ORINDA — Two men in their 40s have been arrested and charged with three felonies for allegedly breaking into a fenced area at Wilder Park and stealing a trailer, court records show.
The suspects, aged 47 and 49, have been charged in relation to the March 11 theft, but police say they’re investigating whether one or both of them are responsible for other thefts in the area. In late 2023, the Lamorinda Rugby Club’s facility at the nearby Orinda Sports Complex was burglarized twice, each time for a trailer, with a total estimated loss of around $17,500, police said.
The 47-year-old man has been released on bail and the 49-year-old remains in jail in lieu of $210,000 bail, court records show. Their arraignment has been set for April 18.
The suspects were caught red-handed, according to police. Orinda officers responded to an alarm call at a corporation yard at Wilder Park. The two men allegedly hitched the stolen trailer to a Chevrolet Silverado but were only able to make it a half-mile before the cops caught up with them.
Police subsequently raided the 49-year-old man’s Antioch home and found Lamorinda rugby bags, a machine similar to one that had been reported stolen from the club, suspected burglary tools and methamphetamine, authorities said. They also allegedly found guns and firearm parts.