Four Chilean citizens were arrested on January 10 for their alleged involvement in the burglary that took place in December at the mansion of Joe Burrow, quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals and one of the highest-paid players in the NFL with an annual salary of 55 million dollars. The arrest occurred after authorities intercepted them during a traffic stop in Ohio and found evidence linking them to the assault that occurred on December 9.
PUBLICIDAD
The information was provided by TMZ Sports and states that according to court documents, the men possessed items such as an LSU jersey (the college where Burrow played) and a Bengals cap, which are believed to have been stolen from the property of the Bengals quarterback.
PUBLICIDAD
In addition, they had in their possession automatic Husky center punch tools, which, according to authorities, are often used by South American theft groups to break glass and gain access to homes.
What are the evidences in the investigation for Joe Burrow's robbery?
Authorities also pointed out that a phone found among the suspects' belongings contained historical location data, which matched the area where Burrow's residence is located. This element has been key in the investigation.
The four detainees, identified as Alexander Chávez, Bastián Morales, Jordan Sánchez, and Sergio Cabello, are not currently facing direct charges for the robbery. However, legal documents show that they have been accused of four serious crimes, including possession of tools for committing crimes and participation in a criminal gang.
At the time, Burrow briefly spoke about the incident and said he felt "violated."
Authorities warn about a series of burglaries targeting sports figures
The Burrow case is not unique. That’s why, US federal authorities issued an alert to major sports figures due to an increase in highly organized burglaries in their homes over the past four months, allegedly carried out by international criminal networks.
According to reports from the NFL, NBA, and NHL, robberies are concentrated in the homes of athletes while they are at a game or training.
In a memorandum dated December 20, obtained by CNN and originally reported by ABC News, the FBI warned about the advanced methods employed by these criminal gangs, which have targeted at least nine players between September and November 2024.
The FBI stated that criminals view athletes' homes as storehouses of luxury goods, including watches, jewelry, cash, and designer bags.
Among the sports figures who have suffered these robberies are Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and those that affected the Kansas City Chiefs' NFL figures Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce within the span of a week, the latter being the partner of Taylor Swift.
In response to these events, the NFL has intensified warnings to its players, emphasizing the need to reinforce security measures in their homes. A league spokesperson commented that criminals "use game schedules as a key tool to schedule robberies."
The NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, confirmed active collaboration with the FBI to address this threat: “It is evident that we are dealing with an organization behind these crimes, and we trust that federal authorities can dismantle these networks.”