Claim: West coast burglars are getting more creative with their tactics

Question

Californian burglars are disguising themselves as gardeners in order to hide cameras and rob houses. Suspects are potentially apart of a Columbian crime ring.

Answer 1

The source provided is from the Daily Mail, a UK-based company that tends to latch onto sensationalism, with the headline on this story being labeled "West Coast is on edge...", which is certainly aimed at being a more headline-worthy article. The incident covered can be found on KTLA5's website, one of the local LA news stations, that interviewed people who were involved first hand. This particular claim that West Coast burglars are getting more creative isn't accurate, as the crimes involved are being done by people from abroad, generally from South America, not native West Coast residents. This also is not exclusive (albeit many of these incidents happen commonly in Southern California) to the West Coast, with the trend being called "Burglary Tourism" having incidents in Indiana and Ohio. So this claim is technically true, but not considering that it is a part of a greater issue. But there certainly is no doubt that some incidents are arguably creative.

https://www.wlwt.com/article/burglary-tourists-target-affluent-cincinnati-neighborhoods/63435696

https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/burglars-from-south-america-use-hidden-cameras-to-scout-us-homes-for-theft-los-angeles-county-sheriffs-office-suspicious-devices-live-feed-helps-criminals-break-into-homes-flower-bed-shrubbery

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/burglars-dressed-as-gardeners-targeting-san-bernardino-county-homes/