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.
Ridgeland police never caught the other defendants. It is assumed they have gone back home to Chile and Colombia.
Madison Circuit Judge Steve Ratcliff sentenced the Bridgewater burglar to 20 years in prison for buglary but suspended ten years of the sentence. He sentenced Rubio-Tapia to serve 5 years in prison for conspiracy but ordered him to serve the sentences consecutively.
Attorney Brent Connor represented the defendant.
The case was something not seen in Mississippi: burglary tourism. It is a relatively new phenomenon. 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.Burglary tourists hit major NFL stare such as Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow earlier this year. Cincinnati.com reported in August:
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.
The FBI says that South American Theft Groups are organized crime rings, often made up of Chileans, Venezuelans or Colombians. Most of the ones known to have targeted the Cincinnati area were made up of Chilean nationals. Law enforcement officials believe they are trained outside of the U.S. on how to burglarize homes skillfully.... “Burglary tourism," Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said, "is a nationwide problem.” The humble flyover states aren't immune. Law enforcement agencies use that moniker because the criminals came to the United States legally through 90-day tourist visas. Chile is one of 42 countries − and the only South American country − that takes part in the program. The Colombians and Venezuelans entered the U.S. through Chile using fake documents, officials said. Some Chilean gangs burglarized the homes of Kansas City Chiefs standouts Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.... Chilean gangs burglarized homes in Amberley Village, Indian Hill, Anderson Township and Montgomery in Ohio as well as Cincinnati's Hyde Park neighborhood, all of which have median household incomes well above the state and national averages. Some of the same individuals invaded homes in wealthy suburbs of Indianapolis and Detroit. The reason they select homes in high-income neighborhoods and communities appears to be the ease of grabbing valuable items.... The burglars took videos of homes on their cell phones and staked out the neighborhoods in advance. Investigators believe this was to find which houses to prey on and when the homeowners would be gone. They chose homes isolated from the back, abutted by woods or golf courses. The homeowners were often out of town. The burglaries were at dusk. The burglars entered the back of the house. They were like a "special ops tactical team," Michael Bouchard, the Oakland County sheriff, told The Enquirer. The gangs were extremely well-trained, with each member responsible for a particular task. One person would use a device that would break out a window "literally, in less than a second," Bouchard said. Another would use an electronic jamming device to interfere with a home's alarm system. Someone else would monitor communications to make sure law enforcement wasn't responding. Rest of article.
16 comments:
Turn him over to ICE and send him to Sudan to serve out his sentence.
Sounds like Chile needs to be removed from the 90-day tourist visa program.
There is no reason to keep this person in prison here in the US. Send them home.
que pasa, Benjamin?
He committed the crimes here, so he should serve his prison sentence here.
As a taxpayer, I approve of this expenditure.
It still smells. Group of highly trained thief's drive 15 hrs to break into a single home and then drive home. They obviously knew what the score would potentially be. Alot of nice homes between here and there. Just doesn't add up to me. Maybe a relative worked at the restaurant.
these defendants did not pick the victims house out of a hat.
did anyone ever establish a connection between the defendants and the victims?
Should have been yt and owned a real estate management company.
Hell no. He and his compadres stole six figures and jewelry. You don't send them home to hang out on the beach, smoke dope, drink tequila, and get warm with the honey every night. You throw their asses in prison. Period.
Probably all quarter-time sentences.
Alligator Alcatraz was built for these people.
here's a little travel tip for all the stud muffin married men who plan to travel to columbia for a little action.
if, while there , you run into a few smooth talking columbian men who speak PERFECT english......................look out.
they will usually be in the tourist areas selling some sort of excursions or whatever. but please be advised that 99% of them are columbians , who were in the united states previously, got themselves put in prison for a few years where they learned perfect english, and were eventually deported back to columbia.
knowing that may well save you a whole lot of misery.
to 12:44...........so your a taxpayer , are you?
since when did anyone in government ask for your ''approval'' on anything?
10:02, sounds like you work in government so you should know.
This happened in Greenville years back same way but not illegals stealing. Homes were broken into with high end appliances & new air conditioning systems being taken to Vicksburg, Arkansas & LA to be sold. Thieves would steal Steel from manufacturing companies & take it to LKe Village & sell for scrap. We know why insurance premiums and goods are having prices go up now! Good job to LEO!
PS Feed them spinach & vegetables, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches in jail. The generic brands, not the good ones. No tacos or cuisine they like!
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