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San Diego Deputies Seize Millions in Collectibles, 19 Guns in North County Storage-Unit Case

Investigators say a fraud tip about storage leases using stolen identities led to raids that uncovered the cache.

Overview

  • Two suspects, Kyle John Henely, 43, and Veronica Merlo, 40, were booked on suspicion of burglary, fraud, grand theft and conspiracy.
  • Detectives linked the case to 13 storage-unit burglaries across North County: six in Escondido, five in Valley Center and two in Oceanside.
  • Between Oct. 28 and Nov. 13, investigators executed three search warrants, including at a home on West Los Angeles Drive in Vista.
  • Recovered property included roughly $100,000 in cash, 19 firearms and high-value comics and trading cards, with photos showing an All-Star Comics No. 8 and a graded Black Lotus card.
  • Officials say the haul likely totals millions of dollars, with authenticity checks and victim identification continuing as charges were expanded beyond the initial Oceanside counts.