Los Angeles: During
the latter part of 2005, the LAPD Commercial Crimes Division, Burglary
Special Section detectives responded to a public storage facility in
North Hollywood in response to a request for assistance from the Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).
The ATF had discovered that a blind auction was held for a defaulted
storage locker. The person who won the auction for the contents paid
$300 but entered the wrong locker by accident and discovered a number
of firearms. He ended up removing some of them but then realized that
they might be stolen and contacted the ATF. Consequently, the ATF went
back to the storage facility with him and discovered more weapons, a
large cache of jewelry valued at approximately $2 million and a Degas
painting valued at $10.5 million. At that point, the ATF removed the
contents, put them in another locked storage facility under their
control and contacted Burglary Special Section detectives.
Subsequently, detectives identified the storage space renter as Ignacio
Pena Del Rio (aka Roberto Caveda) and Burglary Special Section
detectives distributed Caveda's photo throughout the Department in an
attempt to locate him. Separate from that, West Valley patrol officers
arrested Caveda after responding to a burglary radio call. West Valley
Detective III Steve Galeria recognized Caveda, who was seated in a
holding cell, as the individual wanted by Burglary Special Section
detectives.
Burglary Special Section detectives worked in conjunction with West
Valley Area detectives, conducting an intense, lengthy follow-up
investigation that included a search warrant. A public showing of the
recovered property resulted in the identification of numerous victims
of residential burglaries throughout the San Fernando Valley, Glendale,
and Pasadena who were later reunited with their property.
On December 18, 2007, Caveda was convicted of six felony counts of
first-degree (residential) burglary, nine counts of receiving stolen
property, and one count of attempted escape. He was sentenced to eight
to 10 years in state prison.
On February 25, 2008, Burglary Special Section detectives, through
Caveda's attorney, received a virtual treasure map depicting an area in
which Caveda claimed to have buried a cache of jewelry along the 118
Freeway at White Oak Avenue.
On February 26, 2008, Commercial Crimes Division, Burglary Special
Section detectives responded to the lightly foliaged location on a 118
Freeway right-of-way. The detectives then unearthed a piece of plastic
pipe buried in the ground and examined the contents. A significant
quantity of jewelry was recovered from within the pipe, which may be
valued at several hundred thousand dollars. Victims are yet to be
identified, Devonshire and West Valley Area detectives have been
notified of the recovery, and detectives are currently conducting a
detailed inventory.
Burglary Special Section detectives are asking the media's assistance
in an attempt to locate the owners of the recovered property, and
potential victims are asked to contact LAPD detectives in the
Commercial Crimes Division, Burglary Special Section 213-485-2524
during regular business hours, Monday through Friday. Off-hours,
callers may contact the LAPD Realtime Analysis and Critical Incident
Response Division at 213-978-6500.
The suspect was described as a Black man, black hair, brown eyes, and 5 feet 10
inches tall, and weighing about 160 pound. He is about 25-35 years old.
During the robbery the suspect was wearing a white baseball cap, dark
jacket, blue jeans, and white tennis shoes.
d to 
(877) LAWFULL / (529-3855).
