Deputies Break Up Burglary Ring With SCV Victims

Sand Fire - Santa Clarita - July 23rd Update 1pm
Four suspects are sought in a series of residential burglaries, Sheriffs officials said Monday, while repeating a frequent warning to potential victims lock your doors, close your garages and makes sure your house doesnt have basic vulnerabilities, like open windows, when no one is home.Dont miss a thing. Get breakingKHTS Santa Clarita News Alertsdelivered right to your inbox.

The four individuals still wanted by the Sheriffs Department Major Crimes Bureau Robbery/Burglary Task Force are: Anthony Souice, 32; Joshua Johnson, 26; Alexus Netterville, 20; and Eric Netterville, 19.

Sheriffs Headquarters Bureau officials declinedto release the booking photos for the four outstanding suspects Monday, and declined to give a reason.

There are four outstanding suspects related to the current investigation, said Sgt. Mike Maher of the Robbery/Burglary Task Force. We as a Sheriffs Department, are always active in investigating additional burglary crews.

Santa Clarita Valley residents need to be especially careful about locking up their homes and valuables, he added, because the SCV is part of a region known as the 210-corridor, because of the eponymous interstate.

We tend to think of the 210 corridor as stretching from the Santa Clarita Valley out east toward the San Bernardino County line, he said. That (corridor) tends to be a target-rich area.

Not quite affluent, the so-called upper-middle class, middle class and working class neighborhoods along this area are frequently targeted because thieves assume theres a much greater chance someone will be away at work during the day, Maher said, adding hes very familiar with the Santa Clarita Valley area.

People are sometimes afraid to be a little paranoid and they should be a little paranoid, he said. Its not a black-white-Hispanic thing, its about seeing someone you dont know in your neighborhood.

To that end, Sheriffs Department officials are encouraging Los Angeles County residents to get to know their neighbors, at least digitally, online, through a social media program known as NextDoor.

The department is encouraging residents to sign up for the program, which verifies users addresses, so the people communicating are able to sign up by an actual geographic neighborhood. The network doesnt allow LASD officials to view neighbors posts to each other, but it does allow Sheriffs Station officials to communicate with a specific neighborhood, which is helpful in getting the word out if there is an emergency incident, or a specific rash of crimes that officials want to alert residents about,Sheriffs Department officials have said.

(Click here to sign up for NextDoor.)

Six members of the ring have already had their cases heard in court, and three of the suspects were directly linked to a pair of Santa Clarita Valley burglaries.

In May 2015, task force investigators arrested Leandrenae Cooke, Ashley Tate and Tazjanay Herndon who were suspects in two Santa Clarita Valley residential burglaries and two San Marino residential burglaries. All four were prosecuted and convicted in late 2015. Cooke pled guilty and was sentenced, receiving two strikes, and hes currently serving a two-year prison sentence.

Herndon pled guilty and was sentenced to one year in county jail with a felony strike, and is currently out of custody on felony probation. Tate pled guilty and was sentenced to nine years in state prison, due to a second felony strike.

In addition to the above seven individuals, four others have been sentenced as part of the theft ring, and six others are expected to be prosecuted shortly.

The following information was released via Nixle, an information alert system used by government agencies to send information.

(Click here to sign up for Nixle.)

On May 5, 2016, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Major Crimes Bureau, Burglary-Robbery Task Force, filed a 24-count, 10-defendant, residential burglary series case with the Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, High Tech Crimes Division.

This criminal complaint alleged the suspects committed residential burglaries throughout Los Angeles County and surrounding areas as well as, felons possessing firearms, and felony evading of police. The complaint further alleged these crimes were committed by active criminal street gang members for the purpose of benefiting their gang.

In March 2015, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Major Crimes Bureau, Burglary-Robbery Task Force (BRTF) began an investigation into a large scale sophisticated residential burglary crew, comprised of suspected South Los Angeles gang members.

The initial residential burglary occurred in early March 2015, in Claremont, where Claremont Police Detectives determined suspects were making phone calls into homes prior to committing the burglary. Claremont Police detectives continued this investigation and shared the information with the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Major Crimes Bureaus Burglary-Robbery Task Force.

In the proceeding months, LASD BRTF investigators determined the Claremont burglary was part of a well-organized southern California residential burglary crew, comprised of Los Angeles area gang members. BRTF investigators worked closely with Sheriff Detectives from Crescenta Valley Station, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Crime Analysts, Simi Valley Police Detectives, and ultimately Los Angeles County District Attorneys Office, High Tech Crimes Division, and identified the suspects. Investigators determined all suspects were operating as part of this significant burglary ring.

In June 2105, LASD BRTF investigators along with Simi Valley PD, shared information regarding several recent residential burglaries and determined the same suspects were victimizing Simi Valley neighborhoods were also committing residential burglaries throughout Los Angeles County. Both agencies worked together in an effort to identify and arrest remaining active suspects involved in this burglary ring.

In September 2015, LASD BRTF investigators were actively conducting surveillance of three burglary suspects. Investigators witnessed the suspects commit and residential burglary in Sherman Oaks, and as detectives prepared to apprehend them, they observed them commit a second residential burglary in North Hollywood. After a brief vehicle pursuit and area containment with the assistance of LAPD, BRTF investigators arrested Rafiki Smith (who was armed with a handgun) and Derrick Smith. The third suspect was not apprehended. Rafiki Smith is currently in LA County custody awaiting preliminary hearing on multiple residential burglary and weapons violations, and based on his lengthy violent criminal history, will be facing life in prison. Derrick Smith is currently held in federal custody for weapons violations and is also awaiting preliminary hearing on multiple residential burglary violations.

In October 2015, LASD BRTF and Simi Valley PD witnessed three suspects commit a residential burglary in Simi Valley. The three suspects, Jason Hayes, Diamond Williams, and Vance Zelaya, were all arrested leaving the vicinity.

Hayes pled guilty to the burglary charge and is awaiting sentencing. Zelaya and Williams are out of custody on bond and awaiting preliminary hearing.

In November 2015, LASD BRTF investigators were conducting surveillance of vehicle occupied by suspected members of this burglary ring. Investigators observed three males commit a residential burglary in the hillside neighborhood of Pacific Palisades.

All three suspects were arrested leaving the vicinity and stolen property from the home was recovered. Rayshawn Marshall, Mark Hundley, and Michael Butler were all arrested for the burglary and are currently in LA County Jail awaiting preliminary hearing. Marshall is facing an additional eight counts of felony residential burglary. Hundley is facing an additional eight counts of felony residential burglary. Butler, who at the time of his arrest was out of custody on bond from a recent residential burglary arrest, is facing an additional two counts of felony residential burglary.

Following the above arrests, LASD BRTF investigators identified six additional suspects who were actively participated in this burglary ring: Montayo Jones, arrested and in custody held on $140,000 bail, and charged with two residential burglaries, Chivetta Overstreet, arrested and held without bail and charged with three residential burglaries, Anthony Souice, charged with two residential burglaries and currently being sought for apprehension. Joshua Johnson, charged with three residential burglaries and currently being sought for apprehension. Alexus Netterville, charged with five residential burglaries and currently being sought for apprehension. Eric Netterville, charged with three residential burglaries and currently being sought for apprehension.Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department Burglary-Robbery Task Force investigators believe this burglary crew is responsible for dozens, if not hundreds of residential burglaries throughout southern California.

They mainly travelled in expensive luxury vehicles and rental cars, generally knocking on a front door to determine if a resident was home. If no one answered, they would force entry through a rear door or window, ransack the home stealing cash, jewelry, weapons and other valuables.

Typically, the gold and jewelry would be sold all over Los Angeles at Cash for Gold businesses and p**n items at locals p**n shops.

This investigation is ongoing and future arrests are imminent.

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Source: http://www.hometownstation.com/santa-clarita-news/crime/deputies-break-up-burglary-ring-with-scv-victims-171983