Two Contra Costa residents among four arrested in Sonoma County tool burglaries

WINDSOR >> A man and his girlfriend from Contra Costa County and two other people have been arrested in what is believed to be a 2 1/2-month spree of scores of vehicle burglaries in Sonoma County where tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of tools were taken, sheriff’s officials said Friday.

The arrests happened Thursday after a Windsor resident called police after seeing three of the suspects trying to break into his truck’s toolbox, which he had emptied after seeing an earlier alert from authorities about the thefts.

Sheriff’s detectives later served a search warrant at a Fairfield hotel where the fourth suspect was arrested and more property recovered.

The suspects were identified by the sheriff’s department as David Coyt Jr. 24, of Richmond, his girlfriend, Crystal Manjarrez, 20, of San Pablo, Minerva Razo-Venegas, 39, of Vernalis in San Joaquin County, and Jesus Peralta, 25, of San Rafael.

Sonoma County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Spencer Crum said investigators believe the four could be responsible for more than 100 burglaries since November 2018 where power, hand and construction tools were the main items taken from various vehicles in different areas of the county. He said shaved keys were used to get into locked tool boxes.

Crum said it is believed the four came to Sonoma County almost every night, sometimes together or in separate cars, committing five to 10 vehicle burglaries. They would then sell the stolen property in the Richmond and Concord areas, he said.

The break-up of the miniring began about 4:15 a.m. Thursday when a resident in the 300 block of LaQunta Drive in Windsor saw people who turned out to be Coyt, Manjarrez and RazoVenegas trying to break into his work truck. He called the sheriff’s department and said they had fled in a dark colored sedan.

The sheriff’s office contracts for police services in Windsor and a deputy spotted the suspect’s car, a dark grey Toyota Camry and stopped it in the area of Arata Lane and Foothill Drive. The suspects were arrested and a load of tools and other property suspected of being taken in recent burglaries was recovered.

Further investigation led to the arrest of Peralta at a Budget Inn Hotel on North Texas Street in Fairfield where more stolen property was recovered. Authorities believe he was in a separate vehicle from the other three.

Crum said investigators are in the process of returning the stolen property to its owners, including some in Healdsburg, but said it looks like the property recovered was taken in the evening and early morning hours of Wednesday and Thursday.

All four suspects are being held at the Sonoma County jail on suspicion of burglary, conspiracy and possession of stolen property. Coyt, Razo-Venegas and Peralta are being held in lieu of $100,000 bail and Manjarrez in lieu of $150,000 bail because of a previous theft warrant.