Burglar makes police video to cut jail term

A burglar described by detectives as one of the most prolific thieves in Los Angeles history has had his prison sentence reduced after making a police training video showing how he stole about $16m in goods, including a Degas painting.

Ignacio DelRio, also known as Ricardo Caveda, drew a map that led police to some $400,000 worth of items taken from homes he had buried under a freeway overpass. "He confessed to 1,000 burglaries, and I have been able to find 180 victims so far," Detective Robert Longacre said. He declined to name any of the victims but said they included well-known people in the movie industry.

When he was arrested in early 2006 while raiding a San Fernando Valley home, DelRio was pulling off four jobs a day and was frantic to increase the number because he knew police were on to him. DelRio, 33, of Barcelona, Spain, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of 16 counts of burglary, receiving stolen property and attempted escape. That term has been cut to seven and a half years.