Granite Bay upscale neighborhoods yet again targeted by burglars, recent break-in trend tied to international theft ring
GRANITE BAY -- One person is behind bars and one person is still on the run following a home burglary Friday night in Granite Bay's Wedgewood neighborhood.
It is the latest in a string of burglaries CBS13 has reported on since the summer, spanning across upscale Granite Bay neighborhoods. Thieves in several of the reported cases are confirmed to be linked to an international crime ring, according to the Placer County Sherriff's Office.
Deputies confirm to CBS13 that around 7 p.m. Friday night, they responded to a "prowler" possibly casing homes and acting suspiciously on Shadow Oaks Ln. Shortly after, and about 10 minutes down the road, there was a confirmed break-in and burglary at a home in the 5800 block of Wedgewood Dr.
Wedgewood is a quiet, gated neighborhood with cameras pointed in all directions and most homes advertising security systems.
"As far as safety of the neighborhood, we feel very safe," said one neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous.
The protections did not thwart the brazen burglars from targeting a home at Wedgewood Dr. and Carlton Ct. on Friday night.
"Does it kind of make you lose a sense of security in a way?" asked CBS13 reporter Ashley Sharp.
"Oh, very much so," said neighbor Marty Clevenger.
Clevenger lives on Wedgewood Dr. right across the street from the home targeted Friday. He says this story feels all too familiar.
"We are seeing an increased rate of break-ins, in particular. It certainly appears to be, given our own experience with a break-in we had four years ago, to be very, very experienced burglars," said Clevenger.
Clevenger says he lost priceless family possessions when thieves busted through their master bedroom window in 2019 and ransacked his house, even as their home security alarm was going off.
This is a rising trend CBS13 has been reporting in Granite Bay for months.
Just three weeks ago, CBS13 obtained exclusive video of the moment two suspects linked to South American theft groups were arrested after an attempted burglary on Bella Terra Pl., less than two miles from Wedgewood.
"These organized crime groups from another country are now in our county," Placer County Sheriff Wayne Woo told CBS13 in November.
Woo says, much like other parts of the state, Granite Bay has been a target for home burglaries for the past year. He added that evidence shows the suspects are coming up to Placer County from Southern California and prior to that, South American countries.
"An excess of 20 burglaries, we think, were committed by this same group with losses totaling over $1 million," said Woo.
In July, CBS13 reported yet another string of Granite Bay home break-ins in upscale neighborhoods in broad daylight. These suspects were even caught on camera the same day also targeting homes in Sacramento County. It's believed by deputies these thieves could also be connected to South American theft groups, and possibly, Chilean gangs.
"It makes you think about, what else can we do?" asked Clevenger. "I think we will put our interior alarm system on, which we have not used often."
Placer County deputies told CBS13 Saturday they are still working to confirm if each of the recent Granite Bay burglaries can be directly tied to one crime ring.
Sheriff Woo is urging all Placer County residents to stay vigilant as his agency, in coordination with other jurisdictions, works to find all those responsible and hold them accountable.