Simsbury burglary may be connected to South American crime ring

by: Eva Zymaris

Posted: Aug 7, 2023 / 06:33 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 8, 2023 / 05:26 AM EDT

SIMSBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — A Simsbury woman was alarmed to find an intruder inside her home on Sunday, according to police.

Simsbury police received a 911 call at 2 p.m. Sunday from a resident reporting someone had entered their home on Schoolhouse Lane. Once they realized someone was home, Simsbury police said the three suspects took off.

“She went and got her phone and was able to contact us for assistance,” Lt. Braford Chase, of the Simsbury Police Department, said. “That information was relayed to our officers by our dispatchers very, very quickly.”

Area police departments were alerted, and Simsbury police told them to be on the lookout for a gold BMW. Officials said Canton police found the car on Red Fox Run in Canton at a home that was under construction. They spotted the three suspects ditching items, changing clothes and then running away.

Canton police took 65-year-old Crispulo Lizardo Olmos-Silva into custody. He was charged with burglary and possession of burglar tools, facing a judge in Hartford Superior Court on Monday. He’s being held on a $100,000 bond.

“There is strong evidence to indicate that this individual suspect, and the individuals believed to have committed this crime, are members of the Transnational Organized Crime Syndicate from South America,” Chase said.

Police said the ring has come to Connecticut before, including the Farmington Valley earlier this year. But it’s not the same three or four people carrying out these crimes. In our “Brazen Burglars” report, Avon police shared with News 8 these individuals follow a similar pattern and target houses where it appears no one is home.

“This was a big wake up call,” said Priya Chhabra, of Simsbury. “I’m surprised it happened here.”

People who live in the Simsbury neighborhood said they’ll be more careful going forward.

“Keep all your doors locked, be on the lookout, we’re thinking about doing a neighborhood watch,” Chhabra said.

At this time, Simsbury police said the two other suspects have not been caught. They’re working with local and federal agencies to establish ties to other similar incidents.

Simsbury police are asking anyone with information about this incident to contact Det. Samuel Robbins at 860-658-3130.