At least 20 burglaries in Huntington Beach blamed on South American gang
South American gang believed to target Huntington Beach burglaries
July 25, 2013|By Matt Hamilton | Southern California News
A South American gang believed to be targeting Huntington Beach burglaries has had its fair share of robberies and home invasions, but police now believe they might be targeting Huntington Beach homeowners with home invasions instead.
The gang is thought to be tied to a violent Latin American gang called the Blood-Sisters.
There have been at least 10 burglaries in Huntington Beach suspected of being committed by the Blood Sisters gang, Huntington Beach police said, and at least one home invasion.
Investigators believe the gang might be targeting Huntington Beach residents. They believe the group might be committing burglaries inside Huntington Beach homes, then using the homes to hold people captive and burglarize businesses in the area, police said.
Investigators have identified some of the burglaries as gang rip-offs, but they are still trying to determine whether the group is active in Huntington Beach.
“We have identified a number of burglaries which are believed to be gang rip-offs,” Huntington Beach Police Lt. Dave Givens said Thursday at a news conference. “We are currently working to find the individuals or the organization involved in these crimes.”
Police are looking to find the perpetrators or group of perpetrators who are stealing homes and businesses in Huntington Beach, and who are holding people from the community captive, according to Givens.
“We believe we are dealing with a gang of South Americans who may be in Huntington Beach,” Givens said.
Givens said investigators have been working on the case for about eight months.
Huntington Beach home owners haven’t had a good start to the holiday season.
In the last few days, Huntington Beach homeowners have been forced to take to their own two feet and drive to the Huntington Beach Police Department on two separate occasions, in order to have their homes repaired.
Huntington Beach resident Tonya Bregar and her husband, who asked that her last name be withheld, are living in a home with several other family members, and had their garage door replaced.
“We are not making a profit, and we would like to replace the garage door. It’s been repaired