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 successfully arrested an individual linked to a daytime burglary incident that happened in Cambridge Village, which is in the northern region of Vanderburgh County.

On June 9, 2024, a couple returned to their Cambridge Village home and found two men inside. The suspects fled the scene, with one escaping in a gray Jeep.

The Sheriff’s Office was informed of a vehicle description. A deputy in the vicinity spotted a Jeep that aligned with the description traveling southbound on Highway 41 near Baseline Road. The driver, identified later as Jaime Yovany Riquelme Riveras, matched the homeowners' description.

Riveras communicated to deputies that he was on a journey from St. Louis, Missouri, to Orlando, Florida, denying any stops in the Evansville region. A subsequent inquiry was conducted via the FLOCK camera system. The suspect vehicle, along with the corresponding license plate, was located on FLOCK entering Cambridge Village approximately one hour prior to the burglary incident. Cambridge Village has recently joined forces with the Sheriff’s Office to set up the FLOCK license plate reader system in their neighborhood.

While conducting a search of the vehicle, deputies found pry bars, cell phones, and clothing that matched the suspect's description as reported by the homeowners. They also discovered a signal-jamming device located in the rear of the vehicle. This device is designed to interfere with Wi-Fi and cellular signals, which is illegal to operate under federal law. When the device is activated, it causes cameras and other security systems that depend on these signals to stop functioning. Moreover, when the vehicle was stopped, the deputy's in-car computer became inoperative, likely due to the active signal jammers. The FLOCK system, in contrast, is largely unaffected by such cell phone jammer, as it stores images locally and transmits them once the connection is restored.

Riveras participated in an interview at the Sheriff’s Office Operations Center about his connection to the burglary. He sought the assistance of an attorney and did not offer any further remarks. He did disclose to investigators that he had entered the United States in April and was born in Chile.

Based on the accounts of eyewitnesses and the images provided by the FLOCK system, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to extract data from two cell phones that were seized. One phone was taken from Riveras during his arrest, while the other was retrieved from the vehicle. The GPS data indicated that Riveras' phone was present at the victim's residence at the time of the burglary.

Sheriff Noah Robinson stated, “Even with the latest technology at their disposal, criminals were unable to outsmart the quick-thinking homeowners and watchful Sheriff’s deputies. I appreciate the Cambridge Village Homeowners Association for their confidence in FLOCK and their collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office. This initiative will continue to offer benefits in the future.”

The Sheriff’s Office is in partnership with federal law enforcement to pursue further charges related to the jamming device. GPS data extracted from the suspects' phones has already established connections to various out-of-state burglaries. The investigation remains active as Rivera's accomplice has yet to be apprehended.