Three suspected dinner-time bandits bagged

Mar. 20—Agony and despair flipped to joyous celebrations around North Scottsdale, after the Monday, March 11, arrest of three Chilean suspects in the "dinner-time burglaries" that have haunted Scottsdale.

Two of the suspects were adults. A third was a 17-year-old who "walked away" from a juvenile detention center in Los Angeles after being arrested for robbery there, according to Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther.

Talking to reporters, Walther was a mixture of jubilance and caution.

"We have to remain vigilant because there are more" gang members, Walther said the day after the much-publicized arrests.

The DC Ranch/Troon area of North Scottsdale was in a frenzy the night of Saturday, March 9 — with reports of attempted "dinner-time burglars" escaping from police.

After break ins at two homes, followed by intense police car and helicopter response, neighbors took to social media to try to figure out what was going on.

The burglars got away.

But not for long.

After eluding police Saturday night, the alleged bandits apparently returned to the same area of North Scottsdale the next night.

While the gang of Chilean "tourist criminals" have been targeting empty homes, this crew made a mistake Sunday, March 10. A resident who was home heard them trying to break in, yelled at them and called 911.

Shortly after, the driver of a car pulled over near Pima and Jomax roads for "suspicious behavior" flashed a Chilean passport to an officer who questioned her.

Walther said the woman quickly flipped, admitting she dropped off two partners looking to rob houses.

That led to a night-long, multi-agency search by street (patrol officers), air (helicopters and drones) and technology (cameras).

When a law enforcement heat-camera detected two bodies hiding under a tree, police closed in, arresting two males — an adult and a teenager.

According to police, the woman was identified as 32-year-old Grecia Romanduski Gaete Castillo, from Chile.

The two males are a 17-year-old from Santiago, Chile, and 23-year-old Sebastian Jesus Parraguez Soto, also of Santiago, Chile.

Walther said the teen was previously arrested for a similar crime in Los Angeles, but "walked away" from juvenile detention.

Though he hoped this arrest of the trio and the Phoenix Police Department's recent arrest of three other suspected Chilean bandits will make a dent, Walther said this might not be over.

"I believe with some certainty there are a number of other crews working the Valley," he told reporters.

Last weekend's activity brings the number of North Scottsdale dinner-time burglaries (or attempted burglaries) to 39 — with another 100 or so similar crimes around the Valley.

Most, if not all, of the home heists are believed to be by Chileans on tourist visas, now known around the country as the South American Theft Gang.

Walther advised those with homes backing up to washes or golf courses to take extra precautions, as those are the houses that tantalize the bandits.

He said the three arrested by Scottsdale Police recently stayed at a Mesa motel. He said detectives were trying to figure out where they planned their next "safe house."

"They're practicing good, operational security," Walther said. "This is their full-time job and they're very good at it."

As he did at a recent public forum, Walther stressed this is not just a Valley thing.

"This is happening in dozens and dozens and dozens of cities around the country ... this is a national issue," Walther said.

Since November, Scottsdale Police have fielded dozens of break-in reports at homes in the DC Ranch/Troon area. Most of the homes were empty, with owners out to dinner early in the evening.

After the home owner's 911 call the evening of March 10, "we started throwing everything we had at it," Walther said.

For nearly 12 hours Sunday night and Monday morning, patrol officers, detectives, police drones and helicopters scoured the neighborhoods around Pima and Yearling roads.

Walther said the two who spent the night evading police before they were found.

The suspects were not armed and were booked into the Scottsdale Police Jail on conspiracy and burglary-related charges.

"The investigation really just started," Walther said, adding, "once we take somebody into custody, that's really when the investigation starts."