Alleged jewelry thief arrested in Morro Bay amid string of burglaries

June 2, 2026

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

Amid a string of North Coast burglaries, authorities arrested a Lompoc man who allegedly stole jewelry from a Morro Bay business early Sunday morning.

Shortly before 4 a.m., Morro Bay police officers were dispatched to a burglary alarm at a business in the 800 block of Embarcadero Road. Officers arrived within minutes and discovered a broken front window at the business, according to the Morro Bay Police Department.

Officials contacted the property owner, who confirmed a significant loss, primarily consisting of jewelry.

Shortly after 4 a.m., while officers were investigating the burglary, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies conducted a traffic stop for a vehicle code violation within the city of Morro Bay. Deputies contacted the driver, 27-year-old Ryan Michael Coats, and observed narcotics and drug paraphernalia inside the vehicle.

Deputies then searched Coats’s vehicle and discovered a large quantity of jewelry.

Morro Bay officers arrived at the scene of the traffic stop and determined the majority of the recovered jewelry was stolen from the Embarcadero Road business.

Authorities arrested Coats on charges of burglary, receiving or possessing stolen property and theft with two or more prior convictions.

Last month, thieves burglarized jewelry stores in Cambria and Cayucos, incidents the SLO County Sheriff’s Office is investigating.

Shortly before 11 p.m. on May 15, two thieves smashed a glass door while breaking into McLean Jewelry on Ocean Avenue in Cayucos. The thieves then snatched gems and precious metals valued at between $4,000 and $5,000 before fleeing from the location.

Then on May 27, a burglar broke into Artifacts Gallery in Cambria and stole more than $10,000 worth of jewelry.

Investigators ask that anyone who has information related to the string of burglaries contact the Morro Bay Police Department or the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.