Full Notification

Palmdale Deputies arrested two suspects Friday 11-4-11 morning after they buried their getaway vehicle in a field next to the location they just burglarized.

Palmdale Station responded to the 2200 Block of West Avenue N-8, in the City of Palmdale when a resident claimed two suspects were stealing items form his work shed. The victim was walking his dog when he noticed a U-Haul truck stuck in the dirt in a vacant lot that backed up to his property. The two suspects approached the victim and asked if he would help them get their vehicle out of the hole they had dug and get them on their way. It was then that the victim noticed his chain link fence had been cut and several of his items in the back of the suspects U-Haul truck.

The victim quickly returned to his home, notified authorities, and began taking photos of the suspects throwing some of his belongings out of the truck and into the bushes. When deputies arrived they detained both suspects and identified that the back of the U-Haul vehicle was full of items taken form a work shed on the victim’s property near where the suspect’s had cut a hole in the properties fence line.

Both suspects claimed they were looking for a friend’s house when they wandered into an overgrown lot and got their vehicle stuck while trying to turn around. They also claimed that the items in their truck where form an estate sale in the Orange County area. What they could not explain was how the hole in the victim’s fence, which was mere feet from the vehicle, occurred or why the property they had in the back of the vehicle, was the same as the property that was missing from the victims work shed. The items that were taken from the home included tools, sport memorabilia, electronics.

Both Tehachapi men were transported and booked at the Palmdale Sheriff Station on charges of Burglary, Grand Theft, and Receiving stolen Property. William Gallardo is currently being held on $50,000 bail while Joseph Rakisits is currently being held on $200,000 bail due to an outstanding arrest warrant stemming from a DUI case. Both suspects are scheduled to be arraigned on 11-8-11 at the Antelope Valley Courthouse.

Prepared by Deputy Robbie Royster