We have more information about the arrest of a Landers man suspected of multiple burglaries in Landers recently. On April 10, several Landers residents contacted the Sheriff’s Department to report that they had been burglarized. Stolen items included vehicles, gasoline, and grand theft from unoccupied cabins. Residents also reported several thousands of dollars in damage that occurred during the burglaries. Some of the residents provided Detective Alan Pennington with photos of a suspect, later identified as Robert Jones, 34, riding a gray and black Yamaha Rhino off-road vehicle, along with a side-by-side utility vehicle that was also used during the burglaries.
On April 13, Pennington was called to another burglary in Landers, in which the victim saw some of his stolen property in plain sight at Jones’ home on Lum Lane. Pennington contacted Jones and arrested him for investigation of possession of stolen property and for violating his probation. Pennington identified the Rhino as having been stolen during a burglary in Johnson Valley several weeks earlier, but it was not located at Jones’ home and it’s believed to be stored at another location. An ATV at Jones’ home had been reported stolen in Rimrock in January. Pennington learned that several residents who were victims of burglary had not reported their burglaries to the Sheriff’s Department because they felt the thefts were too small to bother deputies about. The Sheriff’s Department asks Morongo Basin residents to report all crimes as they could be related to another investigation in process. To report a crime, call the Sheriff’s Department at 760-366-4175.
