Photo: Firearm and money evidence collected during arrest | Ventura County Sheriff’s Office
The joint efforts of the Thousand Oaks Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit, Investigations Bureau, Ventura County Auto Theft Task Force (VENCATT), and several law enforcement agencies from San Bernardino County culminated in the apprehension of four individuals involved in an elaborate stolen vehicle operation.
Since November of 2022, Ventura County has experienced the theft of 16 high-performance Dodge “Hellcat” vehicles, each valued at more than $90,000. Thus far, 10 of the stolen vehicles have been recovered, and investigators are diligently working to retrieve the remaining six.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Sgt. Dillan Alvarez, the Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement Unit and VENCATT identified “a parallel situation” in San Bernardino County, where law enforcement agencies reported similar incidents involving stolen vehicles. It was found that an individual suspected of facilitating the thefts in Ventura County was also connected to the San Bernardino County investigation.
On May 24th, detectives from the aforementioned units executed search warrants at 18 locations across Southern California, including the City of Los Angeles, as well as various locations in Kern County and San Bernardino County. Four individuals taken into custody by Ventura County law enforcement included Marcellous Ryan, 35, Michael Carter, 48, Lilian Cardona, 38, and Jesus Flores, 27, all residents of Los Angeles
The warrant search turned up evidence related to the illegal sale of stolen vehicles, including fraudulent vehicle registrations, counterfeit smog certifications, more than $100,000 in cash, 28 suspected stolen vehicles, four handguns, one rifle, and high capacity magazines.
Ryan, Flores, Cardona, and Carter were both booked into the Ventura County Jail on charges of Felony Unlawful Taking of a Vehicle, Conspiracy to Commit a Crime, Felony Computer Related Crimes, and Felony Forgery of a Registration with bail amounts ranging from $20,000 to $50,000 each.
