The Los Angeles Police Department announced a Santa Clarita man was picked up as part of an investigation into robberies that occurred between August and October, which also involved a kidnapping, a carjacking and eight ATM burglaries in the San Fernando Valley.
The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office charged Luis Angel Rodriguez-Arroyo, 40, of Canyon Country, with one count of carjacking and five counts of commercial burglary.
In all of the burglaries, the suspects “forced open the front door of the business, entered the premises and tied a chain around the ATM machine,” according to the LAPD news release.
After using a vehicle to drag the machine out of the business, the thieves would load the machine into their vehicle, break it open to steal the money inside and then abandon the broken ATM machine.
“Mission-area detectives, through their diligent investigation, connected the robberies with the ATM burglaries, and, with assistance from the Metropolitan Division, identified the possible suspects and vehicles involved,” according to the LAPD release.
Police officials reported the warrants were served in Sylmar and Canyon Country, resulting in the arrest of four suspects, including Rodriguez-Arroyo.
Detectives reported finding cash and additional evidence of the crimes in what they considered to be an ongoing investigation.
The additional suspects are 22-year-old Anthony Cacho, of Los Angeles; 24-year-old Stephany Gonzalez-Jimenez, of Los Angeles; and Richard Nevarez, 24, of Los Angeles.
Rodriguez-Arroyo is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.
He’s due back in court Oct. 28.
Anyone with information can contact Mission-area detectives at 818-838-9810. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 877-LAPD-24-7, 877-527-3247. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or go directly to www.lacrimestoppers.org. Lastly, tipsters may also download the “P-3 Tips” mobile application and select the L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers as their local program.