SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — When the Clarke family got home from dinner, they were greeted by shattered glass, smashed windows and a burglary that left them bereft of priceless family heirlooms.
It's a night they will never forget. And they're not the only ones.
Since last December, Scottsdale has been plagued by a South American theft group. The so-called "dinner-time burglars" target high-end homes in crews of two to four people. They break in when no one is home, steal cash, jewelry and other valuables and leave just as quickly.
One group who pleaded guilty to it has been released from prison days after they were sentenced.
According to the sentencing order, Soto and Costello were given six months in jail and two years probation. The document also says they would be credited for the time they served. So just a few days after their sentence, they were released from jail and are currently out, according to those documents.
Gomez was given a similar sentence, six months time served and three years probation. The sentencing order claims Gomez has also been released from jail.
Each suspect was ordered to pay fines that totaled up to $129.
Court documents claim the burglars were in the United States on travel visas and used fraudulent identification cards. In the past few months, a handful of suspects were arrested, including Sebastian Soto, 24, Grecia Costello, 33, and Manuel Gomez, 26.
“The majority of suspects that have been identified come from the country of Chile, which is on the Visa Waiver Program," Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther previously said in an interview with 12News.
Arrest documents for Soto and Gomez claim both are part of the transnational South American crime syndicate.
That same paperwork also claims investigators found all three suspects had fraudulent identification cards with fake names and birth dates. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated and reported the suspects were of Chilean descent and were in the U.S. on overstayed travel visas.
Gomez, Soto and Costello all pleaded guilty and were recently sentenced. Sentencing documents for all three defendants also state that ICE has determined they are all in the country illegally and appear to be subject to removal proceedings.
"It's horrible," said Tim Clarke. "It doesn't seem like it's going to deter anybody from coming here to try this again."
The defendants sentencing seemed like a "slap on the wrist" to the Clarke family and several others living in Scottsdale, given that these types of burglars lead to homes being broken into a millions of dollars worth of valuables stolen.
A spokesperson with the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said for Soto and Costello, sentencing was applicable under state law because neither defendant had prior felony convictions or used weapons.
For Gomez, sentencing paperwork claims given the case assessment and his criminal history, probation and six-month initial jail term were deemed appropriate.
Both of the Clarke's hope that with other suspects about to undergo sentencing, they would face harsher punishments.
Chief Walther previously said since October, there have been 39 of these burglaries in Scottsdale with about $600,000 worth of valuables stolen. Throughout the Valley there have been about 140 with $4 million worth of valuables taken, he said.
In one case reported by the Phoenix Police Department, some suspects used Wi-Fi and cell phone jammers to prevent victims from calling 911 or use their home security system.
Soto and Costello were arrested in March. Court documents claim Scottsdale police were called out to Jomax and Pima Roads for reports of two men seen wearing hoodies with gloves moving through the area.
When they arrived they saw a suspicious car moving slowly through the neighborhood. When they pulled the car over they said Costello was inside. Court documents then claim Costello reportedly told police she is from Chile and was in the U.S. on a travel visa. The documents then claim Costello told investigators that she, her boyfriend and another man were in the area to commit burglaries.
Hours later, police found Soto and a teenager hiding in the desert brush using thermal detection from a police helicopter and arrested them. Police found Chilean passports identifying the suspects.
All three had charges submitted against them and were taken to jail.
In a separate situation, Phoenix police officers arrested Gomez in February after arrest documents claim he and other suspects were seen by police hop into people's backyards near 44th Street and Camelback road. Officers arrested three suspects including Gomez and documents claim they found tools associated with burglaries.
The Clarkes, like many other residents, believe years behind bars and deportation would have been more appropriate given the crime. For now, they hope these incidents will spur a reconfiguration of the travel visa program.
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