Criminal South American tourists have entered the mansions of wealthy residents in San Diego County in the early hours of the night who are not intimidated if they see that they are caught on security cameras.
The notice is from the San Diego County Sheriff's Office, which decided to publish it because the group identified as "South American Theft Group" (SATG) has been very active in taking down some of the wealthiest in North County.
The thieves are called "South American Theft Group" because they are South Americans, mainly Chileans, who arrive on a tourists visa. During their stay in the United States, they dedicate themselves to robbing rich people.
“There is no evidence that they are operating armed,” the Sheriff's office said.
The thieves steal exclusively in the wealthiest areas. They generally look for mansions near golf courses or unpopulated areas, where residents trust themselves because they believe that security cameras will intimidate thieves.
When the thieves make sure their targets leave so they can enter. According to the Sheriff's office, they usually make their way quickly to the main bedroom, where they search until they find hiding places or safe deposit boxes of the residents. Their robberies are fast, and they wear plastic from head to toe to not leave any evidence.
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), this is not the first time that SATG has attacked wealthy Americans.
In southern California, SATG was detected in Los Angeles, where objects worth a million dollars were stolen from a celebrity's home, in Riverside County, Ventura, the Carolinas, Texas, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.
Sometimes they wear hoodies, wear gloves, and put on masks.
The FBI already has several videos of the thieves, but none of them show their faces.
The San Diego Sheriff recommended that residents of affluent areas consider purchasing "smart lights" that alternately turn on and off inside any home and, from the outside, give the impression that someone is inside the house
