Chilean crime ring burglarizing affluent Michigan homes

Chileans working in teams of three to six have specialized in taking cash, safes, jewelry, and other items that could be converted to a lot of cash. They’re targeting Michigan’s wealthiest counties, specifically homes where the occupants are gone. Thieves were able to steal $800,000 worth of jewelry and cash from one home.

From Fox News:

“The Chilean gangs have been hitting us very hard,” he said. “They are super well-trained when they get here — highly organized. They look like ninjas — they’re all masked up, gloves. They each have a backpack with their particular set of tools for their job in the burglary.”

The thieves will often use a jammer to disable wireless alarms, Bouchard said — he implored residents to hardwire their alarm systems and make sure they are turned on when they leave home.

The most recent in the slew of break-ins came on Friday night — Bouchard did not specify where in the county the looting took place.

Chilling surveillance footage shared with Fox 2 Detroit captures one such break-in, where a cadre of hooded, black-clad men wearing gloves can be seen maneuvering through a homeowner’s backyard.

No specific location is being targeted by the group — instead, the sheriff said, the group targets homes that are empty, upscale and backed up to golf courses or woods so that there is “little or no observation from neighbors.”

Several months earlier, Bouchard said, the agency launched a special task force specifically targeting the break-ins, catching seven Chilean migrants who had netted millions in area heists. In December, the majority of 30 to 40 break-ins across the county over a four-month period were carried out by Chilean nationals, according to C & G News.

Fox News provides additional information here.

Category: Crime, Society