4 juveniles arrested for targeting 77 homes and cars

A group of teenagers allegedly transformed the Bay Area into their own smash-and-grab hotspot, reportedly targeting 77 homes and vehicles and stealing power tools and firearms, all while utilizing stolen vehicles to sustain their crime spree.

Authorities have attributed 37 burglaries in Concord and around 40 more in other cities across Contra Costa and Solano counties to these four juveniles.

Their alleged tactic was straightforward and audacious: targeting cars in the early morning hours to acquire garage-door openers, which they then used to access garages in search of more valuables.

The group’s actions reportedly escalated from property crime to a more ominous threat.

In May, surveillance footage captured armed suspects aiming a gun at a door between a garage and a home, seemingly anticipating someone might emerge. During another break-in, they allegedly took 14 firearms from a garage.

The suspects also purportedly stole multiple vehicles to carry out additional crimes.

Police attempted to stop the suspected getaway vehicles on multiple occasions. During one incident in May, a suspect vehicle sped away from a traffic stop, compelling officers to call off the chase due to public safety concerns.

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Another suspect vehicle managed to escape police in June.

In a separate June burglary, the juveniles crashed while fleeing, exited the vehicle, and ran, yet still managed to evade capture. A firearm was recovered from the scene.

A breakthrough came when Concord detectives, in collaboration with Richmond police, identified the four juveniles. One was already detained in Juvenile Hall on an unrelated matter outside of Concord.

In July, Concord SWAT teams, with support from officers in Antioch and Pittsburg, Central County SWAT, and the US Marshals Service, executed a coordinated operation.

Three outstanding suspects were apprehended in the operation.

Searches of their residences uncovered two guns stolen in Concord burglaries, while Richmond police had already retrieved a third stolen firearm. The juveniles face charges filed by the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.

Their identities are being withheld due to their status as minors.

Investigators followed the alleged path of stolen goods to Wuillian Cordova-Cubias, 37, of Oakland. Police allege Cordova-Cubias routinely purchased tools from the suspects, often immediately after the burglaries.

When officers raided his Oakland home, they reportedly discovered a significant cache: a large number of power tools, a stolen ATV, a stolen forklift, an unregistered firearm, and other property worth approximately $250,000.

Prosecutors have charged Cordova-Cubias with receiving stolen property, receiving a stolen motor vehicle, conspiracy to commit a crime, and being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm. He was booked into Concord police jail and is currently held at the Martinez Detention Facility.