Sophisticated 'burglary tourists' fly from South America to rob wealthy homes, LAPD says
LOS ANGELES — In the desert around Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday, police officers hunted for a member of an international heist ring suspected of swiping jewels and luxury goods from homes across Los Angeles. Using helicopters and drones, they eventually found him hiding under a tree.
The wanted man, it turned out, was a 17-year-old from Chile.
Authorities say the teenager and his two adult accomplices later admitted to breaking into multiple homes, part of a growing trend of "burglary tourism" from South America.
The Los Angeles Police Department said the teenage fugitive was first arrested Feb. 29 in Pacific Palisades along with three other Chileans as they cased homes in the wealthy enclave.
