SAN DIEGO — San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan and San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl on Wednesday announced that nine defendants have been charged in connection with 30 burglaries with many coming in the Mira Mesa neighborhood.
The investigation spanned approximately 50 residential burglaries committed in California and Nevada, with the total loss for victims in San Diego County hitting at least $700,000, officials said.
The defendants charged in the case are Amaya Armstead, 24; Timmon Betts, 23; Gregory Davis III, 19; Daniel Esquivel, 22; Tyrell Haley, 24; Nakia McBath Jr., 22; Khaliq Thomas, 22; Noel Torres, 23; and Keshaun Watson, 18. Betts has not been arrested.
McBath Jr. and Torres were arraigned on Wednesday afternoon in San Diego County Superior Court. They pleaded innocent.
McBath was held on $1 million bail, while Torres was held on a $500,000 bail.
Armstead and Davis will be arraigned Friday. All others have pleaded innocent.
The defendants are mostly members of street gangs and live in Los Angeles and Riverside counties, according to law enforcement.
San Diego Police Deputy Chief Paul Connelly said there are two other groups that also have been involved in a rash of burglaries.
"I don't want to give the idea that the burglaries are over," he said.
In regards to the case announced Wednesday, Each defendant is charged with three to 24 counts of first-degree residential burglary and conspiracy to commit burglary. If convicted of all counts, they face eight years, eight months to 35 years-to-life in state prison, depending on their level of involvement and history, according to the district attorney's office.
In San Diego County, the defendants primarily targeted homes in the Mira Mesa neighborhood from February to May of this year, according to law enforcement.
A multi-agency takedown led to arrests last week in Los Angeles, and throughout Riverside County, according to the district attorney's office.
“Stopping this prolific burglary crew took incredible coordination among law enforcement in several jurisdictions and from many different agencies,” Stephan said. “This prosecution sends the strong message that if criminals come to San Diego County to steal from our residents, we will track them down and hold them accountable.”
Nearly 100 law enforcement officers worked closely with the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office to conduct surveillance, serve search warrants, and make the arrests.
Eleven firearms were recovered as well as large amounts of cash.
Two separate groups that had a common co-conspirator committed the burglaries.
In addition to targeting San Diego County, the thieves currently arrested had been committed burglaries in Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange counties, according to Stephan's office.
The burglary crews were typically groups of at least three people wearing masks and gloves. They would break out rear sliding glass windows, take as many items of value as possible and then flee the scene.
Many of the burglaries were essentially mini crime-sprees that took place back-to-back on the same day, according to law enforcement.
