Canyon Burglar Evades Saturday Manhunt
Written by 991KBU on October 8, 2018
He got away.
A man who may have been the guy burglarizing offices in Malibu Canyon … who was videoed carrying a rifle in one raid … was spotted on Saturday at Tapia Park.
That’s about a mile south of the main Malibu Creek State Park … where a camper was shot and killed inside his tent last summer.
No arrest has been made in that case … and there has been no firm link established between the killing and the series of burglaries in the canyon … where food has been stolen.
The suspected burglar was spotted midday by a park worker.
He asked for a ride out of the canyon.
A huge search effort was started … but most of the tactical equipment didn’t arrive for several hours.
The steep canyon was not searched until an hour before sunset.
And the search was called off at nightfall.
The campground remains closed … but hikers were not evacuated.
One of them … Lydia Dallinger of North Hollywood … told KBUU News on Saturday that she knew something was amiss.
NEWSCART 77851 LYDIA DALINGER :24
QQQ: we’re done hiking now
“Well about halfway through walking, there started to be the sheriffs department helicopter flying around pretty close, just circling.
“Then, as we started coming out there was more and more helicopters, now it’s like there are three.
“And they just keep circling around getting closer and closer to the ground.
“We’re not sure what we had, we thought maybe a hiker got hurt.
“We did not know there was a guy running around.
“I’m glad we’re done hiking now.”
Dozens of hikers were allowed to remain in the main part of Malibu Creek State Park while the manhunt was underway … about a mile to the south.
The canyon burglar may be a survivalist … living in the thick underbrush.
Detectives have not linked the canyon burglar to the murder last summer.
But they have not ruled him out … either.
