Burglar Steals Car and Gun from Temecula Home; Suspect in Custody

A 24-year-old Temecula man was arrested early Saturday morning after a search warrant recovered evidence in two burglaries, including one in a Temecula home on Tuesday where a handgun and car were stolen, police said.

Coty Lee Carter, 24, was arrested for felony burglary and possession of stolen property charges and booked into the Southwest Detention Center. Bail was set at $35,000.

On Tuesday morning around 3 a.m., a resident in a home in the 30800 block of Corte Arroyo Vista heard noises inside her home, but didn’t investigate or call for assistance, according to police.

Later that morning around 8:45 a.m., her husband returned home from work and saw that a car was missing from the driveway. When he entered the home he noticed that a burglar had entered through a window and items were missing, including a loaded handgun, according to police. Also missing were keys used to steal the car from the driveway.

Temecula police located the stolen car in the parking lot of the Margarita Summit Apartments in Temecula and obtained a search warrant for an apartment in the 42200 block of Margarita Road on Friday.

During the search police recovered two cars and property from two separate burglaries, according to authorities. Anyone with further information is encouraged to contact Investigator Mejia or Investigator Dickey at the Temecula Police Department at (951) 696-3000.