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2 arrested for stealing food from Pacific Grove school after blood trail found
Updated: 10:28 AM PDT Jul 18, 2025
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Two men were arrested for allegedly breaking into Pacific Grove Middle School and stealing food from the cafeteria.Police responded to the burglary report at around 7:40 a.m. on Thursday. Upon arrival, officers discovered signs of forced entry through a broken cafeteria window.Gabriel Mario Guertin, 23, and Zachary Shelby Malone, 22, both of Pacific Grove, were identified as the suspects, police said. During their investigation, officers found extensive evidence, including large amounts of blood, bloody footprints, and a blood trail leading from the point of entry. Police determined that Guertin had injured himself while forcing his way into the building, cutting his hands and feet and suffering a head injury after falling inside the cafeteria. The blood trail was followed until it disappeared.Reviewing surveillance footage, police confirmed the suspects’ identities. Inside the cafeteria, officers found that multiple money tills had been opened, but no money was stolen. However, a significant amount of food and food products were missing from a walk-in refrigerator. Some of the stolen items were later located near Hillcrest Avenue.The suspects were apprehended around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. After confessing to the burglary, they were booked into Monterey County Jail.Both men were on active probation and had been arrested multiple times previously. Guertin’s extensive criminal history includes arrests for domestic violence, false imprisonment, probation violations, DUI, providing false information to officers, and resisting arrest. Similarly, Malone has a record involving vandalism, DUI, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, battery, loitering, child abuse, and criminal conspiracy. Just two days prior, Malone had been arrested in connection with an unrelated battery case, per police.Both suspects now face charges of burglary and conspiracy and are being held at Monterey County Jail with bail set at $20,000.
PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. —
Two men were arrested for allegedly breaking into Pacific Grove Middle School and stealing food from the cafeteria.
Police responded to the burglary report at around 7:40 a.m. on Thursday. Upon arrival, officers discovered signs of forced entry through a broken cafeteria window.
Gabriel Mario Guertin, 23, and Zachary Shelby Malone, 22, both of Pacific Grove, were identified as the suspects, police said.
During their investigation, officers found extensive evidence, including large amounts of blood, bloody footprints, and a blood trail leading from the point of entry.
Police determined that Guertin had injured himself while forcing his way into the building, cutting his hands and feet and suffering a head injury after falling inside the cafeteria. The blood trail was followed until it disappeared.
Reviewing surveillance footage, police confirmed the suspects’ identities. Inside the cafeteria, officers found that multiple money tills had been opened, but no money was stolen.
However, a significant amount of food and food products were missing from a walk-in refrigerator. Some of the stolen items were later located near Hillcrest Avenue.
The suspects were apprehended around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday. After confessing to the burglary, they were booked into Monterey County Jail.
Both men were on active probation and had been arrested multiple times previously.
Guertin’s extensive criminal history includes arrests for domestic violence, false imprisonment, probation violations, DUI, providing false information to officers, and resisting arrest.
Similarly, Malone has a record involving vandalism, DUI, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, battery, loitering, child abuse, and criminal conspiracy. Just two days prior, Malone had been arrested in connection with an unrelated battery case, per police.
Both suspects now face charges of burglary and conspiracy and are being held at Monterey County Jail with bail set at $20,000.