'Burglary Tourists' Arrested In LA County: Police

GLENDALE, CA — Four men from Colombia were arrested this week in a suspected “burglary tourism” incident, according to Glendale police.

Bryan Martinez Vargas, 28; Jose Antonio Velasquez, 28; Edison Arley Pinzon Fandino, 27; and Luis Carlos Moreno, 29, were taken into custody around 10:30 p.m. Monday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary, police said, noting Vargas had been arrested in a similar case just weeks earlier.

READ MORE: Burglary Tourism Booming In CA: International Thieves Target Nice Neighborhoods

A sergeant saw a car driving with no headlights on a dead-end street in the area of Emerald Isle and Kirkham drives, according to police, who said the sergeant deemed the vehicle suspicious and stopped it.

A search revealed a video surveillance device with a battery back charging system camouflaged in leaves, according to police, who also found freshly disturbed dirt in a planter in the cul-de-sac. Law enforcement believe the men put the camera in the planter to learn when homeowners were leaving, police said, adding they also found a hard hat and vest — a possible ruse to approach homes without rousing suspicion — as well as jewelry boxes in the car.

Vargas had also been apprehended following a high-speed chase after police responded to a residential burglary in progress April 30 in the 4300 block of Boston Avenue, authorities said. During the pursuit, stolen items were discarded, including a WiFi signal jammer to disable security systems, according to police, who said 45-year-old William Guanume was apprehended along with Vargas.

Burglary tourism is a transnational criminal operation that involves people from South America entering the U.S. as tourists and targeting affluent neighborhoods for burglaries, police said.

Burglary tourists have become increasingly active in recent months across Southern California, the Los Angeles Times has reported.

Anyone with information about residential burglaries in Glendale is asked to call 818-548-4911, police said.