Within the desert round Scottsdale, Ariz., on Monday, cops hunted for a member of a world heist ring suspected of swiping jewels and luxurious items from properties throughout Los Angeles. Utilizing helicopters and drones, they ultimately discovered him hiding underneath a tree.
The needed man, it turned out, was a 17-year-old from Chile.
Authorities say {the teenager} and his two grownup accomplices later admitted to breaking into a number of properties, a part of a rising pattern of “housebreaking tourism” from South America.
The Los Angeles Police Division mentioned the teenage fugitive was first arrested Feb. 29 in Pacific Palisades together with three different Chileans as they cased properties within the rich enclave. Police tracked down the crew after a safety digital camera captured the license plate of their 2024 Hyundai Tucson amid a collection of burglaries throughout East Hollywood.
More and more during the last 5 years, police officers say, thieves from South American nations have entered the U.S. for the aim of committing robberies. Within the case of Chile, authorities suspect some criminals are profiting from the vacationer visa system, which doesn’t require a background test for vacationers. As soon as within the nation, police say, they plan heist sprees and fence the loot earlier than dispatching their earnings again house.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton informed The Instances that South American theft teams will not be new in L.A., however they’ve change into extra energetic in latest months.
Though crime statistics present burglaries are on the decline total, Hamilton mentioned: “The variety of crimes tied to those form of crews are method, method up.”
He cautioned that it’s tough to know for sure what number of robberies might be attributed to international burglars, however mentioned proof signifies they’re behind scores of break-ins. He estimated that north of the 118 Freeway in L.A. final yr there have been 94 burglaries, many in all probability dedicated by these crews.
“They typically goal properties typically linked to open areas, climbing trails and canyons that give them entry,” Hamilton mentioned.
The teams largely hit rich neighborhoods the place properties have jewellery and high-value objects that may be simply exchanged for money, he mentioned.
“They have an inclination to not carry weapons. They don’t wish to get gun expenses,” Hamilton mentioned. “They generally carry jamming gadgets to disable house safety programs.”
Whereas Chileans are among the many most typical members of those legal enterprises, Hamilton mentioned, they’re seeing different South Individuals together with Peruvians, Ecuadoreans and Colombians as properly. The LAPD and different native regulation enforcement businesses have fashioned a job pressure devoted to the issue.
“I can let you know that we now have a big improve in burglaries from organized teams which can be exterior this nation, which can be coming into the nation, and they’re concentrating on high-end residents,” LAPD Chief Dominic Choi mentioned at Tuesday’s Police Fee assembly.
In a single case on Aug. 17 of final yr, Burbank cops arrested a person recognized as Felipe Leiva Solis, a 33-year-old Chilean nationwide, after a girl hiding within the toilet of her house known as to report that 4 males had damaged in by means of a sliding door. Leiva Solis was present in a close-by yard on Burbank’s North Parish Place and is suspected of 4 different burglaries throughout the town, in accordance with court docket paperwork.
Leiva Solis was launched on bail however picked up once more on Dec. 19 in Glendale by cops who suspect he was behind a string of burglaries within the metropolis. He was amongst a bunch of three males who tried to flee on foot when their automobile was stopped, in accordance with Glendale Police Investigator Jackie Nguy.
In court docket papers asking for Leiva Solis to stay in custody, Nguy alleged the Chilean was a part of “an organized housebreaking ring accountable for no less than ten residential burglaries in Glendale,” and in addition tied to different thefts in Beverly Hills and different counties.
LAPD Det. Robert Hoebink mentioned in a court docket declaration that Leiva Solis’ crew was tied to no less than 30 burglaries in West Los Angeles alone. Hoebink alleged the Chilean used a pretend passport to open a Financial institution of America account and wired greater than $23,000 again house regardless of being right here on a vacationer visa.
LAPD officers on Dec. 27 nabbed three extra of the crew allegedly tied to Leiva Solis close to Coldwater Canyon Drive south of Mulholland when known as to help Beverly Hills on a manhunt for burglars. Inside a Ford Explorer, police mentioned they discovered $1 million price of stolen designer purses, clothes, watches and jewellery — all believed to be from a single heist.
Three extra arrests would come the following day as LAPD investigators recovered extra high-end objects from the group’s base of operations.
On Dec. 30, one other West L.A. housebreaking led Beverly Hills police to establish a white Mercedes GLS as tied to the crime, arresting a feminine driver and 4 different suspects close by.
Abraham Pablo Herrera Montecino, left, Francisco Alegria Velasquez and Felipe Leiva Solis had been arrested on housebreaking expenses by the Glendale Police Division.
(Glendale Police Division)
Leiva Solis is being held with out bail and is slated to be again in court docket subsequent week. He’s pleaded not responsible to a few counts of housebreaking and one depend of conspiracy to commit housebreaking.
Investigators say Chilean or South American crews are additionally behind a whole bunch of break-ins in Orange, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Diego counties.
In Orange County, Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer has aggressively prosecuted South American thieves and sued the federal authorities for failing to reveal its negotiations with Chile over visa necessities for vacationers. He has known as for measures to cease criminals from coming into as vacationers.
Spitzer mentioned the Chilean authorities has refused to abide by a requirement to supply the U.S. with the legal historical past of Chilean residents who use a visa program known as Digital System for Journey Authorization, or ESTA. This system permits Chileans residents to enter the U.S. for 90-day intervals an infinite variety of instances. Visa necessities range between nations, however vacationers from a number of different South American nations usually require visas with tighter restrictions earlier than coming to the U.S.
With out legal histories of Chileans, prosecutors have been largely handcuffed in making an attempt to show defendants are linked past a single housebreaking cost, Spitzer mentioned.
The Chilean Embassy in Los Angeles didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Authorities mentioned the Chilean teenage fugitive arrested in Arizona had pretend Venezuelan paperwork when he was arrested in L.A. and had repeatedly tried to evade police. After he was arrested Feb. 29 in L.A., he informed authorities his dad and mom had left him alone within the U.S. with a household buddy. As soon as he was turned over to L.A. County Kids and Household Companies, he vanished after going for a stroll in Lakewood, police mentioned.
When he was ultimately recaptured this week, Scottdale Police Chief Jeff Walther mentioned {the teenager} had “court docket documentation from his crimes he dedicated in California and earlier than fleeing to Arizona … and a few property we are attempting to tie to different burglaries.”
