Nine burglaries at expensive homes in the Denver area may be linked to 'South American theft rings,' police say

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office is calling them the “diner burglaries” and says it is looking for the crooks responsible for burglarizing nearly a dozen “valuable” homes over the past eight months.

Starting in February and continuing through most of the year, the sheriff’s office has noticed a pattern of crime.

“At least nine expensive single-family homes in Arapahoe County have been burglarized during dinner time, usually one to two hours after sunset. The burglaries occur at homes that are located in open spaces, greenbelts, canals, trails, golf courses or that are heavily wooded along the property line,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release Thursday.

Researchers believe the local pattern is just part of a much larger pattern occurring nationwide. The crooks are believed to be part of multiple South American theft rings, the sheriff’s office said, but did not elaborate.

“Similar burglaries have occurred in Scottsdale, Arizona and the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, where suspects monitor their victims electronically or visually and use jammers to disrupt home alarm systems. However, it is unknown whether the suspects in Colorado do this. it said.

In Colorado, the sheriff’s office said the crimes were committed as follows:

“The majority of burglaries occur on Fridays between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., when homeowners are not at home. Two to four suspects work together and wear masks, hoodies, gloves and sometimes carry a backpack. They smash an exterior glass door and then rummage through closets, dressers and bathrooms. They steal valuables such as jewelry, designer wallets, cash and safes. At least one burglary in Cherry Hills Village was interrupted by a homeowner who was home at the time.”

Investigators say the nine thefts resulted in nearly $1 million in stolen property. The burglaries were reported in Cherry Hills Village, Littleton, Columbine Valley and a few homes in unincorporated Arapahoe County.

Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.