CONSTRUCTION THEFT RING BROKEN 28 SUSPECTS JAILED, INCLUDING OPERATION'S REPUTED LEADER; GOODS SEIZED.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer A sophisticated, Los Angeles-based burglary ring targeting builders, landscapers and gardeners in nine states has been dismantled dis·man·tle tr.v. dis·man·tled, dis·man·tling, dis·man·tles 1. a. To take apart; disassemble; tear down. b. by Ventura County law enforcement after a four-month investigation, authorities said Tuesday. The operation resulted in the arrests of 28 people, including 12 who were charged Tuesday with burglary and receiving stolen property, officials said. Standing in a sprawling warehouse filled with thousands of stolen tools - everything from measuring tapes and hammers to lawn mowers and chain saws - District Attorney Gregory Totten called the group of thieves one of the largest burglary and fencing rings ever to have operated in Ventura County. ``This investigation has solved a significant crime problem plaguing our community,'' Totten said. About 27,000 stolen items worth $3.5 million were seized. The ring was thought to have sold most of the loot in California at swap meets swap meet n. An informal gathering for the barter or sale of used articles or handicrafts. and other places, but some of it eventually wound up in Mexico and other countries, officials said. While the operation has been running for about 3 1/2 years, the Years, The the seven decades of Eleanor Pargiter’s life. [Br. Lit.: Benét, 1109] See : Time Ventura County Sheriff's Department The Ventura County Sheriff's Department (VCSD) provides law enforcement for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, USA, as well as several cities within the county. The cities that VCSD serves are Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, and Thousand Oaks. , along with police departments in Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , Moorpark and Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , became especially concerned about it earlier this year after a rise in stolen property reports. A task force was formed at the request of Thousand Oaks City Councilwoman Jacqui Irwin, who began receiving complaints from business owners shortly after she was elected in November. Ventura County Sheriff Bob Brooks said construction is at an all-time high, making this industry a prime target for thieves. ``This task force has effectively dismantled a major criminal enterprise victimizing construction sites across the Southwest. ... Some of the businesses hit repeatedly by these thieves couldn't find insurance any more and went out of business.'' The ring's purported leader, Guillermo Casarez, 48, of Norwalk, was charged with receiving construction equipment that had been stolen from Landscape Development Inc. of Valencia, one of the largest companies in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, that provides landscaping for new housing developments. Timothy Myers, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Landscape Development Inc., estimated his company had lost $60,000 to $70,000 in equipment because of burglaries over the past year in eastern Ventura County. Nearly all the suspects lived in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County but targeted victims in at least 67 cities and nine states, including Colorado and Arizona. Many of the people arrested were natives of Mexico and parts of Central America Central America, narrow, southernmost region (c.202,200 sq mi/523,698 sq km) of North America, linked to South America at Colombia. It separates the Caribbean from the Pacific. . The Construction Burglary Task Force, led by Ventura County sheriff's Capt. Gary Pentis, installed electronic tracking devices on vehicles used by some of the suspects. Authorities also used the suspects' cell phones to track their activity, officials said. Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com VICTIM INFORMATION If you have been a victim of construction theft, you may be able to reclaim stolen items. For more information, call (805) 494-8259. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) Ventura County sheriff's Deputy Romano Bassi bas·si n. A plural of basso. stands watch by stolen construction equipment Tuesday in a warehouse. (2) Recovered construction equipment, including a mound of tool belts, were recovered by the Construction Burglary Task Force. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Box: VICTIM INFORMATION (see text) |
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