Free Republic

Southern California law enforcement agencies are focusing on the trend of burglary tourism, where thieves travel internationally to the U.S. to burglarize homes, then return to their home country. The Orange County Register reported these South American theft groups are often comprised of Chilean or Colombian nationals who operate as “‘Lanzas Internacionales,’ or international thieves in the Spanish-speaking world.” Authorities say the thieves are professionals who surveil homes before breaking in when residents are away. They often bring heavy-duty tools to steal or break into safes that are bolted down or mounted. “Some of these residential burglars have been recorded...

A Florida man wearing an ankle monitor after posting bond for pending charges was arrested this week for burglary and grand theft, according to reports. Joshua Reed, 19, was ordered by the Broward County Court to wear a GPS ankle-worn monitor for a pending case in Palm Beach, after posting bond for charges of grand theft auto. ABC station WPLG in Miami, Florida reported that Reed was in a Miami-Dade County court on Thursday for additional charges. Surveillance video from Jan. 7 allegedly shows Reed with others outside of a home near Dante Fascell Park in South Miami. One of...

ORLANDO, Fla. - Police released new videos Tuesday in an effort to find the suspects accused of burglarizing a GameStop store in Orlando Monday morning. In the security footage provided by the Orlando Police Department, a silver Hyundai Tucson SUV can be seen being driven backward through the store's front glass. At least two suspects are then seen rummaging through the store, including its stockroom. The suspects got away with more than $1,200 worth of Microsoft Xbox consoles and gaming accessories, according to a case report. Authorities said the incident resulted in $60,000 in damages. Police said the incident happened...

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - A college student is behind bars after two residents, who did not know him, found the man naked in their apartment in Gainesville. On Monday night, Gainesville Police Department officers arrested Alberto Araya, 19, on charges of burglary and multiple counts of property damage. Officers say around 6 p.m. Araya was recorded on security footage damaging the exit sign at The Standard Apartments on West University Ave. while wearing only green shorts. He then entered an apartment of people he doesn’t know. When the two residents returned home, they found Araya standing completely naked in their...

LAKE MARY, Fla. - A credit union customer, a man sitting in his driveway, a gas station clerk and a customer were all punched by a stranger, according to deputies in Florida. Devin Ray Wilbanks, 23, is facing several charges including battery, assault, burglary, and resisting arrest. Hernando County sheriff’s deputies said the first incident happened around noon at the Mid-Florida Credit Union, located at 11098 Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. When they arrived, they were met by a woman who was a customer at the credit union. She told deputies a strange man punched her in the forehead...

A heartless Florida man allegedly broke into a home, grabbed a bite, stole a hat – and killed the family puppy with a machete. Alexander Hernandez-Delgado, 25, has been charged with aggravated cruelty to animals with a weapon and armed burglary in the break-in at the Dover home on Wheeler Road on Thursday. He allegedly entered the premises through an unlocked living room door, the Tampa Bay Times reported, citing the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The apparently ravenous intruder helped himself to the family’s food at about 7 p.m. and proceeded to throw their belongings around the home, authorities said....

Kelvin Blowe was shot and killed in Washington, D.C., on the same day the city council voted unanimously to pass a bill he advocated for that reduces penalties for serious offenses such as robbery, burglary, carjackings, and carrying a firearm without a license. The Washington Post reports Blowe had spent over five years in prison for robbery, and the experience "instilled in him a passion to right inequities he believed he encountered." After getting out, he joined DC Justice Lab, one of the groups that pushed to overhaul the city's criminal code. He testified in support of the proposed bill...

Some people rent a condo or house when going on vacation, but one Florida man just broke in and made himself at home, even leaving behind identifying information, post-break-in. On Tuesday, Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 100-block of Avenida for a burglary. According to deputies, the suspect had smashed the glass on the porch door, entered the unoccupied vacation rental, used the bathtub, slept in the bedroom, made himself a cup of coffee in a mug, and filled the kitchen trashcan with trash. Deputies say the suspect even threw his bus ticket stub in the trashcan. “Let’s just...

Phoenix police say an arrest has been made in connection to a reported burglary of gubernatorial candidate Katie Hobbs’ Phoenix campaign office......... ....Lake responded to the allegations during a pre-planned event on Wednesday night. “I can’t believe that she would blame my amazing people or blame me for something like that,” said Lake. “I don’t even know where her campaign office is. I’m assuming it’s in a basement somewhere, because that’s where she’s been campaigning.” Pictures within article of suspect...

Los Angeles Rams linebackers Bobby Wagner and Takkarist McKinley tackled an animal rights activist who disrupted the team’s game against the San Francisco 49ers during Monday Night Football. Just before halftime, a member of Direct Action Everywhere, an animal rights group, who were attending Monday night’s game ran across the 49ers Levi’s Stadium with a device releasing red and pink smoke to raise awareness about a massive pig factory farm allegedly hiding its abuses inside the facility. The nonprofit reports Allison Fluty and Alex Taylor were cited, with one still in police custody, after running onto the field at separate...

The rising crime rate in Los Angeles is a hot-button issue in this year’s race for Los Angeles mayor. And the issue just hit closer to home for one candidate. Democratic Congresswoman Karen Bass said Saturday that her home was burglarized. “Last night, I came home and discovered that my house had been broken into and burglarized,” the Bass campaign said in a statement. “LAPD was called, and I appreciate their assistance. At this time, it appears that only two firearms, despite being safely and securely stored, were stolen. Cash, electronics and other valuables were not. It’s unnerving and, unfortunately,...

A Florida man dressed only in boxer shorts and socks was arrested after breaking into a Little Ceasars and making his way through the drive-thru window. Early Saturday morning, Chad Corn, of Milton, Florida, decided to check the door to the Little Caesars on Navy Blvd. He found the door unlocked. The burglar then decided he had the skills necessary to pull off a daring mid-morning heist. According to deputies, Corn opened the door and began to gather the goods. First, it was a bottle of water…then two. He couldn’t bring himself to pass by a wrapped brownie on the...

The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) are under fire after the USCP inspector general opened an investigation into allegations that the department illegally entered the offices of GOP members of Congress, interviewed GOP staffers, and took photos of documents that were protected under congressional rules. In a Twitter thread, Rep. Troy Nehls (R-Texas) alleged that his office was one of several GOP offices that had been illegally entered and searched by the USCP. “The Capitol Police Intelligence Division investigated my office illegally and one of my staffers caught them in the act,” Nehls opened the thread.

Ashley Biden, Joe Biden’s daughter, apparently left her diary behind or someone stole it from her and it was problematic for Joe Biden, both in terms of allegations concerning Ashley and Hunter. Project Veritas was offered the diary and decided against publishing it, but another conservative site, The National File, did publish it. James O’Keefe of Project Veritas turned it over to law enforcement. However, on Sunday, after raiding the homes of two of his journalists and taking their notes and documents. The raid on O’Keefe’s home was a pre-dawn raid. The FBI shone white lights in his face, threw...

A 12-year-old shot and killed an armed burglar Wednesday morning during a break-in attempt at an East Feliciana home. The shooting happened before 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at a home on Winchester Lane. Deputies said a child resident of the home shot the intruder, who was reportedly armed with a gun. The child who shot the burglar is not expected to face charges at this time, officials said Friday.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — Homeowners say they found a man who allegedly broke into a house in Roy on Tuesday. They say the stranger was trying to change the locks on a house that wasn’t his, even filling the fridge with food. The incident happened around 1 p.m. on 284th Street E in a rural area of Roy in Pierce County. The last owner of the house, who KIRO7 is identifying only as T, said he had just sold the property a week ago when he heard there was a problem. He asked KIRO7 not to share his name because...

Three women of a viral video seen assaulting workers at a Palm Beach County Popeyes drive-thru have been arrested, authorities said. BY PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE Three down, one to go. Three of the stars of a viral video showing four women viciously attacking Popeyes drive-thru employees at lunchtime on March 16 have been arrested. A Friday tweet from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Brianna Toombs, 19; Chloe Hernandez, 21; and Joanna Ceidi, 10, were all slapped with battery as well as burglary with assault charges. One suspect remains at large. Last week, the agency released...

Authorities charged at least 19 people with counts ranging from burglary to assault for the riots that rocked downtown Minneapolis Wednesday night into early Thursday morning after a suicide was wrongly construed as a police shooting. The suspects ranged in age from 18 to 50 and came from Minneapolis, St. Paul, the surrounding suburbs and as far away as St. Cloud. In one case, police responded to a break-in at a restaurant near Second Ave. S. and S. 10th Street and found Hanz M. Williams, 23, of Burnsville, allegedly crawling out of a broken glass door holding a container full...

Another Cook County jail detainee who was freed during a mass release of prisoners as the COVID-19 outbreak began in March is now charged with committing a new felony. He is at least the fourth benefactor of the COVID release program to be charged with a new felony in recent days. Zyan Damper, age 19, was initially arrested on August 21 last year after he and another man allegedly got out of a stolen car and committed a robbery near the Magnificent Mile, ... then got arrested again in October on charges of felony theft. He posted bail again and...

This video was posted on the twitter account of Ahmaud Arbery's attorney, Lee Merritt. It shows Arbery stopping in front of the home. He then looks around and walks into the home, which is under construction. He walks out of the home and into the garage. He is in the house for at least 60 to 90 seconds. He then BOLTS out the front entrance of the house like Jesse Owens.