Wealthy California homeowners reveal they were robbed by 'burglar tourist' gang ... trends now
A wealthy family was robbed of millions of dollars worth of family jewelry by a 'burglar tourist' gang who raided their hidden safe.
Carol and Jeff Starr of Orange County, California, had locked away their wedding rings, as well as highly valuable heirlooms passed down from Carol's late mother, in a six-foot-tall safe.
'They hit the jackpot,' Carol told CNN.
'My mother loved beautiful things and she wanted to leave a legacy through jewelry,' Carol Starr said. 'She bought some beautiful antique jewelry, museum-quality jewelry.'
Prosecutors claim that the band of robbers hid in the hillside adjoining the Starr's home, watched them leave the house with visitors, and proceeded with the robbery.
A wealthy family was robbed of millions of dollars worth of family jewelry by a 'burglar tourist' gang who raided their hidden safe.
Carol and Jeff Starr of Orange County, California had locked away their weddings, as well as highly valuable heirlooms passed down from Carol's late mother, in a 6-foot-tall safe.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said sometimes they will 'lie in wait in these ghillie suits so they remain camouflaged.'
'They came over our fence, they broke through a window in the upper bedroom and came through that window,' Jeff Starr told CNN. 'And then immediately started working … on the safe.'
The Starrs told CNN they believe they have lost around $8 million in valuables.
'You don't feel safe in your own home anymore,' said Carol. 'I get so emotional and so mad when I think about what could have happened.'
A relatively new phenomenon called 'burglary tourism' has become a growing issue in the United States.
These 'tourists' come into the United States from nations that are exempt from typical tourism visa requirements.
Experts say the issue has been increasing over the past five years, as South Americans continue to use the tourist visa system to rob Americans.
'You don't feel safe in your own home anymore,' said Carol. 'I get so emotional and so mad when I think about what could have happened.'
'Burglar tourists' come into the United States from nations that are exempt from typical tourism visa requirements, such as South America
Law enforcement experts say the foreign cells of professional burglars - mostly from Columbia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru - enter the country illegally or exploit a 2014 visa waiver program intended to spur tourism from dozens of trusted countries.
The program, known as ESTA - Electronic System for Travel Authorization - allows South Americans to enter the United States for an unlimited number of 90-day periods.
When the burglars arrive in the country, they band together and target luxury homes with intricate, well thought out plans, per the FBI.
The burglars will go to great lengths to remain hidden. For example, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said sometimes they will 'lie in wait in these ghillie suits so they remain camouflaged.'
'They take advantage of the fact that most people don't have window sensors or motion detectors on their second floors. They have WiFi jammers to stop
