“Burglary tourism”: 3 members of a foreign criminal group sentenced for burglary in Carlsbad

Three men who local prosecutors say were part of a crew of out-of-state burglars that broke into a Carlsbad home were sentenced Monday to state prison terms.

Prosecutors say the defendants, who are from Chile and Italy, operated much like other foreign robbery groups whose members enter the United States under the ESTA visa waiver program and then target homes in wealthy neighborhoods.

San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement that the case was “part of a crime wave that has ravaged our country in which organized crime networks, often with criminal records in their own countries, are granted visas to the United States that they use to commit tourist burglaries.”

In that case, police were called to a home on Jan. 25 and spotted a vehicle with stolen license plates, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.

Police surrounded the home and saw the men flee from the residence into nearby yards. The men were eventually arrested and wanted for similar crimes in Illinois and Colorado, the prosecutor's office said.

Christian Tapia, 39, and Romai Aranedapogge, 36, were sentenced to six years in prison, while Joe Acevedo, 20, was sentenced to four years in prison.

All three pleaded guilty last month to conspiracy to commit burglary, residential burglary, identity theft and resisting arrest.

“These criminals not only stole money and valuables from victims, they also stole the peace of mind of the community,” Stephan said. “The message is clear: If organized crime burglary rings come to San Diego County to commit crimes, they will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

City News Service contributed to this article.