In a May 2022 burglary, $1.65 million worth of jewels were swiped from a Greenwich home while the owners were out for the evening
What authorities have deemed a suspected “South American Theft Group” could be behind a Connecticut home invasion where thieves made off with nearly $1.7 million worth of jewelry, according to a report.
Federal authorities believe the group could be responsible for burglaries across Connecticut, The Register Citizen reported . In a May 2022 burglary, $1.65 million worth of jewels were swiped from a Greenwich home while the owners were out for the evening.
Stefano R. Cortes Munoz has been charged with first-degree larceny and third-degree burglary in the theft.
The thieves entered the home through a ground-level window and ripped a safe from a closet floor, the newspaper reported. The stairs were damaged, indicating that the safe was either thrown or dragged down the steps.
Police believe the burglars loaded the safe into a getaway vehicle. They found a broken license plate bracket connected to a Toyota dealership in Florida — over 1,000 miles away. Investigators also discovered fingerprints that later came back as a match to Cortes Munoz, the newspaper reported.