Three people in a four-person crew ranging in ages from 26 to 37 have been sentenced to about four years each for burglarizing two businesses in Simi Valley, California, last year. (Photo courtesy of Ventura County District Attorney’s office)
Ventura, Calif.—Three people have been sentenced for their roles in a two-location burglary, which included a jewelry store, in Simi Valley, California, last spring.
According to a press release from the Ventura County District Attorney’s office, on Feb. 20, Manuel David Ibarra, 37, and Camilo Antonio Aguilar Lara, 32, were each sentenced to four years and four months in the Ventura County Jail. Heidi Trujillo, 26, was sentenced to four years.
The sentencing hearing for a fourth crew member, Sergio Andres Mejía-Machuca, 27, will be on March 26.
On May 25, 2025, the group broke into Dr. Conkey’s Candy and Coffee Shop, stole cash, and then forced entry through the wall into neighboring business 5-Star Jewelry & Watch Repair, where they broke into a safe and took cash, jewelry, and watches.
Losses exceeded $2 million, according to the District Attorney’s office.
“The planning, surveillance, and sophistication involved in this case required the defendants’ removal from society,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said.
“Ventura County will not tolerate organized burglary crews that treat our communities like targets. If you engage in this kind of conduct, you will face significant consequences.”
The group of “sophisticated and skilled” professionals are allegedly tied to a South American network known for committing organized and targeted commercial burglaries, according to comments made by Simi Valley Police Chief Steve Shorts during a news conference held last June announcing their arrests and charges filed.
During the news conference, Shorts detailed the items that police recovered while making arrests and executing a search warrant last summer. They include jewelry and high-end watches that matched the 5-Star Jewelry inventory, as well as cash, commercial burglary tools, a firearm from an unrelated burglary, large pieces of art linked to international groups of jewel thieves, diamond testers, lockpicking tools, collapsible ladders, and rope. (Photo courtesy of Ventura County District Attorney’s office)
Ibarra, Lara, and Mejía-Machuca each pled guilty in Ventura County Superior Court on Jan. 21 to felony counts of conspiracy to commit commercial burglary and possession of stolen property.
Ibarra and Mejía-Machuca also pled guilty to conspiracy to commit commercial burglary and felony vandalism in connection with another break-in that took place on May 23, 2025, at Simi Valley Pawn Brokers. Police noted that no items were taken from the shop.
Trujillo pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess stolen property for her role in the burglary.
All four defendants also admitted special allegations, including excessive loss exceeding $1 million and theft or damage committed in concert with others.
The District Attorney’s office said these enhancements were charged under Proposition 36, the "Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act," which California voters approved in 2024.
It increased penalties for specific drug and theft offenses, including allowing defendants with two or more prior theft-related convictions to be prosecuted for petty theft or shoplifting (items valued at $950 or less)—previously charged as misdemeanors—as felonies punishable by up to three years in county jail or state prison.
The defendants also admitted to the aggravating factor, meaning that the manner in which the crimes were carried out demonstrated planning, sophistication, and professionalism.
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Simi Valley police said the group began orchestrating a coordinated burglary conspiracy targeting 5-Star Jewelry in mid-May 2025.
On May 16, 2025, one person drove another to a Home Depot, where rope was stolen for use in the crime.
On May 20, 2025, three people traveled in a white Volvo SUV to the shopping center housing both the candy store and the jewelry store.
During that visit, two people observed the jewelry store through its front window, and later, three entered the candy shop to assess surveillance cameras and inspect the shared walls between the businesses.
One person used a cell phone flashlight to examine the walls, another acted as a lookout, and a third allegedly mimicked the use of a spray can, which police said indicated plans to disable security measures.
On May 25, 2025, the group returned to the location in the same car, which contained a ladder and rope.
One person used the ladder to access the roof of Dr. Conkey’s and cut through it to gain entry. Once inside, they obscured a surveillance camera and took cash from a safe.
They then cut through the shared wall into 5-Star Jewelry, where they broke into a safe and stole jewelry, watches, cash, and silver.
The stolen goods were taken to a residence in Los Angeles County.
Following coordinated efforts with local, state, and federal agencies, including the review of surveillance footage, license plate reader data, and forensic review of digital evidence, the four individuals were identified and, on June 10, 2025, arrested.
Some were wearing the stolen jewelry at the time of the arrest, Nasarenko said in the aforementioned news conference.
In addition to the items found during the arrests and while executing a search warrant, seen above, officials also recovered incriminating videos the crew recorded of themselves on their phones, which were later shared online by a local news outlet.
