Full Notification

Daniel Lee Warn, released as part of the State of California Realignment to Post-Release Community Supervision, was arrested in connection with several commercial burglaries that occurred over a two day period.

Over a two night period, July 15 and 16, several businesses in the same general area of south Costa Mesa were burglarized. The majority of the burglaries involved windows being smashed with bricks or other similar objects to gain entry. Losses involved cash taken from cash registers, safes or cash boxes, after the businesses were ransacked, and ranged from $100 to $1,000 being taken.

The first reports, the morning of July 15, involved a Chiropractic business and a DVD store, both located in the 2000 block of Newport Blvd., where bricks were used to break glass entry doors. In the incident at the DVD store, the cash drawer was taken and later found discarded, empty, a block away. Another incident occurred in the 1900 block of Newport Blvd. Upon reviewing store cameras with the business owner, officers learned that the suspect had entered initially at about 1:00 a.m., taking a small safe, and again entered the business at about 4:00 a.m., taking a cash box. Both the safe and cash box were later recovered, empty, in nearby bushes.

The following morning, officers responded to reports of burglaries having occurred at a liquor store in the 100 block of E. 19th Street and the El Pollo Loco restaurant located in the 1900 block of Harbor Blvd. The suspect gained entry to the liquor store by smashing the rear glass door. A review of the store’s camera video showed the suspect running throughout the business attempting to find cash. No loss was reported. At the El Pollo Loco, the suspect gained entry through the drive-up window and a review of the video showed him ransacking through the cash registers in an attempt to find cash. No loss was reported.

Clear images of the male suspect from the El Pollo Loco incident showed him to be wearing a distinctive hat and other clothing. Detectives and Crime Scene personnel began working throughout the morning to identify the subject. Shortly before noon on July 16, employees at the El Pollo Loco contacted Costa Mesa Police reporting that a subject matching the description of the suspect seen on the store video was back at the restaurant, in line to order food. Responding officers and detectives contacted and detained Daniel Lee Warn at the restaurant, where it was found he was still wearing the same clothing and hat. Warn was arrested for burglary and transported to the CMPD Jail. Additional investigation determined that Warn was responsible for all of the burglary incidents described above.

Daniel Warn was transient in the Costa Mesa area and was found to be on Post-Release Community Supervision out of San Bernardino County, as part of the State of California, AB109 Realignment.

Additional investigation is continuing to determine if Warn may be responsible for any other recent commercial burglary incidents. He was subsequently transported to the Orange County Jail with his bail set at $20,000.

Photos from the El Pollo Loco incident and his arrest are attached.