TROY, Mich. (FOX 2) – Police beat five undocumented immigrants from Colombia during a home invasion in Troy on Thursday, a police source confirmed.
And a Troy resident says he just happened to witness the bust in the 3600 block of Millay Street.
“I was like, ‘man this is crazy!’ I’ve never seen anything like it!” the resident, who asked to remain anonymous, told FOX 2.
The suspects are part of the wave of organized burglars invading exclusive homes across Oakland County and other parts of the country.
“I heard about it in a couple of places… but it was a bit bizarre that it happened here, so close to us,” the witness said.
During the burglary on Thursday, the homeowner saw two men with ski masks on in her house, according to the police source. Police arrived and arrested five people.
“It seems like it’s a sign of the times. Troy is a pretty affluent area,” said Troy resident Jennifer McWilliams. “Not shocked they’re here.”
The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department and several Oakland police agencies have teamed up to drive out the home invasion crews from South America – who have also been victimizing people in West Bloomfield.
Investigators interviewed the five people they arrested during the Troy incident and discovered that they are part of a much larger ring than they originally thought.
Neighbors say they are staying extra vigilant now.
“I don’t know what the solution to that is other than just reinforcing the neighborhood, looking out for each other, police presence,” McWilliams said. “With all that comes discovery, the government gets involved and allows that funding.”