Police in Doral have arrested seven suspects who they say have been pulling off well-coordinated home burglaries throughout South Florida.
The seven suspects, including six men and one woman, were taken into custody Tuesday after they were caught red-handed trying to break into a home, arrest reports said.
Doral’s Police chief described the group as a criminal enterprise of burglars who have terrorized not just South Florida, but homes along the East coast.
Get South Florida local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC South Florida newsletters.
"We notice there's been a peak around the country in burglaries and thefts,” Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez said Wednesday.
According to the reports, the Broward Sheriff's Office Burglary Apprehension Team started surveillance on the suspects in Dania Beach and tracked them into Doral.
The suspects arrived at a home in two vehicles that had been identified as being involved in residential burglaries throughout South Florida, the reports said.
Local
The reports said one man got out of a vehicle and hopped on an electric scooter to act as a lookout.
Three suspects who were wearing masks went into the backyard of the home and one of them started hitting the hinges on the back door with a hammer, the reports said.
Once they were inside, the suspects placed a radio jammer inside the living room to obstruct police communications, the reports said.
When the sister of the home's resident arrived, the suspects fled the scene. They were able to steal cash and a Rolex watch.
The suspects' two vehicles both met back up at a shopping plaza, where authorities moved in to arrest them.
Five of the suspects tried to flee on foot but all seven were taken into custody, police said.
"Defendants crossed county lines, from Broward County to Miami-Dade County, to commit a residential burglary," the reports stated. "Several of the defendants acted as lookouts, while the other defendants wore masks and utilized burglary tools and a police radio jammer while entering the residence of the victim."
Doral Police released photos of six of the suspects in handcuffs. They face burglary and various other charges.
Police say these seven targeted more than 20 homes across South Florida in the last several months, but they're concerned there are more homes and more people involved.
"These gangs, these criminal enterprises are usually connected not only locally but at the state and national level as well,” Lopez said. "This is something that for us is going to lead to a lot of cases being closed in South Florida and the other counties as well."
Detectives are working to track down any more suspects.
