Gang comprised of Hispanic origin criminals.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: Police in Los Angeles has finally nabbed a group of criminals behind a rash of robberies targeting Indian American families in the area, concluding an investigation that has lasted well over a year.
Five individuals were arrested on Wednesday, in direct connection to these robberies: Juan Guerrero (22), Albaro Miranda (24), Ivan Ramirez (22), Salvador Ramirez (24), and Teresa Ramirez (57). Police also say that there are at least four more suspects still currently at large, and who are being actively pursued: Marco Coronel (21), Aaron Flores (20), Marco Gonzalez (20), and Juan Carlos Olague (22).
Starting in February of 2013, these individuals have allegedly been stealing gold, jewelry, and other valuable items from Indian American households in the Los Angeles area. To date, they have reportedly accrued close to $2 million in stolen goods.
From the start, police knew they were dealing with a well-organized operation. These thieves knew that Indian households generally had lots of gold and other such items, and were systematically targeted for robberies. The thieves would scope out the houses for days leading up to the robberies, driving cars and wearing clothes that allowed them to blend in with their upscale surroundings.
Even scarier is that the individuals connected with the thefts have some serious criminal charges in their pasts, including armed robbery, extortion, and even murders. During these robberies of Indian houses, they left no DNA and no fingerprints with which to identify themselves, always slipping in and out when no one was home.
But as smart as the thieves were in executing the crimes, they weren’t so smart about keeping a low profile afterwards.
Police were able to catch the crooks because of social media, as the thieves would post pictures of their loot and other self-laudatory exclamations on their Facebook, Instagram, and other social media accounts. And instead of just taking pictures of the goods, the alleged criminals would take selfies, featuring their own faces alongside the stolen items – these photos ultimately sealed their fates.
In bringing an end to these Indian-targeted robberies, police have finally caught at least one ring of crooks going after Indian households for gold and jewelry. The problem is a national one, with desi communities around the US living with their guard up as community members are robbed every month.
Similar incidents that occurred in the Washington, DC-metro area in bursts over the last several years, and have also taken place in Houston, San Francisco, Boston, central Illinois, Connecticut, and Minneapolis – all of which have large Indian-American communities.