Burglary Suspect Arrested

By Lookout Staff

August 30, 2021 -- A Santa Monica man suspected of at least two burglaries in the city this month was arrested early Sunday morning.

Edgar Alexis Matias, 27, was arrested by police responding to a call for a burglary in progress at a home on the 600 block of 7th Street at around 3:20 a.m.

The resident reported seeing a man inside the detached garage through one of the garage’s windows, said Lt. Rudy Flores, the Police Department spokesman.

Edgar Matias (Courtesy SMPD)

When officers arrived at the scene, they established a perimeter around the property and "quickly detained a male coming out," Flores said.

Matias was positively identified by the resident and was arrested and booked for burglary, he said.

A criminal history check found that Matias had prior theft-related arrests, including a burglary that took place in Santa Monica August 13, police said.

Residential burglaries increased last year, bucking a general dip in crime due to the coronavirus shutdown, according to crime data released in February.

Residential burglaries "showed a spike during summer months and elevated pace in the fall/winter," resulting in a 4 percent annual increase -- from 388 incidents in 2019 to 402 last year ("Crime Dips During COVID-19 Shutdown, Calls for Service Plummet," February 19, 2021).

Anyone with additional information concerning this incident should call the Criminal Investigations Division at 310-458-8451 or Santa Monica Department Watch Commander (24 hours) at 310-458-8427.

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