An Argentine family suffered this week Robbery in the city La Serena, in ChileWhen Criminals stole a truck and $3,500 in cash. The victims come from the province Saint John and they were stranded in the Andean country.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Monday between 12:40 a.m. and 1:00 a.m Mirador del Faro condominiuma private complex with controlled access, 24 hour security and video surveillance cameras. Despite this, The thieves managed to break into the neighborhood, commit the robbery within a few minutes and escape.
In a period of 20 minutes they lasted a Toyota Hilux SRX which was parked just a few meters away from a security checkpoint. According to the local portal St. John’s Timethe vehicle had one Steering wheel lock and alarm system activated. The truck was also tampered with, the thieves broke the glass, removed the lock and They fled at full speed in reverse after breaking open the entrance gate to the complex.
Besides, they took $3500 in cash – the equivalent of $5,000,000 – and the documentation that was in the Hilux. The money was intended to cover the group’s travel expenses and subsequent return to San Juan.
The family consists of Carolina Ortizher husband and three children, who are now stranded, without mobility due to the lack of a car, with fear and uncertainty. On the other hand, the man had to seek emergency medical attention after learning about the robbery severe chest pain due to stress.
Carolina spoke to the Chilean media Daily Telesol and expressed great concern for the security of the place due to the maneuver that the thieves had carried out in the private condominium without being detected. The vacation would end January 5thbut after what happened, the woman assured that no one had the desire to stay.
The group filed the complaint with the Chilean Carabineros, who took their details and launched an investigation. “Beyond the material damage, we want to make what happened visible, alert other tourists and demand that an investigation be carried out into how a robbery of this magnitude could have happened.” a place that is advertised as safe,” Ortiz expressed.
The woman spoke later St. John’s Time and stated that the robbery took place in “five minutes”. At the time, security guards were working the night shift at the complex. “Everything was very strange” Ortiz said because the truck cannot be seen from the exit, making it “impossible” for the criminals to identify the vehicle. In this context, he suspects that someone gave them a tip about the location of the Hilux.
This comes in addition to another theft of a truck belonging to a San Juan couple earlier this month in a shopping center parking lot in La Serena. “I put a lock on the steering wheel I bought and made sure the truck was properly locked to prevent possible jamming. When I went to look for the truck, it was no longer there St. John’s Time.
Recommendations from the Argentine Embassy
Given the increase in robberies against tourists in chiliparticularly in the center of the country, and following the furore caused by a commando attack on a bus carrying 60 people from Mendoza who were traveling to the neighboring country to shop, the Argentine embassy issued a series of recommendations for travelers earlier this month.
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