BREAKING NEWS:

Two men arrested Thursday may be behind a laundromat burglary reported early this morning, authorities said.

Costa Mesa police found possible burglary tools and more than 2,400 unrolled quarters in a bag when they arrested Thomas Barber, 47, of Compton and John Hubbard, 46, of Carson at 6:30 a.m. Thursday near Mesa Verde Drive East and Harbor Boulevard, said Sgt. Bryan Wadkins.

Officers pulled the two men over for expired registration tags and discovered the two were wanted for drug- and alcohol-related warrants, Wadkins said. When officers searched the car, they found screwdrivers that had been sharpened into possible lock-prying tools and the bag of quarters.

Today at 12:53 a.m., police received a call from the owner of a laundromat in the 2200 block of Fairview Road who reported that the business’ quarter machines had been burglarized. Police are trying to determine whether Barber and Hubbard are connected with the incident as well as other recent laundromat burglaries in Whittier.

In addition to their outstanding warrants, Barber and Hubbard were held for possession of burglary tools at Orange County Jail.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].