Three Los Angeles County men were arrested for alleged "bank jugging" in Camarillo on Aug. 18.
Deputies with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the 2200 block of Via Leal around 3:15 p.m. in response to a vehicle burglary in progress, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
The sheriff’s office is contracted to provide police services for the city of Camarillo.
The vehicle fled, but deputies were able to find it as it entered Highway 101 and initiated a traffic stop, sheriff’s officials said.
Three men were arrested: two Long Beach men, ages 33 and 26, and a 27-year-old man from Lancaster.
An investigation into the burglary found that an elderly man went to the bank, withdrew a large amount of money and headed home, the sheriff’s
office said.
The three men is suspected of following him home, sheriff’s officials said.
While the elderly man sat in his driveway, one of the men opened his passenger door, entered the vehicle and allegedly stole his money, officials said.
Surveillance footage showed the men coordinating the theft, with one man suspected of serving as a lookout while the other acted as a getaway driver.
The crime is known as “bank jugging,” which is when suspects target their victim while they are at a bank or ATM withdrawing money and follow them to steal the money either directly or by breaking into their vehicles.
The 27-year-old Lancaster man was booked into Ventura County jail on suspicion of felonies for vandalism and grand theft and a misdemeanor for destroying or concealing evidence, jail records show. His bail is set at $200,000 and he is scheduled to appear in Ventura County Superior Court Aug. 21.
The 33-year-old Long Beach man was booked into county jail on suspicion of felonies for grand theft and conspiracy to commit a crime, records show. His bail is set at $100,000 and he is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 21.
The other Long Beach man was booked into county jail but was released on his own recognizance Aug. 20.
Ernesto Centeno Araujo covers breaking news for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at ecentenoaraujo@vcstar.com, 805-437-0224 or @ecentenoaraujo on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: 3 Los Angeles County men arrested in alleged Camarillo theft
