Three arrested for area gold thefts, warrant for fourth issued
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PORTLAND, Ore. – Three people have been arrested and accused by police for a massive theft ring that targeted dozens of homes.
According to sources, Indian families were targeted, and that the thieves often smashed in a rear door to get into their homes. Then they stole cherished items passed on from generations.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, a fourth suspect is still on the loose and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.
The suspects are accused of committing several burglaries throughout the Portland area since April 2011 and investigators are looking to see if they are tied to dozens more.
In each case, detectives say the suspects were looking for gold and jewelry and would target homes they believed contained them. The suspects would come from outside the state, rent vehicles, commit the burglaries and then flee to Texas, police said.
After an extensive investigation that included forming a regional task force, police arrested 32-year-old Ana Maria Gutierrez, 18-year-old Rodney Portocarrero Riascos and 24-year-old Deenys Yossimar Ramos on Oct. 27 in Houston, Texas. Vanderley Ortiz, 30, is still at large and deputies say they believe he is currently in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Deputies say the suspects burglarized homes in Portland, Beaverton, Lake Oswego and Vancouver, Wash. They say a large amount of evidence and statements from witnesses helped lead them to the suspects, including reports from neighbors of suspicious vehicles and people in their neighborhoods.
Deputies say on two occasions the suspects broke into the homes and discovered residents inside. In those cases, deputies say the suspects tied up their victims.
According to investigators, the suspects bought tools at local hardware stores and then threw them away after using them to commit the crimes.
The suspects would sell the gold and jewelry to pad their lifestyles, according to deputies.
Gutierrez is being held in the Washington County Jail. Riascos and Ramos are still in Texas, awaiting extradition to Oregon.
The investigation is continuing and deputies say a 50-ounce silver ingot was recovered by detectives but hasn't been linked to a reported burglary. They say they believe someone may not yet realize they are a victim or have not yet reported the theft.
Anyone who may have additional information in this case is encouraged to call the Washington County Sheriff’s Office at 503-846-2500.
From left to right: From left to right: Deenys Yossimar Ramos, Ana Gutierrez and Rodney Portocarrero Riascos.
Here's a bit of news that KATU has failed to post......Edson, yah the mexican illegal that was working at macy's and took about $1600.00 from Macy's claims he was giving it to his parents, who just happen to be here ILLEGALLY and were having a hard time. Well illegal there are a lot of people here legally that are having a hard time, but they did it legally but no not you, your family or many others of your ilk. DEPORT the illegals back to wherever they crawled out from....The clackmas Judge rewarded this POS by signing an order when he was feet from the mexican border.....BAD Judge, reward the criminals NOT!!!!!!!
If they have no legal status here deport them.....oh wait I think I hear the ACLU coming by to advocate for these crooks....just like that one illegal who worked for Macy's and have unauthorized discounts to his buddies and get busted for theft...... Now that nobama is back for more....we will have more measures to honor those who made it here ilegally by allowing them to stay and "work" when are states going to wake up and start allocating resources for the legal residents here instead of goings out of Thier way to accommodate illegals and Thier kids....
Check this out.....
think this is related? I bet it is...
http://www.kptv.com/story/186â92861/homeowners-interrupt-a-âburglary-in-progress
Check it out
If the people targeted were all from "Indian" (as in East Asian) origin or background, and all the persons here arrested or sought all have Hispanic surnames, why isn't this a hate crime? Â It seems the very reason the victims were selected is because they had a certain heritage or ethnic background -- or, does the logic fail to apply when the perps/victims don't fit the 'expected' narrative??? Â Please do tell Mr. Holder..
 @ThePosterFormerlyKnownAsPhredE I was curious about that as well. Besides the expected 'only anglos can commit hate crimes' angle, so I looked up the relevent statutory reference...
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'A hate crime is usually defined by state law as one that involves threats, harassment, or physical harm and is motivated by prejudice against someone's race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability. '
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Truthfully, legally, since there was no 'threats or physical harm', it wouldn't fit. The definition of 'harassment' could probably be expanded to include the behaviors of these folks, but I'd rather see them convicted on non-hate crime charges than not convicted due to parsing over technicalities.Â
 @ThePosterFormerlyKnownAsPhredE Indians were targeted not because of their origin, but because of their custom to keep huge amounts of goldin their homes with nearly no security precautions. Most Americans are much more 'street smart'.
 @Julie So, 'ethnicity' in this type of crime doesn't matter -- really?
I agree that these series of crimes probably do not rise to the level or fall under the jurisdiction of Federal hate crime law -- not because the race/ethnic factor isn't present, but only because the threshold of actual physical harm or threat of physical harm is a dubious threshold to meet. So, that brings the next logical question: why doesn't hate crime law include crimes not designed to inflict immediate bodily harm (or a similar threat), but are monetary/property oriented in character? (noting, that the prospect of financial gain is the single greatest motivating factor of all crime [about 80%-85%] overall in fact). Â Seems to me, that if such statutory provisions need to be consistent in their content and application -- if we are to successfully eradicate race/ethnicity in the commission of crime, maybe we should apply one standard across the board to all persons to cover all acts of crime (?)
 @ThePosterFormerlyKnownAsPhredE If you would have known the history on these crimes then you would understand the logic behind them. It was "what" they were after not "who" they were after.
Stealing Gold, the one true and real currenvey..noyt a gppd idea...but then again if it is melted before capture they will have to do a Chemical test to see where it came from..even Gold has a "unique identifier".
I don't know what's worse, these idiots or all the idiots here that automatically think they're illegals.
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No where does it say that they are illegal and, gee, Texas is literally full of people with latino names, including my moms family (born and raised outside of Boston thank you).
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Fools...
 @deejm2112 You're right. These do look like some honest, hardworking, law-abiding folks who would go through the whole legal process of naturalization and citizenship. Good call!
Every week we see these Salt o' the Earth types doing jobs that Americans won't do.
Had the homeowners come across them, I feel pretty confident that they'd have done a 'job' on them that is a bit more indicative of how the average American feels about having their house ransacked.
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Instead of shipping their keysters home intact, I'm voting for bagging what's left after John Q. Homeowner gets done with his .12 gauge, and launching it back over the border, via catapult.
If that offends anyone's precious political sensibilities, wait till your house is hit, and then show us your tears.
We have plenty of home grown trash. We don't need more from Mexico. Too bad the government doesn't see it that way.
 @hankhandsome Goodbye, goodbye to the way it was, but our gubmint has to grant amnesty to so many that will allow so many more to come here.  I am already a minority in ORYGUN since I was born there and now I am minority in my country,,,
Illegal aliens targeting legal immigrants. How messed up is that? One would think that the legal immigrant community would be among the strongest denouncers of the illegal invasion, but unfortunately it seems that many don't have their priorities in line.
 @badcat It's nothing new, man. Ever seen 'Once Upon A Time In America'? The established prey upon the newly arrived. A thief is a thief...is a thief. They'll prey on their own mother, if the money's right.
 @badcat Greed & drugs is where it is at...
But why come all the way from Texas to do this? It's 2500 miles, fer cryin' out loud. Texas has plenty of gold. So does every state in between. Maybe they have relatives/pals they often visit and like to stay busy while they vacation??
 @whirledworld Free medical, dental, optical, Rx's, EBT, WIC and all the other stuff Kitzhaber pays for at your expense and now he is adamant about taxes even higher to pay for the rest that slither into the state...
My my.. what a bunch of fine upstanding citizens!Â
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NOT!Â
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I hope they don't miss when they throw the book at em!
Yep ! Knew it !
I know I will score no points on this because I dealt with folks like this everyday. Why would any mehican, or illegal leave the U.S. when the picken's are so plentiful? Â Jail time is nil because it is only property crimes and insurance pays so what is the penalty? Nothing. If folks really think it is going to get better under Omama and total amnesty, just wait because you have no idea what is coming...
 @boned Amnesty like Reagan offered? Hey, I have a better idea, let's go back to Reagan's tax code too. Might even things out with the 1%. Smart guy, that Reagan.
 @badcat Normally I agree with your take on things, but you have failed to look at the ripple effect by electing your Messiah on this...
 @boned Sorry, but I don't have a "messiah" on anything.
 @boned Typical response from a Republican out of tune after the Republicans messed up the economy from 2000-2008 and left it to the Democrats to fix.  what a waste of people that can't think or read.
 @RandyH Not an Elephant, just a realist that actually pays a lot of taxes and obviously reads more than you do since you have been indoctrinated...
"Vanderley Ortiz, 30, is still at large and deputies say they believe he is currently in Vancouver, British Columbia."Â Maybe he should have stolen a GPS or a compass...
The tools they bought locally were probably what got them arrested. The tools were traced back to the store and video evidence connected them to the crimes along with fingerprints and DNA from the rental vehicle.
 @RalphCramden "The tools"
= themselves.