SIMI VALLEY, CA — A brazen residential burglary in broad daylight on Sunday, July 20, 2025, just before noon, set off a heart-pounding police pursuit through Simi Valley, culminating in a dramatic showdown on Stow Street. The incident, which unfolded in the 200 block of Goldenwood Circle, ended with three Los Angeles men in custody, one injured officer, and a neighborhood rattled by the chaos.
The sequence of events began at approximately 11:30 a.m. when a vigilant homeowner, away from their residence, spotted two suspicious individuals on their home surveillance system. The homeowner promptly alerted the Simi Valley Police Department (SVPD), who raced to the scene. Officers arrived just as two suspects were seen fleeing the residence toward a waiting getaway car, driven by a third accomplice. One suspect was apprehended immediately, unable to reach the vehicle in time, while the other two sped off, triggering a high-stakes chase.
The pursuit tore through Simi Valley, weaving along Highway 118 and several side streets, with the suspects’ vehicle eventually coming to a stop partially on the sidewalk on the west side of Stow Street, between Eunice St. and Katherine St., near the south end of Yosemite Avenue. As the two remaining suspects abandoned their car and fled on foot, SVPD officers, backed by an LAPD helicopter circling overhead near Katherine St. Elementary School, closed in. The helicopter provided critical aerial support until ground units gave the “all clear” after apprehending the suspects.
The chase wasn’t without cost. During the intense foot pursuit, one SVPD officer sustained a fractured elbow and was treated on-site by Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) paramedics. Despite the injury, the officer’s efforts contributed to the successful capture of all three suspects.
The suspects were identified as Jean Paul Gorpicco-Barbosa, 21, Michael Steven Arevalo-Suarez, 22, and Brian Camilo Alfanso-Pineda, 23, all residents of Los Angeles. They were booked into the Ventura County Pre-Trial Detention Facility on multiple felony charges, including burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, evading police, and resisting arrest resulting in significant injury to an officer. Authorities have not disclosed what, if anything, was stolen from the residence, but the investigation remains active.
This incident has left Goldenwood Circle residents shaken, with many praising the homeowner’s quick thinking and the SVPD’s swift response. “It’s terrifying to think this happened in the middle of the day,” said one neighbor, who wished to remain anonymous. “But I’m grateful for the police and that helicopter—they didn’t let these guys get away.”
The SVPD is urging anyone with additional information or video footage from the area to contact them at (805) 583-6950 or Ventura County Crime Stoppers anonymously at (800) 222-TIPS. As the community processes this bold crime, questions linger about whether the suspects are linked to other local burglaries, with police continuing to investigate potential connections.
About the Author
