Irvine officers arrested a suspected serial burglar who posed as a food delivery person to break into homes in Orange County. Hetty Chang reports for NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19, 2024.
Investigators in Irvine arrested a Monrovia man Tuesday on suspicion of committing a series of burglaries that started back in November 2023.
Police said Marcus Allen Corner, 37, posed as a food delivery person in those burglaries while he cased homes to break into.
His crimes are caught on several security cameras.
“In one of the videos, it’s actually a Starbucks bag with a receipt stapled on it, much like you would see if someone was carrying out to deliver it,” Kyle Oldoerp, a public information specialist with the Irvine Police Department, said. “It allows him to wander around the area, check his phone. If anyone challenges him, he’s there to do a Door Dash delivery.”
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Two weeks ago, Corner broke into a condo unit at Avenue One on Scholarship near Dupont Drive, using the same technique.
“The suspect was passing by our front door at the same time I was leaving my home,” the residents who did not want to be identified said. “At the time, I wasn’t thinking anything of him.”
After the husband leaves, Corner rings the doorbell to check if anyone’s home, according to police.
“Ten minutes after, RING cam shows him opening our door from the inside,” said the victim. “Turns out, he got access by breaking our second-story loft window as it was completely shattered when I got home.”
The couple said the burglar stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.
“Very sentimental pieces that her parents got her when she was a baby, definitely emotionally hurt the past two weeks,” said the husband.
“They’re irreplaceable items, but I think at the end of the day, neither of us are injured,” said the woman.
Irvine police believe Corner is responsible for at least four burglaries in Irvine since November, including one on Michelson Drive, another at the Villages at the Spectrum as well as one at the Skyloft apartments.
They believe there are many other victims out there and hope people recognize the suspect’s distinctive tattoos and his food delivery bag.
“That’s actually how we tracked him down. We posted this on our social media,” said Oldoerp. “A victim noticed him from a burglary she had not reported, so she reported it to her police department. A lot of great police work went into it. We arrested him yesterday.”
Police believe Corner could have been behind more burglaries in Orange and LA Counties.
