3 members of SoCal jewelry heist crew that tunneled through wall are sentenced

Three members of what prosecutors described as a classy housebreaking crew had been sentenced to jail final week for a multimillion-dollar jewellery heist in Simi Valley final yr.

Heidy Trujillo, 26, was sentenced to 4 years in Ventura County jail and Manuel David Ibarra, 38, and Camilo Antonio Aguilar Lara, 32, every obtained 4 years and 4 months, the Ventura County district lawyer’s workplace mentioned in a information launch. A fourth defendant, Sergio Andres Mejía-Machuca, 27, had his sentencing listening to continued to March 26.

“The planning, surveillance, and class concerned on this case required the defendants’ removing from society,” Dist. Atty. Erik Nasarenko mentioned in a press release.

The foursome had been charged in reference to an elaborate Could 25, 2025, heist by which burglars broke into Dr. Conkey’s Sweet and Espresso Store in Simi Valley by way of the roof, used ladders and ropes to propel down, blacked out surveillance cameras and stole money from a secure. They then spent hours boring a gap by way of a wall into the adjoining 5-Star Jewellery & Watch Restore, the place they broke into one other secure and made off with jewellery, bullion, money and heirlooms belonging to the shop’s clients.

Prosecutors mentioned the defendants deliberate the crime, shopping for rope at House Depot and casing the companies days earlier than the heists.

Jewellery retailer proprietor Jonathan Youssef has mentioned the contents of the secure, which weren’t insured, represented the life’s work of his father, Jacoub Youssef, who emigrated from Egypt to the USA within the early Seventies. He estimated the shop misplaced between $2 million and $2.5 million in money and stock. The elder Youssef had hoped to quickly retire however put these plans on maintain after the housebreaking.

Ibarra, Lara and Mejía-Machuca on Jan. 21 pleaded responsible to felony counts of conspiracy to commit industrial housebreaking and possession of stolen property. Trujillo pleaded responsible to conspiracy to own stolen property.

All 4 defendants admitted particular allegations, together with extreme loss exceeding $1 million, theft or injury dedicated in live performance with others and that the style by which the crimes had been carried out demonstrated planning, sophistication and professionalism.

Ibarra and Mejía-Machuca additionally pleaded responsible to conspiracy to commit industrial housebreaking and felony vandalism in reference to a separate housebreaking at Simi Valley Pawn Brokers on Could 23.

Occasions employees author Andrew Campa contributed to this report.