Over $1M Worth Of Jewelry Stolen From Greenwich Home, Man Charged: Report

GREENWICH, CT — A 30-year-old man who police said was part of a group of "tourist burglars" was recently charged in connection with the burglary of over $1 million worth of jewelry from a Greenwich home, according to Greenwich Time.

On Jan. 20, Greenwich police officers went to the South Central Regional Jail in Charleston, W. Va., to take custody of Stefano Cortes-Munoz, whose last known address is in Santiago, Chile, police said in an arrest report.

Cortes-Munoz was charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree burglary. He was given a bond of $2.5 million, an arrest report shows.

On May 18, 2022, a burglary was reported at a home on Indian Head Road in Riverside, police said. Capt. John Slusarz of the Greenwich Police Department told Patch jewelry was taken from the home.

Citing an arrest warrant, Greenwich Time reported that $1.65 million worth of jewelry was stolen.

Investigators processed the scene for fingerprints and trace evidence and were later able to identify Cortes-Munoz as a suspect, Slusarz added.

In April 2023, police announced that they obtained arrest warrants for Cortes-Munoz and others who were believed to be part of burglary crews who were operating in Fairfield and Westchester Counties.

"The area has been experiencing many burglars committed by separate criminal groups commonly called 'tourist burglars.' The Greenwich Police Department has been working with law enforcement agencies from New York, New Jersey, and the FBI in order to identify and arrest these numerous crews," police said at the time.

"The suspects enter the United States and commit several burglars in an area, and then leave the United States, returning to their country of origin," police added. "The problem has become pervasive in the greater tri-state area, as well as other regions of the country. The different crews, separate and with no connection to each other, use the same tactics to commit their crime."

Police noted the burglar crews have targeted high-end properties in the evening hours after sunset when residents aren't home.

Greenwich Time also reported that there was no record of Cortes-Munoz applying for a visa to enter the United States, and Greenwich police believe he entered the country illegally.

Cortes-Munoz is scheduled to appear in Stamford Superior Court on Feb. 5.

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