Cervantes is accused of stealing jewelry from at least four clients. In one case, Cervantes was given an heirloom 2-carat platinum ring to polish for a friend and customer. The ring had been passed down for generations and was to be used in a marriage proposal. Cervantes never returned the ring. In another case, the victim bought a ring from Cervantes, gave it back to him for appraisal and never saw it again.
The value of the items stolen in this case exceeds $40,000. In all of the cases, the victims were referred to Cervantes by friends or knew him personally. When the victims would ask Cervantes for their property, he would give excuses as to why the item had not been returned. In all of the cases, the victims’ weddings were postponed due to the theft.
Cervantes, who operated under business names including Diamonds are Forever and Cervantes Jewelers, was known to live at addresses in Irvine and Santa Ana. He listed business addresses in those cities that were not legitimate.
At the time of his arrest, Cervantes did not reveal the whereabouts of the stolen property. Anyone with information on the items or who believes they are a victim in this case is asked to contact Irvine Police Department Detective Kristi Valentine at 949-724-7188 or kvalentine@cityofirvine.org.