"Mountain Bike Bandit" charged with month-long burglary spree in San Fernando Valley

Los Angeles County prosecutors charged the man who police called the "Mountain Bike Bandit" with 36 charges related to a month-long burglary spree in the San Fernando Valley. 

Juan Montes, 26, faces 33 counts of second-degree commercial burglary, one count of attempted burglary and two counts of felony vandalism, according to the LA County District Attorney's Office. Montes pleaded not guilty. He will be held in lieu of a nearly $2 million bail. 

"These repeated break-ins inflict substantial harm on businesses and the communities that depend on them," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. "Whether the victimized businesses are part of a chain or a neighborhood staple, every burglary disrupts operations, threatens workers' sense of safety and impacts the surrounding community."

Prosecutors said Montes allegedly rode a bike around and broke into 36 restaurants in North Hollywood and the surrounding area between Oct. 12 and Nov. 15. Investigators said the burglaries mainly happened in the middle of the night.

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested Montes on Nov. 15 following two early morning burglaries in Studio City.

Officers said Montes was riding a mountain bike and wearing a backpack similar to the one seen in multiple security videos from previous burglaries. They also found burglary tools with Montes.