CIGARETTE THEFT SUSPECTS ARRESTED DEPUTIES: MERCHANDISE STOLEN FROM LOCAL STORES COULD TOTAL $47,000-PLUS.

Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Three Los Angeles men authorities have dubbed the ``Smokin' Bandits'' remained in custody Thursday, accused in a series of cigarette burglaries, including six in the Santa Clarita Valley, sheriff's officials said.

Curtis Richardson, 22, of Gardena; Jelani Hutchinson, 22, of Hawthorne; and Trevon Reed, 20, of Los Angeles were arrested by the Sheriff's Department's Major Crimes Bureau after they were traced with the help of surveillance photographs and police records.

``These three are part of a larger group all working together,'' said Detective John Howard of the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station. ``Photographs found on surveillance cameras were compared and studied with known criminals.''

So far, the three have been tied to just one burglary in the Santa Clarita Valley in which 100 cartons of cigarettes worth $4,000 were stolen from the Vons market in the Valencia Marketplace.

``The methods they use are extremely similar,'' said Howard. Reed and Hutchinson also have been tied to a similar burglary in the Bellflower area.

``We suspect that they were involved in at least five others here,'' said Howard, adding that the local thefts amounted to a total loss of more than $47,000. ``There have been at least a dozen more throughout L.A. County.''

The three men have pleaded not guilty in Downey Superior Court and will return to court Dec. 31, when a date will be set for a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to order a trial.

Local detectives worked with investigators from the Major Crimes Bureaus in other county sheriff's stations hoping to identify similarities in the crimes.

``These are all self-admitted gang members,'' said Detective John Hanson of the Major Crimes Bureau, who is investigating 30 similar crimes. ``It's an easy way for them to make money.''

Investigators recovered 171 cartons of cigarettes that had been sold to a Los Angeles-area gas station.

Locally, burglaries took place from August through October, when four markets, two smoke shops and a liquor store were victimized.

Countywide, the burglaries began in June and continued an average of every two days until early this month. All the burglaries occurred early in the day, before the stores opened and at locations with easy freeway access.

In some incidents, the burglars have smashed store windows to enter; in others, they sneaked in as employees stocked shelves.

``On most of them, they would pry the doors open with a tire iron,'' said Hanson. ``They would go in with bedsheets and pillow cases and fill up as much as they can.''

Cigarettes are popular with burglars because they are pricey and easy to resell.

``They go around and then sell them for 50 cents on the dollar,'' Hanson said.