$3m Jewel Thieves Convicted by Their Own Smartphone Videos

(IDEX Online) - Thieves who cut through the wall of a jewelry store to steal over $3m of jewelry have been convicted - after they took video of themselves carrying out the heist.

The gang of three men and a woman spray-painted security cameras at 5-Star Jewelry and Repair, in Simi Valley, California, USA, after breaking in through the roof of an adjacent coffee shop in May 2025.

But they recorded incriminating footage of themselves on their smartphones during the raid.

One video shows the large hole they drilled from the coffee shop, another shows them trying to open a safe with a crowbar. A third shows them sorting through the haul at an apartment and a fourth shows a masked gang member flashing a peace sign.

The footage seized from the suspects' phones was "irrefutable", said prosecutors.

The suspects - Manuel David Ibarra, Camilo Antonio Aguilar Lara, Heidi Nickolt Trujillo, and Sergio Andres Mejia-Machuca - all pleaded guilty at Ventura County Superior Court, California, to felony conspiracy to commit commercial burglary and possession of stolen property.

They were all described as Chilean nationals linked to an international theft ring.

The first three were each sentenced on 20 February to four years and four months in jail. Mejia-Machuca will be sentenced on 26 March.

All four were also jointly ordered to pay approximately $4m to 5-Star Jewelry owner Hasmik Hovhannisyan, covering the uninsured value in stolen jewelry, watches, cash, and silver, including irreplaceable heirlooms. None of the items has been recovered.

Video grab shows a masked suspect flashing a peace sign during the raid, courtesy Ventura County District Attorney's Office.