By F. Scott Faulkner
Ventura County, CA — April 30, 2025
Two suspects recently broke into a Ventura business, stole property, and fled the scene.
At approximately 6:35 a.m. on April 24, Ventura County Sheriff’s Department patrol units
responded to a report of a commercial burglary in progress.
Upon arrival at the scene, deputies discovered that unknown suspects took off in a vehicle that had been reported stolen, but was not yet in any law
enforcement database.
Detectives from the VCSD East County Investigations Bureau’s Burglary and
Property Crimes units picked up the case and determined that the getaway car had been
stolen vehicle in the Los Angeles area.
The vehicle was located traveling through the Los Angeles area.
The vehicle was stopped and law enforcement detained the two men inside.
Benjamin Chloupek, 61, and Erik Robles, 48, Los Angeles residents were
“positively identified as the suspects in the earlier break-in” and were arrested without incident.
Chloupek and Robles were transported to Ventura County Jail, where they were booked on
charges of commercial burglary and conspiracy with their bail set at $300,000 each.
