DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is investigating a "sophisticated" group of burglars who have been targeting the homes of Asian business owners.
The burglars strike while the victims are at work, often outside of Douglas County in the Denver metro area, the sheriff's office said in a release. The thieves use sophisticated tactics to track their victims' activity before the burglaries by following them from their place of business, the release said, placing trackers on their vehicles or placing hidden cameras in their yards to determine when no one is home.
The release said the burglars have been targeting the homes of Asian business owners who live in Douglas County.
The thieves may also use Wi-Fi jammers to disable security cameras and alarm systems during burglaries, disabling doorbell cameras and Wi-Fi of neighboring homes. Some coax cables to the homes' alarm systems and/or cameras have also been cut, according to the sheriff's office.
The release said in one case, a victim's vehicle's tires were slashed at work, preventing them from responding to their alarm. Other distraction tactics at the victims' businesses have also been used. Victims have returned to find their homes completely ransacked, according to the sheriff's office. Cash, jewelry and high-end handbags are the primary targets.
Douglas County detectives believe this group operates across the United States, and multiple groups may be active nationwide. They do not believe these burglaries are related to recent crimes in Arapahoe County, according to a spokesperson for the sheriff's office. Losses from the Douglas County burglaries are nearly $1 million so far this year, the release said.