Latest news with #SimiValley
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Freshman quarterback Evan McCalister is Valencia's latest 'secret weapon'
Freshman quarterback Evan McCalister of Valencia High is the younger brother of Denver Broncos defensive back Tanner McCalister. (Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times) Almost every summer, Valencia High football coach Larry Muir tries to make it a mystery as to which of his newcomers projects as a top player. He likes to keep it a secret until after the summer competition is finished. Well, Valencia is headed on its two-week dead period next week, so Muir couldn't hide his thrill watching freshman quarterback Evan McCalister unleash a long pass on the final play Saturday in the Simi Valley passing tournament. The ball was caught in the end zone for a dramatic touchdown by sophomore Michael Wilder as Valencia players roared in delight with a victory over Sierra Canyon to complete a 5-1 afternoon. Advertisement The 6-foot-2 McCalister, 14, has been getting playing time behind returnee Brady Bretthauer since graduating from middle school. There's little doubt he has the arm and mental make-up to become Muir's latest summer sensation, joining the likes of Steven Manfro and Brian Bonner, who were both young, unknown players before using the summer to take off at the running back position. McCalister moved from Texas and is the younger brother of Denver Broncos defensive back Tanner McCalister. "He's very talented," Muir said. "He sees the field really well. He plays beyond his years." Advertisement Saturday was the busiest day so far for summer football competitions. Burbank won the Simi Valley championship by beating the host Pioneers in the final of the Platinum Division. The Bulldogs also had wins over Valencia and Sierra Canyon. Junior quarterback Deshawn Laporte led Burbank on offense. Mission Viejo won its own tournament championship by beating Mater Dei in the final. San Clemente went unbeaten to win the eight-team St. John Bosco tournament. Damian Martinez had two interceptions in the final game against St. John Bosco and tight end Shane Kiley had the winning touchdown catch. Sherman Oaks Notre Dame defeated Inglewood in the championship of the Baldwin Park tournament. Advertisement Sign up for the L.A. Times SoCal high school sports newsletter to get scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Yahoo
Four Suspects Arrested in $3 Million Heist at a Simi Valley Jewelry Store
Four Suspects Arrested in $3 Million Heist at a Simi Valley Jewelry Store originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Four suspects, allegedly tied to a South American crime ring, were arrested and charged Friday for the theft of over $3 million worth of property from 5 Star Jewelry & Watch Repair in Simi Valley. Each defendant has been charged with four felony counts—two counts of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary and two counts of conspiracy to receive stolen property– for the May 25 heist of the family-owned store. Due to newly-voted proposition 36, the defendants will also face special allegations of excessive loss over $3 million, and theft or damage in concert with others, according to Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko's news footage captured three individuals in Dr. Conkey's Candy and Coffee shop, a store that shares a wall with 5 Star Jewelry, five days prior to the theft. Five days later, the suspects, described by police as a 'sophisticated burglary crew,' cut through the shared wall and entered the jewelry store where they allegedly broke into a safe and stole jewelry, cash, and other unspecified items. 'They were sophisticated and skilled professionals who used counter surveillance measures, a collapsible ladder, rope, and power tools to cut through a roof, tunnel into a wall, and breach a safe to take millions in watches, jewelry, cash and other merchandise,' Nasarenko said during the news of the items and cash have been recovered by the Simi Valley Police Department. Police report that this burglary crew may be connected to other robberies, but cannot provide further details, according to CBS News. The defendants are scheduled for an early disposition conference at Ventura County Superior Court on June 23 at 1:30 p.m. A preliminary hearing is set for June 26. This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Yahoo
4 Chilean nationals arrested in $3 million Southern California jewelry heist
Four members of a burglary crew were arrested in connection with a $3 million jewelry store heist in Ventura County. The suspects, all Chilean nationals, were identified by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office as: Heidy Nickolt Trujillo, 25 Camilo Antonio Aguliar Lara, 31 Sergio Andres Meji-Machuca, 27 Manuel David Ibarra, 37 Beginning in May, the burglary crew is accused of a scheme targeting 5 Star Jewelry & Watch repair, a family-owned business on Cochran Street in Simi Valley. On May 20, three suspects arrived at the store in a white Volvo SUV, where two people conducted surveillance and peered into the store through the front window. They entered Dr. Conkey's Candy and Coffee shop next door to assess the location of any surveillance cameras. They also allegedly inspected the walls that adjoin the jewelry store. On May 25, the crew returned to the shopping plaza and brought a ladder and rope with them. The ladder was placed against the coffee shop's exterior as the thieves cut through the roof to gain entry, authorities said. They drilled a hole through a shared wall between the coffee and jewelry shop to access the store's safe. One suspect had also spray-painted a surveillance camera to cover up the break-in. The group ransacked the jewelry store and escaped with over $3 million worth of jewelry, watches, cash and valuables, prosecutors said. They fled the area and transported the stolen jewelry to a home in L.A. County. The costly theft had devastated the family that owned the store. Owner Jonathan Youssef said that 25 years ago, his father had built the business from the ground up and had planned on retiring soon before losing everything they owned. On June 10, the four suspects were arrested. Some of them were reportedly found wearing the stolen items. A stolen firearm was also located. They were charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary and two counts of conspiracy to receive stolen property. These were not teenagers burglarizing a local business to score quick cash,' Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said during a June 13 news conference. 'They were sophisticated and skilled professionals who used counter-surveillance measures, a collapsible ladder, rope, and power tools to cut through a roof, tunnel into a wall, and breach a safe to take millions in watches, jewelry, cash and other merchandise.' Authorities said there may be additional cases connected with the group, but no further details were provided on those incidents. All four suspects are being held on $100,000 bail. If convicted as charged, they could face six to nine years in prison. They are scheduled for an early disposition conference in Ventura County Superior Court on June 23. A preliminary hearing is set for June 26. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Man convicted of violent stabbing attack at Ventura County hiking trail
A man was convicted after a stabbing attack at a Ventura County hiking trail left a person hospitalized. On July 9, 2020, the victim was hiking with a friend at the Simi Valley Cross trail when they encountered two men walking uphill, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office. As the two parties passed each other, the suspect, Alfredo Vasquez, 25, of Moorpark, asked the victim, 'Where you from?' Prosecutors said the question was a 'common gang challenge.' When the victim responded, Vasquez ran at him with a knife. During the violent altercation, Vasquez stabbed the victim twice in the chest and slashed his forearm, leaving him with serious injuries. The victim managed to escape by running down the trail and into a nearby neighborhood, where he knocked on a stranger's door for help. He was taken to the hospital where he received multiple staples for his wounds. The injuries left permanent scarring, authorities said. The suspect had fled the area. While investigating, Simi Valley police detectives found two pieces of key evidence — the victim's T-shirt, which was stained with Vasquez's blood, and another T-shirt that DNA testing later connected to Vasquez. Surveillance footage from a nearby home showed the victim fleeing the area shirtless and bleeding, followed minutes later by two suspects walking away from the trail, including a man who matched Vasquez's description and who was also shirtless at the time, prosecutors said. Vasquez was later arrested and on June 4, was convicted by a jury of assault with a deadly weapon. The special allegations found true included that the crime was gang-related and that he caused great bodily injury in the commission of a felony. 'Ventura County residents should feel safe and secure while hiking on our beautiful trails, not worried about encountering gang violence,' said Hayley Moyer, Ventura County District Attorney who prosecuted the case. 'We would like to thank the jurors for their careful and thoughtful deliberation, holding the defendant accountable for this vicious, gang-motivated attack.' He remains in custody without bail and faces 14 years in state prison. A sentencing hearing is scheduled on July 3 at the Ventura County Superior Court. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
