Nine people from Riverside County have been charged in connection with an organized burglary operation that targeted 30 homes throughout San Diego, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Eight men, who range in age from 18 to 24, were arrested last week on various burglary and theft charges, accused of stealing more than $700,000 in cash and items from homes in Mira Mesa, Rancho Peñasquitos and Carmel Valley from February through May, officials said during a news conference Wednesday.
A ninth person remains at-large.
According to District Attorney Summer Stephan, the burglary ring typically worked in groups of three and wore black masks and gloves during their break-ins. The ring is suspected of breaking into at least 55 homes throughout Southern California and Nevada, with the thieves driving to San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties and as far away as Las Vegas to steal, officials said.
The burglars would typically break a glass sliding door of a home to gain entry, Stephan said. They generally targeted homes without dogs or when no one was home, according to officials.
Once inside, the group is accused of taking cash, gold, jewelry, expensive designer bags and firearms that could then be resold.
“In one instance, one of the perpetrators forced entry through the rear glass door, surprising the homeowner, who was upstairs in the bedroom,” Stephan said. “He came downstairs to see the perpetrator wearing a hoodie and the homeowner yelled.”
Before the homeowner could retrieve a weapon, the burglar fled, Stephan said.
“That goes to the dangerousness of the conduct that is being outlined here,” said Deputy District Attorney Malak Behrouznami during an arraignment for two of the men on Wednesday. “All the suspects have had run-ins with law enforcement, have prior records or social media has made clear that they are either themselves or heavily intertwined with members of criminal street gangs in the Riverside or Los Angeles area.”
Officials described the burglaries as “mini crime sprees” during which the group allegedly hit multiple homes, sometimes on the same day or on back-to-back days.
A group of 100 law enforcement officers from agencies in affected communities worked with the San Diego Police Department and Stephan’s office to share information and track license plates on getaway vehicles to help solve the crimes, officials said.
During the coordinated effort to arrest the suspects and search their properties, law enforcement officials recovered 11 firearms as well as large amounts of cash, officials said.
The six defendants who were arraigned this week pleaded not guilty. Two more are scheduled to appear in court Friday.
They face between nearly nine years to 35 years to life in state prison if convicted as charged, depending on their level of involvement and criminal history, officials said.
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