Authorities in Oregon have apprehended four Colombian nationals suspected of being involved in a series of home burglaries targeting affluent Asian-American households. The Tigard Police Department (TPD) confirmed that the arrests were made in connection with 39 burglary cases that began in late September.
According to investigators, the suspects employed a similar break-in method in each of the incidents. In response to the escalating number of burglaries, a warning was issued in November to residents across three jurisdictions, including Tigard, Washington County, and Beaverton.
On February 2, search warrants were executed in Oregon City, Bend, and Portland as part of the ongoing investigation. The first warrant was served in Oregon City, where TPD, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, and other agencies conducted a search at an apartment complex on South Beavercreek Road.
The second warrant was executed in Bend, with the assistance of Bend police and the Central Oregon Emergency Response Team, at an apartment complex on Gross Drive. During the execution of the warrants, authorities recovered cash, evidence, and stolen jewelry, as well as seized multiple vehicles.
The four suspects, identified as Herbert Grueso-Vergara, Maria Castro-Gamboa, Fabio Vergara-Cortes, and Fatima Gomez-Aragon, all Colombian nationals, were arrested on felony charges by Tigard police and subsequently extradited back to Washington County.
Further investigation led to an additional warrant being served on February 5 at an apartment complex on North Bristol Avenue, with the involvement of the Tigard Police Bureau, the Portland Police Bureau, and PPB’s Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT). Stolen jewelry and other evidence linked to the case were recovered at this location.
The TPD expressed gratitude to the various Oregon and Washington officials who collaborated on the investigation. Authorities anticipate that more charges will be filed as the investigation continues.
