Five people believed to be part of a transnational burglary crew were arrested this week following a month-long investigation into a residential break-in reported on Easter Sunday, the Irvine Police Department said.
The suspects, four men and one woman, were taken into custody in Fontana and Colton on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, and narcotics possession.
They were identified as Jhon Osorio Arias, 24; Jesus Hernandez Chavez, 42; John Fredy Sanabria, 42; Duber Salarte, 48; all of Fontana; and Isneidy Ortiz Valencia, 29, of Colton.
The investigation began April 20 around 1:45 p.m., when a resident on Cultivate, a residential street in Irvine, contacted police after receiving surveillance alerts showing several unknown men inside his home. The footage appeared to show the men dressed as Amazon and food delivery drivers.
Officers responded to the burglary in progress but found the suspects had already fled. The home had been ransacked, with designer purses, shoes and jewelry reported stolen.
The homeowner provided still images of the suspects, and a patrol officer later spotted a suspicious vehicle leaving the area.
The driver, Osorio Arias, initially claimed to be making a food delivery but couldn’t provide a delivery address. Officers found suspicious items in the vehicle, arrested Osorio Arias for driving without a license, and transported him for questioning.
Police detectives later determined Osorio Arias was part of an organized burglary ring with ties to Colombia, and identified several alleged associates. Over the following month, authorities surveilled members of the group and were able to link them to additional burglaries throughout Southern California.
Video released by police Friday showed one of the robberies believed to be related to this group in which a woman rang the doorbell at a home on March 29, followed by an early morning break-in days later.
On Thursday, with help from the Police Department’s drone team, investigators coordinated an operation that led to the arrests.
Search warrants executed in Fontana and Colton uncovered evidence tying the group to the Irvine burglary, police said.
“The investigation is ongoing, and more charges could be added as detectives sort through the evidence,” the department said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Irvine PD Detective Jeff Hause at 949-724-7085.
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