South Lake Tahoe man faces burglary charge in connection with Patient to Patient marijuana collective break-in

Submitted by Editor on Thu, 08/09/2012 - 12:40pm

South Lake Tahoe authorities have arrested a local man in an alleged burglary attempt at the Patient to Patient marijuana collective.
Leslie Decker, 24, of South Lake Tahoe faces a charge of burglary after he was found on Wednesday night crawling out from a glass door that had apparently been broken with a cement cinder block, said Lt. Brian Williams of the South Lake Tahoe Police Department. Also found in Decker's possession were several tools.
On July 9 South Lake Tahoe police arrested two others in a separate burglary.

The following is a press release of Wednesday's incident.

Additional Burglar Arrested at Patient to Patient Collective

On August 8th at approximately 11:30pm, South Lake Tahoe Police Officers Scott Crivelli and Cory Wilson arrested Leslie Decker, a 24-year-old South Lake Tahoe resident, for burglary. The officers were working a grant-funded DUI enforcement detail near the Patient to Patient Collective, when dispatch advised units of an alarm activation at Patient to Patient Collective. Officers arrived less than 60 seconds later and witnessed Leslie Decker crawling out the bottom of a broken glass door. Inside this broken glass door was a cement cinder block, which appeared to have been used to break the glass. Decker complied with the officer’s orders to surrender, and was arrested as he attempted to leave the building. There were no other suspects.

Officers found Decker’s bicycle lying on the ground on the east side of the building. Decker had several tools with him, including on a socket wrench, sockets, a box cutter, and screwdrivers. Decker stated his girlfriend was an employee of Patient to Patient, but would not provide a statement to investigating officers. The investigation is continuing in order to identify what items were stolen in this burglary.

On July 9, 2012, officers responded to a separate burglary at the Patient to Patient Collective. After a complete investigation, officers arrested 19-year-old Ronald “Ronnie” Gionta, and a 16-year-old suspect for the crime.