Irvine investigators arrested a Monrovia man on Tuesday in connection with a series of thefts that began in November 2023.
Police said Marcus Allen Corner, 37, posed as a food delivery man in these thefts and scouted out homes to break into.
His crimes were captured on multiple security cameras.
“One of the videos actually has a receipt stapled to a Starbucks bag, very similar to the ones delivery guys carry around,” said Kyle Olderup, public information specialist for the Irvine Police Department. “This allows the suspect to wander around the area and check his phone. If someone provokes him, he makes a DoorDash delivery.”
Two weeks ago, Corner used the same method to break into an apartment at 1 Scholarship Avenue, near Dupont Drive.
“The suspect walked past my front door as I was leaving my house,” said one resident, who asked not to be named. “I didn't think anything of him at the time.”
Police said after her husband left the home, Corner rang the doorbell to see if anyone was home.
“Ten minutes later, my Ring camera showed him opening the door from the inside,” the victim said. “He ended up breaking a window in the loft on the second floor to get in, and by the time I got home the window was completely shattered.”
The couple said the robbers stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.
“Some of the very sentimental items her parents bought her when she was a baby have definitely hurt her over the last two weeks,” her husband said.
“These are irreplaceable items, but at the end of the day, I don't think either of us were hurt,” the woman said.
Irvine police believe Corner is responsible for at least four thefts in Irvine since November, including one on Michaelson Drive and one at the Villages at the Spectrum and Skyloft Apartments.
They believe there are many more victims and hope people will recognise the suspect's distinctive tattoos and the bag he delivers groceries with.
“That's actually how we tracked him down. We posted this on social media,” Olderup said. “The victim recognized him during a robbery incident that he hadn't reported and contacted the police department. A lot of effort from the police contributed to this. We arrested him yesterday.”
Police believe Corner may have committed additional thefts in Orange and Los Angeles counties.
