Context:

A quartet of juveniles carried out a wide-ranging Bay Area smash-and-grab crime spree, hitting 77 homes and numerous vehicles across Contra Costa and Solano counties by looting power tools, guns, and other items and using stolen cars to commit more thefts. Their method involved early-morning entries via garage door openers, escalating from property crime to armed burglaries, including a May incident where gunmen targeted a doorway between a garage and a home. Investigators linked the operation to Wuillian Cordova-Cubias, who allegedly bought stolen goods from the suspects and amassed a large stash of tools, vehicles, and firearms estimated at about $250,000. In summer, multiple arrests were made, searches recovered weapons, and prosecutors filed charges against Cordova-Cubias and the four juveniles, with ongoing district attorney actions expected. The case underscores a coordinated regional effort and signaling likely further prosecutions and investigations ahead.

Dive Deeper:

• The crime spree involved four juveniles blamed for 37 burglaries in Concord and roughly 40 more in other cities across Contra Costa and Solano counties, signifying a broad regional impact.

• The suspects used stolen vehicles to reach multiple locations and targeted homes in the early-morning hours, often grabbing garage-door openers to access garages and collect loot.

• During one burglary, they reportedly walked away with 14 firearms from a residential garage, highlighting an escalation to armed crime and weapon possession.

• Surveillance in May captured armed suspects pointing a gun at the door between a garage and a home, suggesting anticipation of occupants emerging during the burglary.

• Three outstanding suspects were arrested in June, with additional arrests following a coordinated July sweep by Concord SWAT and allied agencies.

• Investigators traced a stolen-goods pipeline to Wuillian Cordova-Cubias, 37, of Oakland, who allegedly purchased tools from the suspects soon after burglaries and housed a large quantity of loot.

• A raid on Cordova-Cubias’s Oakland home yielded a substantial stash, including power tools, a stolen ATV, a stolen forklift, an unregistered firearm, and other property valued around $250,000; he faces multiple charges including receiving stolen property and being a prohibited person with a firearm.