Three people have been arrested for a burglary spree targeting 26 Asian business owners in Colorado and Wyoming in 2019.
Santiago Hoyos Gaviria, 24, and Yenny Zoraya Rodas-Florez, 30, were both arrested in September 2020.
Carlos Geovanny Florez-Molina, 34, was arrested on 1 April 2020.
A fourth suspect, Jhon Florez-Molina, 28, remains a fugitive and is believed to be in South America.
In each burglary, the criminals would target the family residences during the day. After knocking on the front door to ensure the property was vacant, the robbers would forcibly enter through the door or window.
Each home was ransacked, with cash, jewellery and safes being stolen.
Police received home burglary reports from five families between January and April 2019.
Fort Collins Police Services (FCPS) noticed a pattern in the crimes across the country, which echoed those of criminal groups with ties to South America.
Detectives believe that the group were participating members of an organized criminal group.
“The suspects in this international case brazenly victimized members of our community and beyond, and they will finally be held accountable,” said FCPS Criminal Investigations Assistant Chief Tim Doran.
“Every crime is wrong, but one focused against a particular race or ethnic group is particularly reprehensible. I’m all the more proud of our detectives who spent over two years piecing this puzzle together. I’m also grateful for teamwork with local, state and federal partners to help 26 families seek justice.”
26 families were victims, all Asian business owners, in Colorado and Wyoming between January and July 2019.
An estimated total loss of $1.3 million – $1.4 million was taken.
There has been a recent rise in attacks against Asians including an Asian woman who was hit in the face in Philadelphia.
In California, an elderly Asian American woman was kicked in the face by a suspect who was on parole for fatally stabbing his mother.
Additionally, the man who harassed Olympian Sakura Kokumai has been arrested for attacking a senior Korean couple.
Elsewhere, a cup of urine with racist anti-Chinese messages was left on a Japanese American woman’s car in California.
In another incident, a man who racially abused an Asian American detective is now facing a lawsuit.
A suspect was also arrested for robbing and stabbing an Asian man in San Francisco.
Another a suspect was arrested for stomping on a 61-year-old man’s head in Harlem.
An Asian “anti-masker” was also stabbed and killed in Washington.
Meanwhile, charges against the man who spat at and punched an 83-year-old Korean grandmother have been dropped.
Most recently, the president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce was racially abused and physically attacked.
