A collaborative effort between multiple law enforcement agencies led to the arrest of three individuals suspected of a high-end residential burglary in Weddington, as announced by Sheriff Eddie Cathey. The burglary occurred on February 2, in the Highgate neighborhood, and after an extensive multi-agency effort, the suspects were captured on April 12.
Despite a swift response from the deputies to the active break-in call, the suspects initially evaded capture. However, through a detailed and persistent investigative operation involving the Union County Sheriff's Office (UCSO), North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and other partners, the suspects were eventually apprehended in Columbia, South Carolina. UCSO detectives and their counterparts in state and federal levels identified the suspects as Joiner Jhosuet Cortes Morales, Terry Stiven Cajamarca-Grijalba, and Cristian Hernan Pirajan-Rivera. All are foreign nationals from Colombia with past criminal records in multiple states.
According to the Union County Sheriff's Office, the three individuals are linked to a larger criminal network known as the "South American Theft Group," operatives of which are implicated in numerous high-profile burglaries throughout the United States. The group specializes in targeting upscale residential areas and has been connected to over ten break-ins across the southeastern United States in recent months.
Presently, Morales, Cajamarca-Grijalba, and Pirajan-Rivera are being held at the York County Detention Center, each with secured bonds set at $300,000. “These arrests are a direct result of determined, coordinated law enforcement efforts across multiple jurisdictions,” Sheriff Cathey acknowledged. He also assured that the investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are expected as further leads are pursued and evidence analyzed, as per the Union County Sheriff's Office.
