Greenwich police have obtained arrest warrants for eight people accused of breaking into homes in Fairfield and Westchester counties. They said the suspects are part of crews known as “tourist burglars,” which have become “pervasive,” not just in this area but all over the United States.

“These are individuals that are coming here on tourist visas. They fly into, not the tri-state areas so much, but Florida and California and commit burglaries by using rental vehicles and traveling the country,” said Detective Christopher Libasci.

“We get a lot of individuals who travel from Florida and commit burglaries from there up to Connecticut on the I-95 corridor,” added Detective Michael Hall.

Police said they’ve been working with law enforcement agencies in New York and New Jersey, as well as the FBI, to identify and arrest these groups. The recent warrants are for two separate unrelated groups, according to police.

Stefano R. Cortes Munoz, Cesar A. Almedia and Axil J. Castillo-Almedia will be charged in connection to a residential burglary in Old Greenwich, police said. They are currently in custody in Delaware for allegedly committing burglaries there and other places on the East Coast.

Police said they tied Francisco J. Maturana, Lautaro-Alejand D. Achiardi, Lidia Gil-Andreu, Felipe A. Hermosilla-Lizama and Rodrigo Hermosilla-Lizama to a home break-in in the mid-country section of town. They are currently in custody in New York for alleged burglaries there and elsewhere. All eight suspects are awaiting extradition, according to police.

Libasci told News 12 Greenwich has seen a big uptick in home burglaries over the past three years. There have been over 70 since Oct. 2021, according to police. Libasci said often the suspects steal jewelry, watches, and designer handbags.

“These guys are crossing state lines with stolen goods and committing these crimes across the country. This is their job. You know we go to work every day, do a 9-5? Their job is to commit burglaries,” Hall said.

Police said the suspects tend to hit high-end properties when people weren’t home, usually getting in through a back door or a second-floor window.

They remind people to always lock their doors and windows, as well as activate their alarm systems and leave some lights on when not home. If on vacation, police urged people to ask the post office or their neighbors to hold their mail and deliveries.

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