DATE: June 13, 2024

SUBJECT: Daytime Burglar Using a Signal Jammer Apprehended

RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-NR-0612

CONTACT: Sheriff Noah Robinson

AUTHORITY: Sheriff Noah Robinson

Arrest daytime burglar using jammer

The Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office has apprehended a suspect in connection with a residential burglary that took place during the day in Cambridge Village, located in northern Vanderburgh County.

On Sunday, June 9, 2024, a couple returned to their residence in Cambridge Village to discover two intruders inside their home. The suspects quickly fled the premises, with one making his getaway in a gray Jeep.

The Sheriff's Office received a detailed description of the vehicle. A deputy patrolling the vicinity observed a Jeep that corresponded to the provided description traveling south on Highway 41 near Baseline Road. The driver, later identified as Jaime Yovany Riquelme Riveras, fit the description provided by the homeowners.

Riveras informed deputies that he was en route from St. Louis, Missouri, to Orlando, Florida, and he claimed he had not stopped in the Evansville area. Subsequently, a search was conducted using the FLOCK camera system. The vehicle in question, along with its corresponding license plate, was identified on FLOCK entering Cambridge Village about an hour before the burglary occurred. Cambridge Village has recently collaborated with the Sheriff's Office to implement the FLOCK license plate reader system in their community.

During the vehicle search, deputies discovered pry bars, cell phones, and clothing that matched the description provided by the homeowners. Additionally, a signal-jamming device was found in the back of the vehicle. This device is designed to disrupt Wi-Fi and cellular signals, making its operation illegal under federal law. When activated, it renders cameras and other security systems reliant on these signals inoperative. Furthermore, when the vehicle was stopped, the deputy's in-car computer malfunctioned, likely due to the ongoing operation of the signal jammers. However, the FLOCK system remains largely unaffected by such cell phone jammer, as it stores images locally in a buffer and transmits them once the connection is restored.

Riveras was questioned at the Sheriff's Office Operations Center regarding his participation in the burglary. He asked for legal representation and refrained from making any further comments. He did inform the investigators that he came to the United States in April and that he was originally from Chile.

Following the eyewitness testimonies and visual evidence obtained from the FLOCK system, authorities secured a search warrant to extract data from two confiscated cell phones. One device was retrieved from Riveras at the time of his arrest, while the other was taken from the vehicle. GPS data indicated that Riveras' phone was located at the victim's residence during the timeframe of the burglary.

Sheriff Noah Robinson remarked, "Despite the advanced technology utilized by criminals, they were outsmarted by vigilant homeowners and attentive Sheriff's deputies. I extend my gratitude to the Cambridge Village Homeowners Association for their willingness to embrace FLOCK and collaborate with the Sheriff's Office. This system will yield benefits in the future."

The Sheriff's Office is collaborating with federal law enforcement agencies to seek further charges concerning the jamming device. GPS data retrieved from the suspects' phones has already linked them to multiple burglaries in other states. Although Rivera's accomplice is still at large, the investigation is ongoing.