Assault leads to burglary arrest

August 3, 2010

Police say suspects in a string of local church and business burglaries had evidence of their deeds in a hotel room they had checked into. Officers discovered a printer, electronic equipment and personal identifications that did not belong to the suspects at the Arroyo Grande Motel.

Shawn Stankewitz, 26, and Teresa Longhofer, 24, both of Arroyo Grande, checked into the hotel on July 25. Shortly afterwards, Stankewitz allegedly assaulted one of the hotel owners and then fled in a U-Haul truck leaving Longhofer behind.

Police officers went to Longhofer’s room to evict her from the motel and spotted the stolen equipment. After she left the room, officers followed her to a home where she hid in the shadows, police said.

“We wanted them both. We let her go and followed her,” said Arroyo Grande Police Commander John Hough. “He came by flashed his lights and she jumped in the truck.”

Officers arrested both Longhofer and Stankewtz for receiving the stolen property they had discovered in the motel room and booked them into the San Luis Obispo County Jail.

Officers then discovered the U-Haul Stankewitz was driving had been stolen from Grover Beach.

On July 26, as Stankewitz was being released on bail, police rearrested him for receiving stolen property, being in possession of a stolen vehicle and fraudulent use of a credit card.

As part of their continuing investigation, officers searched a storage unit Stankewitz had rented in Grover Beach and discovered 45 items that had been stolen during burglaries. Victims include Aspect Studios in San Luis Obispo, Cross Canyon Vineyards in Arroyo Grande and the United Church of Christ In San Luis Obispo.

The San Luis Obispo District Attorney’s office filed additional charged of receiving stolen property against Stankewitz who had been released on bail.