More Than 200 Burglaries: Suspects Rounded Up

Seven of nine men linked to an East Palo Alto gang were arrested Wednesday for more than 200 alleged burglaries in San Jose and neighboring cities, police said today.

The suspects were identified in a year-long investigation by the Police Department's financial crimes unit that became known as "Operation Cruz Control," police said.

The men allegedly broke into homes where they took various items such as firearms, cash, jewelry and electronics, according to police.

They carried out the burglaries in high-end vehicles including ones made by Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW, police said.

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On Wednesday, eight search and arrest warrants were served in East Palo Alto and Newark, according to police.

Authorities found stolen property, substantial sums of cash, a firearm, burglary tools, ski masks and other items, police said.

San Jose police served the warrants with help from more than 150 police officers in Daly City, East Palo Alto, Newark, Union City, Milpitas and Redwood City along with deputies from San Mateo and Santa Clara counties and North County Regional SWAT Team in San Mateo County.

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The suspects were identified as Ruben Ibarra-Nava, 22, Emerson Chavez, 19, Francisco "Frankie" Ledesma Aquilar, 25, Gilberto Cruz, 19, and Raul Cruz Jr., 20, police said.

Daniel Flores-Castaneda, 24, and Jaime Magana, 25, were already in custody in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, respectively, when they were arrested in connection with the numerous burglaries, according to police.

Officers are still looking for Miguel Chipres-Magallon, 22, of East Palo Alto, and Gustavo Ayala Garcia Jr., 23, of Newark, police said.

— Bay City News; Image via Renee Schiavone, Patch