HAMILTON COUNTY, Ind. — Before you go on spring break, police are warning about a concerning trend in Hamilton County and suburbs across the country.
It's dubbed, "crime tourism." International criminals are visiting the Hoosier State to steal, and 13News is learning how often it's happening, what they're after and how to protect your home.
13News isn't revealing Jason's full name or where his home is located in Fishers because one of the criminals who broke in is still out there.
"When they told me someone is still on the loose, that's why I don't want to talk about it," Jason said.
On July 4, 2022, Jason and his family were away on vacation when he got an alert from his alarm company.
"There's something that happened. 'I'm not home. Call police.' So, they called the police right away," Jason said.
Professional criminals cut the power, got inside and ran out through the back door.
Police caught two of the men in the neighborhood.
"They seem to know you're not home. I don't know how they find out," Jason said.
Hamilton County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Joshua Kocher said they find out by watching their victims and learning their schedule. Often, they're targeting families who have their own business and are away from home.
These criminals are primarily from Colombia and Chile. Police refer to them as "South American Theft Gangs."
"They'll fly in, rent a car – usually a nice car – so it fits into the neighborhood," Kocher said. "They are thorough and methodical in their operations."
Police said South American Theft Gangs were behind half of the 16 reported burglaries in Fishers in 2023.
"They're looking for money. They're looking for specific valuables, like jewelry," Kocher said. "It's very easy to sell and very hard to trace back."
Carmel police investigated 12 in 2022, 11 in 2023 and one so far this year.
"What's important for us is, we want to get the message out to prevent that," Carmel Police Lt. D.J. Schoeff said.
When away, police urge you to keep inside lights on with timers, don't post on social media that you're on vacation and use a doorbell camera with an alarm system.
Take it from Jason.
"The best thing to do is have an alarm system on your house, cameras all over. Even though they cut the power, they still are going to call the police," Jason said.
Local police are communicating with law enforcement across the country about these criminals.
"Our strength in stopping them is our community," Kocher said.
Police also said to keep your money in the bank, take photos of your valuables and keep them in a safe.
With warmer temperatures and more people outdoors, police also encourage you to lock your vehicles.
One of the suspects in Jason's case was sentenced to two years in prison. He's since been released. The other suspect is close to completing his three-year sentence. Police are still looking for the third suspect.