Police seek two alleged burglars

Police seek two alleged burglars

BURGLARY RING—Simi Valley Police Department Commander Joseph Mayspeaks about arrests made in a residential burglary ring during a press conference on Sept. 1 at the Simi Valley Police station. The residential burglary ring involved Los Angeles area street gang members.RICHARD GILLARD/Acorn NewspapersPolice are still searching for two men allegedly connected to a “knock-knock burglary” ring that plagued local communities in Ventura and Los Angeles counties last year.

Arrest warrants have been issued for both Darren King, 26, of Los Angeles and Brandon Robinson, 32, of Palmdale.

Cmdr. Joseph May of the Simi Valley Police Department said both men are suspected gang members who could be anywhere in Ventura, Los Angelesor San Bernardino counties.

“The public is our extra eyes and ears,” he said. “We’re asking if you see them to call your local police department to let them know (King and Robinson) are wanted for several burglaries.”

During a Sept. 1 press conference, police announced arrests in connection with a multi-county burglary ring that involved homes in the three Ventura County cities. About 20 homes in Simi, T.O. and Camarillo were burglarized between August and October 2015.

Over the course of a yearlong investigation, 10 alleged Los Angeles County gang members were identified as part of the burglary crew.

Besides King and Robinson, the others identified were Los Angeles residents Rafiki Smith, 22; Rayshaun Marshall, 21; Mark Hundley, 30; Michael Butler, 22; Jason Hayes, 31, and Ryeheem Johnson, 23. Northridge residentsDiamond Williams, 19, and Vance Zelaya, 31, were also named.

Most have been charged with at least one count of residential burglary and a special allegation of participating in a criminal street gang, SVPD Detective Steve Collett said.

Robinson was arrested Dec. 3, 2015, but he was later released because a case had not been filed within 48 hours of his arrest. King was arrested Aug. 24, posted $50,000 bail and failed to appear at his scheduled court date, Collett said.

Targeting empty homes

Simi Valley PD’s property crimes unit began an investigation after noticing a spike in local residential break-ins between August and October 2015.

May said about $230,000 in jewelry, cash and firearms were stolen from homes during that period.

Many of the burglaries occurred during evening hours at homes that appeared empty, with no cars in the driveway or no lights on outside, the commander said.

The burglars would knock on the front door and if someone answered, “they say they’re selling something or that they’ve lost their dog . . . or even they have the wrong house,” May said.

Collett told the Simi Valley Acorn that SVPD began collaborating on the investigation with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in August 2015.

“As we were investigating, we watched some of the suspects commit additional burglaries that they were arrested and are (now) in custody for,” the detective said.

During a surveillance operation, police observed Williams, Zelaya and Hayes break into a Simi Valley home Oct. 20, 2015, May said. They were stopped on the 118 Freeway and subsequently taken into custody.

A search of the Northridge homes of Zelaya and Williams uncovered evidence of additional residential burglaries, May said.

Hayes pleaded guilty to one count of residential burglary on April 20 and is serving a 240-day sentence in Ventura County Jail, Collett said. Williams, who is also facing multiple prior charges, is in custody in Ventura County in lieu of $550,000 bail. Zelaya posted bail and has since been released.

During a second joint surveillance operation on Nov. 3 police witnessed Marshall, Hundley and Butler burglarize aPacific Palisades home, May said. They were subsequently arrested on Pacific Coast Highway and remain in custody at Los Angeles County Jail.

No evidence has been found directly linking Marshall, Hundley and Butler to local burglaries, the commander said.

Marshall and Butler are being held without bail, while Hundley is being held in lieu of $4.7 million. Hundley is also facing prior charges, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records.

Affluent areas

May said Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks and Camarillo are not the only areas that have been hit.

“These groups have gone as far as Montclair and Claremont in San Bernardino County and also into Torrance,” the commander said. “The thing you’ll find that’s similar is they’re targeting areas that have more affluent residents. They (target) areas where the work they put in to do these burglaries is going to net something.”

Collett said the burglary crews also tend to hit some areas multiple times.

“This is only one crew, but we’ve investigated a number of crews that have come into the city and go to areas they are familiar with because they may have come up with something good, so they keep going back,” he said.

The burglars were not armed in any of the local incidents. Still, residents should be cautious, the detective said.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of King or Robinson is asked to call SVPD at (805) 583-6950.