Two men were arrested Friday morning on suspicion of burglarizing a home on the 1400 block of Bakersfield St., according to sheriff’s authorities.
Roberto Castillo, 34, and Demetrius Kostos, 36, were taken into custody after attempting to hide in the home, said sheriff’s Sgt. Michelle McPhail.
Deputies responded to a call of a possible residential burglary in progress at about 9:05 a.m. Friday, after a neighbor reported seeing an unknown male force open the front door of the home, McPhail said. The sheriff’s helicopter was called in to assist with the search of the neighborhood just south of Monterey Heights Elementary School.
When deputies arrived, they confronted two men leaving the house in the backyard. According to authorities, both men ran back into the home, and efforts were made by law enforcement to draw them out.
One suspect surrendered to authorities at about 9:50 a.m., and the other was found hiding in the home’s attic a short time later at about 10 a.m., McPhail said.
The Sheriff's K-9 Unit aided in the search of the home, McPail said, though deputies were able to apprehend the suspect by hearing him in the attic.
The investigation prompted a lock down of Monterey Heights Elementary School while deputies searched the area. The incident affected the school for about 30 minutes, according to Glenn Heath, the Lemon Grove School District’s director of human resources.
As a precaution, the school was put in lock down, but was soon able to switch to secure campus status with classroom work going on as normal, Heath said. The secure status was lifted about 10:30 a.m.
Both men will be booked into Central Jail and charged with residential burglary, McPhail said.
A previous report that one person had been detained for questioning was incorrect.
