They’ve been hit with 17 years behind bars
A gang of thieves who struck across London and Surrey unwrapped a family’s Christmas presents. The gang pinched over £800,000 worth of stuff in just over five weeks, between November 3 and December 11 last year.
The crooks would pose as tourists and targeted flats and houses in rich areas, climbing up to the first or second floors and then breaking in through windows or doors, often using tools. They’d then ransack the homes, looking anything from watches to designer clothing, but particularly jewellery.
On December 3 they’d unwrapped Christmas presents in Epsom. But despite the meticulously planned burglaries, the gang were sloppy and made mistakes which helped cops catch them.
The first piece of the puzzle was almost handed to police when gang member Israel Contreras, 22, dropped his phone when legging it over the fence of a home in Hillingdon. It had screenshots from a mapping app, with pins dropped on homes across the capital.
He also left behind his DNA on parts of a broken angle grinder blade which had been left at the scene of an Esher burglary. Contreras was the first of his group who was arrested as he tried to catch a flight to Chile from Heathrow Airport on December 5.
He was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, but officers knew he wasn’t acting alone. The remaining criminals were arrested six days later on December 11 on Fulham Palace Road, London.
They tried to ram their way to freedom but three people were stopped, with their pockets packed with jewellery, designer goods, and tools. Driving the getaway car was Eduardo Marquez who was found with jewellery in his pockets from burglaries committed earlier that day.
He also had a huge crowbar tucked into his waistband, a torch and screwdriver were found in his pockets. The passengers were Yeico Fernandez and Michael Carrasco. Fernandez had arrived in the UK from Chile at 7am that morning. By 5pm he was with police having got off his flight to go on a crime spree.
They were all found guilty following trials at Guildford Crown Court. Israel Contreras, 22, was sentenced to five years and three months, and Eduardo Marquez, 29, was sentenced to six years and nine months. Meanwhile Yeico Guzman Fernandez, 25, was sentenced to two years and nine months, and Michael Carrasco, 28, was sentenced to two years and nine months.
‘Fernandez entered the UK with the sole intention to steal’
Investigating officer, Sergeant Ben Deacon, said: “We know the devastating physical and emotional impact burglary has on victims and the wider community. It gives me great satisfaction that on this occasion, and many others that don’t necessarily get reported, that we have been able to deliver some justice to the victims of these crimes.
“I want to thank all the victims and witnesses for their patience and support, these criminals do not get caught without it.
“Similarly, I’d like to plea that if you are unfortunate enough to become a victim of such a crime that you report it, record and share all serial numbers, photos and descriptions of stolen items with us so that we have the best chance of catching the offenders. Many of the burglaries solved as part of this investigation had looked like they would go unsolved, but the dedication of my colleagues and perseverance of the victims enabled us to get this result.
“Equally, this investigation involved many officers and staff from multiple teams, disciplines and forces – thank you all for your hard, diligent work.
“Finally, on the off chance any would-be-burglars are reading this, I want them to understand the following: Contreras thought he had got away with his crimes, but was arrested on his way home at Heathrow, minutes from freedom. Fernandez entered the UK with sole intention of thievery but spent less than 12 hours at large in this country prior to spending years in prison. And Marquez and Carrasco did not see us coming and won’t be free for a long time. This group have been on remand in prison since their arrests and will all be subject to deportation once their sentences have been served.”
Sign up to our London Crimewatch WhatsApp community for the latest major court updates and breaking news delivered straight to your phone. Sign up HERE.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the MyLondon team. We also treat our subscribers to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. To unsubscribe, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’. If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.
