The arrests, made last week, were announced Wednesday. San Francisco Police Chief Greg Suhr called it a spectacular piece of police work that has crippled at least part of an illegal operation. The haul of stolen goods was confiscated from what police describe as a massive fencing ring. "Over 100 plus cell phones, 75 plus laptops, cameras," Chief Greg Suhr described. In all, there was more than 1,000 items worth from $500,000 to $2 million. Most were taken from car break-ins in San Francisco and Oakland.
Police got a break in the case early last month when an auto burglary at a parking garage in Fisherman's Wharf was caught on surveillance video. That eventually led police to an apartment in San Francisco's Tenderloin where they made three arrests. "We believe that this ring is a smaller part of a bigger ring and that we've put a significant dent in persons that break into cars," Lt. Ed Santos told ABC7 News.
Taken into custody were 24-year-old brothers Victor and Henry Gamboa, and 23-year-old Ana Bustillos. All face multiple felony charges of possession of stolen property. Police took photos of all the stolen goods, everything from a Louis Vuitton backpack police believe the suspects used to stash the victim's electronics, to laptops and tools.
All the stolen goods are being displayed online and anyone with identifying information, like a serial number, can recover their things. District Attorney George Gascon hopes the stash will be a warning for everyone this time of year. "This is the holiday period. People often leave things that are visible in their cars. Many of these things were taken because they were easy to grab," he said.
