Family Leaves $197,427 Found in Irvine Home After Robbery : Colombians Disappear in Wake of Drug Investigation

A family of Colombian nationals has apparently vacated its Irvine home and left unclaimed $197,427 in cash that police confiscated while investigating a bizarre robbery.

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration will go to court to seize the cash as government property, a spokesman said this week.

According to Irvine police, the DEA took over the case when investigation of an unrelated crime at the home turned up evidence, including the cash, indicating that the family was involved in drug trafficking.

The family “left the house the night of the (robbery) incident, and there has been no contact with the DEA in reference to their money,� Irvine Police Sgt. Leo Jones said this week.

The family members, identified as Bernardo, Jaime, Paquita and Fabio Valencia, were apparent robbery victims when Irvine police entered their home at 3 Prosa on the morning of Jan. 22.

Their maid called police after she discovered the Valencias, who range in age from 38 to 49, bound and hooded.

The Valencias told Irvine police officers that a lone gunman had forced his way into the home and, after tying them up, left with a small safe. All four family members said they had no idea what was in the safe, however.

Because of what police called the “suspicious nature� of the incident, they called in narcotics detectives and a drug-sniffing dog.

Federal agents were asked to handle the investigation after Irvine police found drug paraphernalia, “ledgers indicating sales of cocaine� and three bags containing the cash in different parts of the same bedroom, according to Irvine Police Lt. Gene Norden.

The DEA spokesman, who asked that his name not be used, would not comment on the investigation.

Irvine police turned over the cash to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Valencias, who had valid Colombian passports, were not arrested and were given receipts for the seized cash, police said.

No furniture was visible inside the home when a reporter visited Thursday and peered through the windows. What appeared to be several days’ worth of mail and pamphlets had accumulated outside the house.

A federal immigration official said his department has no record of any of the Valencias leaving the country but added that records may not be current at present.