Suspected South American burglary crew, including 4 minors, accused of hitting 10 Irvine homes

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Set us as preferred Six South Americans, including four minors, have been arrested on suspicion of being part of a residential burglary crew that’s hit at least 10 homes over the last year, Irvine police announced Thursday afternoon.The two adults, a man and a woman, both 32, were identified by authorities; the other four suspects are 17-year-old minors, so they were not named.Andres Zarate, Darlyn Alejandra Acosta Serrano, three male juveniles and one female minor from Colombia were booked Tuesday on burglary and conspiracy charges, according to Ziggy Azarcon, Irvine police public information officer.Zarate is being held at Santa Ana’s Intake Release Center, according to inmate records; the location of the other five suspects was not available.Zarate and Acosta Serrano are due back in Orange County Superior Court on Friday; information on the status of the minors was not provided.

California Suspected members of a South American crime group are accused of committing burglaries in Burbank and other cities in California, Oregon and Washington.“We are dedicated to the safety of our community,” Police Chief Michael Kent said in a statement.“This successful investigation sends a clear message to all that crime will not be tolerated here.

We have the technology, resources, and expertise to find those who commit crimes in Irvine and ensure that they are held accountable.”Whether the six suspects constitute their own ring or are part of a larger group is unknown, Azarcon said.“There are a lot of people associated with this case, but we believe they are the main suspects responsible for these burglaries,” Azarcon said.“It’s still a possibility there may be more.”It’s also unknown whether the suspects are part of the “burglary tourism” trend, in which foreign nationals, particularly from South America, tra...