San Francisco, CA – San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins announced today that her office secured a conviction of Ervin Nicolas (41), and Marivic Aliga (46), after a trial by jury, for breaking into an unoccupied home in the Sunset District and stealing the personal belongings of the homeowners who were not present. Mr. Nicolas and Ms. Aliga were convicted of second-degree burglary of an unoccupied house (PC 459). The jury also found true the allegation that Mr. Nicolas had a prior strike conviction for first-degree burglary in 2013.
“I would like to thank the jury for their service in this trial,” said District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. “I would also like to thank the neighbors who called police when they saw a home being burglarized on their block and did not turn a blind eye. As a result of their concern and the prompt action by the San Francisco Police Mr. Nicolas and Ms. Aliga are now being held accountable for their crimes.”
According to evidence and other testimony presented at trial, on October 13, 2025, San Francisco police officers were dispatched to a call of a burglary on the 700 block of Lawton Street. Neighbors reported that the burglars pried open the garage and were carrying items out of the house to a Prius parked in front of the driveway. A neighbor noted that they observed two people carrying boxes to the trunk of the Prius. SFPD officers arrived and observed the front door to the house closed as they approached the house. The officers conducted a search of the home and located Mr. Nicolas and Ms. Aliga hiding in a bedroom closet in the basement. SFPD officers contacted the homeowner who confirmed that property found in the trunk of the Prius belonged to him and his family and that no one had permission to enter the house or take the property. A crowbar was also found inside the Prius.
The case against Mr. Nicolas and Ms. Aliga was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Dennis Guzman, with assistance from District Attorney Investigators Richard Vass, Scott Wong, John Lenny and Molly Braun, and paralegals Daniel La and Andres Hernandez-Ruano. Prosecutors were able to develop a strong case against Mr. Nicolas and Ms. Aliga based on the careful investigation of the San Francisco Police Department’s Taraval Station.
“I would like to thank the jury for carefully considering the evidence in this case,” said Assistant District Attorney Dennis Guzman. “Their thoughtful deliberation for the burglars involved in this crime was not an easy task and they carefully and critically evaluated all of the evidence presented in this case. I would also like to thank the San Francisco police officers who quickly responded to an active burglary and managed to apprehend the burglars while they were still in the home.”
Mr. Nicolas and Ms. Aliga are both currently out of custody. Sentencing is scheduled for October 23, 2026.
Court Numbers: Nicolas, 25022221 and Aliga, 25022234
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