Surge in Torrance burglaries linked to South American crime rings – NBC Los Angeles
Traces from housebreaking crime scenes in Torrance could also be tied to South American crime teams as the town sees a surge in house break-ins, the Torrance Police Division mentioned Tuesday.
The members of the worldwide crime teams are believed to have entered the U.S. with out visa, committing crimes, resembling high-end residential burglaries, earlier than returning to their house international locations.
The teams behind crime tourism usually arrange surveillance cameras in entrance of their targets and monitor the residents’ routines and vulnerabilities as seen in Arcadia and Backyard Grove.
“Group members are urged to stay vigilant and take proactive measures to guard their properties and households,” Torrance police mentioned whereas encouraging neighbors to extend consciousness and safe their properties.
Police mentioned the ways utilized in Torrance residential burglaries appeared much like those utilized by the worldwide theft teams.
“Be observant of unfamiliar people or automobiles in your neighborhood. In case you discover somebody appearing suspiciously, belief your instincts,” police mentioned.
The identical housebreaking type can also be replicated in Southern California by native criminals, in line with Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
“Utilizing jammers, extra refined pre-incident surveillance, the place they might have cameras laid-out on the property or on a automotive parked on the road throughout from the goal home for a time period, to have the ability to decide sample of life – to find out when an individual goes to be house, after they’re going to be gone,” the LAPD chief defined.
One of many current burglaries in Torrance concerned three folks forcing their manner into a house in the midst of the day final weekend.
They broke in whereas the home-owner was away. When the resident returned house, the 2 burglars made away with 1000’s of {dollars} value of things, together with a firearm, and escaped in a getaway car pushed by an confederate.
It was not instantly clear whether or not Saturday’s housebreaking can be linked to the South American theft rings.
