High-end homes in Oakland County, one of the wealthiest counties in Michigan, are being targeted by burglars who are linked to a South American theft group, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Reports of break-ins have come as families head for spring break vacations, with burglars showing up in groups of three or four, targeting cash, safes, jewelry, and high-end handbags, per ABC 7 Detroit. In late March, two homes were invaded, according to Bloomfield Township police.
“People ask what community or what neighborhood,” Bouchard said. “It’s not community- or neighborhood-specific. It is target-homes specific. Very high-end homes with probably high-worth valuables in the home that back up to an obscure golf course, wooded area, pond. Whatever gives them access to come in unobserved.”
Reports of burglaries sparked last year, leading authorities to assemble a task force. Police are now encouraging residents in Oakland County and neighboring counties to keep their guards up.
“We encourage extra vigilance and remind our community to call on anything suspicious,” police said in a statement.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) has faced criticism for her subsidized housing program after an illegal immigrant recipient allegedly killed a woman in the state.
“Gretchen Whitmer is enabling Joe Biden’s open border policies by handing out cash to anyone who will take in unvetted illegal immigrants, undoubtedly risking the safety of our neighborhoods and communities,” Tudor Dixon, who ran as a Republican for governor against Whitmer in 2022, told Fox News Digital. “After the murder of Ruby Garcia less than a week ago, Whitmer should immediately cancel this program and demand Biden secure the border for the good of Michigan citizens.”
Crimes committed by immigrants have become a central talking point for former President Donald Trump and Republicans as they demand a more secure southern border.
“You know, in New York, what’s happening with crime is it’s through the roof, and it’s called ‘migrant,’” Trump said at a rally in Michigan earlier this month. “They beat up police officers. You’ve seen that they go in, they stab people, hurt people, shoot people. It’s a whole new form, and they have gangs now that are making our gangs look like small potatoes.”
The murder of college student Laken Riley, allegedly by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, is just one example that Trump and the GOP point to regarding the dangers posed by those who cross the border illegally.
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A Pew poll from last month showed that 57% of people said an influx of immigrants seeking to enter the country has led to more crime. A Gallup poll shows that 28% of people see immigration as the most important matter facing the nation.
In 2020, 56.4% of people in Oakland County voted for Joe Biden, helping him win Michigan, a crucial swing state likely to play a pivotal role in 2024 as well.
