MontCo residents warned as new break-ins linked to ‘South American Theft Group'

After break-ins at homes throughout Lower Merion Township last week, V Scott Zelov, a township commissioner, is warning residents to be on guard.

According to Zelov, on Dec. 21, 2024, two homes were targeted, the first being a property along the 800 block of Roscommon Road in Bryn Mawr.

Zelov said, in a letter to local residents, that in this incident,, at about 6:30 p.m., a neighbor reported to police that they saw an alarm activate at that property followed by seeing three men flee the home. Zelov said those individuals fled the property in a dark colored SUV.

In this incident, Zelov said, a second-floor window was broken and was accessed by individuals using patio furniture, and though the property was access, nothing of value was taken.

Police are reviewing surveillance footage in this incident, Zelov said.

Then, that same day, homeowners told police that they returned to a property along the 800 block of Gatemore Road in Bryn Mawr to find their home "heavily ransacked" and missing jewelry, Zelov said.

According to Zelov, this property was also accessed by individuals who stacked patio furniture to allow them to access a second floor window.

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Finally, in an incident that happened on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, Zelov said that a property along the 600 block of Black Rock Road in Bryn Mawr was targeted when someone used a chair to access a roof at the property and break into a second floor window.

In this incident, according to Zelov, a master bedroom was ransacked and jewelry was targeted.

This home had been vacant foe three years, though Zelov said that it was not on the township's vacant house list.

All of these incidents, Zelov said, are believed to be tied to the same "South American Theft Group" that has targeted the community in the past.

Zalov said that the township's police department will have additional patrol these holiday weeks and he urged residents to list properties with the township's vacant house program if they will be away.