Suspects Arrested in Connection with Jewelry Theft Ring

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Thurs day, January 27 , 2000
SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH
JEWELRY THEFT RING

On Friday, January 21, 2000, at approximately 3:00 p.m., members of the Burglary-Auto Theft Division (BAD), Violent Crime Special Section (VCSS) arrested 10 suspects for conspiracy to commit robbery. These 10 suspects were part of an well-organized group of suspects that target jewelry dealers and couriers. During the year of 1999, these organized theft groups were responsible for a loss of $21 million in the State of California.

On January 21, 2000, the suspects targeted a jewelry salesman from New York who was conducting business in the downtown Los Angeles area.

The suspects targeted the jeweler and followed him from downtown Los Angeles, to an area in the vicinity of The Los Angeles International Airport. The suspects used 2 cars and drove recklessly through numerous red lights to keep up with the targeted victim. Members of Burglary Auto-Theft Division, along with the assistance of uniformed officers from Metropolitan Division and Air Support Division, intervened before the group could rob and possibly injure the victim. The 10 suspects were all arrested and booked for conspiracy to commit robbery. During a subsequent search of the vehicles, the officers recovered a loaded .357 Magnum handgun and several knives commonly used to puncture tires of the victim’s vehicle.

On Monday, January 24, 2000, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office filed felony counts of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery (182 P.C.) against all 10 suspects.

Arrested were Bermudez, Osvaldo, 31 yrs; Colon, Willie, 25 yrs; Lopez, Jose, 25 yrs; Rivera, Diego, 26 yrs; Martinez, Jose, 24 yrs; Bernal, Jonathen, 31 yrs; Gutierrez, Manuel, 19 yrs; Casas, Alejandro, 24 yrs; Diaz, Fabiola, 41 yrs; Camacho, Alejandra, 21 yrs.

Burglary-Auto Theft Division is conducting the investigation. Please direct all inquiries to the Media Relations Section at 213-485-3586.

For Release 2:30 pm PST
January 27, 2000