Newhall Family Lost Thousands to a Burglary Crew. Is Your Home Making the Same Mistakes?

Last Friday afternoon in Newhall, four people allegedly walked into a stranger’s home, went straight for the jewelry, and walked out with thousands of dollars in valuables. All before anyone on the street noticed a thing.

Four suspects, including Christopher Sanchez, Edisson Boyaca, and Owen Rivera Chacon, were arrested after a coordinated response by the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Special Assignment Team and the LASD Major Crimes unit.

According to SCV Sheriff’s spokesperson Shirley Miller, this wasn’t an isolated break-in. It was the work of an organized South American burglary crew.

This Isn’t a One-Time Thing

These crews have a name in law enforcement circles: South American Theft Groups, or SATGs.

They’re not local opportunists. They fly in, mostly from Chile but also Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, enter the U.S. on tourist visas, run a string of high-value residential burglaries, and wire the cash back home before anyone catches up.

According to the full incident report covered by Hometown Station, the Newhall bust was the result of multi-agency collaboration and it’s part of a pattern playing out across Southern California.

How They Pick Their Targets

This is the part most news reports skip. And it matters.

These crews do homework. They scout neighborhoods using Google Maps, look for homes near trails, canyons, or open lots as easy escape routes, and typically strike between 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. when you’re still at work.

They show up in groups. Sometimes wearing construction vests. Often with a “lookout” sitting in a rental car parked outside.

They break a rear door or window, less visible to neighbors, and they’re inside and gone in under 10 minutes.

Here’s the part that catches most homeowners off guard: they use Wi-Fi jammers to knock wireless security cameras offline.

If your entire camera system runs on Wi-Fi, it can be disabled before they even step through the door.

And when they’re inside? They head straight to the master bedroom. Every single time.

This isn’t unique to Santa Clarita.

The same pattern has shown up across the region, from thieves targeting an Encino home by smashing through a window in a brazen San Fernando Valley break-in to three men arrested for a residential burglary in Burbank just weeks apart.

These aren’t random. They’re clustered.

Why This Matters: The Numbers Are Worse Than You Think

The FBI now has a dedicated initiative targeting South American Theft Groups, and for good reason.

As the FBI’s own reporting confirms, these groups have proliferated in Southern California communities over the past several years, burglarizing homes from Redlands to Beverly Hills to Ventura County.

In 2024, the West region experienced 31% of all U.S. burglaries despite representing only 24% of the population.

Police solve only 11% of burglary cases. And 75% of homes still have no security system, making them 300% more likely to be targeted.

One connected crime ring in Southern California alone laundered an estimated $5.5 million in stolen goods between 2018 and 2024.

This isn’t a neighborhood watch problem. It’s a federal-level threat landing on your front porch.

If you’ve been following this type of crime locally, there’s a WhatsApp community focused on California home security and crime updates that shares alerts worth knowing about, without the noise of social media feeds.

What You Can Actually Do This Week

No lengthy checklist. Just the things that genuinely work against this specific type of crew.

• Move your jewelry out of the master bedroom tonight. That’s where they go first, every time. A floor-bolted safe in a closet elsewhere in the house changes the math for them.
• Switch at least one camera to wired. Wi-Fi jammers can’t touch hardwired systems. A hybrid setup, wired for entry points and wireless for others, is far harder to defeat.
• Know what “casing” looks like. An unfamiliar car parked on your street for 45 minutes with someone sitting inside.

A person in a vest walking slowly near homes with no visible job site nearby. These are not coincidences. Photograph the plate and call the non-emergency line.

What happens when a family is already dealing with a crisis and thieves still come? The burglary at Greg Biffle’s home right after his family’s plane crash is a hard reminder that no home is off the target list, regardless of circumstances.

Before You Go

The Newhall arrest was good news. But these crews don’t stop. They move. Redlands, Simi Valley, Beverly Hills, Glendale. The pattern has been the same for years.

Did something in this article surprise you? Or have you noticed anything suspicious in your neighborhood lately? Drop it in the comments below. Your observation might help someone else on your street.

For more on home security, break-in patterns, and practical tips to protect your property, check out Build Like New. It’s built for homeowners who want real answers, not generic advice.

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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Details are sourced from official law enforcement statements and verified news reports. Contact local law enforcement for current threat information in your area.