Following through on investigative leads first churned up by the Fontana Police Department in the aftermath of the March kidnapping and extortion of a 79-year-old man has led to the arrest of another element of what is believed to be a network of sophisticated criminals operating in Southern California and elsewhere.
In the most recent instance, it was the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department that collared at least four members of the gang, which, it has now been learned, originated in Colombia.
On March 11, 2026, two Hispanic men approached an elderly man, also a Latino, at El Super market located at 16950 Foothill Boulevard. The two suspects led the victim to believe they were armed and told him they would harm his daughter if he did not comply with their demands, thus prevailing on him to drive them in his car to the Wells Fargo bank near Summit Avenue. At the bank, the victim withdrew $25,000 and gave the money to the suspects. The suspects then used the threat of violence to get the victim to drive a short distance to a Target store, where he was told to go inside. When the 79-year-old did as he was instructed, the two men fled.
Fontana Police Department detectives, through an extensive investigation which involved the study of video footage at four separate locations and cross-referencing other available evidence, tentatively identified the men who had confronted the victim Reinaldo Estrella, 52, and his son, Jonathan Estrella, 29. A third suspect, the getaway driver who had dropped both Estrellas off at El Super prior to the kidnapping, was identified as Kevin Bernal, 23.
On May 5, officers and detectives with the Fontana Police Department conducted surveillance of a residence in Glendora, determining that Reinaldo Estrella, Jonathan Estrella and Bernal were present before they moved in.
The Estrellas and Bernal were determined to be Colombian nationals, who are also wanted in connection with similar crimes in surrounding jurisdictions, as well as for crimes in other states. They were also identified as primary suspects involved in residential burglaries that took place in Fontana late last year and in April 2026. A mode of operation employed by the three in their burglaries, detectives learned, consisted of the use of video cameras placed on the target property, in nearby gardens or landscaping with which targeted homes were monitored and the occupants’ comings and goings were noted and timed, whereafter the burglary team would wait for the victims to leave and then enter the property in question to effectuate the thefts.
All three suspects were arrested and transported to the West Valley Detention Center and booked for robbery, kidnapping and elder abuse.
All three, however, were bailed out of custody.
What Fontana PD investigators had learned was shared with members of the sheriff’s department, which was able to obtain a profile on at least one of the individuals who assisted in arranging bail for the Estrellas and Bernal. Following that trail of information has led to a nest of other bad actors from Colombia who are in the United States.
The information about the Colombian gang was cross-referenced with what was known about a residential burglary that occurred on April 22 at a home located on 26th Street in the unincorporated county community of San Antonio Heights, north of the Upland City Limits.
Once again, investigators made use of surveillance footage to ascertain that the crew of burglars perpetrating the robbery were privy to information that greatly diminished the possibility that they would be noticed or disturbed while carrying out their larceny, and that they were confident they could flee without being positively identified if they were spotted. With further examination and investigation, it was determined that the burglars were using hidden surveillance cameras, WiFi jamming devices and fraudulent license plates while targeting homes across Southern California. The cameras were employed to monitor the homes to determine when they were most vulnerable to undetected break-in, and the jamming devices were used to disable the homes’ security systems before burglaries were carried out.
Detectives and deputies at the Fontana Sheriff’s Station, which is responsible for patrol of San Antonio Heights, worked with multiple law enforcement agencies throughout Southern California during the investigation. That interagency cooperation was key to the success of the operation, detectives say.
At least four suspects involved in the April 22 heist were identified. They are Jesus Velez-Hernandez, 35, Sergio Paez-Cuervo, 38, Javier Pulido-Ramirez, 41, and Akksel Cadena-Diaz, 29, all citizens of Colombia. All four were arrested.
As part of the investigation, search warrants were served in Los Angeles County, leading to the discovery and seizure of stolen property, burglary tools, electronic jamming devices and surveillance equipment believed to be connected to additional residential burglaries at various locations throughout Southern California.
-Mark Gutglueck