4 Chilean Nationals arrested in Oregon for multi-state home burglary ring

CARLTON, Ore. (KPTV) – A multi-state home burglary ring, on the East Coast, ended in Oregon with local and federal authorities arresting four of the seven accused Chilean nationals on Jan. 8 in Carlton, right outside of McMinnville.

The Attorney General’s Office in Newark, NJ reported the seven men are accused of targeting homeowners in New Jersey and Massachusetts, walking away with at least $100,000 in designer handbags, jewelry, watches, perfume, and more.

Authorities said that after they stopped a vehicle carrying some of the stolen items on the East Coast, four of the men accused of being part of the interstate burglary crew fled across the country to Seattle with more of the stolen goods. Eventually, the group rented an Airbnb in Carlton to hide out. Along the way, they rented a car on Turo from Jose Cienfuegos, who lives in Happy Valley.

However, authorities say the men were using fake identities and short-term rentals to evade getting caught, and said it was like they were “chasing ghosts.” One of those fake identities is what Cienfuegos said one of the men used to rent his Porsche.

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“I got a notice from Porsche saying my car had been stolen or been in an accident because it’s moving without the car being on,” Cienfuegos said. “I tried calling him. Left a message, nothing. Goose eggs on communication, so I looked on the app again and my car was at the Oregon Highway State Patrol Office.”

As a former prosecutor in Multnomah County, Cienfuegos assumed the case was drug-related, but after Oregon State Police told him the car was being held for the FBI, that’s when he knew it was something more.

“It was at that time they told me that the FBI had been investigating a Chilean burglary ring that had come out of New Jersey,” Cienfuegos said. “It sounded like they had been aware of these people and they had been following them and they knew what they were doing.”

Cienfuegos got his car back completely unscathed and said he plans to continue using Turo but will be more cautious when renting to new users.

As for the suspects, Felipe Munoz and Carlos Valencia, along with five other men, have been charged with conspiracy to sell or receive stolen property and receipt of stolen property. Combined, those charges carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

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