Disguises, blowtorches used in Fresno, Merced ATM heists, DOJ says
Oct 31, 2024
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Almost a dozen have been arrested after a string of ATM robberies across the West Coast, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday.
According to the DOJ, the group of 11 used construction crew disguises, blowtorches, and cellphone jammers to break into the ATMS throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, including in Fresno, Merced, and Clovis.
The DOJ says the crew rented short-term vacation properties near their intended targets and used cars rented on the black market to avoid detection.
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Officials say more than 29 banks and credit unions were targeted between May and October, and more than $4 million in cash was stolen.
According to the DOJ, investigators tracked the crew to several short-term rental properties in Oregon and Washington. After executing search warrants, the FBI found hundreds of pounds of robbery tools, disguises, fake identification documents, and more than $100,000 in cash.
The DOJ says eight were arrested in Washington, including:
Pablo Valdez Rodriguez, 36, a Chilean national
Rosa Bastias Serra, 42, of Chile
Camilo Sepulveda Guzman, 31, of Peru
Bassil Dacosta Frias, 34, of Venezuela
Camilo Alarcon Alarcon, 23, of Chile
Michelle Parada Munoz, 21, of Chile
Alvaro Lagos Mieres, 44, of Chile
Humberto Jimenez Moreno, 45, of Chile
A search warrant at a residence in the greater Los Angeles area led to three additional arrests, including:
Alex Moyano Morales, 24, of Chile
Maite Celis Silva, 26, of Chile
Erik Osorio Olivarez, 20, of Chile
The DOJ says all were charged with conspiracy to commit bank robbery; Moyano, Celis, Osorio, Valdez, Bastias, Sepulveda, Lagos, and Jimenez were also charged with bank robbery. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison for bank robbery and five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank robbery.