At the time of his arrest Thursday, Treto had three separate pending criminal cases involving charges including identity theft, mail theft, possession of burglary tools, drug possession and violating the terms of his Post-Release Community Supervision, or felony probation, according to court records.

Treto was being held without bail pending his initial court appearance.