‘Dinnertime’ suspect dished up an arrest

Paul Keesling wasn’t arrested after any dramatic chase. He wasn’t wrestled to the ground struggling to break free and escape the authorities.

No, Keesling, who Newport Beach police said has been on the lam since they linked him to dozens of home burglaries worth millions of dollars stretching from Santa Barbara to San Diego, was caught when San Diego police stopped him for throwing a cigarette on the beach, officials said.

Keesling, whom police have dubbed the alleged “Dinnertime Burglar” for the hours police said he would frequently burglarize homes, was arrested Tuesday by San Diego police when officers tried to give him a ticket.

Keesling, 48, of Lancaster is suspected of committing more than 20 residential burglaries up and down the Southern California coast. When Keesling was going to be cited by San Diego officers Tuesday, he lied to officers about his name, but they soon figured out his real identity and arrested him on the $3.5-million arrest warrant from Newport Beach police, Lt. Craig Fox said.

Keesling should return to Newport Beach within a couple of weeks, Fox said. San Diego authorities first have to process his ticket there, he said.

“He will be charged with residential burglary,” Fox said. “I’m not sure how many counts.”

Keesling became known as the “Dinnertime Burglar” because he is accused of entering homes between 5 and 11 p.m. to steal jewelry, watches, handguns and other items. Some of the homes he allegedly burglarized are in Newport Beach’s wealthier neighborhoods, mostly on the east side of the city, Fox said.

MICHAEL MILLER may be reached at (714) 966-4617 or at michael.miller@latimes.com. JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.