OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – Crews of thieves are continuing to target high-end homes across Metro Detroit, stealing valuable items while homeowners aren’t there.
Authorities in Oakland County say the teams of thieves are actually coming from Chile, and are targeting houses throughout the United States. Here in Michigan, high-end homes have been targeted in Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties, and the issue continues.
A week ago, two homes in Clinton Township were hit by the thieves. Law enforcement in Oakland County have nabbed two of the accused crews so far, but there are more teams operating throughout Metro Detroit.
“The intelligence reports tell us just the Chilean teams are 100 or more, and typically a team is somewhere between three and six people. So, it’s a lot of people that are just traveling this country, hammering high-end neighborhoods,” said Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.
---> Videos: Organized crews smash glass, use jammers to break into high-end Metro Detroit homes
The crews are reportedly entering the U.S. through the Visa Waiver Program. Law enforcement are telling Metro Detroit residents to stay vigilant and follow certain steps to help keep their belongings safe.
Actions homeowners should take
Neighbors gathered this week for a town hall to learn more about the thieves, how they operate, and what homeowners should do to protect themselves.
Those who own high-end homes, even in neighborhoods that aren’t high-end themselves, should have an alarm system, but not a wireless one. Owners are urged to have an alarm system that’s tethered to a landline so that it can’t be jammed by devices called jammers, which disrupt wireless signals.
Homeowners are also urged to not post vacation pictures on social media while they’re out of town. Instead, those pictures should be posted once you return, officials said.
The invaders do surveillance, and typically only break in when no one is home. If someone comes home during the break-in, the thieves typically flee right away.
When it comes to safes, be sure to bolt yours to the floor. The crews of thieves have been also stealing safes, dragging them right out of the homes they target.
The crews are specifically targeting bedrooms when they enter these high-end homes. They’re stealing jewelry, cash, and expensive handbags.
So far, the crews have not been violent toward homeowners or their pets.
The thieves’ process
The crews, which typically consist of three or four people per break-in, are targeting isolated, high-end homes throughout Metro Detroit -- but the homes aren’t only in exclusive and expensive neighborhoods. Sheriff Bouchard says any home that fits the thieves’ criteria can be targeted, even if the homes around it might not fit the bill.
Thieves are targeting expensive homes, especially million-dollar homes. The thieves are going after houses that have thick landscaping and/or back up to wooded areas, trees, shrubs, a golf course, trails, and the like. The thieves are using these areas to stake out the house, and wait for a time to strike, officials say.
The thieves are entering the homes through glass doors and windows -- sometimes using ladders to enter second-floor windows. In a news conference held in December, Bouchard shared surveillance videos showing the thieves breaking glass doors to enter homes.
While breaking into the homes, the thieves are using devices called jammers, which literally jam frequencies to prevent any information from getting in or out. These jammers block wireless alarm and security systems, glass break alarms, wireless internet service, and the like.
Though the thieves have been captured on surveillance cameras, they’ve been able to avoid alarm systems inside and outside of the homes by using jammers.
Once inside, the thieves are going after valuable items like jewelry, precious metals, electronics, purses, watches, and safes. Dressed in all black, the thieves haul away the stolen items, and have largely evaded police so far.
Where the thieves are coming from
Authorities previously said that the thieves appear to be involved in an organized crime network that originates in Chile in South America.
According to Sheriff Bouchard, the thieves are getting into the U.S. using one of two methods: Illegally entering at the country’s border, or through the Visa Waiver Program, which “enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa,” the U.S. government says.
Crews out of Chile are reportedly targeting homes, cars and businesses across the U.S., and continue to move around the country. Bouchard said the crews of thieves are “very much trained,” and continuously move on to new communities to avoid being caught.
When asked where the crews might be living, Bouchard said in December that it’s hard to say, since they move around so frequently. The crews will successfully hit a target, and then move on to another community, or even another state, Bouchard said.
In an effort to catch the crews, and to prevent more from coming into Metro Detroit to commit crimes, the sheriff’s office has partnered with 30 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to establish a task force. Together, the agencies plan to share information and team up on efforts to track down the thieves.
“We need federal help,” Bouchard said. “If we catch one crew and two more are on the way, we’re trying to plug holes in a dam that’s breaking.”
The Oakland County sheriff made it clear, however, that the task force is not concerned about immigration. He said immigration is a policy that’s up to the federal government, and that this task force is primarily concerned with focusing on the individuals coming to the U.S. specifically to commit crimes.
Watch Mara MacDonald’s latest report below.