SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Police said a crime ring out of South America is again targeting luxury homes in Scottsdale, and they're undeterred by security guards or gated neighborhoods.
Since October 2023, the Scottsdale Police Department has responded to at least 23 burglaries that occurred in the early evening hours, typically when the homeowners weren't present. The most recent case happened just this last weekend.
Police are calling the group the "Dinnertime Burglars," since they strike once the sun begins to go down.
Police also noticed another pattern with these burglaries. The suspects are targeting homes either backed up to a golf course or a wash and are simply hopping into backyards to get inside of homes.
The criminals normally steal small but high-value items like jewelry and cash, police said.
This isn't the first time a South American crime ring has targeted Scottsdale. In 2022, Mike Larson and his wife left their Scottsdale home for just a few hours to go to a neighbor's house. When they returned, everything seemed normal until they walked into their bedroom to find all of their drawers open and jewelry boxes thrown on the bed. Someone had also rummaged through their closet.
"My wife says, 'Oh my God we’ve been robbed,'" Larson told 12News in 2023.
The burglars used a rock to break through their back door, Larson said.
In total, Larson said about $25,000 worth of cash, jewelry and other accessories were taken.
A nearby home was also burglarized by the same group who were in Larson's home, according to police. Court records obtained by 12News reveal the crew broke in through the back door the same way they entered Larson's home.
The four suspects involved in the 2022 burglaries were said to be part of a Chilean crime group that operated in multiple states. They were all sentenced to spend up to three years in prison.
Authorities said the new crew operating in 2024 have hit homes in Scottsdale, Gilbert, Phoenix and Paradise Valley.
Scottsdale police are encouraging residents in those areas to keep their lights and even their TVs on when they are not home. Police suggest having a security system and said residents should let neighbors know if they are going out of town.
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