String of burglaries rocking LA residential area committed by South American gangs, DA says

Seven radical are facing felony charges successful transportation with a drawstring of organized residential burglaries targeting homes crossed Los Angeles County, including astatine slightest 20 break-ins tied to crews operating passim the San Fernando Valley, prosecutors announced Tuesday.

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the suspects are accused of carrying retired "brazen, calculated and predatory" crimes that near victims feeling unsafe wrong their ain homes.

"These organized burglary crews people hardworking families successful the precise spot they should consciousness safest, their homes," Hochman said during a quality conference. "If you travel into our communities to terrorize neighborhoods and prey connected guiltless people, instrumentality enforcement volition way you down and you volition beryllium held accountable."

Authorities said the cases item a increasing occupation involving blase burglary crews, including organized South American theft groups, operating crossed Southern California utilizing precocious tactics to debar detection and people affluent neighborhoods.

HOMEOWNERS IN LEAFY ENCLAVES HIT BY BURGLARS ZEROING IN ON HIGH-END HOMES FOR SMASH-AND-GRAB SCORES

Surveillance footage released by investigators allegedly shows a fishy connected to organized residential burglaries successful Los Angeles County. (LA County DA's Office)

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned residents that galore crews behaviour extended surveillance earlier burglaries, often monitoring victims’ societal media posts for costly purchases oregon abrogation photos that bespeak homes whitethorn beryllium empty.

"Please, immoderate you do, don’t archer the satellite you’re successful Paris erstwhile you unrecorded successful LA," Luna said.

Investigators said immoderate crews disguise themselves arsenic transportation drivers utilizing fake DoorDash, Uber Eats oregon Amazon bags to attack homes without raising suspicion. Others usage hidden cameras disguised arsenic landscaping decorations and Wi-Fi jamming devices designed to disable location information systems and cloud-connected surveillance cameras.

BURGLARS CAUGHT SPYING ON HOMES WITH HIDDEN CAMOUFLAGED CAMERAS BEFORE STRIKING NEIGHBORHOODS

Investigators recovered luxury items, jewelry and handbags allegedly tied to organized burglary crews operating successful Southern California. (LA County DA's Office)

One of the largest cases involves Byron Gonzálo Sáez Sotomayor, besides known arsenic Kevin Diaz, who prosecutors accidental is charged with 15 counts of first-degree residential burglary, 3 counts of attempted first-degree residential burglary and 1 number of expansive theft of a firearm.

Authorities allege Sáez Sotomayor burglarized oregon attempted to burglarize 18 homes passim the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles betwixt January 2025 and May 2026, including homes successful Reseda, Van Nuys, Encino, Granada Hills, Sun Valley, Beverlywood and Westwood. Prosecutors said helium allegedly stole jewelry, handbags, wealth and a firearm.

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said Sáez Sotomayor was arrested May 4 aft allegedly breaking into a location successful the Beverlywood country portion a nonmigratory was wrong the house.

BRAD PITT’S LA HOME BURGLARY LEADS TO 4 ARRESTS IN ONGOING POLICE INVESTIGATION

Damage is seen wrong a Los Angeles County location pursuing an alleged break-in connected to a residential burglary unit investigation. (LA County DA's Office)

According to McDonnell, the homeowner saw the fishy connected surveillance cameras aft proceeding a large clang astatine the rear of the spot and locked himself wrong a bath earlier calling 911.

Three different suspects — Christopher Sanchez, Owen Rivera-Chacon and Edisson Fabian Boyaca — were each charged with 1 felony number of first-degree residential burglary stemming from an alleged May 1 burglary successful Santa Clarita.

Authorities said investigators with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office tracked the suspected unit into Los Angeles County earlier coordinating with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department connected a takedown cognition on a freeway.

MASKED BURGLARY CREWS TERRORIZING RITZY NEIGHBORHOODS SHOW ‘THEY’RE DOING THEIR HOMEWORK,’ VETERAN COP WARNS

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman and determination instrumentality enforcement officials denote charges against 7 suspects accused successful a drawstring of residential burglaries crossed Southern California. (LA County DA's Office)

Deputies arrested Sanchez aft stopping a conveyance connected the freeway, portion Rivera-Chacon allegedly fled connected ft earlier being recovered successful a adjacent adust streambed. Boyaca was aboriginal arrested driving different conveyance astir 1 mile away, authorities said.

Investigators recovered jewelry, cash, a luxury handbag, gloves, burglary tools and a Wi-Fi jammer from the suspects’ vehicles, according to instrumentality enforcement officials.

Rivera-Chacon besides faces allegations tied to a anterior onslaught condemnation for residential burglary and could look up to 17 years successful situation if convicted. Sanchez and Boyaca each look up to six years down bars.

HIDDEN CAMERAS LURKING IN YOUR GARDEN MIGHT BE WATCHING YOUR EVERY MOVE, OFFICIALS SAY

Jewelry allegedly stolen during a bid of residential burglaries crossed Los Angeles County is displayed by investigators. (LA County DA's Office)

The last lawsuit announced Tuesday involves Wilmar Santiago Castelblanco-Robles, Alan Rolando Rodriguez-Pulido and Cristian Rios-Cuadros, who are each charged with 1 felony number of first-degree residential burglary tied to an alleged April 26 break-in astatine a location successful Burbank.

Authorities said neighbors saw suspects breaking into the location and called police. Investigators allege Rios-Cuadros and Castelblanco-Robles fled connected ft earlier officers utilized a constabulary chopper equipped with a heat-detection instrumentality to find them hiding nearby.

Rodriguez-Pulido was aboriginal arrested portion allegedly driving the suspected getaway vehicle, wherever officers recovered wallets, high-end handbags, watches and jewelry believed to person been stolen from different victims.

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Luna said residential burglaries reported to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department person dropped much than 30% since 2022, though helium acknowledged transgression statistic supply small comfortableness to victims whose homes were invaded.

"A unfortunate that has had their sanctuary breached into — I don't attraction what statistic say," Luna said. "They broke into my location and I don't consciousness harmless sleeping there. That's wherefore we're each up here. That's wherefore we volition proceed to enactment our butts disconnected to marque definite that we drawback these individuals."