Three people believed tied to an organized, international theft ring known for conducting surveillance on their victims were arrested in Braintree, Massachusetts, last week.
Carlos Ocampo-Carrillo of Flushing, New York, Diana Maria Alvarado-Rosano of Flushing, New York and Lizbeth Hernandez-Gantiva of New York City were arrested Thursday after an investigation that began in June.
Police say the trio has ties to what are known as South America Theft Groups (SATGs), groups of criminals who use surveillance tactics to track their perspective victims and learn their patterns and routines.
Braintree police say they first began investigating after a residential burglary in the Messina Woods neighborhood on June 20. In that burglary, two suspects ran off after setting off an alarm, but before it triggered, they spent hours inside the home.
A mother and son who live on Messina Woods Drive tell NBC10 Boston they saw a male burglar trying to break in on their home camera in June. Other clues led them to believe he would be back.
“It’s honestly really terrifying,” the son said. “They came back about three weeks later to our neighbor’s house and planted a camera there.”
Two weeks later, a neighbor noticed a camera hidden in the bushes across from the home that had been burglarized. The camera was hidden away and included camouflage, with leaves glued to it so it wouldn’t be notable in the bushes.
“We thought it was just weird, and then it turned into this huge thing,” neighbor Kailynn Needle said of finding the camera.
After that find, police, who believed the camera was placed before the initial crime but that someone had returned to it at some point after, began a surveillance operation of their own.
On July 11, investigators spotted a man dressed as a landscaper coming from the victim’s yard. that man, later identified as Ocampo-Carrillo, left the area in a black Audi SUV with Florida plates. Later that night, the vehicle and the man returned to the victim’s yard and to the hidden camera. At that point, police confronted the man, who tried to run. After a struggle, he was taken into custody.
Two women who were in the car, Alvarado-Rosano and Hernandez-Gantiva, were also taken into custody. All three suspects are Colombian citizens, according to Braintree police.
“The fact they planted a camera to stalk us,” the son said. “The level of planning is unbelievable.”
Ocampo-Carrillo, 47, was charged with assault and battery on a police officer, resisting arrest, carrying a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, breaking and entering, and possession of burglarious tools. Alvarado-Rosano, 34, was charged with providing false information following arrest, conspiracy, and possession of burglarious tools. Hernandez-Gantiva, 23, was charged with conspiracy and possession of burglarious tools. All three could also face federal immigration charges.
Braintree police remind residents that there steps you can take to make yourself less of a target to thieves, including locking windows and doors, having exterior lighting, trimming shrubs and bushes to avoid hiding spots, or installing security cameras or an alarm system. You should also avoid broadcasting your absence, including posting about your vacation plans on social media.