A man convicted in a spree of break-ins from Ventura County to Newport Beach was back behind bars Wednesday after walking away from a prison camp in February.
Juan David Veramancini, 49, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree burglary and possession of stolen property, according to the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Veramancini left the Growlersburg Conservation Camp in El Dorado County on Feb. 23, authorities said. Prosecutors in that county will consider whether to pursue escape charges, authorities said.
Veramancini pleaded guilty to 14 felony counts of burglary June 13, 2024, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, according to court records. At that time he had 2,068 days credit for time behind bars before accepting a plea deal from an Orange County Superior Court judge over the objections of prosecutors.
At Veramancini’s sentencing, victims of the burglaries told the judge how traumatizing the break-in were.
“We have lived in our house for 29 years and have always felt safe and secure until the burglary,” one victim wrote. “Seeing the smashed glass door and the video images of people entering our house, running up the stairs, and rummaging through our belongings is a horrible violation that has caused ongoing anxiety, as well as many sleepless nights and nightmares.”
The victim said the burglars stole his deceased father’s “prized coin collection,” which had been amassed over 50 years. The coin collection worth $6,253 was not recovered, he said.
Prosecutors said the case started with the investigation of 18 break-ins in the city of Thousand Oaks between June and August 2021.
Veramancini was believed to have been part of a ring that broke into multiple homes in Laguna Hills, San Juan Capistrano and Rancho Santa Margarita, according to Orange County Sheriff’s deputies.
The suspects were caught in August 2021 during a break-in in the 1600 block of Antigua Way in Newport Beach, which led to a police pursuit, deputies said.
The getaway car slammed into a deputy’s patrol car, ending the pursuit, deputies said.