Jackson Jambalaya

 A Madison County grand jury indicted four foreign nationals for the burglary of a Bridgewater home last year.  The victims own a fine-dining restaurant in Ridgeland.  The "burglary tourism" occurred while they worked at their restaurant.  

The grand jury charged Benjamin Rubio-Tapa, Pablo Fernando Zuniga Cartes, Bastain Ignacio Jiminez, and Orlando Osvaldo Becerra on December 3, 2024 for burglary of a dwelling and conspiracy to commit burglary of a dwelling.  

The indictment states the defendants: 

on or about the 1st day of March, 2024, in the county aforesaid and within the jurisdiction of this Court, did unlawfully, willfully, feloniously and burglariously break and enter the dwelling of XXXX XXXXX, located at XXX Woodmont Way, Madison County, with the intent to commit the crime of larceny therein

All four defendants pleaded not guilty as well as indigence.  The Madison County Circuit Court appointed public defenders for all defendants.  Madison County Circuit Judge Steve Ratcliff scheduled their trial for May 12.   

The burglary was well-planned and took advantage of a major flaw in Bridgewater's security.  JJ reported June 5, 2024: 

The thieves were quite professional in their approach as they studied Bridgewater before they made a move.  Although gates and walls dominate the front of the subdivision,  the rear of the subdivision is bare of such defenses and the rear is where the victims live.  

The suspects observed there was a little gravel road behind the target home that was outside the subdivision.  Only a patch of woods separated the victim's Woodmont Way home from the road.  Spotting the flaw in the Bridgwater defenses, they exploited it to perfection. Turning off of Hickory Drive onto the seldom-used Aaron Lane, the thieves outflanked Bridgewater's Maginot Line. Rundstedt would have been proud. 

The burglars made their way through the woods at night, undoubtedly using night-vision goggles. They cut through a chain-link fence. Security cameras were useless as they wore hoodies and masks, rendering identification impossible. Law enforcement sources said they spent over an hour in the house as they cracked at least one safe, making off with cash and jewelry.   It is a pretty good bet someone observed the victims at the restaurant while the robbery took place.  Thankfully, Ridgeland Police were on the job as some good ole-fashioned police work brought two suspects to justice. 

A law enforcement source said the thieves drove straight to Ridgeland from Miami, robbed the home, and drove straight back to Miami, stopping only for food and gas. Earlier post.

Rubio-Tapia and Sanchez-Muchado  are being held without bond.  The other two defendants remain at large.  

A relatively new phenomenon among criminals is burglary tourism.  The Los Angeles Times reported in March 2024: 

Increasingly over the last five years, police officials say, thieves from South American nations have entered the U.S. for the purpose of committing robberies. In the case of Chile, authorities suspect some criminals are taking advantage of the tourist visa system, which does not require a background check for travelers. Once in the country, police say, they plan heist sprees and fence the loot before dispatching their earnings back home.
LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told The Times that South American theft groups are not new in L.A., but they have become more active in recent months.
Although crime statistics show burglaries are on the decline overall, Hamilton said: “The number of crimes tied to these kind of crews are way, way up.” Rest of article.

CNN reported in April: 

Prosecutors say the break-in is part of a larger issue in which so-called “burglary tourists” enter the United States from countries that qualify for visa waivers, allowing a visit of up to 90 days without a traditional tourist visa. When the suspects arrive – most often from South America, prosecutors say – they join sophisticated burglary rings that prey on luxury homes...
In some cases, the suspects “lie in wait in these ghillie suits so they remain camouflaged,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “They take advantage of the fact that most people don’t have window sensors or motion detectors on their second floors. They have WiFi jammers to stop the alarm company from being notified.”
Spitzer said the stolen goods are often sold quickly and the money is sent back to the suspect’s home country. Most often, that’s Chile, he said, which is now the only remaining South American country that qualifies for the Department of Homeland Security’s waiver program, known as the “Electronic System for Travel Authorization,” or ESTA.
The problem extends beyond California. Last month police in Scottsdale, Arizona, reported they arrested three Chilean nationals in connection with what authorities called a “burglary series” in the city.
Within the last year, police in Baltimore, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Nassau County, New York, were among those announcing arrests in cases of luxury home burglaries linked to Chilean nationals in the US on visa waivers.... Rest of article.