Tony Kurzweil and Annie Rose Ramos
46 minutes ago
Police announced this week that four Colombians were arrested in connection with an operation known as “robber tourism” in Glendale.
Investigators believe the four men were hiding cameras on city streets and on private property to monitor residents and see when they could rob their homes.
The police department released video of the arrest on Monday after a man was pulled over in a vehicle traveling without his headlights on.
Officers searched the vehicle and found video surveillance equipment with a battery pack charging system disguised as foliage.
Also found in the vehicle were a construction helmet and vest that appeared to have been used to approach the residence without incident, along with multiple jewelry boxes, according to the sheriff’s office.
The suspects were identified as Brian Martinez Vargas, 28, Jose Antonio Velazquez, 28, Edison Arley Pinson Fandino, 27, and Luis Carlos Moreno, 29.
The men were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Monday’s arrest marked Vargas’ second in three weeks, having been arrested on April 30 after a high-speed pursuit.
During the pursuit, police said he and another suspect discarded stolen items and a WiFi signal jammer used to disable home security systems.
Female driver arrested for reckless driving on Highway 405 identified
“Suspect Brian Martínez Vargas and other Colombian nationals are believed to be involved in an international criminal organization known as Rugged Tourism, in which South American thieves enter the United States under the guise of tourists. They then target robberies in wealthy neighborhoods,” police said.
Anyone with further information about the Glendale residential burglary is asked to call the police department at 818-548-4911.
