Written by City News Service
The father of Bryce Laspisa, the 19-year-old who went missing from the Castaic Lake area over a week ago, was the victim of a car burglary today while searching for his son.
The burglary, which took place around 1 p.m. as Laspisa's father searched the Castaic Lake area, was observed by an off-duty Los Angeles police officer who alerted deputies from the Los Angeles County sheriff's Santa Clarita Valley Station, according to the sheriff's department.
Deputies arrested two Los Angeles men -- one 27 and the other 18 -- after chasing the vehicle they were in, said Deputy Josh Dubin of the Santa Clarita Valley Station.
Police recovered possibly stolen items from the vehicle, which itself may have been stolen, Dubin said.
The suspect vehicle became disabled during the chase, which lasted several minutes in the area of Charlie and Tapia canyons, he said.
“This appears to be a crime of opportunity not related to Bryce Laspisa's missing status,” Dubin said.
Bryce Laspisa's SUV was found on its side near Castaic Lake on Aug. 30. He had been driving from Sierra College, north of Sacramento, to his parents' home in Laguna Niguel and phoned his mother to say he was stopping to get some sleep early that morning, but he has not been found.
The body of a male was found burning in the same general area on Wednesday, but authorities have not said if it was Laspisa's.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
