Font ResizeLAFAYETTE — Police arrested two women early Monday who they say burglarized at least one home and tried to burglarize two others.
Authorities said both suspects, 31-year-old Dorothy Parker, of Oakland, and 28-year-old Lindsey Dewitt, of Mountain View, are on parole and had warrants out for their arrests on unrelated burglary and weapons violations charges.
Police first began looking for the suspects around midnight on Garden Lane, after a resident reported that two women tried to steal a delivered package that had been left on a porch, Lafayette police Detective Adam Hernandez said.
The women were confronted by the resident, ran to a green Mitsubishi sport utility vehicle and drove away.
Hernandez said he responded to the area and saw an SUV that matched the description of the burglars' vehicle heading north on Laurel Lane. The SUV stopped in front of a house on Laurel Lane.
Hernandez said he saw one of the women get out of the SUV and ring the doorbell, which was answered by a resident. He walked up and asked Parker what she was doing. She said she needed to make a phone call, he said. He then asked her about the other woman he had seen in the SUV, and Parker tried to run to the car, he said.
At the same time, the other suspect, Dewitt, who had since exited the vehicle, ran from a neighboring home.
Hernandez said he fought with Parker and eventually pepper-sprayed her as she tried to start the SUV. Dewitt was found
Police searched the SUV and found items including laptop computers and other valuables, Hernandez said.
They also found mail addressed to a resident in the 1100 block of Garden Lane. When they drove up to the house, they found the front door open and the rear door broken in.
"Luckily, the resident got all of their stuff back," Hernandez said.
The women were booked into Contra Costa County jail in Martinez.
He said police have taken numerous reports for home and auto burglaries in the area in recent weeks.
Roman Gokhman covers public safety. Reach him at 925-945-4780.
