A California man posed as a delivery driver in order to break into homes and steal thousands of dollars worth of items, authorities say.
Marcus Allen Corner, 37, of Monrovia was arrested on Wednesday in connection with burglaries dating back to November 2023. Irvine Police Department tracked him down via social media.
Footage of the crimes were caught on surveillance cameras located in residential areas.
“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 police spokesperson, told NBC4 Los Angeles.
“It allows him to wander around the area, check his phone. If anyone challenges him, he’s there to do a DoorDash delivery.”
The man used the delivery driver trick to break into a unit at a condominium complex in Irvine, about 45 miles south of LA, police say.
One couple told NBC that the man stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry from their unit. Their RING doorbell cam showed the man passing by the couple’s front door then returning to ring the doorbell to check if anyone was inside.
When no one answered, he broke into the home by gaining access to a second-story loft window. Footage later caught the man opening the front door from the inside. The window was shattered when the husband returned home.
The stolen jewelry included pieces that had been given to his wife when she was a baby. “They’re irreplaceable items, but I think at the end of the day, neither of us are injured,” the wife said.
The suspect is responsible for at least four other burglaries, police said. Authorities are urging anyone who believes they may be a victim to come forward.
