Christmas Eve burglary and vandalism of parked cars leads to Redding man’s arrest
REDDING, Calif., — Authorities say a local man who was observed by citizens breaking into and vandalizing vehicles in a Redding parking lot was apprehended after he attempted to flee from officers on Christmas Eve, Friday, Dec. 24.
The burglary, vandalism, and subsequent arrest occurred in the Hobby Lobby parking lot, at 1347 Churn Creek Road, according to officials.
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City of Redding police officers were dispatched to the scene around 3 p.m. after a citizen called 911 and reported seeing a man using a large object to break the windows of a vehicle parked in the lot outside the business, Redding Police Sergeant Chris Mills has since said of the incident and arrest.
Official radio traffic at the time indicated the caller also reported seeing the man rummaging through the vehicle after breaking into it, and that the man was seen looking into several other vehicles parked in the lot.
Alexander Leon was arrested after attempting to flee from Redding officers who responded to reports of a man seen breaking a vehicle window and stealing items from inside the parked car. Redding PD photo
When officers arrived, they found a man, since identified as Alexander Paul Leon, 43, of Redding, wandering around vehicles in the parking lot and attempted to contact him.
Seeing the officers approaching him, Leon fled on foot, running northbound through the parking lot. Despite his attempt to elude capture, he was quickly rounded up and detained without incident by other officers who had responded to the scene.
During their subsequent investigation, officers located a silver Mitsubishi Eclipse with a shattered window in the parking lot and contacted the registered owner. The woman described items that she had left inside her vehicle, including a purse, Christmas gifts of jewelry, and other personal property that officers confirmed had been stolen from the car.
Investigating officers were able to locate and recover the victim’s purse along the path of the foot pursuit, and recovered additional suspected stolen property concealed in Leon’s jacket, according to Mills.
Based on their investigation, officers arrested Leon and he was later booked into Shasta County Jail on suspicion of burglary, vandalism, and resisting arrest.
Online jail records indicate he remains in custody in lieu of $50,000 bail or bond.
Mills used the opportunity to remind area residents that although Christmas has passed, holiday thievery is still to be expected; saying, “Despite our holiday shopping season coming to a close, the Redding Police Department would like to remind everyone to not leave packages or personal items in open view in your car.”
Anyone who believes they may have been victimized during this incident is encouraged to contact Redding PD at (530) 225-4200. Callers can refer to incident file number 21R083656 and can remain anonymous.
Contact the writer: [email protected]
Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).
Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.