HomeTop StoriesSuspects in South American theft ring targeting Asians arrested in Santa Rosa

Suspects in South American theft ring targeting Asians arrested in Santa Rosa

Well-organized burglary networks targeting Asian homes in Colorado’s burglary wave


Well-organized burglary networks targeting Asian homes in Colorado’s burglary wave

03:47

Five alleged members of a South American theft gang targeting Asians in Santa Rosa were arrested last month after a string of recent burglaries in the city, police said Tuesday.

Santa Rosa police said in a news release that the department and other agencies were alerted by Union City police about burglars targeting business owners of Asian descent at their homes. The investigation found the victims were located in multiple jurisdictions, including Santa Rosa, where police said at least 11 home burglaries among Asian victims have occurred in the past 14 months.

The burglaries reflect a national trend of theft groups from Colombia and other South American countries targeting Asian victims with the assumption that community members keep large amounts of cash and jewelry at their homes.

Detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department worked with their Union City counterparts on the case and used automated license plate reader cameras to identify a vehicle linked to the burglaries. On December 18, 2024, Santa Rosa Police received a residential 911 call from a subscriber with an Asian last name. A witness in the area provided the license plate number of a suspicious vehicle seen near the victim’s address, police said.

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Detectives tracked the vehicle in Santa Rosa using automated license plate reader data and the information led the detective team to Vallejo where they located two of the vehicles involved, police said. Surveillance teams from multiple department units, such as property crimes, narcotics, violent crimes and gangs, began monitoring the vehicles and people associated with them at an Airbnb home believed to have been rented by the suspects.

On December 19, 2024, police said the surveillance team saw four suspects hastily loading their vehicles with bags believed to be filled with stolen property. Santa Rosa Police Department detectives and uniformed officers stationed nearby immediately moved in to detain them; The suspects ran in different directions but were quickly pursued, police said. A fifth suspect fled the rental home and was also quickly arrested by members of the surveillance team.

A search warrant was issued and police said officers found evidence of a sophisticated burglary ring, such as GPS devices, camouflaged trail cameras, more than a dozen cellphones, delivery person clothing, lawn care clothing and equipment and night vision goggles. An undisclosed amount of cash and valuables, such as jewelry and designer handbags, were also seized.

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Earlier that day, police said surveillance teams tracked both vehicles to a residential area in San Rafael but were unable to determine whether the suspects were stalking a potential victim or committing a home invasion. The suspects returned to Vallejo and after serving the search warrant, detectives found evidence that the suspects had broken into a home in San Rafael.

Police suspect the suspects are Colombian nationals involved in a South American theft gang that moves from city to city and targets Asian entrepreneurs. They were tentatively identified as Martin Hernandez, 29; Carlos Alberto Ousset-Orozco, 34; Julio Gomez-Herrera, 26; Carlos Andres Lopez-Diaz, 23; and Miguel Romero-Morales, 37. Their identification is preliminary because some suspects were found with fraudulent Mexican passports and other possibly fake identification documents.

The five suspects were booked into the Sonoma County Jail on December 20, 2024, on charges of burglary, conspiracy, possession of stolen property, resisting arrest and two additional criminal code violations resulting from California’s Prop 36 law: excessive theft and joint dealing.

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Detectives requested a bail increase and a Sonoma County judge issued a no-bail warrant for all five suspects based on their false identification documents and flight risk considerations.

The same group of suspects is believed to be linked to similar home burglaries in Santa Rosa and other cities.

The Santa Rosa Police Department said it was working with other jurisdictions on the burglary investigation and urged community members to come forward with any information that could help.

We are deeply concerned about the continued attacks on members of the Asian community across the country. “We want to reassure our community that the Santa Rosa Police Department is fully committed to investigating these crimes and bringing those responsible to justice,” the department said in a news release. “We are working closely with community leaders and other law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of all residents, and we encourage anyone with information to come forward. Our department stands with the Asian community and we are committed to protecting every member of our city.”

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