Police make 2 burglary arrests

What authorities said appeared to be a simple grab-and-run burglary could be a third strike for a Santa Ana man after police arrested him with drugs and weapons ammunition, officials said Monday.

Jesse Bess, 26, was arrested Wednesday along with 19-year-old Ciera Stoelting at a home in Santa Ana after police traced a mid-November burglary at Bloomingdale’s in South Coast Plaza to the pair and one other person, officials said.

According to police, the pair were involved in a burglary at the Costa Mesa shopping center where a getaway car waited curbside while someone ran in, grabbed small-ticket items near the exit and raced to the car, which sped off, police said.

A third female was involved in the burglary, police said, though court records show no one else has been charged in the case.

After several weeks of investigating, police followed their case to a home in Santa Ana where they found Bess and Stoelting, Sgt. Greg Scott said. There police found Bess with marijuana, methamphetamines and gun ammo, court records show. Because of Bess’ previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon in 2007 and possessing a weapon on school grounds in 2002, he could be prosecuted for a third strike.

He was on parole for the 2007 conviction, and Stoelting was on probation for her own 2007 felony case.

Stoelting is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. Bess is being held without bail; the pair are due in court Dec. 29.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].