Ten months ago, several alleged members of a South American Theft Group were arrested for burglarizing the homes of professional athletes. This week, burglars broke into more professional athletes’ homes.
WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu and former NFL lineman Hroniss Grasu had their Los Angeles home broken into and burglarized Monday night. Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons had his home burglarized while he was on the road in San Francisco over the weekend.
NBC 4 News in Los Angeles reports police responded to a security alarm activated at Ionescu and Grasu’s home. Two thieves in ski masks triggered the alarm when they broke a glass sliding window at the rear of the residence.
The burglars reportedly walked off with several handbags worth more than $60,000. Police are still reviewing security camera video and investigating, but they have not made any arrests.
In Jeffery Simmons’ case, the defensive lineman posted several Instagram stories after returning to Tennessee from a road game in San Francisco. One of the posts, with home security video, showed two masked people entering his house through the patio on Sunday night.
“Team security is actively working with Metro Nashville Police Department to recover items stolen from Jeff Simmons’ house. No residents were home during the burglary,” the Tennessee Titans said in a statement on Monday.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) reported that “at least six suspects entered after smashing out window glass.” They added that MNPD Investigative Services Bureau are actively investigating the robbery.
Is this the beginning of another wave of burglars targeting athletes’ homes?
In February, authorities arrested and charged seven alleged members of a South American Theft Group with burglarizing the homes of several professional athletes. The group managed to steal more than $2 million worth of valuables during their alleged crime spree.
The U.S Department of Justice reported that the thieves were part of a ring that targeted NFL players Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, NBA stars Bobby Portis and Mike Conley, and an unamed Tampa Bay Buccaneers player. Authorities also suspect the same burglary ring of robbing the homes of NFL player Linval Joseph, NBA players Luka Doncic and Karl-Anthony Towns, as well as Dallas Stars hockey player Tyler Seguin.
In a related arrest, two owners of a pawn shop were charged with allegedly running a fencing operation and selling the athletes’ stolen items.
The FBI issued an official warning to American pro athletes in December 2024 about “organized theft groups” from South America targeting their homes for burglaries. It appears possible that the theft group is up and running again.