Zip ties, guns and a rope: new details emerge on Newport Beach home invasion

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By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

Two men accused of taking part in a bizarre home invasion robbery of a Newport Coast mansion that ended in gunfire this week were armed with a firearm, zip ties and a rope, according to Orange County Superior Court records.

Authorities allege that Andrew Miguel Rosas, 24, was one of the men who entered the gated-community early that morning intending to commit a robbery on Vista Luci. Rosas, of Pomona, along with another man who has not been identified, were wearing dark clothing and masks when they were dropped off at the home, according to court papers.

Rosas, who was arrested Tuesday, is facing charges of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, carrying a loaded firearm in public and conspiring to commit a crime, all felonies. He has not yet entered a plea.

Newport Beach police were summoned to the $5-million luxury estate on Vista Luci at 4:45 a.m. Tuesday by a 911 call reporting a home invasion in progress.

The caller told authorities that one of the residents shot a suspect while he was inside the home. The injured man and another suspect fled the property, police said.

When officers arrived, they found Rosas lying in the street with gunshot wounds, police said. A handgun was nearby.

A second suspect was later found in bushes near the home with what police described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has not released the person’s name because they haven’t been able to notify next of kin, officials said Friday.

Rosas, who remains hospitalized, appeared in court on video this week, court records show.

Rosas recently served time in Los Angeles County jail after pleading no contest to a felony count of taking a vehicle without consent in October 2022. He was sentenced to two years in jail, according to court records.

Police have said there is a connection between the targets of the home invasion and the suspects but have declined to elaborate on the relationship. Prosecutors wrote in court papers that Rosas was working “in concert with two conspirators.”

Property records indicate that the home had been rented for $31,000 a month in January. Newport Coast, a neighborhood that’s home to celebrities and executives, is one of the most exclusive in Orange County.

It is not clear how the group gained access to the neighborhood, which is gated and has a guard at the entrance. Authorities said four people who were inside the home at the time were uninjured.

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About the Author
Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.

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