Newport police arrest pair in hotel conference thefts

Newport Beach police last week arrested a man and a woman suspected of stealing tens of thousands of dollars worth of valuables from medical conferences at high-end hotels in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

Police allege that Eddwin Ricardo Bejaranobarrios and Mayra Alejandra Gutierrez-Leon, both of Los Angeles, would distract conference attendees and then plunder bags of electronics from meeting rooms.

Bejaranobarrios, 26, and Gutierrez-Leon, 27, are linked to at least 11 such thefts from hotels in Newport Beach, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and Los Angeles County, police said in an announcement Wednesday.

The pair twice targeted hotels in Newport Beach, making off with more than $23,000 worth of iPhones, iPads, laptops and other electronics, police said.

Officers took Bejaranobarrios and Gutierrez-Leon into custody on Nov. 19.

The suspects each pleaded not guilty Nov. 21 to two felony charges of second-degree burglary and a felony charge of conspiracy, according to court records.

Newport police ask that anyone with more information call Det. Christopher Kimble at (949) 644-3767 or (800)-550-NBPD.

Anonymous messages are allowed.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck