Suspect in Series of Jewel Heists Arrested

Orange County sheriff’s investigators arrested a 21-year-old Fallbrook man Wednesday in connection with a series of jewelry heists in the upscale Nellie Gail Ranch community of Laguna Hills.

Brian Gilstrat was arrested without incident at his home in north San Diego County, authorities said, and is a suspect in at least one of the burglaries. He was being held at the Vista jail on $25,000 bail.

Sheriff’s Sgt. Roger Neumeister would not elaborate further on the arrest, saying the investigation is ongoing.

Since January 1998, the hilltop community has had 11 burglaries in which only jewelry was stolen, investigators said. In all cases, the burglar or burglars entered the houses through open doors or windows and escaped with thousands of dollars worth of jewelry.

The latest in the series of break-ins was Saturday evening, when two homes were burglarized and an estimated $120,000 worth of jewelry was taken.

Officials say Wednesday’s arrest was the result of a combined effort by several agencies, including Laguna Hills investigators and a special countywide task force.