Phoenix/ Crime & Emergencies
AI Assisted Icon
Published on March 12, 2024
Scottsdale Police Nab 3 Chilean Nationals in String of "Dinner-Time Burglaries" in Phoenix MetroSource: Facebook/Scottsdale Police Department

Scottsdale police have put the cuffs on three Chilean nationals linked to a series of brazen "dinner-time burglaries" plaguing posh Arizona neighborhoods. The arrests, made public on March 11, bring a temporary halt to a spate of thefts attributed to the so-called South American Theft Groups (SATG) notorious for hitting luxury homes in the Phoenix metro area.

Among those arrested is 32-year-old Grecia Romanduski Gaete Castillo, snagged by the cops Sunday evening in North Scottsdale, according to ABC15. Joining her in custody are two males nabbed early Monday in a desert stakeout near Pima and Jomax Roads – 23-year-old Sebastian Jesus Parraguez Soto and a 17-year-old – both hailing from Santiago, Chile, per the same report.

These arrests mark the first of their kind in Scottsdale, relating specifically to the SATG investigations, confirmed a FOX10 Phoenix report. Prior arrests had occurred in Phoenix, where local law enforcement had already detained at least three other individuals connected to similar crimes.

Scottsdale's latest operations involved a mix of traditional on-foot patrols, with technical reinforcements including drones and helicopters, in an effort to corner the suspects. The organized crime outfit is said to target dwellings adjacent to washes or golf courses, where the burglars shatter windows to gain access, and most typically rifle through the primary bedroom and closets hunting for valuables, as stated by the Scottsdale Police.

Items presumably pilfered from the burglarized homes were reportedly found in Castillo's vehicle, which has since been impounded. Though no arms were found on any of the suspects at the time of arrest, they are being held on charges of conspiracy and burglary, detailed the police. Insights from these captures may help unravel the broader web of burglaries linked to this South American syndicate, which has been operating across the U.S. for decades.

The audacious string of thefts strategically occurred while residents were likely out for dinner, hence the moniker "dinner-time burglaries." Even with the chilling prospect of returning home to find their sanctuaries rifled through, in at least one incident, thankfully, no physical altercations took place between homeowners and the intruders.