Photo: Stock Image
Throughout January and March in 2023, a series of burglaries occurred in Thousand Oaks, targeting local restaurants. According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Laura Natoli, the perpetrators were “believed to be affiliated with criminal networks in Los Angeles,” specifically tasked with stealing safes and cash from business establishments.
In January 2023, a juvenile suspect was involved in a burglary in Thousand Oaks, as well as two additional burglaries in Agoura Hills. In February 2023, the same juvenile suspect committed a burglary in Thousand Oaks, followed by seven more in Agoura Hills and Calabasas. These criminal activities continued into March 2023, with both the juvenile suspect and 21-year-old Los Angeles resident Francisco Casillas engaging in two burglaries in Thousand Oaks and an additional five between the cities of Simi Valley and Moorpark.
With the Thousand Oaks Career Criminals Unit leading the investigations, collaborative efforts ensued with various law enforcement entities, including the Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement Unit, Simi Valley Police Investigators, Moorpark Police Investigators, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
On June 8th, the juvenile suspect was apprehended and was booked at the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Center on 18 counts of commercial burglary.
A search warrant was executed on June 15, 2023 at Casillas’s residence in Los Angeles, and Casillas was taken into custody with “incriminating evidence linking him to the crimes” seized. Casillas was transported to Ventura County Jail, where he was booked on seven counts of commercial burglary with his bail set at $200,000.
