Callers Deluge Police Seeking Stolen Loot

Burglary victims attempting to recover their stolen possessions deluged San Diego police with phone calls Tuesday as detectives continued probing what they described as “a major stolen property operation.”

The calls poured in after police on Monday announced arrests of three men on suspicion of receiving stolen property, said San Diego Police D e tective Gerry Kramer. Merchandise valued at more than $300,000, ranging from pruning hooks to fax machines, was found in residences used by the ring, Kramer said.

Kramer announced two more arrests Tuesday, those of William (Bucky) Cottingham, believed to be in his 40s, and Dorothy May Curtis, 49, both of the 800 block of North 41st Street in San Diego. The two were booked into County Jail on suspicion of possessing stolen property.

Cottingham’s brother, George Cottingham, was arrested Sunday in National City after a failed burglary attempt. The two brothers shared their East San Diego house with Curtis. Leon Famera, 56, of El Cajon and Allen Mitchell, 71, of San Diego were booked Monday on suspicion of receiving stolen property.

Many callers claimed Tuesday to have picked out their stolen belongings from the television news footage of the clandestine warehouse where they were kept, Kramer said. “The thing I tell them is, don’t call us, we will call you,” he added.

Police say they have uncovered the loot from as many as 100 burglaries in the county that occurred during the past two months. An ounce of cocaine and a small arsenal of shotguns and pistols have also been recovered, Kramer said.