A Madera County resident returned to her home near Hensley Lake on Road 603 the evening of Monday, Dec. 17 and interrupted a burglary in progress. Four suspects — tied to a major gang operating in Madera County — fled the property in the woman’s car. Among the band of suspected thieves, one man had been granted early release courtesy of AB 109.

Unharmed but frightened, the woman phoned the sheriff’s office providing deputies with a description of the suspects, and the make, model and color of the stolen vehicle.

Zack Zamudio spotted the vehicle almost 16 miles away on Clinton and Tozer, and pulled it over immediately. Not knowing if anyone inside was armed, a handful of deputies arrived on scene to assist, taking all four into custody without further incident.

According to records, Andrew Steven Trevino, 19, an admitted gang member, was part of California’s early release program called AB 109. He was serving time for burglary.

The purpose of AB 109 is to curtail California’s so-called state prison revolving door of low-level inmates.

“He’s back behind bars, booked into our county jail, where he is being held without bail,” said Madera County Sheriff John Anderson.

According to Anderson, a second suspect is 22-year-old Anthony Lee Bruno, also a known gang member.

“He was among more than 100 gang members arrested in June 2011 during a major gang sweep, dubbed ‘Operation Red Zone,’” Anderson said.

Bruno was charged and convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and on parole when our deputies arrested him last night, Anderson said. Bruno was booked on a no-bail hold.

The third and fourth suspects are 19-year-old Ester Lopez, and 18-year-old Steven Ambrosio — both gang associates. All four suspects are from Madera.

While Trevino and Bruno remain held without bail, Lopez and Ambrosio’s bail was set at $30,000 each.