The Redlands Police Department has issued a warning on an alleged organized burglary ring they believe is responsible for hundreds of residential burglaries, some of which have been caught on video.
Several homes in the area have been targeted just in the past couple of weeks.
In one incident, surveillance footage shows a group of thieves approaching a home and using a flashlight to check out the inside before breaking in. Footage from another incident in the same area shows a group breaking one of the windows before going into the home.
“Since January 22nd, we’ve had increasing reports of residential burglaries, all with basically the same MO, window smashes and door kicks on rear doors,” said Carl Baker, a spokesperson for the Redlands Police Department.
He said most of the break-ins happened between 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Investigators believe the group may be a part of an organization known to law enforcement as South American theft groups, comprised of thieves who are well-trained and sophisticated.