Northville Twp. hit by high-end thefts with 'striking similarities' to S. American gangs

Northville Township police officials said Friday the Wayne County community has experienced five home invasions that targeted high-end homes in the past year that bear "striking similarities" to an organized South American crime group operating across Metro Detroit, but most prominently in Oakland County.

The Northville Township Police Department in a release urged residents in the community of 31,500 people to be vigilant in a bid to prevent break-ins and said they have increased patrols and implemented surveillance in affected areas, which the department did not identify. 

"We are deeply concerned about the recent uptick in what appears to be organized crime activities targeting our neighborhoods," Northville Township Deputy Police Chief Matthew MacKenzie said in a statement. "We urge residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities immediately to law enforcement."

The crime group's operating methods include parking a vehicle on a nearby side street away from the home before up to three to four individuals force entry into the targeted homes, according to the police. Once inside the homes, the suspects focus on valuable items such as cash, jewelry and other high-end possessions, police said.

Northville Township has a median annual income of $136,274, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Township residents were urged to safeguard their homes by ensuring all doors and windows are securely locked, turning on lights when not home, avoiding posting on social media when on vacation and promptly reporting suspicious individuals or activities.

The warning came about a week after Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard's office announced another group of burglars returned to Michigan's second largest county to prowl high-end homes.

Bouchard last week said the suspects arrive in teams from Colombia and Venezuela with backpacks full of burglary tools, targeting homes left alone.

The sheriff nearly six months ago warned residents about a string of burglaries in which thieves targeted high-end, upscale homes in Oakland County. In December, Bouchard said the gangs behind the break-ins were from Chile and some of their thefts netted up to $4 million in cash and jewelry.

Bouchard also said his office was teaming up with the Michigan Attorney General's Office to catch the transnational gangs.

Attorney General Dana Nessel in December charged three Chilean nationals who targeted "extravagant homes in affluent neighborhoods" and were identified as members of the formally designated South American Theft Group, which allegedly did eight separate break-ins between Feb. 3-11, 2023 in Ada Township, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Grosse Pointe Farms, Rochester and Rochester Hills, Nessel's office said.

Meanwhile, Northville Township police are working with regional law enforcement agencies to investigate these incidents, officials said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Northville Township Police Department at (248) 349-9400.

jaimery@detroitnews.com