SoCal Computer Hack Traces to Watsonville

Investigators probing a computer hacking case in Southern California (SoCal) landed up in a house and carted away a computer. Officers on duty belonging to the Department of Computer and Technology Crime High-Tech Response Team of Riverside County Sheriff, and the High-Tech Crime Unit of the Santa Clara County descended on the Cherry Blossom Drive house on February 21, 2007.

An individual from Perris, some 20 miles in the southeastern region of Riverside, reported at Riverside County Sheriff that someone unlawfully accessed his PC.

Riverside Sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez said that they got the computer they were looking for. Santacruzsentinel.com published Gutierrez's statement on February 22, 2007. Gutierrez suspected the involvement of two people, however, the operation didn't seem to be on a widep-scale although it was quite sophisticated.

Gutierrez did not disclose any details of the hacking but said it was not related to any sex crimes or child pornography. He said that detectives had been investigating a case of hacking since last six months. He added that they don't think the owner of the house, a Capitol police officer, had anything to do with the case.

Rick Ehle, the Chief of Capitola Police, said that he knew about the incident but had no information that Moreno Jr., the Capitola police officer, was the suspect in the investigation.

The Internet Protocol address of the computer, which works similarly to a street address, helped the agents to reach the house in Watsonville. Whenever a PC is in use, it's like sending up smoke in the air, and if a person can read the signals, he can track the location, Gutierrez commented. The investigation revealed another IP address that led officers to a house in Perris, said Gutierrez.

The investigators issued search warrants for both the houses at the same time. Officers did not arrest anyone but seized the computers, the crime 'weapons'. Gutierrez said that he didn't know if the residents of the two houses were connected in any way.

The involvement of Santa Clara County deputies was not clear. Sgt. Ed Wise, spokesman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff, did not discuss the officers' participation, albeit he confirmed their presence.

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» SPAMfighter News - 3/7/2007