Earlier this month, authorities in Clark County, Ohio, took into custody four individuals from Chile. These men were in possession of various items including an old piece of clothing from Louisiana State University and a Bengals cap, allegedly looted from a residence in Hamilton County on the 9th of December. This incident coincidentally aligns with the reported burglary of the home of American football player, Joe Burrow.
Court documents reveal that one of the Ohio State Highway Patrol officials procured these suspects on January 10th. The patrol officer stopped a car with Florida license plates for a violation related to changing lanes on Interstate-70. This intervention occurred while law enforcement had been maintaining surveillance on the vehicle’s inhabitants.
Upon closer observation, authorities identified the individuals in the car, previously viewed exiting a hotel in Fairborn, La Quinta, hefting baggage. Geographically, Fairborn is a city situated in the northeastern quadrant of Dayton, Ohio, near the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Based on the official report, three of the four men provided counterfeit identity documents at the time of the traffic confrontation. These men were later recognized as 22-year old Jordan Sanchez, 23-year old Bastian Morales, 38-year old Sergio Cabello, and 24-year old Alexander Huaiquil-Chavez. All of them were found to have been in the country unlawfully, having overstayed their permits.
The law-enforcers carried out a search operation on the vehicle and made a notable discovery. They reported finding two auto center punch tools nested in the glove compartment. Detailed reports indicate that such a tool was recognized as used by a group specializing in theft from South America to smash glass panes for illicit ingress into homes.
Investigators, amidst their search, came across the notable items which tied the four suspects to the Hamilton County burglary incident. Their trove included an old LSU t-shirt and a Bengals cap, thought to have been stolen during the robbery conducted on the 9th of December.
Further investigations have painted a vivid picture of the invasion. A woman visiting Burrow’s home discovered a bedroom window shattered and the room’s interior in utter disarray. This revelation implies a scenario of forced entry and disconcerting search for valuables.
In securitization of one of the suspect’s (Sanchez) cellular data, the device was identified to have been in the vicinity of the Hamilton County burglary on December 9th. Following this, it geolocated in Miami two days later. These digital traces also linked the other suspect (Morales) to the burglary case.
Enhanced inquiry resulted in Morales also being acknowledged as one of the potential perpetrators in the burglary that took place on December 9th. Similar to Sanchez, his presence was also detected in Miami on December 11th. Further, Morales was spotted exiting a Volkswagen Atlas, a vehicle previously noted to be in the area during the burglary.
Another suspect, Chavez, was witnessed handling a duffle bag outside the La Quinta hotel. Intriguingly, a resemblance was also drawn between this bag and one identified in the aforementioned Volkswagen Atlas on December 11th. This connection indicated a potential link to the burglary.
While undergoing questioning, three of the detained individuals — Sanchez, Morales, and Cabello — committed falsification concerning their identities. They articulated their presence in Ohio as being merely for leisure and to experience the wintry climate. On the other hand, Chavez was forthcoming with his actual identity.
The defendant, Chavez, admitted to investigators his purchase of the glass-breaking tool from a homeware variety store, Home Depot. However, he abstained from explaining his motives behind obtaining such a device that holds potential implications in unlawful activities.
Subsequently, a grand jury took action indicting the four for allegedly engaging in a pattern of corruption, criminal gang involvement, and possession of tools with criminal intent. The indictment stemmed from a deeper investigation, pointing towards a reprehensible pattern in their actions.
Based on the legal documents, it becomes clear that these arrests form a segment of a broader investigation. The Southwest Ohio Burglary Task Force steel has been constantly on the trail of multiple break-ins transpiring in large-scale homes across the Tri-State area.
The task force, under the leadership of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Indian Hill Police Department, has been meticulously working on these cases. In addition to these lead departments, the team comprises representatives from Amberly Village, Forest Park, Montgomery and Cincinnati Police Departments, and Hamilton County’s Prosecutor and Sheriff’s offices.
To date, whilst tackling this intricate web of criminal operations targeting property, at least six South American groups have been apprehended and placed under arrest. Of these groups, five were reportedly natives of Chile.