Seven individuals, originally from South America and belonging to a gang of professional criminals, were arrested after allegedly participating in numerous robberies of homes and businesses in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

The alleged thieves used sophisticated high-tech tactics to select their victims, including extensive pre-planning, placing hidden surveillance cameras in residential yards, and WiFi signal jammers.

One of those arrested is Byron Gonzalo Sáez Sotomayor, also known as Kevin Díaz.

On May 4, a west Los Angeles resident spotted a suspect on a surveillance camera while he was trying to enter his home.

The incident led to the arrest of Kevin Díaz, 22, by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), belonging to the West Division, who had responded to a call about a robbery in a home located in the 1500 block of Rexford Drive, in the Berverlywood area.

“This suspect is linked to a total of up to 15 residential burglaries,” said Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

Sáez Sotomayor or Kevin Diaz faces 15 counts of first-degree residential burglary, three more of attempted first-degree residential burglary and one count of grand theft of a firearm. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is detained and his bail has been set at $1.4 million.

If convicted of all charges, the alleged thief faces 26 years in prison. He has a hearing on June 10, in Department H of the San Fernando Court.

“We are acting to ensure that justice is served when people's homes are raided, and to ensure that that justice is expeditious,” Hochman emphasized.

Three more thieves fall

During a press conference, Sheriff Robert Luna showed one of the hidden cameras seized during one of the recent arrests.

The device was camouflaged inside a box covered with artificial grass, which allowed it to be hidden strategically in front of a home to monitor the activities of its residents.

“What it contains inside is a phone and a camera with additional batteries,” Luna explained. "If you see something like this in a neighbor's house, or in your own home, report it to the authorities immediately. That is the level of sophistication these individuals are employing."

On May 1, 2026, at approximately 9:00 p.m. m., investigators from the East County Special Enforcement Unit, belonging to the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, obtained information indicating that an alleged robbery ring — linked to multiple residential burglaries that occurred in their jurisdiction — was operating in Los Angeles County, specifically in the Santa Clarita Valley area.

The Ventura County Sheriff's Department contacted the LASD Major Crimes Bureau and provided information regarding two vehicles believed to have been used in the previous robberies.

“At that time, detectives from our Major Crimes Bureau were already conducting robbery containment operations in collaboration with agents from our Santa Clarita Station's Special Assignments Team,” revealed Sheriff Luna, who praised the coordination, intelligence sharing and proactive law enforcement required to combat the sophistication of organized robbery groups operating across Los Angeles County borders.

LASD detectives and Santa Clarita officers launched a coordinated surveillance and arrest operation: they located the suspects, as well as the vehicles they were using, as they left a neighborhood aboard a U-Haul moving truck. He had committed a robbery at a home located in the 24000 block of Matthews Place, in New Hall.

Suspecting that the individuals may have committed a robbery, they coordinated a traffic stop on the southbound 5 Freeway, at Roxford Avenue, in Los Angeles.

"During the traffic stop, three suspects fled on foot from one of the vehicles. Officers quickly established a containment perimeter and safely detained two of the suspects," Luna said.

A third suspect initially managed to escape from the area. The driver of the second vehicle was arrested without incident.

The detained individuals were identified as Owen Rivera Chacón, 26 years old; Christopher Sánchez, 26 years old; and Edison Fabian Boyacá, 27 years old. Two of them remain in custody; one of them was released during the course of the investigation. They have each been charged with one felony count of first-degree residential burglary.

Rivera-Chacón also faces allegations of a prior conviction under the “three strikes” law for a serious or violent felony: first-degree residential burglary.

Detectives recovered cash, jewelry, a luxury purse, a Wi-Fi signal jamming device, gloves and other tools used in robberies. The stolen property was returned to the victims.

Many of the recent robberies and assaults have taken place in exclusive areas of the San Fernando Valley.

The defendants pleaded not guilty and the hearing to set the preliminary hearing date is scheduled for June 2 in Department G of the San Fernando Court.

Rivera-Chacón's bail was set at $125,000, and Boyacá's bail was set at $50,000. Sánchez was released on his own recognizance (without bail), subject to electronic monitoring, despite the objection of the prosecution. If convicted of the charges, Sánchez and Boyacá each face six years in state prison, while Rivera-Chacón faces 17 years in state prison.

Another trio of miscreants

Wilmar Santiago Castelblanco-Robles, 21, Alan Rolando Rodríguez-Pulido, 34, and Cristian Rios-Cuadros, 25, are each charged with one count of first-degree residential burglary.

On April 26, at approximately 7 p.m. m., neighbors allegedly observed Ríos-Cuadros and Castelblanco-Robles breaking into a home in Burbank and called the police.

They are accused of having fled on foot. With the help of a thermal detection device on board a police helicopter, they were located while hiding near where the robbery occurred and were taken into custody.

Rodríguez-Pulido was detained by the police while driving the vehicle that is believed to have been used to escape. Inside the vehicle, police recovered wallets, high-end handbags, watches and jewelry believed to have been stolen from other victims. The case is being prosecuted by Prosecutor Martin Bean and remains under investigation by the Burbank Police Department.

Castelblanco-Robles and Rios-Cuadros pleaded not guilty. The hearing to set a preliminary hearing date is scheduled for June 18 in Department J of the Pasadena Court. Pulido's next court date is a mental competency hearing, scheduled for June 16.

Castelblanco-Robles and Rios-Cuadros were released on their own recognizance (without bail), subject to electronic monitoring, despite the objection of the prosecution. Rodríguez-Pulido remains in custody on $75,000 bail. Ríos-Cuadros remains held on $170,000 bail in connection with other matters.

If convicted of the charges, each defendant faces a sentence of six years in state prison.

Be careful with social media posts

Likewise, businesses located in the Melrose Avenue area and its surroundings have been subject to nighttime robberies, with multiple robberies being recorded at different establishments in a single night.

Members of the robbery gang also constantly checked people's social media accounts to determine if they were out of town, based on posting photos somewhere out of town, or if they were at a restaurant.

In fact, they would place a DoorDash bag on the potential victim's porch and ring the doorbell to see if anyone would answer.

Mayor Karen Bass and LAPD Chief Jim McDonell reported the arrest of more than 100 people involved in residential and commercial burglaries during the month of April.

Over the past few months, families throughout the San Fernando Valley and surrounding communities have felt the impact of residential burglaries.

“These crimes are invasive, violate people's sense of security in their own homes and are often carried out by sophisticated and organized gangs – some of them international in nature,” McDonnell said.