Los Angeles police are looking for help in a series of ATM thefts

LOS ANGELES – For the past three months, thieves in the San Fernando Valley have been snatching ATMs from liquor stores and emptying the pockets of taco truck workers, and police believe there may be additional victims or suspects. They appeal to the public for help.

At a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood station, detectives said multiple arrests had been made in two separate cases.

In the case of ATM hijackings, Police Lt. Samer Issa said four suspects were recently arrested in connection with a series of robberies and burglaries that resulted in machines being brutally removed from liquor stores in the Mission Hills and West Valley areas. He added that the crimes occurred between August 16 and October 16. He stated that at least one offense involved car theft.

“In all cases, the suspects broke down the front door of the business, entered the business premises and tied a chain around the ATM,” he said. “The suspects then use the vehicle to remove the machine from the business premises, load it into the back of the vehicle and leave the scene.”

Issa said the ATMs were thrown away after the money was withdrawn. He couldn’t say how much money was stolen, but said damage to stores cost business owners thousands of dollars.

Police said the Village Market & Liquor near the intersection of Eldridge Avenue and Sayre Street in Sylmar was among the businesses attacked.

The early morning break-in on September 25 was captured on the store’s security cameras. According to footage obtained by CBS Newstwo people in dark clothing used a chain tied to a white SUV to pull out a metal security door. The thieves then use a crowbar to break down the glass doors before entering the store, then chain the machine to the car to pull it out.

Issa declined to provide further details of the case because the investigation was still open, but on Oct. 16, he said, investigators served search warrants at several homes in Sylmar and Canyon Country, where they recovered numerous items related to the crimes, including money. and three vehicles. The police also arrested four suspects.

They were identified as Los Angeles residents Anthony Cacho, 22, Stephany Gonzalez-Jimenez, 24, and Richard Nevarez, 24, and Luis Angel Rodriguez-Arroyo, 40, of Santa Clarita.

The suspects were charged with several crimes, including conspiracy to commit burglary and commercial burglary. Additionally, Cacho faces one count of possession of an unregistered assault weapon and Rodriguez-Arroyo faces one count of auto theft, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

Nevarez, arrested on robbery charges, was not charged.

On the same day that the four suspects were arrested, Los Angeles Police Department investigators made arrests in another Valley case involving several armed robberies of taco truck businesses and a 7-Eleven convenience store.

LAPD Capt. Warner Castillo, commander of the North Hollywood area, said there were eight armed robberies between Sept. 8 and Sept. 21.

During each taco truck robbery, he said, the suspect brandished a gun and took an unspecified amount of money, mostly from food truck workers.

Castillo said the suspect targeted taco trucks in North Hollywood, Foothill, Mission Hills and the Van Nuys area, where at least one of the robberies involved a 7-Eleven.

Castillo said security video helped detectives identify the suspect.

He said that on Oct. 16, during a search warrant in the Mission Hills area, investigators arrested 27-year-old Jesus Garcia-Sotelo in connection with the armed robberies.

He added that during the search, the vehicle and clothing worn by the suspect during all eight robberies were seized.

Prosecutors charged Garcia-Sotelo with eight counts of robbery with a handgun, two counts of attempted robbery and 10 counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

Garcia-Sotelo, who was on probation at the time of his arrest, is being held in the county jail without bail.

Police detectives are asking anyone who may have been a victim or has information about other suspects to contact them at (818) 838-9810; Anonymous tips can be submitted by calling (800) 222-8477.

This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.