The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office has filed formal felony charges against two Los Angeles men accused of pulling off a high-stakes "bank jugging" theft in Thousand Oaks, marking the fourth such prosecution in the county in just four months.
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that Francisco Javier Nieto Mosquera, 45, and Ricardo De Jesus Melendez Rodriguez, 44, have each been charged with one felony count of grand theft. Prosecutors have also tacked on three aggravating factors, alleging the crime involved a high degree of planning, sophistication, or professionalism, and resulted in a taking of great monetary value.
The charges stem from a June 3, 2026, incident in the 1000 block of E. Avenida De Los Arboles, where the duo allegedly stalked a bank customer from a nearby branch, smashed into their parked vehicle, and made off with $14,000 in freshly withdrawn cash.
With organized regional theft rings increasingly targeting local bank customers, District Attorney Erik Nasarenko issued a stark warning to Ventura County residents:
“This is now the fourth bank jugging case we’ve received in four months, and it’s clear these brazen crimes are becoming an increasingly common tactic used by organized thieves. We want the public to stay aware of their surroundings, never leave cash unattended in vehicles, and call law enforcement immediately if you believe someone is following you.”
**THE QUICK BREAKDOWN
- The Charges: Francisco Javier Nieto Mosquera and Ricardo De Jesus Melendez Rodriguez face felony grand theft charges with special aggravating factors.
- The Allegations: Prosecutors state the men ran a professional operation, stalking a victim to steal $14,000 from their parked car.
- The Warning: DA Erik Nasarenko highlighted that this is the fourth bank jugging case filed in Ventura County in just four months.
- The Regional Scope: Investigators have also linked the suspects to a massive $700,000 asset theft targeting an elderly woman in Torrance.
- The Court Date: Both defendants remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in Ventura County court to face the charges.
The formal filing of charges by the District Attorney cements a major multi-agency investigation that successfully linked local parking lot thefts to a sprawling regional crime ring.
As previously reported, the June 3 heist in Thousand Oaks was solved after East County detectives analyzed area surveillance footage. The video showed the suspects carefully tracking the victim from a financial institution at Janss and Moorpark Roads. Once the victim parked at a nearby convenience store and walked inside, one suspect acted as a lookout while the other broke into the car to grab the cash envelope.
The break in the case came when Ventura County detectives collaborated with the Torrance Police Department. Investigators realized the same Los Angeles-based duo was actively targeting an elderly female victim in Torrance who was in the process of transferring approximately $700,000 in cash and high-value personal property.
On July 9, 2026, tactical units intercepted and arrested both Mosquera and Rodriguez in San Dimas. A search warrant executed at a residence tied to the suspects turned up stolen gold and jewelry directly belonging to the elderly Torrance victim, tying the regional operation together.
With court proceedings now officially underway in Ventura, local authorities are reiterating the need for extreme vigilance. Because bank juggers rely on identifying customers who carry obvious bank envelopes, residents are strongly urged to conceal cash before leaving tellers and to drive directly to their final destinations without leaving valuables unattended.