Authorities arrest 3 Colombian nationals suspected of involvement in Southern California tourism burglary ring

Authorities have arrested three of four suspects allegedly connected to a hidden camera that was found outside a Southern California home earlier this year.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying the suspects arrested are three Colombian nationals: 28-year-old Hames Lopez-Granados, 38-year-old Dany Alejandro Aponte-Abaunza and 27-year-old Jonathan Sierra-Rincon.

Officials said an investigation is ongoing to identify the fourth suspect in the case.

The arrests follow an incident that occurred in May when a Calabasas homeowner reported to police that he found a camouflaged hidden camera in a flower pot in front of his home.

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Police have released photos of the camera and battery, which were turned in by a local resident who found them in his flower bed.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office told FOX 11 that South American thief groups, often made up of Chilean and Colombian nationals, are known to use covert tactics, such as hiding listening devices in natural surroundings like leaves and bushes.

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Officials say these organized crime groups travel across states committing burglaries and thefts, often on restricted tourist visas.

Authorities urged the community to be vigilant and report any suspicious devices.

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Police found surveillance cameras camouflaged with leaves in the suspects’ car.

On September 3, the Riverside Sheriff’s Special Enforcement Bureau and the Southwest Station Bureau of Investigation executed a search warrant in a Los Angeles neighborhood where three suspects were detained.

All three suspects were booked into the Cois Byrd Detention Center on charges of conspiracy and burglary, officials said.

No additional details were released, but investigators encourage anyone with information to contact Lead Investigator Angel Gasparini at the Southwest Sheriff’s Department at 951-696-3000.

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Jose Antonio Velasquez, 28, Edison Arley Pinzon Fandino, 27, and Luis Carlos Moreno, 29, were also arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary, police said.

A week before the Calabasas camera was discovered, Glendale police arrested four Colombian nationals in connection with what they called a “tourist burglary ring.” As in Malibu, the suspects allegedly placed the cameras in a planter outside a home.

Glendale Police Chief Manny Cid previously said the arrests highlighted the “constant challenges” officers face in keeping the community safe.

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“While it is frustrating to have the same suspect caught for a similar crime, it does not diminish our determination to protect Glendale,” Cid said. “Our officers are committed and will utilize every available resource to combat these crimes and keep our residents safe.”

Police said “burglary tourism” involves thieves from South America who enter the U.S. “under the pretext of tourism and target affluent neighborhoods as targets for break-ins.”

Stephen Sorace of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.

Source of original article: Authorities arrest 3 Colombian nationals suspected of involvement in Southern California tourism burglary ring