Police find hidden camera, suspect it’s linked to burglary ring targeting Asians

Eugene police said Wednesday, June 24, they’ve found a hidden camera monitoring an Asian family.

Police say they suspect another organized burglary ring similar to a group arrested last year. 

The release of information about the spotting of a hidden camera — and what police also described as a suspicious vehicle — comes after a more general warning earlier this month about organized burglaries elsewhere in Oregon.

Past burglaries have involved surveillance of potential targets to learn when a home is unoccupied, with Asian business owners at risk because of a belief that valuables may be stored in their homes.

The camera was found in landscaping in the Ferry Street Bridge neighborhood, police spokesperson Melinda McLaughlin said in an email.

An image of the camera released Wednesday shows it having a grass-like surface.

Police said Wednesday there have been recent reports of organized burglaries in Salem and Beaverton.

The Asian American Council of Oregon, in a statement June 17, also issued a community safety alert after an increase in such reports.

Eugene police last September arrested seven men, all Colombian nationals, who were later indicted on federal charges linking them to four burglaries and attempted burglaries in Oregon and Washington. A Eugene home was among the burglary sites.

Police, prosecutors and Asian community leaders have warned of burglaries involving suspects posing as food delivery workers, and said that burglars have also been known to use signal jamming technology to knock out home security camera systems.

Suspicious activity and nonemergency crimes may also be reported to Eugene police at 541-682-5111 or online.