Three California Men Charged in Roseburg Pharmacy Burglary — All Later Released
Three California men are facing charges after a Roseburg pharmacy burglary early Friday. Police found evidence after their getaway vehicle crashed on Old Melrose Road. Two suspects posted bail and were released, while the third was cited at the hospital due to crash injuries.
Three men from California are facing charges after a pharmacy burglary early Friday in Roseburg, though none are currently in jail.
Police responded to an alarm at a business in the 1800 block of West Harvard Avenue shortly after midnight. Officers discovered a broken glass door and witnesses who saw two suspects fleeing. Believing a getaway vehicle was involved, officers soon gathered information about a vehicle seen near the scene around the time of the break-in.
About an hour later, police located a vehicle matching that description in the Melrose area. Two men were reportedly lying down inside while another sat in the driver’s seat. When officers approached with assistance from a sheriff’s deputy, the vehicle sped away before they could give chase. Minutes later, it crashed down an embankment in the 5000 block of Old Melrose Road and landed on its side.
Officers and medics rescued the occupants through the rear hatch. While doing so, police said they observed evidence of the burglary inside the vehicle. The driver, identified as Jeffrey Arias, 28, of Long Beach, California, was taken to Mercy Medical Center for injuries. Due to his medical condition, he was not booked into jail and instead received citations for first-degree burglary, first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief, and possession of a burglary tool or theft device.
The second man, Jose Raul Diaz, 27, of Long Beach, was treated for crash-related injuries and then lodged in the Douglas County Jail on the same charges. The third man, Anthony Joe Choto, 27, of Southgate, California, was reportedly uninjured and was also arrested and booked on the same counts.
Police secured the crash site until a judge authorized a search warrant. Investigators recovered items believed to be stolen medications and tools matching those used in the burglary.
Both Diaz and Choto appeared in Douglas County Circuit Court later that day. Judge Jason Thomas set bail at $10,000 for Choto and $7,500 for Diaz. Each was allowed to post a 10% bond and was released after doing so. Both were appointed public defenders with waived fees pending verification and are scheduled to return to court Thursday morning.
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