Investigative leads shared by the Burbank Police Dept. have resulted in the arrest of seven people in Scottsdale, Arizona who are believed to be part of a South American Theft Group (SATG).

On May 23 detectives with the Scottsdale Police Dept. arrested the group for their involvement in two burglaries in Tempe and Mesa, Arizona. The arrests were made during the service of a search warrant at a short-term rental unit where they were residing. Evidence related to the crimes was found during the search warrant service.

Prior to the arrests, the Burbank Police Dept. had shared information with law enforcement partners about a SATG from Colombia suspected of committing burglaries in Burbank and other cities in California, Oregon and Washington. Group members were believed to be headed to Arizona to continue their criminal activities. The information shared included vehicle descriptions and, through investigative means, vehicles matching those descriptions were located at a short-term rental property in Scottsdale.

All seven suspects were booked into the Maricopa County Jail in Arizona and face numerous criminal charges. The suspects are being held on a $150,000 cash-only bond.

All suspects are residents of Columbia. 

Burbank police investigators will be presenting for review their related cases to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.

This investigation is an example of the strong partnerships the Burbank Police Dept. has with other law enforcement agencies, both locally and across the country. By sharing information and analyzing crime trends together, Burbank police and partner agencies can collaborate and coordinate efforts to investigate and stop criminal activity and hold suspects accountable.