– By F. Scott Faulkner
MOORPARK, CA — July 8, 2025 – A pair of out-of-town suspects were arrested after targeting a woman in a brazen distraction-theft
scheme tied to a broader pattern across Southern California.
According to Ventura County Sheriff’s Department spokesman Det. Jon Nungester, on July 2,
24-year-old Juan Molano of Passaic, New Jersey, and 33-year-old Edgar Hernandez of Tampa,
Florida were “observed loitering at a local bank” in Moorpark.
A local woman who noticed she was being followed after withdrawing a large sum of cash from her bank, notified law enforcement.
she was able to provide a clear description of the suspects and their car.
That tip led Moorpark detectives to another bank in nearby Simi Valley where they located the
suspect vehicle and made contact with Molano and Hernandez.
The ensuing investigation lead to a search of their vehicle and persons which ultimately “established probable cause” for their
arrest at the scene.
Further investigation indicated that Molano and Hernandez were engaged in “distraction-style
thefts” in which they follow victims from financial institutions and break into their vehicles
when they’re distracted, “usually at work or while running errands.”
Both suspects were taken into custody and transported to Ventura County Jail, where they
booked on charges of conspiracy to commit grand theft, possession stolen property, and
possession of burglary tools with intent to steal.
Both men remain in custody on $150,000 bail.
