The Chapala police department has put out a special alert to foreign residents, warning of a probable reemergence of the so-called “pepper spray” bandit who plagued expat neighborhoods last fall and winter.
The first incident reported to police was an attempted daytime break-in on September 25 that was foiled by a La Floresta subdivision security guard out on patrol. According to Chapala police chief Ramon del Arco, the watchman spooked a party of three suspects who escaped the vicinity in a small size gray SUV.
Del Arco presumes that the same gang perpetrated a burglary at another La Floresta address that very night. The thieves made off with three television sets and assorted gardening tools and equipment.Another successful break-in was reported on September 27 in Las Salvias, an upper Ajijic neighborhood that was particularly hard hit in last year’s rash of pepper spray heists.
In all of the recent cases the burglars acted while the householders were absent from their homes. However, video surveillance activated during the first incident captured the image of a suspect closely matching the description of the infamous pepper spray bandit.
The individual is described as a Caucasian, approximately 5 foot ten (1.80 meters) in height and weighing around 190 pounds (85 kilograms), He was wearing glasses and a baseball cap. A still shot from the video is posted at www.lakechapalcrime.com.
It appears highly likely that the same man was involved in attempted break-in at a multi-story apartment building in central Ajijic on Wednesday, October 2. One of the dwellers came face-to-face with a similar looking, English-speaking intruder when he went down to the ground floor garage to investigate noises heard shortly after returning home from a quick errand. He tried to grab the man as he burst out through the garage door and then got into his car to follow in hot pursuit as the suspect raced away from the scene aboard a white pickup truck.
The cat-and-mouse game played out over several blocks until the man-on-the-run turned on the hunter, coming on the attack with a tire iron and a blast of pepper spray. Prior to being blinded by the toxic substance the victim of the assault was able to catch sight of the truck’s license tag, Jalisco plated JT60 166. (Read the full account at the website cited above.)
On the basis of the modus operandi observed in these instances, the police chief presumes that the pepper bandit is pulling off jobs with a team of three or four accomplices. The gang seems to get around in various vehicles, possibly including white, grey, silver and black SUVS and red and light colored compact sedans.
Del Arco advises all area residents to cautiously observe their immediate surroundings upon leaving their homes, keeping an eye out for any unfamiliar individuals prowling in the vicinity. Suspicious persons and vehicles should be immediately reported to police headquarters, telephone 765-4444, of directly to the chief at cel. 331-271-8998. Officers patrolling nearby will be dispatched to the scene right away, arriving within an estimated response time of five to ten minutes.