Man led crew that stole thousands in lottery tickets, California cops say

A man accused of leading a burglary crew that stole California Lottery scratcher tickets from retail businesses has been arrested, sheriff’s officials reported.

Raul Jr. Najera, 45, of Los Angeles faces five charges of burglary, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office said in a Monday, Oct. 13, news release.

Najera was arrested following an investigation by the Camarillo and Los Angeles police departments along with California State Lottery Investigators.

Five businesses in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks were burglarized between July 2024 and July 2025, resulting in the theft of thousands of California Lottery scratcher tickets worth nearly $10,000, deputies said.

Using a rotating crew of accomplices and a “series of getaway vehicles,” Najera organized the thefts, deputies said. The stolen tickets “were quickly redeemed in South Los Angeles,” deputies said.

Najera was linked to a previous string of similar crimes in Camarillo in 2020, deputies said. He was caught during a theft in August, and a warrant for his arrest was issued in October.

Camarillo is about a 50-mile drive northwest from Los Angeles.

This story was originally published October 14, 2025 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Man led crew that stole thousands in lottery tickets, California cops say."