Latest news with #BurbankPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Colombian 'burglary tourism' suspects arrested in a string of Burbank home break-ins
Seven Colombian nationals, suspected in a string of so-called "burglary tourism" home break-ins in Burbank and other Southern California cities, were arrested last week in Scottsdale, Ariz., authorities said Wednesday. The thefts appear to be part of a trend involving South American groups, whose members enter the U.S. on tourist visas and then target wealthy residences. The groups often steal jewelry and other high-value items that can be easily exchanged for cash, according to police, and may evade home security systems by using devices to interrupt Wi-Fi signals. The seven suspects were arrested in Arizona on Friday and are linked to burglaries in Burbank and other cities in California, Oregon and Washington, police said. Officials with the Burbank Police Department said in a news release that they worked with Scottsdale police to share descriptions of the suspects' cars after Burbank investigators suspected the group was headed to Arizona. Scottsdale police conducted surveillance on the group as residences were burglarized in Tempe and Mesa, Ariz. The suspects were arrested at a short-term rental in Scottsdale after police served a search warrant at the site, according to authorities. The suspects, who are being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond, are Nicolas Rojas Leon, 23, Joan Sebastian Orozco-Vargas, 26, Andres David Sanchez-Novoa, 38, Natalia Isabella Ortiz-Daza, 26, Martha Juliana Echiverri-Guzman, 28, Lady Johanna Gueito, 32, and Angie Paola Herandez-Manrique, 25, according to Burbank police. Scottsdale Police Officer Aaron Bolin said one of the female members of the group used a dog as part of the group's cover, walking a stolen French bulldog to blend in with the neighborhood while acting as a lookout. The bulldog was taken by the group during a burglary in California and was among the stolen items recovered, according to Scottsdale police. The dog is being reunited with its owner, according to police, who didn't reveal what city the dog was taken from. KNXV-TV in Phoenix showed video of officers in armored vehicles pulling up in front of a residence. Later, people can be seen sitting handcuffed on the ground. Officers are also seen trying to catch a loose French bulldog running to a neighbor's house. Several Colombian nationals suspected of being part of a South American crime ring operating in Los Angeles County were arrested last year in Glendale. Glendale police said that they found several jewelry boxes, along with a construction hard hat and a vest, which police say may have been used to get near a home without drawing attention. Last month, two members of a South American group were arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department after police found millions of dollars' worth of stolen cargo in a San Fernando Valley storage unit, according to the LAPD. About $1.2 million worth of goods, including clothing and speakers, was found in the container. Police also intercepted stolen bitcoin-mining computers, valued at $2.7 million, headed to Hong Kong as part of the operation. Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Colombian 'burglary tourism' suspects arrested in a string of Burbank home break-ins
Seven Colombian nationals, suspected in a string of so-called "burglary tourism" home break-ins in Burbank and other Southern California cities, were arrested last week in Scottsdale, Ariz., authorities said Wednesday. The thefts appear to be part of a trend involving South American groups, whose members enter the U.S. on tourist visas and then target wealthy residences. The groups often steal jewelry and other high-value items that can be easily exchanged for cash, according to police, and may evade home security systems by using devices to interrupt Wi-Fi signals. The seven suspects were arrested in Arizona on Friday and are linked to burglaries in Burbank and other cities in California, Oregon and Washington, police said. Officials with the Burbank Police Department said in a news release that they worked with Scottsdale police to share descriptions of the suspects' cars after Burbank investigators suspected the group was headed to Arizona. Scottsdale police conducted surveillance on the group as residences were burglarized in Tempe and Mesa, Ariz. The suspects were arrested at a short-term rental in Scottsdale after police served a search warrant at the site, according to authorities. The suspects, who are being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond, are Nicolas Rojas Leon, 23, Joan Sebastian Orozco-Vargas, 26, Andres David Sanchez-Novoa, 38, Natalia Isabella Ortiz-Daza, 26, Martha Juliana Echiverri-Guzman, 28, Lady Johanna Gueito, 32, and Angie Paola Herandez-Manrique, 25, according to Burbank police. Scottsdale Police Officer Aaron Bolin said one of the female members of the group used a dog as part of the group's cover, walking a stolen French bulldog to blend in with the neighborhood while acting as a lookout. The bulldog was taken by the group during a burglary in California and was among the stolen items recovered, according to Scottsdale police. The dog is being reunited with its owner, according to police, who didn't reveal what city the dog was taken from. KNXV-TV in Phoenix showed video of officers in armored vehicles pulling up in front of a residence. Later, people can be seen sitting handcuffed on the ground. Officers are also seen trying to catch a loose French bulldog running to a neighbor's house. Several Colombian nationals suspected of being part of a South American crime ring operating in Los Angeles County were arrested last year in Glendale. Glendale police said that they found several jewelry boxes, along with a construction hard hat and a vest, which police say may have been used to get near a home without drawing attention. Last month, two members of a South American group were arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department after police found millions of dollars' worth of stolen cargo in a San Fernando Valley storage unit, according to the LAPD. About $1.2 million worth of goods, including clothing and speakers, was found in the container. Police also intercepted stolen bitcoin-mining computers, valued at $2.7 million, headed to Hong Kong as part of the operation. Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Los Angeles Times
Colombian ‘burglary tourism' suspects arrested in a string of Burbank home break-ins
Seven Colombian nationals, suspected in a string of so-called 'burglary tourism' home break-ins in Burbank and other Southern California cities were arrested last week in Scottsdale, Ariz., authorities said Wednesday. The thefts appear to be part of a trend involving South American groups, whose members enter the U.S. on tourist visas and then target wealthy residences. The groups often steal jewelry and other high-value items that can be easily exchanged for cash, according to police, and may evade home security systems by using devices to interrupt Wi-Fi signals. The seven suspects were arrested in Arizona on May 23 and are linked to burglaries in Burbank and other cities in California, Oregon and Washington, police said. Officials with the Burbank Police Department said in a news release that they worked with Scottsdale police to share descriptions of the suspects' cars after Burbank investigators suspected the group was headed to Arizona. Scottsdale police conducted surveillance on the group as residences were burglarized in Tempe and Mesa, Ariz. The suspects were later arrested at a short-term rental in Scottsdale on May 23 after police served a search warrant at the site, according to authorities. The suspects, who are being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond, are Nicolas Rojas Leon, 23, Joan Sebastian Orozco-Vargas, 26, Andres David Sanchez-Novoa, 38, Natalia Isabella Ortiz-Daza, 26, Martha Juliana Echiverri-Guzman, 28, Lady Johanna Gueito, 32, and Angie Paola Herandez-Manrique, 25, according to Burbank police. Scottsdale police officer Aaron Bolin said one of the female members of the group allegedly used a dog as part of the group's cover, walking a stolen French bulldog to blend in with the neighborhood while acting as a lookout, said Bolin. The bulldog was allegedly taken taken by the group during a burglary in California and was among the stolen items recovered, according to Scottsdale police. The dog is being reunited with its owner, according to police, who didn't reveal what city the dog lives in. KNXV-TV in Phoenix showed video of officers in armored vehicles pulling up in front of a residence. Later, people can be seen sitting handcuffed on the ground. Officers are also seen trying to catch a loose French bulldog running to a neighbor's house. Several Colombian nationals suspected of being part of a South American crime ring operating in Los Angeles County were arrested last year in Glendale. Glendale police said that they found several jewelry boxes, along with a construction hard hat and a vest, which police say may have been used to get near a home without drawing attention. Last month, two members of a South American group were arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department after police found millions of dollars worth of stolen cargo in a San Fernando Valley storage unit, according to the LAPD. About $1.2 million worth of goods, including clothing and speakers, was found in the container. Police also intercepted stolen bitcoin-mining computers, valued at $2.7 million, headed to Hong Kong as part of the operation. Times staff writer Nathan Solis contributed to this report.
Miami Herald
21-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Man used Instagram to lure girls with drugs, alcohol for sex acts, CA cops say
A man accused of using Instagram to lure girls with drugs and alcohol for sex acts has been arrested, California police say. Ivan Hernandez, 30, of Valley Village is facing multiple felonies following a joint investigation by the Burbank Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, Los Angeles, police said in a May 1 news release. Meta, the company that owns Instagram, did not immediately respond to McClatchy News' request for comment on May 2. Hernandez was initially arrested March 23 on 'charges of child endangerment and possession of nitrous oxide,' Burbank police said. The arrest came after police say Hernandez was found inside a car with a girl. Police said they learned Hernandez had been giving girls nitrous oxide, marijuana and alcohol in exchange for sex acts. He is accused of using Instagram to meet and arrange meetings with underage girls, according to police. Police said they believe Hernandez often used his cellphone to record his encounters with the minors. The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office charged Hernandez with 'three counts of unlawful sex with a minor under 16, two counts of arranging to meet with a minor for lewd purposes, and one count each of child endangerment, oral copulation of a minor under 16, lewd or lascivious acts with a minor 14 or 15 years old, and possession of child sexual abuse material,' according to police. Hernandez is being held without bail, police said. Detectives believe Hernandez may have additional victims, police said. He had multiple Instagram profiles with different usernames, including noznbars, n2ohead, nawzhead818, nozzhead_818 and nozzhead818_, according to police. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 818-238-3210. Burbank is about a 10-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Catholic school teacher charged after child sex accusations in Burbank
A gym teacher at a Catholic school in Burbank was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of committing lewd acts with a student, the city's police department confirmed. According to the Burbank Police Department, 33-year-old Dimitri Altobar was arrested after an investigation into alleged inappropriate contact with a young student. Altobar was working as a physical education teacher at St. Francis Xavier School. The contact came while he was 'entrusted in his official capacity' at the school, police said. St. Francis has placed him under administrative leave while the legal process plays out, police said. The school serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade. Altobar's faculty page on the school's website appeared to be scrubbed as of Friday morning. As of Friday, the school has not commented publicly on the matter. According to Burbank PD, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has filed five counts of committing lewd acts with a child under the age of 14 years against Altobar. He's set to be formally charged during an arraignment hearing on Friday. Altobar is currently being held on $100,000 bail. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
