Multi-Agency Investigation Leads to Arrest of Laguna Beach Burglary Suspects
Laguna Beach, CA - Twenty defendants, including five juveniles, are facing criminal charges following a 13-month burglary investigation aimed at dismantling an extensive Los Angeles County-based burglary crime ring. The charges relate to a multi-agency effort in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The ring carried out 34 residential burglaries in Orange County, including two in Laguna Beach.
Nine of the defendants were arrested in a recent law enforcement sweep, while 11 remain wanted on felony warrants. The burglaries resulted in a combined loss of over $500,000 in cash, guns, jewelry, and luxury items. The multi-agency investigation involved search warrants in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles, resulting in the arrest of three suspects connected to the Laguna Beach burglaries.
Laguna Beach police detectives first became aware of the crime ring in December 2022, following a residential burglary on Skyline Drive. The suspects entered an unoccupied home through a window, stealing around $10,000 worth of jewelry. Jesus Alberto Guerro, 29, of Los Angeles was arrested and charged with 14 felony counts of burglary and multiple charges including felony grand theft, grand theft firearm, and first-degree robbery. If convicted, Guerro faces a maximum sentence of 28 years and four months in prison.
In August 2023, a residential home camera system captured two masked individuals entering an unoccupied home located on Alta Laguna Boulevard. The resident promptly alerted the police, leading to a pursuit where the suspects evaded capture. Jamari Njie Devon Manning, 19, of Los Angeles, and Nathaniel Eric Roberts, 25, of Los Angeles were arrested and charged with five felony counts of first-degree burglary and one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime. They each face a maximum sentence of 12 years and 8 months in prison.
Laguna Beach police detectives collaborated with police departments from Anaheim, Cypress, Fullerton, Orange, Placentia, Torrance, and Westminster, as well as the Orange County Sheriff's Department. The Fullerton Police Department led investigations in 19 burglary cases, with the Sheriff's Department overseeing the remaining 18. The investigative teams discovered that the 20 suspects had ties to Los Angeles-based gangs and operated as part of a crime ring targeting victims.
