The Brief Two Los Angeles County men have charged with felony grand theft following a $14,000  bank jugging  incident in Thousand Oaks. The suspects allegedly tracked a victim from a local bank before breaking into their parked vehicle to steal the cash. Both defendants have pleaded not guilty, and a court hearing is scheduled for later this month to determine the next steps.



Two Los Angeles County men are facing felony grand theft charges after allegedly targeting a bank customer in Thousand Oaks and stealing $14,000 in cash from their vehicle.

The incident marks the fourth  bank jugging  case filed in Ventura County over the last four months.

What we know:

Francisco Javier Nieto Mosquera, 45, and Ricardo De Jesus Melendez Rodriguez, 37, have both been charged with one felony count of grand theft, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

The charges include three aggravating factors: inducing another to participate, demonstrating planning, sophistication, or professionalism, and involving an actual taking of great monetary value.

According to officials, on June 3, the pair allegedly targeted a victim who withdrew approximately $14,000 from a bank near Janss Road and Moorpark Road.

Prosecutors say they followed the victim to a convenience store in the 1000 block of East Avenida De Los Arboles.

While one defendant acted as a lookout, the other forcibly entered the victim's parked vehicle and took the cash after the victim went inside the store.

Investigators with the Ventura County Sheriff's Office located and arrested both suspects in San Dimas on July 9, 2026.

Both men pleaded not guilty at their arraignments and remain in custody on $10,000 bail.

What we don't know:

The official reports have not specified which of the two defendants allegedly acted as the lookout and which one forcibly entered the vehicle. It's unknown if the stolen $14,000 has been recovered by law enforcement.

What they're saying:

 This is now the fourth bank jugging case we've received in four months, and it's clear these brazen crimes are becoming an increasingly common tactic used

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