Whatchamacolumn: Chilean burglary spree story raises questions
Sometimes, my 60-year-old newshound DNA — dating back to high school — leaps to attention when I read a news story that screams out for more answers.
That happened Wednesday night when I read our story about two Chilean nationals being arrested in Carlton related to “a nationwide residential burglary spree.” So many questions; such limited time to ask them; so little chance, in any event, of getting substantive answers from the crime-busting FBI that tracked these “alleged criminals” all across America.
Our full story is in the Wednesday e-edition, and a summary appears in today’s paper. Perhaps our news reporter, who had many of my same questions, will uncover more local information related to the South American burglary gangs that are roaming the country.
“They hit an area and immediately disappear,” said FBI Special Agent Brian J. Driscoll Jr., “using fake identifications and short-term rentals to evade getting caught. It’s like chasing ghosts.”
Ghosts, indeed. But these two ghosts apparently fled from the East Coast to Seattle to Carlton two weeks ago in efforts to elude law enforcement. They were almost immediately arrested by FBI agents assisted by Carlton police.
Why Carlton, I had to ask? We don’t know. I could only wonder about possible connectivity with a Carlton man who was arrested the next day and booked into jail under the same last name as one of the alleged Chilean criminals. Probably just coincidental, but definitely one of the unanswered questions.
I kept asking more: Where was the short-term rental house? Who owns it? Could Carlton have been a base in the past for local area burglary binges? After all, agents in Carlton recovered jewelry, diamonds, watches and all manner of burglary tools for break-ins and deactivation of alarm systems.
Lacking answers, I started to drift off into thought on the fringes of the mysterious crime story.
For example, I’m betting those alleged criminals — and others found at the residence — weren’t renting the so-called “Beautiful Wine Country Escape” house three blocks off Main Street in downtown Carlton. It’s six-bedroom, four-bath layout sleeps 12 in style, standing out among about 35 Carlton short-term rentals displayed on the Vrbo map.
That house would have required some fancy burglary activity. The average house-only rental is $715 per night, but it would cost a cool $2,621 to reserve it for a Feb. 14-15 Valentine’s Day weekend – that’s $1,790 for the house plus $205 in taxes, $301 service fee and $325 host fee.
Who would have believed, 30 years ago, that Carlton would have three dozen vacation rental homes, and twice that many (or more) in McMinnville. It’s no wonder long-term rental housing in the area, and elsewhere, is so scarce and so expensive.
Oops … that’s what happens when your mind wanders. With nothing more known about the Chilean crime bust in Carlton, it’s left to the reporters to keep their eyes and ears open for clues and information.
“We caught this group,” said Agent Driscoll, “but this doesn’t end here.”
Jeb Bladine can be reached at jbladine@newsregister.com or 503-687-1223.
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