Manhattan Beach police arrest man for multiple home burglaries, other crimes
Christian Andrew Murphy, 22, of Gardena. Courtesy of MBPD
Manhattan Beach police early Thursday arrested a Gardena man believed to be responsible for at least seven home burglaries and thefts since April.
Christian Andrew Murphy, 22, of Gardena was booked on three counts of residential burglary and one auto theft, but MBPD’s subsequent interviews with him has revealed his connection to another three incidents, including theft from an unlocked car, Sgt. Paul Ford said.
Early morning on Thursday, Murphy entered an unlocked home in the 400 block of 21st Street while the family slept and fled with electronic equipment and the victim’s car, which he abandoned a few blocks away, according to police. Using an undisclosed method, detectives tracked the suspect down back to a Gardena hotel, where he was living at the time. After arresting Murphy, police searched his hotel room and discovered his loot from prior burglaries and thefts in Manhattan Beach.
The investigation is ongoing, Sgt. Ford said. Police believe Murphy acted with an accomplice in at least one of these crimes.
His bail is set at $150,000.