Robbery Suspects Plead Guilty in $3 Million Jewelry Heist
A group of four suspects has admitted guilt in the theft of approximately $3 million worth of jewelry from a Ventura County store, a crime that ultimately harmed a family business.
The suspects, all from Chile, were identified as Heidi Nicolto Trujillo (26), Camilo Antonio Agrial Lara (32), Sergio Andres Meji-Machuca (27), and Manuel David Ibarra (38). This robbery occurred in May 2025 at the Five Star Jewelry and Watch Repair Shop in Simi Valley.
Reports indicate that on May 20, the group conducted surveillance on the family-owned store and a neighboring coffee shop, looking for surveillance cameras and checking for any obstacles.
Five days later, they returned, equipped with a ladder and rope to access the roof. They cut a hole to get into the store and even spray-painted cameras to conceal their actions.
Prosecutors mentioned that the suspects managed to reach the safe by cutting through a wall shared between the two businesses.
They escaped with over $3 million in jewelry, watches, cash, and other valuables and headed to a location in Los Angeles County.
Store owner Jonathan Youssef expressed how deeply the incident affected his family’s business, noting that his father was preparing to retire after running the shop for 25 years.
The Simi Valley Police apprehended the suspects on June 10, with some reportedly found in possession of stolen items at the time of their arrest. A stolen firearm was also recovered.
Additionally, Ybarra and Machuca pleaded guilty to conspiring in commercial robbery and damaging property after breaking into a pawn shop in Simi Valley just days after the jewelry heist.
Trujillo, the only woman in the group, accepted a charge of conspiracy to possess stolen property related to the crime.
According to Ventura County District Attorney Eric Nasarenko, this crime wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment act. He stated that the defendants engaged in detailed planning and employed specialized tools to execute the theft, which caused significant financial distress. Their guilty pleas reflect the strength of the prosecutor’s evidence and ensure that they are held accountable.
The suspects are set to be sentenced to a minimum of four years in prison, with their sentencing scheduled for February 20th. They currently remain in custody, each with a $100,000 bail.
