A 27-year-old man accused of burglarizing or attempting to burglarize 18 single-family homes across the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles is being held on , prosecutors announced Tuesday. Van Nuys residents were among those targeted.
Byron Gonzálo Sáez Sotomayor faces 19 felony counts for a serial burglary campaign that targeted 18 homes across the San Fernando Valley, including Van Nuys. He is held on $1.4 million bail and faces up to 26 years in prison.
A 27-year-old man accused of burglarizing or attempting to burglarize 18 single-family homes across the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles is being held on , prosecutors announced Tuesday. Van Nuys residents were among those targeted.
Byron Gonzálo Sáez Sotomayor, who also uses the alias Kevin Diaz, faces 19 felony counts, including 15 counts of first-degree residential burglary, three counts of attempted residential burglary, and one count of grand theft of a firearm. If convicted on all charges, he faces up to 26 years in state prison.
Los Angeles Police Department detectives allege Sáez Sotomayor conducted a sustained burglary campaign between January 2025 and May 2026, frequently striking multiple properties in a single night. His alleged targets included homes in Van Nuys, Reseda, Encino, Granada Hills, Sun Valley, Beverlywood, and Westwood.
"Authorities allege Sáez Sotomayor burglarized or attempted to burglarize 18 homes throughout the San Fernando Valley and West Los Angeles between January 2025 and May 2026, including homes in Reseda, Van Nuys, Encino, Granada Hills, Sun Valley, Beverlywood and Westwood."
Prosecutors said Sáez Sotomayor allegedly stole jewelry, handbags, cash, and a firearm during the campaign. Residents were inside their homes during at least four of the break-ins, according to court filings.
He was arrested on May 4 while allegedly fleeing a burglary in the Beverlywood area. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the homeowner heard a loud crash at the rear of the property, saw the suspect on surveillance cameras, and locked himself in a bathroom before calling 911.
Sáez Sotomayor is one of seven individuals charged in connection with organized residential burglary rings operating across Los Angeles County, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office.
"These defendants are accused of prowling neighborhoods, smashing their way into homes and stealing from families who were left shaken and violated," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement.
The other six defendants are split into two separate prosecutions:
Law enforcement officials said the burglary crews used advanced methods to avoid detection. Investigators said some suspects used hidden cameras disguised as landscaping decorations to monitor when residents left their homes. Others used Wi-Fi jamming devices designed to disable home security systems and cloud-connected surveillance cameras.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned that organized burglary crews "are increasingly targeting affluent neighborhoods and often select homes near golf courses, parks and hiking trails and open space areas that provide easier access and escape routes."
"Please, whatever you do, don't tell the world you're in Paris when you live in LA," Luna said at a news conference Tuesday.
Investigators also recovered burglary tools, gloves, stolen jewelry, cash, and a luxury handbag from the suspects' vehicles, according to law enforcement officials.
Sáez Sotomayor has pleaded not guilty. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10 at the San Fernando Courthouse. Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth French of the Organized Crime Division is leading the prosecution.
The other defendants have also pleaded not guilty. Their preliminary hearings are set for June 2, June 16, and June 18 across the San Fernando and Pasadena courthouses.
"Residential burglaries strike at the heart of people's sense of safety, and we are responding with precision, urgency, and coordination," McDonnell said. "The LAPD will continue to pursue organized burglary crews relentlessly until our neighborhoods are secure."
This article was generated with AI assistance.