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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Sheriff's investigators have arrested four men, described as a crew of career criminals suspected of committing a series of knock-knock burglaries in Los Angeles County, it was announced today.
Detectives with a burglary-robbery task force saw four suspects commit a residential burglary about 12:35 p.m. Monday in the Brentwood area, according to sheriff's officials.
“The detectives saw the suspects, who were in a maroon Kia Optima sedan, driving slowly through neighborhoods in the West Los Angeles and Brentwood areas,” according to a sheriff's department statement.
The Kia was found parked in the 500 block of Hanley Avenue, where detectives saw three suspects run out of a yard and get into the car, officials said.
“A short time later, detectives confirmed that the three suspects had burglarized a residence,” according to the sheriff's department. “The Kia quickly drove away from the neighborhood toward Sunset Boulevard.”
Detectives and Los Angeles Police Department officers were about to pull the vehicle over when it abruptly stopped along Kenter Avenue at Tigertail Road. The Kia was facing patrol vehicles and the driver, later identified as 25- year-old Kenneth Osteen of Compton, accelerated and collided with an LAPD vehicle, the sheriff's department reported.
Officers and detectives managed to apprehend all four suspects who were inside the Kia and recovered stolen property and cash from the suspects and the car, officials said.
“The recovered property was confirmed to be stolen from the residence the suspects were observed exiting,” according to the sheriff's department.
Investigators say the suspects and the Kia were the subject of an ongoing burglary investigation.
In addition to Osteen, who was booked on suspicion of residential burglary and assault on a police officer and remains jailed in lieu of $1 million bail, the other suspects were identified as Jawon Buford, 19 of Carson; Arron Molina, 22, of Los Angeles; and Kristopher Pollard, 22, also of Los Angeles.
Buford, Molina and Pollard were also booked on suspicion of residential burglary and were each being held in lieu of $1 million bail, the sheriff's department reported.
At the time of the arrests, Osteen was on probation for a weapons violation conviction, Buford was free on bail after a November burglary arrest and Pollard was free on his own recognizance after a February burglary arrest, according to the sheriff's department.
Buford and Molina were described the authorities as documented South Los Angeles gang members.
Photo: Los Angeles Police Department