Police have located and arrested several suspects in connection with a string of home burglaries targeting Asian families across the north Texas area over the last several months.
In March of 2017, Southlake detectives began investigating a string of home burglaries by a group of suspects targeting the Asian community. The suspects utilized the same method of operation in each offense – approaching and entering each residence in the same manner while wearing similar clothing in each of the crimes. Home video surveillance footage provided by several homeowners played a key role in identifying the suspects, their vehicle descriptions, and their criminal patterns. The video evidence also resulted in the collaboration of detectives from several North Texas law enforcement agencies who determined the suspects were committing burglaries in multiple cities. As this group of criminals remained active over the next several months, more evidence was collected, resulting in the identification of two suspects by the Southlake and Keller police departments. Information was received that the suspects were also committing burglaries in Tennessee and South Carolina. During the execution of a search warrant in Greenville, South Carolina on November 23rd, the two identified suspects and a third suspect were taken into custody. Stolen property and clothing similar to that worn by the suspects in several North Texas burglaries was also recovered.
On November 24th, Richardson, Southlake, Colleyville and Plano detectives served a search warrant in Mesquite at a residence associated with one of the suspects. Approximately $10,000 in cash, designer purses worth an estimated $30,000, jewelry, a stolen handgun and other evidence was seized. Detectives are continuing to coordinate efforts to review recovered items, and additional charges will be filed.
These arrests wouldn’t have been possible without the cooperation and coordination of the law enforcement agencies involved and the hard work and tenacity of all the detectives assigned to these cases.
The arrested suspects have been identified as Jairo Gomez, Jesus Moulier, and Victor Santana.