Several Asian American homes in Colorado have been at the center of targeted burglary attacks that law enforcement officials warned may be part of a nationwide ring tied to the South American Theft Group.
The scarily sophisticated network of thieves has stolen nearly $1 million worth of cash and luxury items from the homes of different Asian business owners in Douglas County alone over the past year, the sheriff’s office confirmed on October 31.
According to the sheriff’s office, the burglars strike while the victims are at work and often employ sophisticated tactics to track their victim’s activity before the robbery by following them from their place of business, placing trackers on their cars or placing hidden cameras in their yards to determine when the homes are empty.
“They may also use Wi-Fi jammers to disable security cameras and alarm systems during the burglary, disabling doorbell cameras and Wi-Fi of neighboring homes,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. “Some coax cables to the home’s alarm system and/or cameras have also been cut.
A similar pattern of Asian American home burglaries has been tracked by law enforcement across 15 other counties and towns in the state in what a local detective called an “epidemic” that’s affected several states, CBS News reported.
“This is a nationwide trend,” Westminster Police Detective Adam Lanning told the news station. “Lots of criminal entities have figured this out and have started targeting the Asian population to go into their homes and get money and jewelry out of their homes.”
In one case, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said that a victim’s vehicle tires were slashed at work, preventing them from responding to the activated alarm. Other diversion tactics at the victim’s businesses have also been used. Once the victims return home, they discover their homes have been completely ransacked. Cash, jewelry, and high-end handbags are the primary targets.
The president and CEO of the Colorado Asian Chamber of Commerce Fran Campbell believes the bandits are going after the group because often first-generation Asian Americans keep a lot of their cash at their homes.
“They keep a lot of their assets at home, especially if they’re new immigrants that don’t necessarily trust the banking world,” Campbell told CBS News.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office provided a few important crime prevention tips for residents, including securing valuables, reporting suspicious activity and checking for tracking devices.
