Latest news with #ErikNasarenko
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Yahoo
Chilean foursome arrested in $3-million Simi Valley jewelry heist. Here's what police recovered
Security footage captured inside a strip mall showed three male suspects casing a Simi Valley jewelry store days before it was burglarized last month for more than $3 million in jewelry and other valuables. The men inspected ceiling access, potential camera angles and sat beside the shared wall separating 5 Star Jewelry & Watch Repair and a candy shop it bordered May 20, authorities allege. One of the suspects even mimicked spray-painting over a security camera, authorities allege. Five days later, the suspects broke into the adjacent sweet shop overnight through the roof, used ladders and ropes to propel down, blacked out surveillance cameras and spent hours boring a hole through a wall and into a 5,000-pound safe to make off with jewelry, bullion, cash and heirlooms belonging to the jewelry store's customers, according to a criminal complaint. That security footage was key in arresting four Chilean nationals with ties to an international theft ring, according to Simi Valley police. The suspects were charged with four felonies, Ventura County Dist. Atty. Erik Nasarenko announced at a press conference in front of the jewelry and repair shop Friday morning. Manuel Ibarra, 38, Camilo Lara, 32, Sergio Mejia-Machuca, 27, and Heidy Trujillo, 26, were charged with two counts of conspiracy to receive stolen property and two counts of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary. Read more: Burglars clean out father-son jewelers, snatch heirlooms, 'a lifetime's worth of work' Nasarenko added that the offenses carried additional enhancements since the burglary drew more than $3 million. He added that the defendants could spend between six and nine years in state prison, if found guilty on all counts. All four defendants entered not guilty pleas Thursday and are being held on $100,000 bail. The group is due back in court June 23. A representative from the Ventura County public defender's office was not available to comment on behalf of the accused. Nasarenko thanked Simi Valley police for investigating, arresting and charging the defendants within a short span. 'This happened within three weeks of the date of the alleged offenses, bringing accountability and a measure of justice to the city of Simi Valley and the independent small businesses that make it such a tight-knit and supportive community,' he said. Jewelry store owner Jonathan Youssef described the arrests as 'bittersweet.' Read more: In cinema-style heist, tunneling thieves steal millions in gold, jewels from downtown L.A. store 'It's nice that they're off the streets, but we're not getting much of anything back,' he told The Times. Simi Valley Police Chief Steve Shorts said officers recovered about $600,000 in confirmed stolen property and jewelry, including matches to 5 Star's inventory. He added that more than $20,000 in cash was also recovered. The break-in was reported on Memorial Day. Simi Valley police received a call at 6:33 a.m. from Jonathan and his father, Jacoub Youssef. At the time, Jonathan estimated his store lost between $2 million and $2.5 million in cash and inventory — gold bullion, silver bars, white gold and platinum pieces, multiple high-end watches and center-stone diamond engagement rings. Shorts confirmed that some recovered timepieces were Rolex, TAG Heuer and Omega watches that fit 5 Star's inventory. Most of the stolen inventory consisted of roughly 100 pieces of jewelry from neighborhood clients that were being repaired or restored by the Youssefs. Read more: Long Beach man who bragged about crime on Instagram pleads guilty to $2.6-million jewelry heist Jonathan said he's aware of some of what has been recovered, which includes several loose stones that were 'ripped out of" larger gold jewelry that he believes has already been scrapped. He said the thieves 'were really quick' in unloading the jewelry. 'My father and I are melancholic,' Jonathan said. 'In the end, these criminals are getting a few years of prison time for ruining the lives of so many people and forever damaging so many people. It's a slap on the wrist.' Jonathan said he was thankful for many community fundraisers and online campaigns that have helped recoup a small portion of the losses. Outside the valuables recovered, Shorts said detectives discovered commercial burglary tools and jewelry testing equipment during the arrest of the suspects. He said police also uncovered a firearm taken from a separate pawn shop burglary in Los Angeles in which a wall was similarly breached, but he declined to further discuss other burglaries that the crew may have committed. 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.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- CBS News
Simi Valley police bust sophisticated burglary crew, allegedly tied to $3 million jewelry store heist
The Simi Valley Police Department announced the bust of a sophisticated burglary crew on Friday, responsible for allegedly stealing more than $3 million worth of property from a Simi Valley jewelry store last month. Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said four suspects allegedly connected to the burglary, ranging in age from 25 to 37 years old, pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday to felony charges of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary and conspiracy to receive stolen property. "These were not teenagers burglarizing a local business to score quick cash," Nasarenko said. "Rather, they were sophisticated and skilled professionals who used countersurveillance measures, a collapsable ladder, rope, and power tools to cut through a roof, tunnel through a wall, breach a safe – to take millions in watches, jewelry, cash and other merchandise." Simi Valley Police Department Chief Steve Shorts said at Friday's news conference that the suspects are allegedly tied to a South American theft group, a network known for committing organized and targeted commercial burglaries. "All suspects are Chilean nationals who have been in California for an undetermined amount of time," he said. On May 25 around 11:30 p.m., the suspects allegedly entered the adjoining business of 5 Star Jewelry and Watch Repair through its roof. Shorts said they then tunneled their way through a shared wall into the jewelry store and spray-painted the surveillance cameras once inside the store. A safe containing approximately $3.5 million in cash, high-end watches, and precious jewelry was stolen. The day before, on May 24, Shorts described what could have been a practice run for the suspects, as they used similar tactics to break into Simi Jewelers & Pawnbrokers, but nothing was stolen. Shorts said detectives also located surveillance footage from the shopping plaza where 5 Star Jewelry and Watch Repair is located that showed the suspects allegedly scouting the site five days before the burglary occurred. Through coordinated efforts with local, state, and federal agencies, detectives used surveillance footage, license plate reader data and forensic review of digital evidence to identify the suspects. On June 10, police arrested Sergio Machuca, 28, Manuel Ibarra, 37, Camilo Lara, 32, and Heidy Trujillo, 25, all San Fernando Valley residents. "Some … were actually carrying the stolen merchandise in multiple bags from the jewelry store at the time of their arrest, while others were literally wearing the stolen jewelry," Nasarenko said. During the arrests and subsequent Canoga Park search warrant, detectives recovered large amounts of jewelry, cash, and designer watches, confirmed to be items from the Simi Valley jewelry store, and its adjoining candy shop business. There may be additional cases connected to this group, but police could not provide further details. "But believe me, that is being examined by outside agencies," Shorts said. All four suspects remain jailed on $100,000 bail.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Roundup: 1 nabbed for car ramming in Santa Paula; Ventura dry cleaner agrees to pay $32K
A 26-year-old man was arrested after allegedly ramming his vehicle into another car near Santa Paula and a host of other suspected crimes. Deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office responded to the 19000 block of Telegraph Road around 9:48 p.m. April 24 after the man reportedly drove his vehicle into a car occupied by two adults and two children, according to a news release. The incident occurred in an unincorporated area east of Santa Paula. Deputies from the Fillmore station investigating the incident identified the driver as a 26-year-old from Santa Paula who was on probation for domestic violence and had an active, out-of-county arrest warrant, sheriff's officials said. The man is also accused of robbing a person who had a domestic violence restraining order against him, authorities said. He fled the scene before deputies arrived, prompting a manhunt, officials said. On April 25, the man was located as a passenger inside a vehicle in Santa Paula around 7:40 p.m. and was taken into custody after a traffic stop, authorities said. The driver was not involved. The man was arrested on suspicion of multiple felonies, including four counts of assault with a deadly weapon and first-degree robbery. He also faces misdemeanors for child endangerment and disobeying a domestic court order, according to jail records. He was booked in Ventura County jail with bail set at $250,000. He is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court April 29, court records show. The owner of a closed Ventura dry cleaning business agreed to pay more than $32,000 for improperly disposing of hazardous waste from the business in 2024. The Ventura County District Attorney's office said in an April 22 news release it reached a civil settlement with Shija Cho, the former owner of Unique Cleaners at 207 E. Main St., after an investigation into hazardous materials found abandoned in Los Angeles County. The business closed in June and the next month two 55-gallon drums labeled as hazardous waste from Unique Cleaners were reported abandoned in an alleyway in Reseda. One drum contained perchloroethylene or PERC, a dry-cleaning solvent regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. The second drum held used filters and sludge from dry-cleaning operations, the DA's office said. The agency's Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit investigated the case. Evidence, including interviews, photographs, lab reports and hazardous waste manifests, showed that the drums were unlawfully transported and abandoned off-site. Unique Cleaners failed to provide legally required documentation showing that the waste was collected or disposed of through a licensed hazardous waste hauler, the DA's office said. 'This case reinforces the responsibility business owners have to manage toxic waste responsibly, from generation to final disposal,' said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko in the news release. Individuals and businesses that generate hazardous waste are responsible for its proper storage, transportation and disposal through licensed facilities under state law, the DA's office said. As part of the settlement, Cho agreed to pay $32,065 in civil penalties and costs. The settlement also includes court-ordered terms requiring compliance with hazardous waste laws at Cho's new dry-cleaning business in Camarillo. Authorities arrested two Los Angeles men suspected of burglarizing the North Ranch Country Club pro shop in Thousand Oaks the morning of April 24. The burglary took place at the pro shop at 4761 Valley Spring Drive shortly after 6:30 a.m., the Ventura County Sheriff's Office previously reported. The sheriff's office is contracted to provide police services for the city of Thousand Oaks. Deputies at the scene learned that two suspects had just broken into the building and stolen property before fleeing in a stolen vehicle, according to a news release. The vehicle was not reported stolen at the time of the alleged burglary, sheriff's officials said. Investigators located the vehicle and the two suspects in Los Angeles around noon the same day with help from Los Angeles Police Department. The two men, 61 and 48, were arrested on suspicion of felonies for burglary and conspiracy to commit a crime. The 61-year-old was also arrested for a felony warrant from outside the county. The men were booked into the Ventura County jail with bail set at $300,000 each. They were scheduled to appear in court April 28, according to jail and court records. The sheriff's office is investigating the incident, and anyone with information is asked to call 805-371-8396. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: 1 nabbed in Santa Paula car rammng; Ventura dry cleaner fined
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Company pays nearly $30K for illegal dumping in Grimes Canyon Creek near Fillmore
Advanced Industrial Services, Inc. agreed to pay $29,736 after a driver for the company dumped 150 gallons of petroleum-contaminated wastewater into Grimes Canyon Creek near Fillmore. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office announced the settlement Friday after the case was investigated by both the DA's office and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The company was also ordered to comply with permanent injunctive terms prohibiting the unlawful disposal of petroleum products, the DA's office said in a news release. The case was opened Nov. 1, 2022, when an employee of California Natural Resources Group discovered petroleum byproduct in a dry creek bed at the Dryden oil lease facility in Fillmore. Investigators ultimately traced the materials back to an Advanced Industrial Services-operated vacuum truck using a combination of physical evidence, logbook records, photographs, tire tread analysis and witness statements, according to the DA's office. That evidence showed a temporary employee drove the truck and dumped petroleum-contaminated wastewater into a ravine leading to the creek bed. The driver then left without reporting the spill, as required by law. 'This case underscores the importance of thorough environmental investigations and the critical role of state, and local partnerships to protect Ventura County's natural resources,' said DA Erik Nasarenko in a statement. Authorities urged the public to report any suspected environmental violations to ensure the protection of local waterways and ecosystems. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Company pays nearly $30K for illegal dumping in creek near Fillmore
