Burglary Tourism: Chilean Trio Suspected In South Orange County Burglaries

IRVINE, CA — Three men believed to be connected to an organized crime ring were arrested in South Orange County.

The arrests were made after a series of residential burglaries in the Turtle Rock and Shady Canyon neighborhood in Irvine had deputies conducting extra surveillance in the area.

RELATED: 34 Home Burglaries Reported In South OC City In Past Month

On Friday at around 6:50 p.m. near Bommer Canyon, an officer spotted a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot, according to a statement released by the Irvine Police Department.

The officer stopped the vehicle as it was pulling away from the lot. Inside, authorities found three men who "were not from the area and had no reason to be in Irvine."

The officer also found several items thought to be burglary tools in the car, including pet deterrent, shoe covers, gloves and masks.

RELATED: Burglary Tourism Booming: International Thieves Target CA Communities

The men were arrested and face charges including suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary, providing false information to a police officer and possession of burglary tools.

The suspects were identified as Ricardo Navarate-Loyola, 19; Julio Cordova-Martinez, 55; and Leopoldo Jara-Araya, 57. All three suspects are Chilean nationals, police said.

The arrests were made in light of a recent uptick in "burglary tourism" across certain parts of the state — where thieves who come to the Golden State from South American countries to commit robberies — according to a previous Patch report.

The "tourists" include visitors from Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, according to a report done by the Los Angeles Times. They are generally active in wealthy neighborhoods, the newspaper reported.

“I’m proud of the men and women of the Irvine Police Department and all the work they do to keep our community safe,” said Irvine Police Chief Michael Kent. “This arrest is just one example of the great police work happening daily in our city and should serve as a warning to anyone looking to victimize our residents, businesses, and visitors: Don’t commit crime in Irvine.”

Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Detective Ryan Nigg at 949-724-7183 or email rnigg@cityofirvine.org.

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CALIFORNIA — California has many draws for visitors, but one in particular has police concerned as “burglary tourism” is growing in parts of the state, according to reports.

Thieves who come to California from South American countries to commit robberies have become increasingly active in the past several months, the Los Angeles Times recently reported.
“The number of crimes tied to these kind of crews are way, way up,” Los Angeles Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told the newspaper, which reported police have created a task force to address the problem.

The “tourists” include visitors from Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, according to the Times, which reported the crews have been involved in hundreds of break-ins in Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. They are typically active in wealthy neighborhoods, the newspaper reported.
“They often target homes often connected to open spaces, hiking trails and canyons that give them access,” Hamilton told the Times.