11 burglars repeatedly ransacked a California woman's home. Then the bears came
After a den of thieves ransacked a rural Northern California home so many times that the owner fled in fear, the property fell into even wilder hands: a group of bears, authorities said.
On Friday, the Butte County district attorney's office announced charges against 11 suspects accused of repeatedly breaking into and stealing from a 64-year-old woman's home. Six additional suspects have also been identified in connection with the burglary ring and have charges pending against them, prosecutors said.
The woman first reported that her home — which is located in a remote area of Lovelock, north of Magalia — was burglarized on April 17.
Then the burglars kept coming back. And back. The situation grew so dire that the homeowner, fearing for her safety, stopped staying in her own house, according to authorities.
The repeated robberies caused so much damage to the woman's home that bears were able to enter the property, prosecutors said. The wildlife intrusion only served to exacerbate the structural disrepair and the woman's financial loss.
Read more: After Eaton fire, bear makes home its own, swimming in pool, dining from trash can, 'definitely not moving'
Investigators from the Butte County Sheriff's Office arrested 10 Magalia residents and one Paradise resident accused of participating in the incursions. Each has been charged with first-degree residential burglary:
Sean Anthony Crua, 43, of Magalia
Nicholas Brown, 37, of Magalia
Mary Ricca, 59, of Magalia
Sefo Sipa, 37, of Paradise
Gavin Dominguez-Feathers, 25, of Magalia
Joey Kupiheanapeahi, 42, of Magalia
Breanna Maier, 32, of Magalia
Michael Barnett, 29, of Magalia
Matthew Bacon, 44, of Magalia
Lindsey McLaughlin, 37, of Magalia
Kayla Goebel, 34, of Magalia
Several of the alleged burglars were released on their own recognizance, despite prosecutors' objections. Crua, Maier, Dominguez-Feathers and Kupiheanapeahi remain in custody at the Butte County Jail with bail set at $50,000.
Barnett and McLaughlin were set to be arraigned Friday afternoon. The identified defendants are due back in court on July 9 and 10.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Yahoo
11 hours ago
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11 burglars repeatedly ransacked a California woman's home. Then the bears came
After a den of thieves ransacked a rural Northern California home so many times that the owner fled in fear, the property fell into even wilder hands: a group of bears, authorities said. On Friday, the Butte County district attorney's office announced charges against 11 suspects accused of repeatedly breaking into and stealing from a 64-year-old woman's home. Six additional suspects have also been identified in connection with the burglary ring and have charges pending against them, prosecutors said. The woman first reported that her home — which is located in a remote area of Lovelock, north of Magalia — was burglarized on April 17. Then the burglars kept coming back. And back. The situation grew so dire that the homeowner, fearing for her safety, stopped staying in her own house, according to authorities. The repeated robberies caused so much damage to the woman's home that bears were able to enter the property, prosecutors said. The wildlife intrusion only served to exacerbate the structural disrepair and the woman's financial loss. Read more: After Eaton fire, bear makes home its own, swimming in pool, dining from trash can, 'definitely not moving' Investigators from the Butte County Sheriff's Office arrested 10 Magalia residents and one Paradise resident accused of participating in the incursions. Each has been charged with first-degree residential burglary: Sean Anthony Crua, 43, of Magalia Nicholas Brown, 37, of Magalia Mary Ricca, 59, of Magalia Sefo Sipa, 37, of Paradise Gavin Dominguez-Feathers, 25, of Magalia Joey Kupiheanapeahi, 42, of Magalia Breanna Maier, 32, of Magalia Michael Barnett, 29, of Magalia Matthew Bacon, 44, of Magalia Lindsey McLaughlin, 37, of Magalia Kayla Goebel, 34, of Magalia Several of the alleged burglars were released on their own recognizance, despite prosecutors' objections. Crua, Maier, Dominguez-Feathers and Kupiheanapeahi remain in custody at the Butte County Jail with bail set at $50,000. Barnett and McLaughlin were set to be arraigned Friday afternoon. The identified defendants are due back in court on July 9 and 10. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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Eleven people were charged in connection with a series of burglaries at a Northern California residence that resulted in so much damage to the home that bears were able to enter it, officials said Friday. Butte County's District Attorney's Office said first-degree residential burglary charges were filed against the group of nearly a dozen suspects accused of repeatedly targeting a 64-year-old woman's home in the small community of Magalia. The first reported incident happened on April 17, 2024, the district attorney's office said. This was followed by more burglaries that occurred so frequently that the woman stayed away from her home, in fear that the burglars would find her there upon returning. The Magalia home sustained so much damage that multiple bears were able to access the inside, causing even more damage. The eleven people charged were: Sean Anthony Crua, 43, of Magalia Nicholas Brown, 37, of Magalia Mary Ricca, 59, of Magalia Sefo Sipa, 37, of Paradise Gavin Dominguez-Feathers, 25, of Magalia Joey Kupiheanapeahi, 42, of Magalia Breanna Maier, 32, of Magalia Michael Barnett, 29, of Magalia Matthew Bacon, 44, of Magalia Lindsey McLaughlin, 37, of Magalia and Kayla Goebel, 34, of Magalia. Crua, Maier, Dominguez-Feathers, and Kupiheanapeahi all remain in custody of the Butte County Jail with bail set at $50,000, the district attorney's office said. Brown posted bail and the rest were released on their own recognizance, despite prosecutors objecting. All are expected back in court for further arraignment on July 9 and 10.
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