An arrest warrant has been issued for an Anaheim man who Irvine police say is responsible for at least four burglaries in the city that netted high-end property.
Yonatan Angel Loaeza, 34, is a member of a transnational burglary ring that plants surveillance cameras in the front yards of homes, Sgt. Karie Davies, a Police Department spokeswoman, said Saturday, May 24. Several possible suspects could be seen in the video from one camera that was found in bushes in front of a burglarized Irvine home, Davies said.
The cameras are used by a number of burglary rings nationwide to track the movements of residents of homes that are being targeted. Irvine police announced arrests of members of one such suspected ring on May 16. Loaeza belongs to a different ring, Davies said.
Four burglaries tied to Loaeza were reported in 2024 on Blue Heron in Shady Canyon and on Brockton, Long Fence and Peacevine, Davies said. Expensive handbags, jewelry and cash — and other valuable items small enough to be removed in a small bag — were among the property taken.
In one of the burglaries, a resident confronted Loaeza, who shed a jacket and beanie while fleeing. The DNA on those clothing items, as well as on a screwdriver left at another home, matched Loaeza’s DNA, Davies said. A lab recently confirmed the match, she said.
“He’s definitely leaving clues for us,” the sergeant said.
Irvine police had arrested Loaeza on suspicion of burglary tools in 2024 before the match was made, and police posted his photo to their Facebook page.
Anyone with information on Loaeza’s whereabouts was asked to email Detective Guzman at Xguzman@cityofirvine.org
