Three people are facing charges of larceny, burglary, and a pattern of criminal offenses after a string of crimes occurred in Oklahoma and Cleveland counties.
On November 5th, the Oklahoma City Police received a call to respond to an auto burglary at 700 SE 89th Street.
According to court documents, Gabriel Lara, Nicholas Barrientos, and Ruben Barrientos allegedly stole a license plate from a car at Crossroads Mall, also known as Plaza Mayor.
According to reports, the individuals in question purportedly trailed a gentleman who had recently withdrawn $25,000 from a financial institution to the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine located in Cleveland County.
As the victim was engrossed in prayer inside the shrine, the suspects unlawfully gained access to his car and made off with a significant sum of $25,000 in cash.
The victim mentioned that they had withdrawn the money in order to buy a new vehicle.
INVESTIGATION
As the investigation progressed, authorities discovered that the suspect’s vehicle tag had been recently stolen just before the burglary occurred.
At 9:05 am on November 5th, officials stated that the black Chrysler belonging to the suspects was initially equipped with a Texas tag.
The vehicle was observed making a U-turn at I-240 and Shields, as detailed in the court documents. During the U-turn, a passenger wearing a white hoodie was also spotted.
At approximately 9:23 am, the Chrysler was captured on surveillance footage as it entered the parking lot at Plaza Mayor in Oklahoma City.
Officials have reported that there was another vehicle in the parking lot that resembled the suspects’ car, although it was a different color.
The car owner was unaware that his license plate had been stolen, but the police managed to find surveillance footage that captured the Chrysler vehicle leaving the parking lot with an Oklahoma license plate.
At 9:51 am, the Bank of America video revealed that the identical Chrysler vehicle had arrived at the bank’s parking lot.
According to officials, all of the occupants remained inside the vehicle.
After visiting the bank, the victim was observed driving towards the church in an eastward direction upon his return to his vehicle.
According to the affidavit, witnesses observed the suspects exiting the scene and tailing the truck driven by the victim.
During their pursuit of the victim, the suspects allegedly disregarded a red light in order to maintain their proximity.
The suspects arrived at the church right after the victim pulled in.
According to reports, the suspects chose to park their vehicle away from other cars.
The victim informed investigators that he decided to take a stroll up the hill, distancing himself from the building.
Detectives reported that the suspects proceeded to park their vehicle in closer proximity to the entrance. Gabriel, one of the individuals involved, was observed exiting the vehicle while appearing to have been engaged in a phone conversation.
Afterward, Gabriel made his way back to the vehicle and proceeded to position it alongside the victim’s car.
According to witnesses, a person wearing a white hoodie was seen quickly exiting the passenger seat. Shortly after, another individual was spotted near the rear of the truck.
The Chrysler quickly departed from the scene.
The rear window of the victim’s truck was shattered by the driver.
Upon inspection, law enforcement discovered crimson fabric that they believe to be clothing belonging to a potential suspect on the glass.
Upon investigating the tag information, an officer discovered that the Wichita Police Department had filed a report on the vehicle just a few hours after the incident occurred.
According to the report, the Chrysler was pulled over for a traffic violation on November 5th, shortly after 2:30 p.m.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that Gabriel had been driving the vehicle while Ruben had occupied the passenger seat, and Nicholas had been seated in the back.
Officers at the scene detected the odor of marijuana during the traffic stop and also noticed discrepancies in the accounts of the individuals’ travel plans.
During the vehicle search, the officers discovered two bundles of money. It was estimated that each bundle contained a sum ranging from $8,000 to $10,000.
According to investigators, they did not find any drugs or previous drug charges.
The driver received citations, and as a result, the suspects were released.
According to the police, they are unable to identify any source of income that could account for the money.
According to reports, Gabriel stated that the funds came from the proceeds of a vehicle sale.
The charges against all three individuals were as follows:
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- Larceny
- Burglary
- Pattern of criminal offenses