3 Held After Burglary at Moorpark Company

Ventura County sheriff’s officials said Friday they had arrested three men in connection with the burglary of a Moorpark computer equipment company where $200,000 worth of hard drives had been stolen earlier this month.

Foxtec Corp. had been burglarized March 1, authorities said.

Less than a day later, a broker attempted to sell back to the company the same computer equipment that had been stolen, authorities said.

Interviews, telephone records and undercover work led to the arrests this week of three suspects living in Hollywood and Los Angeles, according to Ventura County sheriff’s officials. All were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to distribute stolen property.

On Tuesday, Leon Sanchez Veloz, 35, was arrested at his Los Angeles home, where authorities seized stolen cargo from another theft in Hollywood. Veloz has an outstanding felony warrant in Los Angeles County in connection with another theft, authorities said.

A day later, detectives arrested Brosley Montesdeoca, 36, and Jose Cuatte, 47, at their Hollywood home. Authorities said Cuatte had an extensive criminal record.

All three remained jailed Friday night in Ventura in lieu of $200,000 bail each.

Authorities believe Veloz and Montesdeoca “were directly involved in the conspiracy to sell the stolen computer hard drives from Foxtec,” according to a written statement.

Cuatte was allegedly involved in the same conspiracy, according to authorities.

Authorities did not say whether the suspects were responsible for the actual break-in in Moorpark and did not say if any of the equipment stolen in Moorpark had been recovered.

The three are suspected by Los Angeles authorities of being “main players in a well-organized Central American crime ring specializing in high-tech cargo thefts,” according to the statement.

They were expected to be transferred to Los Angeles County Jail to face charges in that county.

Cuatte and Veloz also face possible charges for allegedly being deported illegal immigrants from Ecuador who illegally reentered the United States.