ARIZONA NEWS

3 suspects from Chile arrested in connection with north Scottsdale burglaries

Mar 12, 2024, 7:58 AM | Updated: 1:42 pm

Mugshots of Grecia Romanduski Gaete Castillo, left, and Sebastian Jesus Parraguez Soto, Soto were a...

Grecia Romanduski Gaete Castillo, left, and Sebastian Jesus Parraguez Soto were arrested on conspiracy and burglary-related charges in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office).

(Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)

PHOENIX – A man, a woman and a teenage boy, all from Chile, have been arrested in connection with a series of burglaries in north Scottsdale, authorities announced Monday.

The suspects were arrested Sunday night and Monday morning in the area of Pima Road between Jomax and Happy Valley roads, the Scottsdale Police Department said.

It was the second night of the weekend that police used helicopters to search Scottsdale neighborhoods after community members reported crimes or suspicious activity.

Who was arrested for Scottsdale burglaries?

The woman, 32-year-old Grecia Romanduski Gaete Castillo, was arrested after detectives saw her driving out of a neighborhood near Pima and Yearling roads around 8:40 p.m. Sunday.

“She admitted to dropping off two of her compatriots to do burglaries in the area,” Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther said in a press conference Tuesday.

The man, 23-year-old Sebastian Jesus Parraguez Soto, and a 17-year-old boy were taken into custody in a desert area near Pima and Jomax roads around 6:30 a.m. Monday.

The suspects were booked on conspiracy and burglary-related charges, police said. The teen, whose name was not released, was sent to a Maricopa County juvenile facility.

According to Walther, the adult suspects admitted they were in Scottsdale to commit residential burglaries and had engaged in similar activity in California.

“For the juvenile, we found his court documentation from his crimes that he committed in California and before fleeing to Arizona,” the Scottsdale chief said.

Valley police investigating South American Theft Groups

Investigators are working to determine if the three suspects are connected to other recent burglary cases. Law enforcement agencies across metro Phoenix have been working to combat an ongoing wave of thefts linked to transnational organized crime organizations known as South American Theft Groups.

Police say SATGs have been targeting homes next to washes, open desert areas and golf courses and taking credit cards and small items with large cash values, including jewelry, high-end purses and precious metals.

Walther said Tuesday there have been nearly 150 burglaries in metro Phoenix, including around 35 in Scottsdale, as part of the crime wave. The Scottsdale incidents have been referred to as “dinnertime burglaries” because of when they typically occur.

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3 suspects from Chile arrested in connection with north Scottsdale burglaries